Our Toyota RAV4's Interior Is Functional But Boring

There's plenty of places to stash water bottles. That's the highlight.

written by Jake Sundstrom
edited by Greg Migliore
6/26/2026
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What's new: We bought the redesigned Toyota RAV4 for our One-Year Road Test fleet.
Why it matters: You're going to spend a lot of time in here. How's the interior?
Edmunds says: It's perfectly functional ... and very boring.

The visual changes for the brand-new 2026 Toyota RAV4 are most obvious when you're outside the car. There's new headlights, grille, sheetmetal, etc. But what about the interior? Sure, Toyota slapped a brand-new screen in the RAV4, but what about the rest of this midsize SUV?

Well, it's functional. That's a compliment, I guess, but you're not going to ooh and aah when you get into the driver's seat. The interior isn't drab, per se, but it's also not very interesting. That's OK! It's a Toyota RAV4. If you're looking for something splashy, you're probably not in the market for this compact SUV anyway.

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2026 Toyota RAV4 interior — center console

So, how functional is it?

Let's instead focus on what most people want from their RAV4: usability. Good news: This is a highly functional SUV. The cupholders are wide enough to fit most water bottles, even those of the girthier variety. They're also deep enough that a tall water bottle or soda cup won't tip over every time you dare to turn the vehicle.

There are also massive door pockets, which are great for storing water bottles or one of several empty coffee cups if your road trip consumption is anything like mine.

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(Mostly) physical controls make for easy operation

No, there aren't little knobs for controlling the temperature in the RAV4. But both the driver and passenger have a couple of buttons that allow you to increase or decrease the temperature, which is perfectly fine. Is it as good as a knob? I mean, no. It isn't. I'm just thankful to have physical controls at all, so this is the extent of complaining I'm willing to do.

Senior vehicle test editor Reese Counts summed things up best. "There are real buttons for temperature adjustment and a persistent bar on the touchscreen for readouts and deeper climate functions," he said. "I personally prefer knobs, but it's nice having real controls for some features."

Legroom is fine, but it's less than the competition

The RAV4 is down 3.5 inches in rear legroom compared to the Hyundai Tucson. I'm willing to bet most passengers won't notice the difference, or at least, they won't be complaining about legroom. The RAV4 does not feel as spacious as vehicles like the Tucson and Kia Sportage. Maybe that's not a problem, but I definitely noticed and so did Counts:

"Rivals offer more rear legroom and doors that open wider than the Toyota's," said Counts. "The RAV4 isn't bad, but it is limited compared to others."

Minimalism has gone too far

Every time I got behind the wheel of the Toyota RAV4, I let out a little sigh. This is such a drab interior. Why? Why does it have to be like that? Why do so many economy cars insist on being several different shades of black and gray?

This isn't a uniquely Toyota problem, and at some point I will tire of banging my head against the wall in protest of these boring interiors. But not today — I've got at least a few more good thwacks against my apartment's drywall left in me.

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by Jake Sundstrom

Jake Sundstrom has worked in the automotive industry since 2017. He has written hundreds of car-related articles. Jake is currently an Editor for CarMax and has also contributed to National Hot Rod Association publications. When he's not driving cars, he's eating takeout inside of them (probably burgers, burritos or pizza).

edited by Greg Migliore

Greg Migliore is an accomplished journalist with more than two decades covering the auto industry. He was the editor-in-chief of Autoblog for more than seven years and also served as the editorial director of AutoGuide. He's also been an editor at Automobile and Autoweek magazines. A widely quoted industry expert, he has contributed commentary to Autoline After Hours, NPR, Yahoo Finance and America on the Road. He's a graduate of Eastern Michigan University, Michigan State University and the Yale Publishing Course. He is a member of the North American Car, Truck and Utility Vehicle of the Year Awards jury. When not writing, editing or driving the latest new vehicles, Greg can be seen driving around in his extremely low-mileage 2006 Dodge Charger.

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