toyota rav4 2023 review Page 4

The 2023 Toyota RAV4 is the Swiss Army knife of family SUVs—sensible, sharp enough, and almost annoyingly good at everything.

The 2.5‑litre hybrid sips about 4.7–5.0 L/100km in the real world, while the 2.0 petrol (FWD CVT) and 2.5 petrol AWD (8‑speed auto) trade frugality for a bit more shove.

Ride and handling are comfortably planted, safety tech is generous (AEB, lane keep, adaptive cruise), and the cabin finally has modern infotainment with proper smartphone mirroring.

Towing tops out at up to 2,000 kg for the 2.5 petrol AWD and around 1,500 kg for the hybrid—enough for the weekend toys without scaring the dog.

New pricing generally sits from the mid‑$30Ks to low‑$50Ks plus on‑roads, while 2023 used examples hover around $40K–$60K depending on spec and patience.

Downsides? Long wait times for hybrids and some road noise on coarse‑chip surfaces, but otherwise it’s the sensible shoes you’ll actually brag about.