2024 Toyota RAV4: A Top Choice for Practicality and Fun

The 2024 Toyota RAV4 is once again one of the best SUVs you can get your hands on, offering competence on the road, practicality in city traffic and a sense of ‘yes, I feel safe’ when you are in an unknown road situation everywhere else.

For me, the RAV4 is a favorite and has been ever since it was introduced in the late 1990s (it turns 30 worldwide this year) in the United States.  It still is a good all-around SUV for those who need a reliable workhorse, and this year is no exception.

Starting at just under $30K US, this ever-popular little SUV really pushes all the right buttons, especially on the dashboard. You don’t have to overthink anything once you hop in: just sync your phone and go. 

Simply put, the standard 4-cylinder engine handles well everywhere.  Plenty of room inside for man, beast and packages BUT – please, as always, get in first and make sure you are comfortable. Bears like us don’t always fit nicely into every shipping container produced these days. 

You do have to go up the food chain to get luxury appointments, but that works well if you need to actually ‘use’ your RAV4 for everyday life, since the floor mats and other areas inside come with easy-to-clean materials that aren’t plush but are definitely practical. 

As a rule, if you are seeking luxury, look to Lexus, specifically the Lexus NX, which is similar to the RAV4.

(The model I reviewed for this article used just gasoline/petrol.  You can also get the 2024 RAV4 as a hybrid or plug-in hybrid.)

And all Toyotas come with Toyota Safety Sense, a package of safety features that includes lane-keep assist, traffic sign reader and forward collision warning. 

I think my only real gripe is that All-Wheel Drive is an option (for which you have to pay extra) and not standard. 

Otherwise, the RAV4 is still a winner around the block and around the land.  I know several people who own one and some who have literally driven them to the ground, or until the car was totaled. 

This weekend in Las Vegas is the Super Bowl, where it’s Taylor Swift (Kansas City Chiefs) versus the American Gay Mecca (San Francisco 49s). If you are nearby and can travel by car for the day, the 2024 RAV4 (or any RAV4) would be ideal for your Bear Road trip.

Unless you recently won a mega-jackpot, don’t even think of trying to get a hotel room in Vegas. 

Scoring a date with Bear World crush Jason Kelce of the Philadelphia Eagles would probably be easier.