Vehicle Spotlight: 2017 Toyota RAV4 Test Drive

2017 Toyota RAV4

According to Truck Trend, Toyota RAV4 is in a three-way tie for best selling SUV with the sporty Honda CR-V and ever-dependable Ford Escape. It’s not hard to see why. The 2017 Toyota RAV4 offers drivers the right combination of safety, versatility and value. It looks as good zipping through town for a school drop off as it does caked in mud and roaring over dirt paths.

Personalize Your Package

Drivers hoping to climb behind the wheel of a RAV4 in 2017 have their choices cut out for them. There are five trim levels on the gasoline models and three trims on the hybrid options. The Platinum stands out among all, but doesn’t it always?

“Distinguishable by its full body color exterior and unique badging, the Platinum delivers the RAV4 line’s highest levels of standard technology and luxury,” Toyota explained.

The new RAV4 is all that and more. Enjoy a heated steering wheel, premium audio with navigation, a birds-eye view camera and Platinum-badged door sill protectors.

Under the Hood

In addition, the 2017 Toyota RAV4 has a 2.5L four-cylinder engine and six-speed automatic transmission with 176 horsepower and 172 lb-ft of torque. It isn’t going to smoke an eight-second mile, but it’ll get the job done. The hybrid version has its own 2.5L four cylinder with a small electric motor making 194 horsepower. Haters be still, as Motor Trend testing revealed the hybrid can swing 0-60 in about 7.8 seconds. That makes it faster than the gas version.

Safety First

As if validation from Motor Trend wasn’t enough, Toyota took safety to a new level with its 2017 models. The Safety Sense package now comes standard and includes a pre-collision system with pedestrian detection, lane departure alert with steering assist and automatic high beams. Eight airbags, traction control and vehicle stability control are also part of the vehicle’s standard features. The 2017 Toyota RAV4 earned the highest safety rating of five stars from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

Time for a test drive: This crossover is as practical and reliable as it is fun. Car and Driver credits the Toyota RAV4 as giving the Honda CR-V a real run for its money. In fact, both companies’ 2016 models are in stiff standoff for overall sales. As Toyota puts it, the RAV4 has been blending “conventional passenger car elements with the features of a light, off-road vehicle” for more than 20 years.

Thus, the 2017 Toyota RAV4 holds true to this reputation and gives drivers the best of both worlds: the comfort and convenience of a car along with the performance and safety of a sports vehicle.

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