The Morning Call and Mcall.com's view

Say you’ve always wanted a truck — specifically, a sport-utility vehicle. But you’re put off by the fact that it’s, well, a truck. So Toyota has taken a page from Chrysler and turned a car platform into a truck.

It’s called the RAV4.

That’s right, RAV4. In spirit of bizarre Japanese auto names (just what does Camry mean anyway?), it stands for Recreational Active Vehicle with four-wheel drive. After spending some time in one, it’s easy to call it the “RAVE FOR.”

Filling in Toyota’s lineup under the ever-higher-priced 4Runner, it comes in short (2-doors, 86.6-inch wheelbase) and long (4-door, 94.9-inch wheelbase) versions. A five-speed manual transmission is standard; four-speed automatic, optional. Up front, the RAVs all ride on MacPherson struts with front stabilizer bar. Out back, it’s coil springs. Front disc, rear drums with optional anti-lock are available.

Front-wheel-drive models are at the bottom of the line. Next up is a part-time four-wheel drive, while the full-time four-wheel-drive tops out the line, along with an optional limited slip differential.

Dual airbags are standard and a dual-sliding sunroof is optional on the two-door.

The engine is a two-liter, four-cylinder 16-valve, double overhead cam, electronically controlled fuel-injected engine. Last seen in the previous generation Camry, this mill pumps out 120 horses at 5,400 rpm and 125 foot-pounds of torque at 4,600 rpm. A somewhat noisy power plant, it gets the job done adequately, but doesn’t contain gobs of power in reserve.

If all of this sounds fairly unremarkable, it is. But it’s when you actually drive this vehicle that things get interesting. The car chassis used here shines through — there’s little of the truck-like ride associated with even the finest sport-utility vehicle. Instead, drivers and passengers are treated to a ride not too far from a good compact. It certainly has its share of road engine and tire noise. But its overall length is about that of a subcompact. So zipping about traffic as one would in a small car is definitely an option here. Other car-like attributes include an extremely low step-in height and competent handling. It all adds up to a truck meant more for the occasional snowy commute than off-road boulder bashing.

But, despite its nice-guy personality, it looks like a truck. The chunky, rugged, plastic-clad RAV4 got high marks in the styling department, especially from those who wear their caps backwards. Similarly, the burlap-like interior upholstery is louder than grunge rock. Inside there’s a lot of hard, dark gray plastic. Interior assembly quality was of Toyota’s usual high standard. So, too, was the AM/ FM-cassette CD. It handled the bump and grind of R&B with authority.

The cargo area can be expanded to a whopping 57.9 cubic feet with the split folding rear seats down. But there’s no cargo cover. Seating was chair-high. But there was one lone cuphold er, set back too far in the center console to be of much use. The CD changer will hold three CDs, but there’s no storage bin for their cases (there was room in the glove box).

The test vehicle was almost 24 big ones, yet lacked a sunroof, tilt wheel, console storage bin, rear cargo cover and a bigger engine option. But to look at just features is to miss the point. This truck’s cute, chunky demeanor and car-like road manners just ooze with personality and fun. There might be better values, but few trucks have the sporty fun personality this little SUV does. It’s so endearing, you’ll want to name it. That explains its scarcity on dealer lots, despite its price tag. Some things are just worth the price.

1996 Toyota RAV4 Standard: Two-liter four-cylinder DOHC engine, four-speed electronic automatic transmission, full-time four-wheel drive, power assisted rack-and-pinion steering, power front disc brakes, front stabilizer bar, gas-filled shock ab orbers, dual airbags, dual mirrors, 16-inch steel wheels, tinted glass, reclining front bucket seats, rear window defroster, front and rear intermittent wipers, passenger vanity mirror. Optional: All Weather Guard package, anti-lock brakes, CFC-free air-conditioning, limited-slip differential, cruise control, power window/locks/mirrors, deluxe cassette, floor mats, mud guards, CD player. Base price: $18,098. As tested: $23,817. Warranty: Three years, 36,000 miles. EPA rating: 22 city, 27 highway.