2009 Toyota RAV4 consumer reviews

I love my Toyota. Seating for 7 with the third row seats, great gas mileage, and fun to drive. I will be a RAV4 owner for a very long time. If they keep the options and continue the model I will definately buy another.

A marvelous vehicle...great performance and comfortable ride...very dependable...easy to park and quite responsive (steering)

Have had car a month and replaced a 2006 Rav 4 Limited with 4 cylinder. Ride is amazingly smooth. I can now off road and tow my boat. The gauges now have instant MPG and average MPG. Getting 19.8 around town and 26.5 on highway at 72mph with AC on. Not bad. The 4 cylinder only got 26.5 at 75 mph and AC on. Dual zone AC needed for wife and works well.Keyless system very good. I like the rear door which opens to the side. Very easy to open and close compared to a door that goes up. V6 power makes this a peppy car that can take on BMW and the likes. Inside space very good for this size car. Blue tooth easy to use. No initial problems. I had the 2006 RAV 4 for two years and had zero mechanical problems.

I have had this SUV for two weeks now and am largely pleased with the purchase. The space inside for such a compact vehicle is great and I find the interior layout and materials more than adequate. The safety features are first rate and I appreciate the higher seating position this vehicle offers. My only complaints are that it does have a somewhat firm "truckish" ride and it could use better cabin sound insulation as engine noise is noticeable upon acceleration. Finally, I actually prefer the swing out tailgate as it is easier to partially open and access the cargo area in a closed garage. The fact that it opens from the drivers side is an advantage for me as this is more convenient and I rarely parallel park.

Great all around suv that handled beautifully in the snow we had last year!!! Love the size and how it fits into any parking spot.

Bought my 2009 RAV4 base model 4-cyl FWD six months ago, and now have 10K miles on it. It was bought as a minivan replacement, and the carrying capacity is excellent, with the back seats either in place or folded flat. I'm getting 27.6 MPG overall, and I drive in the DC suburbs. On the highway, it will cruise readily at 75-80 mph, although the 4-cyl is a bit too ready to downshift on long hills. Yes, the seats are firm, but we've been in it for multiple drives of over 10 hours and everyone was fine. What it needs: a 5-spd automatic, body side moldings to protect the doors, and a windshield with a dark tint at the top. These are common Toyota design shortcomings. Overall, it's outstanding for an all-purpose vehicle.

I have always driven German, English and Swedish vehicles, I was very surprised to read the great reviews of the 2009 RAV4. I hoped to upgrade gas mileage but keep an SUV. I've been pleased with the 28 mpg that I am getting in the rural areas of PA the past 2 months. Our 12-hour trip mpg also was close to 30 mpg. I felt the 4cyl had plenty of pick up even on the mountains with the AC running. Interior is well appointed with the Limited package and leather seats. There is plenty of room for legs, head, shoulders, both front and rear. Cargo area is impressive as well. The car offers SmartKey (just touch the door handles if the key is in your pocket to unlock the vehicle and just press the start button while placing foot on brake pedal to start the engine). The blue tooth is great..no more holding phone to talk. System dials numbers or names without taking hands off the steering wheel. If you can afford the extra cost, go with the Limited leather seats. Base model seats were very basic. Limited leather seats are very comfortable. Climate control is dual zone: can adjust temp for each side of the car. Wife keeps her side 5 degrees warmer. Looked at Forester and Honda. RAV won hands down in all areas. Limited has all the bells and whistles but a Rain Sensor wipers. Power seat is on driver's side but not included on passenger side.

We just bought the RAV4, 2009 Limited edition, AWD. We got the smart-key one, and we are getting used to this thing without a key. It's kind of odd not having a key, think about that before you buy it. The idea of a car with a key is really deep in our mind, I hope we will get used to this. However, the feature seems to be interesting. PROS: - Lots of power, it's a V6 AWD, 265HP! - Quiet and fund to drive. - All kind of engine features, like Down the Hill Assistance(DAC)(not sure if I ever will use it) and up the hill assistance, TRAC, etc. CONS: - No alarm! - No traditional key, so no ignition switch. This RAV4 DO NOT HAVE an alarm system, I found that after we have signed the papers! I am not happy about that. Other than that, you will be happy. Nothing compare to the 8 cylinders tractors made by GM, Ford, etc. Hey, we need to save gas, don't we?

Beautiful inside and out!!! We leased this car for a great price, and couldn't be happier. We now drive a geat car and still have all of our money. How could you not love Heritage Toyota Vermont. WE LOVE OUR RAV!!!!

I spent so much time comparing this car to the subaru forester. then the RAV4 won out with me. The 4 cylinder sounds very grumpy when climbing hills like all four cylinders but this is horrible, very bad sound proofing. The 4sp auto is smooth sometimes but in city driving i feel it try too hard and go into 4000 rpm range to shift so its a bit slow. the interior is nice but not up to the subarus (the subaru won that for me) and its just an almost awkward place to be because if you push on something a little too hard it has a unpleasent plastic sound. not a good thing when you have a 5yr old and a 3 yr old. the rear seats are kinda hard. i took my 5yr old for a spin and he complained to the point i turned around and dropped him off witht the wife. he said his hiney was so sore from sitting on a rock. i dont like the cargo gate. it should swing out to the road not the street. its not europe toyota. overall its a nice vehicle but i would go witht he subbie. its peppier and shifts when told also its comfy. i plan on a trade in soon.