The Best Years For the Toyota RAV4

The Toyota RAV4 is one of Toyota’s most popular vehicles and is well-known for being one of the very first car-like crossover designs. This Toyota meets the needs of drivers who want a rugged, yet civilized SUV with plenty of room, good fuel economy, smooth road manners, and a sense of adventure when needed. Even though the used Toyota RAV4 is known for being a reliable vehicle, there are some years that are better than others.

2016 Toyota RAV4

If you’re looking for the best year of this Toyota SUV and more value for your money, then 2016 used Toyota RAV4 is what you should focus on. 2016 used Toyota RAV4 has a lot going for it, including a flawless reliability rating from Consumer Reports, and a top pick on the J.D. Power tests. It was also ranked among the top 10 most reliable SUVs and one of the best for resale value.

Despite the long list of problems versus the 2017 and 2018 model years, the 2016 model is considered to be the more reliable model year overall. However, you can’t go wrong with either the 2017 or 2018 used Toyota RAV4 model years as they have many of the same accolades as the 2016 model year and still retain their value.

Toyota RAV4 Overview

The Toyota RAV4 is a good choice among compact crossover SUVs no matter which model year you look at. It’s one of the few Toyota models that has topped eight-figure sales since 1994. As one of the original compact crossovers, the RAV4 continues to be one of the most popular and well-known models in the segment. Currently, this Toyota model is offered in six trim levels, including a TRD Off-Road trim. The goal of the diverse trim levels of this SUV is to offer something for everyone in the Toyota fanbase. A recent addition to the RAV4 lineup is the RAV4 Plug-in Hybrid.

Are There Models To Avoid?

Despite being a very reliable vehicle overall, there are some model years of the used Toyota RAV4 that you might want to put near the bottom of your list. It shouldn’t discourage you from buying these models, but you’ll definitely want to have them thoroughly inspected. The model year in question is the 2019 model. Interestingly, this used Toyota had the least total complaints.

However, the complaints touched on important parts of the vehicle, such as the transmission and engine components. Owners of 2019 reported serious issues such as slipping out of gear, stalling, noisy acceleration, and gas gauge problems.

No matter how you look at it, this used Toyota model is a solid choice in the compact crossover segment. Pretty much every used Toyota RAV4 has high reliability, but if you want something fairly recent, it’s a good idea to look at the 2016-2018 model years.