2018 Toyota RAV 4 Review: A Subcompact Crossover That’s At Home in the City and Off-road [VIDEO]

Toyota launched a number of new vehicles at the recently held 2017 Chicago Auto Show, including the 2018 Toyota Tundra pick-up truck, the 2018 Toyota Sequoia full-size SUV, and the 2018 Toyota RAV 4 compact crossover SUV. While the first two vehicles have a specific market in mind, most consumers who are looking for a practical vehicle were likely looking at the RAV4 as opposed to the other vehicles in the line-up.

Despite being smaller and less imposing than Toyota's other offerings, the 2018 Toyota RAV 4 compact SUV still has some venerable off-road capabilities. Toyota has even revealed an "Adventure" variant of the RAV4 for those who want to take the vehicle off the beaten path more often. The vehicle itself has enough of a ground clearance to be taken off-road, while also being decent enough for urban use.

According to Auto Guide, the vehicle itself offers enough interior space for people and cargo. It also has a good balance between passenger comfort and off-road stability, while also sporting the latest in-car tech that is available today. The 2018 Toyota RAV 4 also features a myriad of modern safety technologies, including lane departure warning and adaptive cruise control.

The 2018 Toyota RAV 4 is powered by a 2.5-liter four cylinder engine that produces a decent 176 horsepower and 172 pounds-feet of torque. The engine is mated to a six-speed automatic transmission with all-wheel drive as an option.

The RAV4 has relatively decent EPA ratings at 23 mpg in the city and 30 mpg on the highway. However, it has to be noted that the EPA rating on the 2018 Toyota RAV 4 is slightly lower than its contemporaries such as the Honda CR-V and the Mazda CX-5.

Unfortunately, those who want to get a more powerful engine on the vehicle will be out of luck as there are no engine upgrade options available. Toyota apparently doesn't offer a V6 engine variant on the RAV4 anymore.

As for the vehicle's overall driving dynamics, the engine and transmission combo don't really offer much in terms of excitement. A review from Edmunds even mentions that the vehicle is still pleasant to drive, but it really doesn't stand out from its main rivals in the compact crossover SUV market.