Top 5 Reviews and Videos of the Week: 2019 Toyota RAV4 Still Popular
The redesigned 2019 Toyota RAV4 remains one of our most popular reviews for the umpteenth week, and in light of its recent participation in our 2019 Compact SUV Challenge, let’s revisit what Toyota did to update what was already a very successful model.
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Cars.com reviewer Jennifer Geiger wasn’t kind to the RAV4 Adventure model when it first debuted, but after spending time with it — and its new all-wheel-drive system — she came away something of a believer.
“The biggest surprise was the Adventure model,” according to Geiger, “which I mocked when it debuted [in 2017], saying it offered nothing apart from slightly more adventurous styling and a big price hike. Like the 2018 version, the new Adventure model wears rugged body cladding and gets a few new exclusive colors, but the biggest change is that it makes good on its name with a robust new AWD system.
“The New Dynamic Torque Vectoring All-Wheel Drive system is several steps above the RAV4’s regular AWD system in terms of capability. It can send up to 50 percent of engine torque to the rear wheels as needed for more traction, and it can also direct power to the left and right rear wheels to boost grip when slippage is detected. There’s also a multiterrain selector that optimizes the AWD system for mud, dirt, rocks, sand or snow.
“The RAV4 owners I know are exclusively pavement drivers, but should the urge to wander off the beaten path strike, the Adventure model lives up to its name. I drove it on dirt, and it very capably mastered steep hill climbs, ruts and moguls. The new AWD system is standard on both Adventure and Limited trims.”
You can read Geiger’s full review below, where it’s sat comfortably in first or second place since we published it in December 2018.
The BMW 3 Series First Drive remains our most popular video segment for another week, followed by a preview of our soon-to-come First Drive of the 2020 Jeep Gladiator. Three other First Drives round out the top five, featuring the resurrected 2019 Chevrolet Blazer, more powerful 2019 Mazda MX-5 Miata and all-new 2020 Kia Telluride.
Check out the top five reviews and videos of the week below.
Top 5 Reviews
1. 2019 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 Review: A Mixed Bag of Big Improvements
2. 2019 Toyota RAV4 Review: Delivers More, Costs More
3. 2019 Ram 1500 Review: Top Luxury or Work, But Not Both
4. 2019 Hyundai Santa Fe Review: Practicality Over Performance
5. 2019 Honda Passport Review: Shorter Brother Improves on Pilot
Top 5 Videos
1. Driving the 2019 and 2020 BMW 3 Series
2. 2020 Jeep Gladiator: A Ride on the Wild Side
3. 2019 Chevrolet Blazer: First Drive
4. 2019 Mazda MX-5 Miata: First Drive
5. 2020 Kia Telluride: First Drive
Cars.com’s Editorial department is your source for automotive news and reviews. In line with Cars.com’s long-standing ethics policy, editors and reviewers don’t accept gifts or free trips from automakers. The Editorial department is independent of Cars.com’s advertising, sales and sponsored content departments.
