The Sacramento Bee's view

I have always thought of Toyota’s RAV4 as the ideal sport-utility vehicle for folks who do not necessarily adore SUVs.

Compact, car-like in handling and comparatively fuel-efficient, RAV4s historically have had just enough cargo space to haul that unwieldy item that occasionally drops into your life.

If you like a little SUV convenience but do not want to fuel a sport-ute the size of a duplex, you probably will like the RAV4.

Now, there’s even more to like.

The all-new, third-generation, 2006 RAV4 has bulked up. Slightly wider and taller, the serious growth is in length – a whopping 14.5 inches longer than the second-generation RAV4. The increased length accommodates a third-row seat, expanding the passenger capacity from five to seven.

Also, the new RAV4 has something it has long needed, an available six-cylinder engine. And what an upgrade it is!

The standard 2.4-liter, in-line 4 engine generates a respectable 166 horsepower. Opt for the 3.5-liter V-6, and the horsepower output spikes to a rip-roaring 269.

Fabulous, I say. But here’s the rub: The tested RAV4, the Limited 4X4 model starting at just shy of $24,000, had neither the third-row seat nor the big V-6 engine that Toyota has been touting so loudly.

So, in terms of those two features, I had to call on my powers of deduction – adequate but far from Sherlock Holmes-like – to imagine what they would be like in the new RAV4.

Swinging open the hinged rear door – I like this easy-opening feature, as opposed to a rear liftgate that sometimes requires you to jump back out of the way – I peered into the back and tried to imagine a third row bolted into the cargo area.

One word came to mind – cramped. And when I saw a RAV4 with three rows at the recent Los Angeles Auto Show, I had no reason to change my mind.

So it’s up to the buyer. If you typically have yourself and, say, three passengers to deal with, get the five-passenger RAV4, and save that back area for cargo. If you have more than four folks in your posse, even on a semi-regular basis, check out the seven-passenger RAV4 … but make sure at least two passengers are very limber.

The tester’s in-line 4 power plant with variable valve timing did not pin me to the seat on hard acceleration from the stoplight but was willing and able in all other conditions.

Only during the steepest uphill climbs did the engine start to complain. During freeway merges, slalom runs and surface street dicing, the engine performed admirably.

With 269 horses under the hood, I would wager that a 2006 RAV4 feels like a pocket rocket. Blowing off sports cars in a V-6-equipped RAV4; wow, that must be a rush!

Me, I kind of liked the tester’s more-sedate charms – and an advertised 23 miles per gallon in city driving and 28 mpg on the highway.

The current RAV4 retains most of the qualities that I enjoyed in the first-and second-generation versions.

It still handles like a nimble midsize sedan. It can zip through a tight U-turn with ease, and it dodges around downtown traffic without jostling driver and passengers.

The list of standard features is generous for this segment, including electronic brake distribution, vehicle stability control (with traction control), tire air pressure monitoring, roof rack and a climate-control system with dust/pollen filters.

Dash controls are within easy reach, easy to understand and easy to use. Seating surfaces are comfortable; in the back seat of the tester, passengers could stretch their legs to desired comfort levels.

Oddly, I could not get full comfort in the driver’s seat. Keeping in mind that I’m 6-4, the driver’s seat fell about two inches short of my comfort zone even when it was pushed back as far as it could go from the steering wheel.

Another gripe: The spare tire cover.

The good news is that you get a full-size spare tire, not that pathetic little doughnut spare found on so many models. The bad news is that the spare resides in a spare tire cover mounted on the RAV4’s rear cargo door.

It’s a personal thing, but I just don’t like this arrangement. Yes, it frees up space inside the vehicle, and yes, it’s way better than wedging your body under the SUV to unscrew a spare bolted to the undercarriage.

But cosmetically, I dislike the mounted spare tire appendage. And I hate the thought of being rear-ended by another vehicle and having the spare tire driven into the cabin.

The RAV4 spare tire cover matched the color of the tester, but what Toyota calls its “hard shell” is anything but. You can mash it in with your hand, making it look like you have a rear-collision-induced dent in your SUV.

OK, I’ve gone on far too long about a spare tire cover – a comparatively minor issue in the whole 2006 RAV4 experience.

Bumper to bumper, Toyota did a good job upgrading an already pleasant vehicle.

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TOYOTA RAV4 AT A GLANCE

Make/model: 2006 Toyota RAV4 Limited 4X4

Vehicle type: Five-passenger, four-door, four-wheel-drive, sport-utility vehicle

Base price: $23,955 (as tested, $29,032)

Engine: 2.4-liter in-line 4 with 166 horsepower at 6,000 revolutions per minute and 165 foot-pounds of torque at 4,000 rpm

EPA fuel economy: 23 miles per gallon city; 28 mpg highway

Transmission: Four-speed automatic

Steering: Electronic, power-assisted rack and pinion

Brakes: Power-assisted four-wheel discs with anti-lock and electronic brake distribution

Suspension: Independent, MacPherson strut-type on front; independent, double-wishbone on rear (stabilizer bars front and rear)

Fuel tank: 15.9 gallons

Passenger volume: 108.2 cubic feet

Cargo volume: 73 cubic feet (behind front seats)

Curb weight: 3,512 pounds

Track: 61.4 inches front and rear

Ground clearance: 7.5 inches

Height: 66.3 inches

Length: 181.1 inches.

Wheelbase: 104.7 inches.

Width: 71.5 inches.

Towing capacity: 1,500 pounds.

Tires: P225/65R17 all-season radials.

Point of entry: Long Beach.

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About the writer: The Bee’s Mark Glover can be reached at (916) 321-1184 or mglover@sacbee.com.