2025 Toyota RAV4 buyers guide: Which hybrid SUV should I pick?

It’s been another big year for the Toyota RAV4.

Australia’s best-selling SUV celebrated its 30th year Down Under, as well as 500,000 local sales including a record month in August.

While utes are the flavour of the month, the RAV4 remains hugely popular among new car buyers across a variety of demographics.

As of September 2024 there are nine RAV4s to choose from, each with different attributes. Here’s everything you need to know about the range.

CarExpert can help you find the best deal on a new Toyota RAV4. Check out our latest offers, and let us put you in touch with a dealer.

Toyota RAV4 pricing

The Toyota RAV4 line-up is made up of nine models across five trim levels.

The GX is your cheapest way into RAV4 ownership, available in front- or all-wheel drive with a starting price of $42,260 before on-road costs. Stepping up to the GXL incurs a $3550 premium.

Front-wheel drive variants of the XSE and Cruiser top the two-wheel drive range, priced either side of $50,000. Both trims are also available with all-wheel drive. At the top of the tree sits the Edge AWD, priced at $58,360 plus on-roads.

To see how the Toyota RAV4 lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool.

Toyota RAV4 lifecycle

The fifth generation of the Toyota RAV4 has been on sale in Australia since 2019.

Over that period the model range has evolved – initially, both hybrid and petrol variants were available with a choice of manual, automatic, and CVT transmissions.

A round of major updates came in 2021, when Toyota launched a new XSE mid-level grade, expanded hybrid availability to all grades and improved specification across the line-up.

The options have since narrowed down to just a single drivetrain, pairing hybrid power with a CVT.

Earlier this year Toyota celebrated the 30th anniversary of RAV4 in Australia, as well as passing 500,000 local sales.

Deals are being offered on 100s of new cars now. Contact a dealer using CarExpert for the best deal or call our Concierge team on 1300 587 992.

Toyota RAV4 drivetrains and efficiency

It’s a pretty simple choice for RAV4 buyers in 2024.

Under the bonnet you get a 2.5-litre four-cylinder hybrid, mated to a CVT and the choice of either front- or all-wheel drive.

Differences in power and efficiency are negligible across the two drive types, although the AWD has significantly improved towing capacity.

CarExpert can help you find the best deal on a new Toyota RAV4. Check out our latest offers, and let us put you in touch with a dealer.

Toyota RAV4 safety

The RAV4 has a five-star safety rating from ANCAP, based on testing conducted by Euro NCAP in 2019.

Standard safety equipment includes:

• Adaptive cruise control
• Autonomous emergency braking
• Pedestrian detection
• Daytime cyclist detection
• Intersection assist
• Blind-spot monitoring
• Lane-keep assist
• Lane Trace Assist (lane centring)
• Rear cross-traffic alert
• Emergency Steering Assist
• Speed sign recognition
• Front, front-side and curtain airbags
• Driver’s knee airbag
• Reversing camera
• Front and rear parking sensors

Cruiser and above receive a surround-view camera.

To see how the Toyota RAV4 lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool.

Toyota RAV4 colours

Glacier White is the standard paint finish in the RAV4.

The following finishes are available for an extra $675:

• Silver Sky
• Graphite
• Eclipse Black
• Atomic Rush (red)
• Mineral Blue
• Saturn Blue
• Frosted White (excludes GX)

The XSE is available only in Mineral Blue, Graphite, Silver Sky and Frosted White, all paired with a black roof.

The Edge also has a limited palette, comprising Mineral Blue, Atomic Rush, Eclipse Black, Graphite, and exclusive Jungle Khaki finishes.

All models have a black interior, though the XSE gets blue accents. The Cruiser can be had with optional Nutmeg (beige) leather, while the Edge offers a Orchid Brown and Light Grey Soft interior colourway.

Toyota RAV4 dimensions

Deals are being offered on 100s of new cars now. Contact a dealer using CarExpert for the best deal or call our Concierge team on 1300 587 992.

Toyota RAV4 standard equipment

The RAV4 is offered in five different trim levels.

RAV4 GX standard equipment:

• 17-inch alloy wheels (light grey)
• Space-saver spare
• Automatic projector LED headlights
• Automatic high-beam
• LED front fog lights
• Rain-sensing wipers
• Rear mud flaps
• ‘Premium’ steering wheel
• Tilt and telescopic steering wheel adjustment
• 7.0-inch instrument cluster screen
• 8.0-inch touchscreen infotainment system
• Wireless Apple CarPlay
• Wired Android Auto
• Digital radio
• Cloth upholstery
• Push-button start
• Dual-zone climate control
• Rear centre armrest

RAV4 GXL adds:

• 18-inch alloy wheels (dark silver)
• Rear privacy glass
• Front mudflaps
• Roof rails
• ‘Premium’ gear lever
• Proximity entry
• Auto-dimming rear-view mirror
• Wireless phone charger

