Used Car Review: Toyota RAV4 2000-06

You might think soft-roaders are a recent phenomenon but Toyota's RAV4 first appeared on local roads way back in 1994.

The second-generation RAV came in 2000 and was available in eight configurations, three- and five-door layouts, as well as two trim levels: Edge and Cruiser.

Transmission choices included a five-speed manual or four-speed automatic but the best bit was a powerplant upgrade to the 2.0-litre four-cylinder unit with variable valve timing. That boosted power to a more useful 110kW, along with torque of 192Nm, but these figures were only achieved if the engine was worked hard.

Toyota also bestowed a facelift on the vehicle in 2003 and boosted engine capacity to 2.4 litres and power to 120kW.

While most owners never used the vehicle's off-road potential, the 2000 RAV4 was given a new viscous-coupling centre differential for more grip when the going got tough(ish).

The rest of the package was aimed squarely at the urban trendy and, as well as a bigger interior, the RAV4 offered keyless entry, power mirrors and windows, 16-inch wheels and a CD player.

For those who like to cart around bicycles and such, the vehicle had a 50/50 split-fold rear seat that also folded and tumbled to make the most of the space. And if that wasn't enough, you could remove the rear seats to turn it into a little van.

The RAV4 got side bins in the luggage area, door pockets, a sunglasses holder in the roof panel, tie-down hooks, six shopping bag hooks and four big cup holders.

It was subject to a couple of recalls – the first for a potentially faulty headlight switch, the second for front coil springs that were painted poorly and could possibly become rusty.

A bigger potential glitch involves a RAV4 that has been used off-road in any meaningful way. A short trip over a sand dune to a secluded beach won't worry it but more serious bush-bashing is way beyond the car's intended performance envelope. The danger is, of course, that undue stresses and strains have been placed on the suspension and driveline, either of which could come back to haunt the vehicle.

Check carefully for damage underneath the car; any scrapes or dents are probable cause for moving on in the classifieds.

A big concern is a specific automatic transmission glitch. The first symptom is a transmission that slips under load and shifts gears with a huge thump. We're told Toyota dealers have a software upgrade for the car's electronic brain to rectify the problem.

Owners who ignore the symptoms and continue driving risk ruining the transmission.

Left alone, the transmission will eventually abandon first gear altogether and fail. A new gearbox will cost thousands.

The best advice is to buy a RAV4 with a manual transmission. The bonus is that the manual version is a much nicer drive anyway.

Win-win, they call it.

Nuts and bolts

Engines: 2.0-, 2.4-litre 4-cyl

Transmissions: 5-sp man, 4-sp auto

Fuel use: 9.1L/100km (2.4-litre, combined)

Safety rating Rating: 3/5

(howsafeisyourcar.com.au)

Likes:

• Tight turning circle great for city work.
• Fuel economy not bad for this type of vehicle.
• Plenty of grip on all surfaces and a sure-footed feel.

Dislikes:

• Automatic transmission dulls performance.
• Not a lot of luggage space.
• More expensive than some of the competition.
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The Competitors

Honda CR-V: Very similar package to the RAV4. Popular and well regarded by mechanics. Rides well. Rating: 3.5/5

Suzuki Grand Vitara: Tough and well built, with a great reputation based on the earlier versions of the same vehicle. Rating: 3.5/5

Subaru Forester: Better to drive than the competition and just as usable and practical. Better than the car that replaced it, too. Rating: 4/5

What to pay:

Model       Year    New      Now

Two-door  2001  $32,670  $7700

Two-door  2002  $32,670  $8400

Two-door  2003  $32,670  $9300

Two-door  2004  $33,650  $10,600

Two-door  2005  $33,650  $11,400

Two-door  2006  $33,650  $12,500

Four-door  2001  $35,440  $8300

Four-door  2002  $35,440  $9300

Four-door  2003  $35,440  $10,100

Four-door  2004  $36,670  $11,600

Four-door  2005  $36,670  $12,500

Four-door  2006  $36,670  $13,6000

Source: Glass's Guide