Ranking Every Toyota RAV4 Generation From Worst To Best

The Toyota RAV4 is the best-selling SUV in America. Overall, it’s in fourth place, beaten only by the Ford F-150, Chevrolet Silverado, and Ram 1500. That’s quite impressive, considering America’s love affair with trucks. What’s even more impressive is the gap between the RAV4 and its main rival, which happens to be in seventh place on the list of best sellers.

Last year, 238,155 Honda CR-V units were sold. Over the same timeframe, Toyota sold 399,941 RAV4s. And it’s not because the RAV4 is the best in its segment. It may have been when the current fifth-generation was introduced in 2018, but it has since been thoroughly trounced by the new Honda CR-V, Hyundai Tucson, Kia Sportage, and our personal favorite, the Mazda CX-50. If serious off-roading is more your thing, we have a feature on the best years for the Toyota 4Runner, too.

Still, people tend to stick with a brand that keeps on churning out excellent, reliable, and affordable products. The CX-50 may have style, grace, and a luxurious interior, but the RAV4’s legacy dates back to 1994.

With that in mind, we decided to take a look at every generation of RAV4 from the least best to the absolute best.