The Toyota RAV4 comes with an efficient powertrain. Under the hood is a potent 2.5-liter inline 4-cylinder engine that puts out 203 horsepower and 184 lb-ft of torque and is mated to an 8-speed automatic transmission. Depending on the trim you go with, the engine is accompanied by a stop-start system to automatically shut down the engine when at a complete stop and turn back on when it's time to resume driving, thus eliminating unnecessary fuel burning. With these features, you can configure the RAV4 to maximize a fuel economy of 26 mpg in the city and 35 mpg on the highway. Ultimately, you have a more powerful and fuel-efficient RAV4 than years past.

Also quite remarkable are the several driver-assistance technologies that Toyota RAV4 has-and this is at the base trim level. Such safety features include lane departure alert with steering assist to keep you from straying away from the detected lane you are in, road edge detection to monitor whether you are on a marked road or an unmarked one, lane tracing assist, road sign assist to identify important road signs, lane tracing assist to recognize lane markers and stay within them, smart stop technology to help stop the SUV by automatically reducing engine power, and full-speed range dynamic radar cruise control to automatically slow down or stop the vehicle in response to the speed of the one in front of you.

Couple that with the traditional features-such as airbags, vehicle stability control, traction control, hill start assist, and a theft-deterrent system-and you have one of the top-rated in its class in terms of safety and security.