2026 Toyota RAV4 Review: Redoing The Best-Selling SUV in America

The Toyota RAV4 is the best-selling car in the United States. Any changes or updates to it will be made with extreme care. Deviating too far from what makes it so successful would be a major mistake. When the 2026 Toyota RAV4 hits dealers late in 2025, it will have gone through more than a refresh and update. The chassis, power plant, entertainment system, and other elements are all-new. Heck, there is even a first-ever version, which by default makes it all-new.

Toyota brought automotive journalists to Fort McDowell, Arizona to drive four different grades (aka “trims”) of the all-new 2026 RAV4. Our base of operation was the We-Ko-Pa Casino Resort, located on the outskirts of Scottsdale. This gave us access to highways, city streets, winding and undulating desert roads, and a dedicated off-road course. This combination gave us a good, but brief time behind the wheel, to evaluate multiple RAV4 Grades.

Performance and Efficiency

The 2026 RAV4 comes with a choice of front-wheel (FWD) or all-wheel drive (AWD), two powertrains of hybrid (HEV) and plug-in hybrid (PHEV), and choices of three Core Grades, two Sport Grades, the Woodland Grade, and the first-ever GR Sport Grade.

Every RAV4 has driver-selectable drive modes, adding to performance.

• Normal is the factory default and is tuned for balanced, everyday driving.
• Eco is the most fuel-wise. It is good when on the open highway for long stretches of mile after mile driving.
• Sport makes the throttle and steering more responsive, and holds the transmission shifts a bit longer at higher RPM.
• Custom allows the systems to be adjusted to the driver’s preferred settings.
• EV mode allows the vehicle to be operated as a pure electric vehicle for short distances at low speed, depending upon certain conditions, such as battery charge level.

Core Grades LE and XLE Grade • 2.5-liter HEV • 44 mpg • FWD: 226 horsepower (hp); Towing: 1,750 pounds • AWD: 236 hp; Towing: 3,500 pounds Limited Grade • 2.5-liter HEV – 44 mpg • AWD Standard. Towing: 3,500 pounds

Sport Grades SE Grade • 2.5-liter HEV – 37 mpg combined; 48 (AER) • AWD Standard; FWD optional • 2.5-liter PHEV – 41 mpg Combined • 52 All-Electric Miles (AER) • 7.2 kW onboard charger • AWD Standard: 324 hp and 172 pound-feet (lb-ft, gas-only)) of torque; Towing: 3,500 pounds • XSE Grade • 2.5-liter HEV or PHEV • 11 kW onboard charger • AWD Standard; Towing: 3,500 pounds

Woodland: Rugged Grade • 2.5-liter HEV or PHEV • 41 mpg Combined for the HEV; 49 AER for the PHEV • 11 kW onboard charger • AWD Standard; Towing: 3,500 pounds

GR Sport • 2.5-liter PHEV • 41 mpg Combined and 48 AER • 7 kW onboard charger • AWD Standard: 324 hp and 172 pound-feet (lb-ft, gas only) of torque; Towing: 3,500 pounds

Charging

The RAV4 PHEV XSE and Woodland grades have an 11-kW onboard AC charger with a CCS (Combined Charging System) charging port, with DC fast-charging capability. This last part is important as it allows charging from 10% to 80% state of charge in approximately 30 minutes.

The SE and GR SPORT PHEV models have a 7-kW onboard charger and are equipped with a charging port for a 120-volt common household wall plug. Charge times will be about 12 hours to a full battery. If installing a home Level 2, 240-volt charger, the battery will go 10%–80% in around four hours.

Driving Experience: Core and Sport Grades

The Core and Sport Grades differ in their road presence by being either FWD or AWD and shod with 17-, 18-, or 20-inch tires. Our short time in each grade was on smooth, dry, paved roads on a beautiful, sunny Arizona fall day. My driving partner and I found the ride to be comfortable, which included the seats and suspension. The suspension when cornering, on gentle city and desert country roads (never exceeding the posted speed limits) was well matched for the curb weight that ranged between 3,640 and 3,920 pounds, depending on whether we were in a FWD or AWD grade.

