I have been using the 2017 Toyota RAV4 XLE AWD Crossover for some time now and I will put down my experience with it here.
The car comes is 4 variants namely: LE, XLE SE, and Limited and Platinum. All variants available in both FWD (front-wheel drive) and AWD (all-wheel drive).
I will quickly get into the features below.
Engine, Drive and Performance
It has a 2.5L L4 DOHC 16V engine. The transmission is automatic on a rack and pinion steering. The AWD variant has Anti-lock Braking System on all 4 wheels.
Fuel
The vehicle takes regular unleaded gasoline in a 15.9-gallon (60 L) fuel tank. The rate city mileage is 22 miles/gallon while for highways it 28 miles/gallon.
Dimensions, Interior and Comfort
Form outside, the overall height, length and width is 67.10 x 183.50 x 72.60 inches. The interior feels roomy with enough legroom and headroom. The interior space has been intelligently carved out by the designers.
Instrument Cluster
The instrument cluster displays status and warnings for the following conditions:
- Brake system warning
- Engine malfunction indicator
- SRS airbags warning
- ABS warning
- Power steering warning
- Slip indicator
- Seat belt reminders for driver, passenger and rear passengers
- Low fuel level warning
- PCS (Pre-collision System) warning
- LDA (Lane Departure Alert) warning
- Tire pressure warning
The instrument cluster displays the following status indicators:
- Shift position
- Turn sign
- Headlight
- Headlight high beam
- Automatic High Beam (AHB)
- Fog light
- Tail light
- Cruise control
- Dynamic Radar Cruise Control (DRCC)
- Cruise control SET
- Vehicle Stability Control (VSC)
- SPORT mode
- ECO mode
- Eco Driving
- All-wheel Drive (AWD)
- Blind-spot Monitor (BSM)
- Ice warning
Cargo Space
With about 38 cubic feet, there is plenty of cargo space to easily fit enough luggage for long vacations.
Smart Key System
The vehicle is equipped with a smart key system wherein it can detect signals from the transponder chip that are built into the key assembly. With this system, while the key in on you, you can do key-less entry and start the engine.
The power backdoor also allows touchless opening with a gesture of the leg.
Multimedia & Navigation
The infotainment console comes with Toyota Entune Audio Plus along with a Global Positioning System-based (GPS) navigation system for mapping services.
Among other things, the infotainment console is integrated with a CD player, USB-port, Bluetooth connectivity, radio, navigation, phone weather services, a GPS-adjusted clock and voice prompts. The Bluetooth connectivity supports profiles for hands-free audio, phone book contacts, phone messages, connected navigation and audio player.
The startup and screen-off images can be customized with your own JPEG images that can be uploaded by using a USB drive.
There is a disc slot to insert 4.7 in. CD-DA Audio CDs or MP3/WMA/AAC audio discs.
The Bluetooth connectivity, in my experience, has mostly been seamless and hassle-free. The audio transmission quality is good without much loss in audio quality.
The Radio Tuner can play transmissions from XM Satellite Radio, AM and FM with support for playing HD Radio (HDR) signals where available. You can store radio 36 radio stations as preset in the Station List. The Station List automatically categorizes the radio stations into gores like Classical, Country, Easy Listening, News, etc. While playing FM stations, the system can display text information for stations that broadcast text information via the Radio Broadcast Data Systems (RBDS).
The Satellite Radio works with a subscription to XM Satellite Radio (XM) via SiriusXM.
Audio can also be played via the USB slot by using a USB memory device loaded with MP3/WMA/AAC audio files. The screen can display album art and ID3 or WMA tag information if the audio files are properly tagged.
The audio system can connect to Apple products like the iPod and iPhone.
The Entune Audio Plus displays weather conditions from information received via HD Radio. The information is pretty useful if you are located in regions which experience extreme weather conditions.
The Traffic Map can show traffic conditions on top of a map based on your location.
The Rear View Monitoring System shows up on the display when the shift level is set to reverse (R). Guidelines are displayed to assist while reversing the vehicle. This has a wide coverage and I have never experienced any accidental bumps due to non-coverage so the margin of error should be quite less.
Safety
Toyota Safety Sense P (TSS-P) driver assist system
The RAV4 XLE has a Toyota Safety Sense P (TSS-P) driver assist system that has the following technologies. Toyota currently bundles Safety Sense in most of the cars sold in the US - including Yaris, Highlander, Sienna, Prius, Avalon, Sequoia, Corolla, Camry, C-HR, Tundra, Tacoma, Land Cruiser and RAV4 - and has a dedicated website here:
- Pre-Collision with Pedestrian Detection (PCS w/PD): This feature uses the front-grille-mounted radar and the in-vehicle camera to provide an audio/visual warning when the system predicts a frontal collision. When you brake, it provides addition force through its Brake Assist program. I have seen this get activated in a few instances and is also helpful to check your speed at times. It also provides Automatic Emergency Braking which I have not experienced.
- Lane Departure Alert with Steering Assist (LDA w/SA): This feature uses the in-vehicle camera to provide audio alert when your vehicle unintentionally drifts out of the lane and sightly manages the steering to help bring it back in the lane. This only works when you are driving at a speed of 32 mph or faster. I have always driven with this feature activated and found it very useful.
- Automatic High Beams (AHB): When activated, it uses the in-vehicle camera to automatically turn on the high beams when certain conditions are met - like headlights of oncoming vehicles, taillights of vehicles in front and overall light in the environment. To my surprise, this is almost always right in its prediction and provides appropriate amount of light.
- Dynamic Radar Cruise Control (DRCC): This feature lets you maintain a preset speed if there is no vehicle in front. It uses a front-grille-mounted radar and the in-vehicle camera and when it detects a vehicle in front it controls the speed based on the distance and speed of the other vehicle. This has been the most useful feature for me specially on highways.
Other safety systems
Other safety features that the RAV4 XLE came with are these:
- Airbags: The vehicle is equipped with 8 SRS airbags
- Traction Control (TRAC)
- Electronic Brake-force Distribution (EBD)
- Enhanced Vehicle Stability Control (VSC)
- Brake Assist (BA)
- Anti-lock Braking System (ABS)
- Smart Stop Technology (SST)
Safety Rating
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has rated the 2017 Toyota RAV4 AWD with 5-star overall safety rating based on crash tests. Details on their official website are here.
Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) has included the 2017 Toyota RAV4 in its Top Safety Pick+ for 2017 in the Small SUVs category. Details on their official website are here.
Warranty
The vehicle comes with a standard warranty that covers:
- The basic warranty covers 36 months or 36,000 miles, whichever occurs first
- The powertrain and restraint systems are covered for 60 months or 60,000 miles, whichever occurs first
- The corrosion perforation is covered for 60 months regardless of mileage
Conclusion
Update 2022-04-28: After about 4 and 46,782 miles, the ride is still comfortable. The balance always felt steady and it has also been through some tricky maneuvers which it has handled gracefully. With a 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine, the power feels modest, but that has worked well for me. After all the drives in the cities and highways, the overall average shows as 23.6 MPG. The ABS has functioned very efficiently for me during the cold winters with loads of black ice on the roads.
I am leaving some more of my Toyota shots below.
The press release of the vehicle is here.
