2022 Toyota RAV4 Expert Review
Reviewed by Kelly Lin
When the RAV4 made its debut in the 1990s, body-on-frame SUVs were still the norm. The little Toyota helped change all of that, ushering in the era of the crossover. The RAV4 has taken many forms in its history—at different points in time, it was available as a two-door, an EV, and even as a convertible. Now in its fifth generation, the RAV4 competes against popular compact crossovers including the Honda CR-V, Mazda CX-5, and Subaru Forester.
Updated in August 2024, below
Is the 2022 Toyota RAV4 a Good Used Car?
Toyota's bestseller remains a strong choice in the used SUV market. The 2022 Toyota RAV4 is at its best when you focus on traditional Toyota strengths like expected reliability instead of, say, engine refinement. We still believe the non-hybrid RAV4 models are too loud and recommend the hybrid trims if the budget allows. In fact, the 2022 Honda CR-V was our number-one ranked compact SUV throughout 2022, while the 2022 and 2023 RAV4 settled for fourth and fifth place, respectively.
The 2022 Toyota RAV4 was not on our list of the Best Used SUVs, but the mechanically related Venza was. If you find a Venza at a similar price point as 2022 RAV4s you're considering, kick the tires and see what you think.
The 2021 Toyota RAV4 appeared on our list of the most reliable SUVs.
What About Next Year's Model? The 2023 RAV4 received larger driver display and infotainment screens, with a wireless application of Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.
What's New
- SE Hybrid trim with standard 7.0-inch touchscreen, cloth seats, and mono-tone paint
- Available 9.0-inch touchscreen on SE Hybrid
- Locking glove box on all trims
- LED interior lamps on all trims
- Illuminated interior switches for XLE and above
- Limited trim receives eight-way power passenger seat
- Calvary Blue paint color offered on TRD Off-Road, XSE (with black roof) and SE Hybrid
- New wheel colors
- Revised headlamps for XLE grades and above
- New LED foglamps for XLE Premium, Limited, Adventure, and TRD Off-Road
- XSE Hybrid gets vertical lighting elements from the RAV4 XSE Prime plug-in hybrid
What We Think
As Toyota's best-selling vehicle in the U.S., the RAV4 sets the tone for the entire brand. Fortunately, it's a well-rounded SUV, boasting good fuel economy, decent power, and confident cornering capabilities. It has many standard safety features, and low maintenance costs. When we drove a 2019 RAV4 for a year, we didn't spend a dime on service thanks to Toyota's generous complimentary maintenance program that covers two years or 25,000 miles (whichever comes first).
The SUV could use a little more refinement, though. The engine in pre-2022 models can be thrashy (the Hybrid and Prime variants provide smoother, drama-free acceleration). Also, the ride isn't as controlled as it is on the Honda CR-V. Speaking of the CR-V, this rival boasts a more spacious interior and is more fun to drive.
Interior design in the RAV4 is simple and streamlined. Unexpected touches like the chunky, textured control knobs and fun interior patterns brighten the cabin. We wish the doors would open a little wider, though.
Toyota offers a wide selection of RAV4s, not only hybrid versions but also Adventure and TRD Off-Road variants. Not that the TRD Off-Road trim is particularly impressive; the butched-up RAV4 failed to perform in our four-way affordable off-roader comparison. This is a solid competitor, but some rivals have more to offer in this crowded segment. We look forward to seeing if the changes for 2022 keep the RAV4 competitive.
Performance and Fuel Economy
Gasoline-only versions of the 2022 Toyota RAV4 are available with a single engine, a 2.5-liter four-cylinder developing 203 hp and 184 lb-ft of torque. It's paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission and can be equipped with either FWD or AWD. A 2019 RAV4 Limited with FWD hit 60 mph from a standstill in 8.2 seconds and our long-term 2019 RAV4 XLE AWD did the same in 8.0 seconds.
The EPA rates the FWD RAV4 at a fairly thrifty 27/35 mpg city/highway, but those numbers drop as low as 25/32 mpg in the AWD-only TRD Off-Road. Toyota also offers a RAV4 Hybrid which returns an EPA-rated 41/38 mpg. It positions this model as a sportier alternative to the gas-only RAV4. At the top of the range there's also the RAV4 Prime PHEV. Total system output is 302 hp and this plug-in hybrid can run from 0-60 mph in just 5.5 seconds. It also boasts 42 miles of electric range and a total driving range of 600 miles with the assistance of its 2.5-liter cylinder gasoline engine.
Learn more about RAV4 Hybrid and RAV4 Prime right here.
Safety Ratings and Features
The 2022 Toyota RAV4 earned a five-star overall safety rating from the NHTSA. This score consists of four stars in the front crash and rollover tests, and five stars in the side crash test. In IIHS testing, the RAV4 earned Good scores in all crash categories, which helped it snag a 2022 Top Safety Pick award. Headlights are rated Good, Marginal, or Poor depending on trim.
Standard safety features should include automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection, lane departure alert with steering assist, adaptive cruise control, automatic high beams, and lane tracing assist, which helps keep the vehicle centered in its lane.
Cargo Space and Interior Room
The 2022 Toyota RAV4's cargo room and interior space fall short of its chief rival, the 2022 Honda CR-V. But the RAV4 beats other rivals such as the Subaru Forester and Ford Escape.
Technology
The 2022 RAV4 offers a standard 7.0-inch touchscreen and optional 9.0-inch touchscreen. Available features include built-in navigation, an 11-speaker JBL sound system, wireless device charging, and a 360-degree camera system.
Recommended Trim
The 2022 RAV4 XLE is the sweet spot in the model lineup. It is equipped with upgraded LED projector headlights, 17-inch alloy wheels, dual-zone climate control, keyless entry, and a power-adjustable driver's seat. It comes with additional safety features over the base model as well including standard blind-spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert.
Toyota also offers the RAV4 XLE with heated front seats, a powered liftgate, a powered tilting and sliding moonroof, an upgraded backup camera system, and its upgraded Audio Plus infotainment system with a 9.0-inch touchscreen as options. The base model provides adequate daily transportation, but stepping up to the XLE only costs about $1,500 more and adds substantially upgraded equipment. If you want the best fuel economy and smoothest drive, though, opt for the hybrid.
Corolla Cross or RAV4?
New for 2022, Toyota slotted the Corolla Cross underneath the RAV4 in its crossover lineup. The Corolla Cross is based on Toyota's namesake sedan but offers a higher seating position and a liftgate. It has a couple advantages over the RAV4 including a lower starting price and better fuel economy from its 169-hp 2.0-liter engine which is paired with a CVT. However, the RAV4's 2.5-liter unit is more powerful and has more torque to the tune of 34 hp and 34 lb-ft and comes with the secondary advantage of being mated to an eight-speed automatic transmission.
The RAV4 is longer by 5.3 inches and has 0.3 inch more ground clearance. It has less front legroom with 41.0 inches to the Corolla Cross' 42.9 inches but boasts more rear legroom (37.8 vs. 32.0 inches). It handily beats the Corolla Cross in terms of cargo room. The RAV4 has 37.6/69.8 (seats up/down) cubic feet of cargo space compared to 25.5/66.8 cubic feet in the Corolla Cross.
The Corolla Cross has one final advantage over its bigger sibling as its starting price undercuts that of the RAV4 by over $4,000.