The Core Grades had the hybrid system while the Sport Grades had the plug-in hybrid. The two differences between the two powertrains are that when accelerating hard away from a stop, the power assist from the plug-in hybrid gives a boost, and with the PHEV, you can select to only run in all-electric mode.

This latter point makes buying the PHEV attractive as being able to go 52 all-electric miles should cover most owners’ in-town errands for several days, making going to the gas station a faint memory.

Driving Experience: GR Sport

The GR Sport was developed in conjunction with the Toyota Gazoo Racing division, where all the high-performance Toyota and Lexus models run through before being released to the public. Mikio Hayashi, the head of GR marketing, was at the media event and told us the “positioning of the GR Sport brand is at the entry level of the GR model hierarchy with the goal of having the widest possible audience. He continued that even being entry level, we made sure it was “worthy of carrying the GR branding.”

The GR Sport is far more than an appearance package with these specific parts and equipment.

• Summer performance tires
• 20-inch wheels
• 15 mm lower ride height
• Dedicated damper tuning and coil springs
• Front performance damper
• Rear suspension cross-member reinforcement
• Front lip spoiler
• Split Wing rear spoiler
• Rear diffuser

So what did we find different with the GR Sport? Our best way of describing it is, when entering corners above the posted speed limit, we felt no slipping, the tires did not break loose, the body did not roll, and, on left-right-left-right sweepers, the GR Sport tracked confidently without any feeling of losing control. In a few non-scientific 0-60 mph runs, we turned sub-8 second times from the 324 hp and 172 lb-ft of torque (torque is gas-engine only).

Toyota has a crack team of elite drivers, the Sugo-Ude, which translates into “Amazing Skill,” testing at the Shimoyama track that was designed to recreate and be inspired by the Nürburgring in Germany. Their skill has done a good job increasing the handling and performance of the entry-level 2026 RAV4 GR Sport.

Driving Experience: Woodland Grade

The Woodland is built for moderate off-roading, but certainly not rock crawling. Please leave that to the Toyota 4Runner, Land Cruiser, Tacoma, Tundra and Sequoia. The Woodland will be good for getting to the cabin deep in the woods and heading to the slopes for some skiing.

Equipped with 235/65/18 Dunlop Grandtrek all-terrain tires, the Woodland worked well when we did some trail driving on sandy, rocky, and rutted surfaces. The 8.5-inch ground clearance was plenty for the type of rocks we encountered.

Pricing

The starting price will be in the low $30,000s for the Hybrid FWD model. The 2026 RAV4 PHEV pricing will be available closer to when they are expected to start arriving at U.S.dealerships in the spring of 2026.

Observations: 2026 Toyota RAV4

Toyota going all-in with hybrid and plug-in hybrid powertrains is a testament to their belief in reducing gasoline use and helping to contribute to lessening an automobile’s impact on the environment.

The smooth operation and seamless transition between gasoline and electric have been a selling point for the Toyota Hybrid System, now in its 5th Generation. The 6th Generation PHEV powertrain continues to improve on the all-electric driving range, now for the 2026 RAV4, being up to 52 miles. If you want to cut your gasoline expenses, then the plug-in hybrid option should be high on your must-have list.

A note about a plug-in hybrid vehicle: To make this technology work to its fullest, it is necessary to plug it in whenever possible; definitely overnight. You already do this with your mobile phone, so the concept can’t be too far-fetched if it means, depending on your driving habits and patterns, maybe never going to a gas station again.

You will pay more for a hybrid versus a gasoline-only powered car, and more for a PHEV over a hybrid. Since we do not have the pricing, it is safe to say any additional cost for a hybrid will be made up for every mile you drive. For the plug-in hybrid, if you drive most of your miles in town or in rush hour traffic, your fuel budget will be cut to near nothing.

Regardless of which 2026 RAV4 you go with, try not to smile too broadly when passing gasoline stations.