Toyota RAV4 2015 Towing Review

The RAV4 has long been at the forefront of the smaller SUV segment, with consumers relying upon its no nonsense approach and inherent reliability. If you’ve ever driven in any Toyota vehicle, you’ll have no trouble finding your way around the familiarly positioned controls in the medium-sized SUV, which are arranged with both digital and analogue gauges; what you need is where you need it, when you need it. 

Our vehicle was a smaller model, but we never struggled with visibility of the boat or our surroundings. It also accelerated from 50km/h to 80km/h at a modest 3500rpm as we climbed our hill, the gearbox reaching the speed quickly and doing so very responsively. At the top when at cruising speed, it fell back to 3200rpm but when we tested the option to manually select 2200rpm, it seemed to overly labour the engine.  

When it came to suspension, the RAV4 experienced some wobble on uneven surfaces but, when travelling at 90km/h in 5^th gear at around 2000rpm, the load didn’t seem to significantly affect the steering or ride comfort. On corners the RAV4 continued to respond well – again, there was some slight bounce but overall it was still easily controllable. Under heavy braking, the RAV4 stopped squarely. 

The RAV4 is traditional with its classic Toyota styling but it also offers reasonable room for a family, and the seats provide a firm but comfortable ride with simple controls available to position them. Sat-Nav would have been a useful addition but, considering its size and power output, the RAV4 exceeded our expectations when performing most towing tasks.

Thanks to SeaCraft Miller Moyes for the test boat & trailer.