New Car Review of the 2005 Toyota RAV-4 Compact Sport Utility Vehicle

Description: Compact Sport Utility Vehicle
Base MSRP Range: $18,750 - $21,200
Invoice Price Range: $17,363 - $19,334
Where built: Japan

The name of this wagon signifies a Recreational Active Vehicle with 4WD. It varies from a body-on-frame SUV by using the unified structure of a car, namely Toyota's Celica coupe.

The base RAV-4 for 2005 directs all engine torque to the front wheels and functions like a front-wheel-drive (FWD) car, while a second version has an all-wheel-drive (AWD) system with electronic controls and sensors that detect wheel spin. It operates constantly so the driver never needs to decide when to push buttons or pull levers to engage the system. When wheel slippage occurs, the device varies the amount of power applied to front and rear wheels so tires maintain traction continuously.

Power comes from a 2.4-liter in-line-four plant that musters 161-hp. A manual 5-speed gearbox is the standard but a 4-speed automatic is available.

Safety equipment includes disc brakes for all wheels with anti-lock brake system (ABS) and electronic brake force distribution (EBD). Curtain-style side air bags for first and second rows are optional with side torso air bags for front seats. RAV-4 adds a sport package with metal mesh grille and silver sport pedals in the cabin.