2001 Toyota RAV4 L review from North America

A rattle under the dash was fixed by the dealership under warranty. The rattle is back and the car will be spending another day with Toyota soon.

A plastic cover (covering bolts) on the roof rack fell off somewhere. Dealer replaced it at no charge.

This vehicle is too heavy for its 2.0L 4 cylinder engine. Although the engine has broken in nicely and gained power since it was new, it definitely needs a V6.

The car gets very poor gas mileage for only having a 2.0L 4 cylinder engine. I expected that the 4WD and the huge tires would take a toll on the mileage, but I think 22mpg average is a little low.

The gas tank is way too small for this car. At 22mpg, the range is only about 260 miles before having to stop to fill up. I think the RAV4 should have a tank that is at least 17 gallons and I am not even a commuter.

The passenger seat is extremely uncomfortable. I'm not sure why it's only this particular seat. It feels like the bottom of the seat is sloped forward and since I feel like I'm sitting on the seat rather than in it, I feel like a swift step on the brakes will send me onto the floor. The driver's seat also feels like it is tilted forward even though I have adjusted the tilt as far back as it will go. The rear seats are very comfortable especially reclined.

This vehicle handles very well for its size. I am very impressed by the precision of the steering.