2005 Toyota RAV4 Reviews, Pricing & Specs

The 2005 RAV4 wears its purpose on its sleeve. It has an upright greenhouse and an easily accessible rear-mounted spare contributing to its solid ground clearance. And yet it wears soft features, like the upbeat headlights that almost look surprised. The roof rails and available top-mounted rear spoiler contribute to the sporty appearance of the RAV4.

The cabin of the RAV4 also conveys this fun-loving nature, with a layout that is both sporty and functional. The three-dial gauge cluster with white dials and the three-spoke steering wheel both feel very sports-car-inspired, while the upright centre console and tall shift handle speak to its more rugged side.

More than that, the build quality of this cabin is fantastic. As much attention has been paid to the stitching, panel gaps, materials as you're likely to find in a Toyota Camry or the Avalon flagship sedan.

There is only one trim for the RAV4, and it's qualified by different powertrains. The RAV4 comes standard with silver-styled steel wheels, cloth seat trim, an AM/FM radio, power windows and locks, a CD player, and a height-adjustable driver’s seat. Air conditioning and leather seats are optional.

A Chili Plus package includes unique alloy wheels, a sport grille, a hood scoop, heated side mirrors, privacy glass, embossed floor mats, a power sunroof, and a 200-watt Panasonic stereo.

The 2005 Toyota RAV4 is powered by a 2.4-litre four-cylinder engine. It makes power specs of 161 horsepower and 165 pound-feet of torque. This engine can be mated to either a five-speed manual or four-speed automatic transmission. In Canada, four-wheel drive (4WD) is standard, while front-wheel drive (FWD) is not offered.

Though Toyota calls it 4WD, it is really more of an all-wheel-drive (AWD) drivetrain in that it lacks a low-range transfer case. It will provide added traction in the snow and other inclement road conditions… just don’t try to take it off-roading.

Though it is the only engine option, the four-cylinder makes solid power for a vehicle this size. It is refined and doesn’t put up a fuss in most driving scenarios. The RAV4 also steers and handles like a car, so while it can venture off the beaten path when called upon, it is truly at home on the pavement.

The RAV4 has a fantastic, straightforward cabin layout. Radio and climate controls are packed closely up in the dash, providing more cabin room for tray and cubbies for the front seats. It needs this optimized design, as the cabin of the RAV4 is not particularly large. Legroom might be tight for backseat passengers if the front-row occupant ahead of them needs to slide their seat back. Thankfully, the tall cabin design means that no occupant needs to worry about the headroom.

The RAV4 provides 677 litres of cargo space behind the rear seat. This number grows to 1,909 litres of cargo space with the rear seat folded, which is pretty robust for a vehicle this size, though the Honda CR-V bests it in both categories, with 949 and 2,039 litres, respectively.

The RAV4 earns strong safety scores for front- and side-impact testing by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS). It comes standard with dual front airbags. The front passenger seat has an occupancy sensor tied to the front passenger airbag.

The RAV4 comes standard with power steering and antilock brakes. Traction control and stability control is not available.

Base MSRP for the 2005 Toyota RAV4 is $24,585. Adding an automatic transmission brings the price to $25,785. This undercuts the price of the Honda CR-V, which costs between $28,200 and $33,600.

The automatic version returns fuel economy figures of 10.5 litres per 100 kilometres in city driving and 8.1 on the highway, while the manual version returns 10.7 city and 8.1 highway.

Note: Images show a US model.