Barely three years ago, I could not justify why anyone would want to drive SUVs, with their clumsy handling and gas-guzzling fuel economy. Least of all a car-based SUV. To me then, the car-based SUVs were even more pointless, as they couldn’t perform off-road, and looked either bland (CR-V) or cartoonish (1st-gen RAV4).
That is, till the 2001 Toyota RAV4 came along. The junior X-5 stance, large wheels and sharp-edged lines shouted, “drive me!” Yes, in some ways it’s still a pretend SUV, its mud-plugging abilities limited by its lack of a lockable differential or ABS-based traction control system like the Mercedes M-class’. At nearly 10,000 km, though, we found out that the RAV more than made up for those deficiencies by its capabilities in every day city and highway driving.
We discovered that the RAV’s dohc 16-valve 2-liter engine behaves less like an inline-4 and more like a larger-displacement V6. Like large American V6s, commonly found in Ford Taurus and the like, the engine prefers to do its work in the 1500-3000 rpm range. Press the throttle anywhere in that area and the car accelerates enthusiastically. The response is quite good, as if there isn’t really 1300+ kg of compact SUV underneath you. This makes the car very relaxing to drive, as you don’t need to wait for the engine to come on boil before getting the desired acceleration.
There is a noticeable lag, though, when asking the car to accelerate uphill. The automatic gearbox exhibits a maddening reluctance to downshift, even on the steepest of uphill slopes. We found this out in negotiating the roads of Canyon Woods in Tagaytay. Even if the RAV’s nose seemed to be pointing at the sky already it still persisted in second gear! We had to manually shift down to “L”, and away we went. Toyota really should beef up its Super-ECT from the Echo or Corolla and install it in the RAV.
The engine is indeed willing to rev when pressed on, but becomes increasingly gruff beyond 4000 rpm. The gearbox is reluctant to hold the gear past 5000 rpm, even if the redline is actually 6500. Watching the central-mounted tachometer, we noticed that the gearbox prefers to shift around 2700 rpm in unharassed driving. This is actually a clever strategy: it helped the RAV achieve fuel mileage to date of 7.4 km / liter. This may not be remarkably high by US or European standards, but in comparison, our test 2.0 Cefiro and 2.3 Accord are logging only 7.0 and 6.5 km respectively in everyday driving—and both those sedans are front-wheel-drive manuals.
The brakes are somewhat overboosted, as they tend to grab quickly with the slightest tap. You’ll have to learn to feather that brake pedal, or the car following you might find the RAV’s spare tire sitting in his lap. There’s not much in the way of pedal feel, but apart from the initial grabbiness, the brakes are easy to modulate.
There’s a thin line between genius and madness, and the RAV4 interior falls right along that razor edge. Genius: Easy to read gauges with central tachometer, excellently chunky feel of the light and wiper stalks, stereo mounted high enough so you don’t have to take your eyes of the road, easy to fold and remove rear seats to increase luggage capacity, adjustable-aperture cup holders (no loose cups means no spilled drinks) and (our personal cheap-thrill favorite) “theater-dimming” lights. Special commendation must also go to the steering wheel of this car, perhaps one of the best, short of a custom-tailored MOMO. The rim is suitably fat, the three spokes are in perfect position, and best of all, it’s not leather! (No sweat for a plastic steering wheel, if you get my meaning.)
As for the madness (or at least maddening) part: no glovebox light, utterly cheap vanity mirror covers (no light also) that can get caught open when you fold the sunvisors, no variable intermittent for the wipers, only one switch for both front map lights (the driver will be blinded if the passenger needs to look at something).
The worst defect by far is a persistent groaning noise from the rear suspension, still unsolved after our last two checkups. The rear parcel shelf also tends to thunk irritatingly. Each is enough to drive you nuts, but both at the same time is too much!
Apart from those unusual noises, the RAV drives exceptionally well on tarmac and on gravel roads. You’re aware of the tall ride height, but only if you look down. The sharp steering response and unwavering chassis can fool you into thinking you’re driving a hot hatch. Toyota warns not to corner the RAV as you would a car, but its road manners indeed suggest GTi.
It will also pull through light mud with not much complaint. It’s not for heavy off-roading, though. One look at the low-hanging exhaust and rear suspension components will confirm this. We even scraped the rear muffler while parking on a temporary lot. Stay away from logs and boulders! Where this car is really at home is on the pavement, where its torquey engine, responsive handling and commanding view of the road make you feel that this compact offroader may indeed be a credible alternative to a midsize sedan.
So where does the RAV sit in the car food chain? Its interior is narrower than a midsize sedan’s, but four (or five small persons) will feel comfortable because of the high ceiling. It handles and accelerates well, and you’ll pay no penalties in fuel economy. So is it worth it? At PHP1,350,000 it’s PHP350,000 too expensive for our tastes. If you can afford it, though, it’s an excellent car to drive every day and almost anywhere that you’d care to go. Not many SUVs or pretend-SUVs can claim that. The only groans you’ll hear in this car are from the suspension—and we hope that will be fixed at the next checkup.
By Jason Ang | Photos By Ulysses Ang
Originally Published October 2001 Issue
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