Toyota RAV4 : TOYOTA'S HIS `N HERS

Four-wheel drive comes no more fashionably than Toyota's Latest RAV4. June Neary checks it out

It's intriguing to consider that Toyota's upwardly mobile statement of urban chic might well be the finest mud-plugging tool yet invented and we wouldn't know it. The trendy townies who snap up the company's latest RAV4 are no more likely to take them to the sludge than the GTi `hot hatches` and small sportscars they probably traded in as part exchange.

We both enjoyed the high up driving position which gives a super view of the road (as well as enabling you to look down on other road users). Our nephew has been a four-wheel drive fan since the first time he came out with me on a test drive and was impressed with the Toyota's huge boot space which had room to spare for his bicycle, small friend's pushchair - and me - as we went to the park with some friends. It also fits the bill nicely if, like we do, you keep bottles, newspapers and aluminium cans for recycling. There's loads of room to load up the monthly collection (light on the bottles, I hasten to add) with sacks of fallen leaves, to take to the dump. That's because this latest five-door RAV4 is a very different beast to the original Nineties version. Across each successive iteration, the RAV4 has got bigger and better equipped. This third generation model represented the most radical change yet. Cute and chunky was replaced with bold and aggressive. The new vehicle is a whole lot more angular and a good deal more spacious than RAV4s past. The latest facelifted cars tweak the front-end styling with changes to the bumper, grille and headlight design. There are also indicators integrated into the door mirrors and a redesigned taillight cluster treatment at the rear. The RAV4 remains at the more practical and family-orientated end of the compact 4x4 market. What it lacks in funky, urban styling it makes up for in capacity and user-friendliness. Rear seats that fold flat to the floor with one pull of a lever are one reason why the RAV4's load capacity is as big as it is and it also helps that the middle row of seats can be slid backwards and forwards over a range of 165mm, optimising either luggage space or rear passenger leg room. The seat folding action is particularly slick. Whereas some rivals may also claim flat folding rear seats, the reality is that you will often have to spend time dismantling the head restraints or risk a hernia from flipping seat bases up before the operation can be completed. There's none of that palaver in the RAV4, a one-handed operation seeing the seat vanish flush with the load bay floor.

On the move, the RAV4 is surprisingly comfortable. Perhaps Toyota have decided to acknowledge that most owners don't buy an off-roader to drive off the road and have adjusted the suspension accordingly. Certainly, the latest 156bhp 16 valve 2.0-litre petrol engine should suit those who favour frantic lifestyles. There's also a 148 diesel. As with the original RAV4, the handling is impressive. No, it isn't as sharp as the GTi my other half used to drive in his carefree younger days (he said), but the RAV4 came surprisingly close. Cornering roll in other 4x4s is such that they require an entirely different driving technique. That isn't the case here. "It's just like driving a car," was his verdict. It's less manoeuvrable in the supermarket car park, even with power steering, than a car would be, but given the size and weight of the vehicle, this is a very minor point.

There are only two trim level options open to RAV4 customers at the moment but neither is what you could call Spartan. Standard equipment includes dual-zone climate control, a Bluetooth phone system, automatic wipers and headlights, a six CD autochanger, 17" alloy wheels and heated door mirrors that retract at the touch of a button. This basic trim is called XT-R but the 4x4 versions also get leather upholstery, keyless entry and start, heated front seats and electric adjustment for the driver's seat. Step up to the range-topping SR model and various styling enhancements are added, features like privacy glass, extended wheelarches and 18" alloy wheels. A neat reversing camera with a screen in the rear-view mirror also makes an appearance. The RAV4 is priced at the upper end of the compact 4x4 segment but the generous equipment quota along with the advanced engines and gearboxes should ensure value for money.

The fact that the man in my life could quite happily live with a RAV4 certainly makes it a viable option for me. Where the previous version was very much a second - or third - car, in my view, this larger model could feasibly be the main family car.