2023 Toyota RAV4 Review

The Toyota RAV4 is a small SUV and one of the best-selling vehicles in the U.S. It sits in the Toyota lineup in between the smaller Corolla Cross and the larger Highlander. The RAV4 is a comfortable, fuel-efficient and spacious SUV, but its engine can sound a bit coarse and it is slow to accelerate to highway speeds. These issues keep it from earning top marks in our rankings, and the Honda CR-V, Mazda CX-5 and Nissan Rogue sit at the head of the class.

The 2022 RAV4 received a few minor changes, which included new headlight and foglight designs on the higher trims, plus a few changes to some standard features. The 2023 model year will mark the fifth year of this RAV4 generation. This is typically when automakers refresh a vehicle with updated styling along the lines of new wheels or a new bumper or taillight design. They might also move features that were optional to the standard list to give the model more value. Rumor has it that the RAV4 will get that sort of refresh in 2023.

For those interested in owning a RAV4, our editors are more inclined to recommend the RAV4 Hybrid or the RAV4 Prime plug-in hybrid. Both are more powerful and more fuel-efficient and easily justify their higher upfront cost.

A cosmetic refresh could be coming for the 2023 Toyota RAV4, a roomy small SUV with lots of utility but also a couple of drawbacks that keep it from being top-ranked.