RAV4 XSE gets a unique exterior appearance, and also includes:

• 18-inch alloy wheels (gloss black)
• Power tailgate
• SofTex upholstery
• Heated front seats
• 10-way power driver’s seat
• 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster
• 10.5-inch touchscreen infotainment system

RAV4 Cruiser adds:

• Sunroof
• Power-folding exterior mirrors
• 9-speaker JBL sound system
• Leather upholstery
• Heated and ventilated front seats
• 8-way power passenger seat
• Driver’s seat memory
• Ambient lighting
• Digital rear-view mirror

RAV4 Edge loses driver’s seat memory and power passenger seat but adds:

• 19-inch alloy wheels (matte grey)
• SofTex upholstery
• 4-way manually adjustable passenger seat

CarExpert can help you find the best deal on a new Toyota RAV4. Check out our latest offers, and let us put you in touch with a dealer.

Toyota RAV4 servicing and warranty

The RAV4 is backed by a five-year, unlimited-kilometre warranty.

Toyota RAV4 competitors

The RAV4 competes with a litany of mid-sized SUVs in the hottest new car segment Down Under.

While the Toyota dominates from a sales perspective, other strong sellers include the Mitsubishi Outlander, Mazda CX-5, Kia Sportage, Hyundai Tucson, and Nissan X-Trail.

All are priced in the same bracket, and offer similar family-friendly characteristics.

There are a total of 23 medium SUVs under $60,000, while buyers at either end of the RAV4 market also have both smaller and larger options to choose from.

Focusing on hybrids, the Honda CR-V is another worthy rival, while ICE versions of the Cupra Formentor and Volkswagen Tiguan are European alternatives.

The list of electric competitors is also growing, led by the Tesla Model Y.

After all, wait times for the RAV4 have topped 24 months in recent times.

Toyota RAV4 sales data

In case you weren’t already aware, the RAV4 is a sales force in Australia.

The past five years have been the RAV4’s best sales years on our market, and Toyota says it’s on track to set another record this year.

A total of 6712 examples were delivered in Australia last month, more than any month in its 30-year history.

Toyota also claims that the RAV4 is the only SUV to become Australia’s best-selling vehicle, which it accomplished in July 2020.

The RAV4 ranked fourth for total sales in 2023, behind a trio of utes – the Ford Ranger, Toyota HiLux, and Isuzu D-Max.

CarExpert can help you find the best deal on a new Toyota RAV4. Check out our latest offers, and let us put you in touch with a dealer.

Buying a Toyota RAV4

The Toyota RAV4 continues to be the SUV of choice for thousands of Australians, but not all variants were created equal, especially for buyers with specific needs.

School run specials

If your RAV4 is going to spend most of its time transporting rowdy kids around the suburbs, front-wheel drive models are likely to be more than adequate from a terrain perspective.

That narrows the pool down to four variants. The base GX FWD comes well-equipped and represents excellent value, making it a viable option for budget-conscious families.

Upgrading to the GXL FWD doesn’t bring many features to ease the school run, but the XSE FWD and Cruiser FWD are both significant upgrades.

For $48,910 plus on-roads the XSE FWD brings heated front seats, a power tailgate, and better tech, which are bound to please the drivers and passengers alike. It’ll be easier to load school bags in the boot, too.

The Cruiser FWD takes things one step further, adding leather upholstery, a nine-speaker sound system, front seat ventilation and a sunroof – desirable luxuries, sure, but not necessities. As such, we’d steer you towards the GX and XSE.

You can check out our full review of the RAV4 XSE here.

Comfortable commuters

If you want something a little more luxurious for the daily commute, then once again it’s hard to look past the XSE and Cruiser.

Both feature Toyota’s best technology offerings, a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster and 10.5-inch infotainment system, as well as power-adjustable seats with heating and cooling if you opt for the Cruiser.

Sure, you could stretch to the flagship Edge, but it’s hard to justify forking out an extra $3950 for larger alloy wheels and ‘Softex’ upholstery. If anything, the top-spec car is less plush than its cheaper siblings.

Of the preferred pair, the Cruiser represents the sweet spot from a value-for-money point of view. It gets all the best kit of the RAV4 range, and can be had for $51,410 plus on-roads in front-wheel drive form.

You can check out our full review of the RAV4 Cruiser here.

All-rounders

Need a car for weekend adventures as well as the daily grind?

Each variant across the RAV4 range has merit, but the GXL AWD is a great starting point. With all-wheel drive, it’s equipped to tackle challenging road conditions, whether you’re taking on wet country roads or a dirt track.

Compared to the base GX, the GXL brings roof rails, enabling the installation of additional roof storage. What’s a weekend away without a surfboard, bike or fishing gear?

Of course, moving up the RAV4 ladder adds even more goodies, but the GXL is perfectly serviceable as a do-it-all family workhorse.

Interested in buying a Toyota RAV4? Get in touch with one of CarExpert’s trusted dealers here

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