UPDATE 10/22

The media embargo has just lifted. Here's two new articles

2026 Toyota RAV4 Buyer's Guide & Review!

https://www.clublexus.com/how-tos/sl...lained-1000740

2026 RAV4 GR Sport First Drive: Worthy of the GR Name?

https://www.clublexus.com/articles/2...f-the-gr-name/












BEFORE

I'm currently in Arizona with Toyota and the new 2026 RAV4. I can't discuss my driving impressions, pricing, or fuel economy until 10/22. But I can answer general questions about features, grades, technology, etc. So feel free to ask in this thread.







I've spent time in the XLE FWD HEV, the XSE AWD PHEV, the Limited AWD HEV, the GR Sport AWD PHEV, and the Woodland AWD PHEV.

HEV = 5th gen 2.5L hybrid system, 226 hp (FWD), 236 hp (AWD)
PHEV = 6th gen 2.5L plug-in hybrid system, 324 hp (AWD only)

LE & XLE are HEV only, FWD or AWD
Limited is HEV only, AWD only
SE & XSE are HEV, FWD or AWD, or PHEV AWD
Woodland is HEV or PHEV, AWD only
GR Sport is PHEV AWD only

 

Honestly...I kind of like it?

I also like the styling of the outgoing model, probably the best looking of the "appliance" CUV's on the market.

 

Does the interior feel cheaper compared to previous gen RAV4?

What do you think of Arena OS?

 

My kids will be driving one of these.

 

So far, every redesign of the RAV-4 since the original (and excellent) 1Gen has produced a steadily cheaper (and more loosely-built) interior....so I would not be surprised if the new 2026 continues that tradition.

I hope, of course, that I am wrong.

 

Which trims have a traditional gear shifter with manual shifting? Which have shift paddles on the steering wheel?

 

is the platform on this any different from the previous ones?

 

Toyota has listed this as its 6th-generation RAV4. It will be built on the Toyota Next Generation Architecture-K (TNGA-K) unibody platform, with HEV production taking place in Canada and the US and PHEV production taking place in Japan. How radically different is the platform from the 5th gen? I can't really say. Typically, Toyota works on making its platforms more rigid and refined as it develops new ones, making this an evolution of what's come before rather than a revolution, if that makes sense.


From what I saw, the XSE and Limited had the toggle button shifter, which is required to have the auto parking feature (which works amazingly well)
The Woodland, GR Sport (based on the SE), and XLE had the mechanical shifters. SE and LE should also have mechanical shifter.

Of the ones I tested, the GR Sport and XSE had paddle shifters, which allow you to in either Sport or Drive modes, select one of six "gears." I'm not sure if I know exactly how this system is supposed to work, but after talking to the engineers, it's my understanding that they wanted to give drivers the sporty sense of up and down shifting. And I think it also affects how much re-gen one feels. But it was a little hard to understand through a translator. It's not a system where you're "Locked" into a specific "gear" ratio on the CVT's planetary gears where you could, for example, bang off the red line.

Need more testing on that, hahah.


Coincidentally, my Lyft to the airport was a 2024 Hybrid RAV4. It drove nicely, but there were a few rattles.

Overall, the 2026 models -- which were prototypes, mind you -- feel more solid, but there's no getting away from the fact that there are miles and miles of plastic touch surfaces, although the upper-level models XLE, Limited, GR Sport, and XSE all offered lovely synthetic seating surfaces that were surprisingly soft. The interior now feels a bit more like what they did with the Tacoma/4Runner -- a lot more angles -- but not quite as busy. Overall, it's a nice interior. But definitely not refined or luxurious.

I didn't experience any weird rattles, but all of these prototypes had less than 500 miles on the clock when I drove them.

The new interface is terrific. I didn't get to spend a great deal of time testing out the "Hey Toyota" feature, but what I tried worked well. The interface is smoother and quicker and sharper than the current gen, which I think is already pretty good. Like Lexus, Toyotas now have the left column of function buttons that you can access when you're in CarPlay.

Also, the gauge cluster is slightly different now. In the previous iterations, there were effectively 3 customizable columns. In this 2026 revision, the left column is customizable info/data, the center portion changes with driving modes, and the right column is now reserved for adaptive cruise control stuff. All of this lines up well with the steering wheel buttons.

 

so in other words, it's the same platform.
i asked because from the pic the proportions look the same.

 

I suppose that depends on who you're talking to.

For many folks, seeing the new RAV4 may not be as obvious as going from a Series 200 Land Cruiser to the 250 (or from the LX 570 to LX 600) where everything is noticeably different.

But to engineers, I'm sure it feels wildly different as they improve structural rigidity, retune suspensions, and revise electrical systems and powertrain layouts. I mean, Toyota engineers are so focused on details that, for the RAV4 GR Sport, they added aluminum tape above the headliner to help reduce static electricity. OR on something like the GR Corolla, they revised the subframe bolts in 2024 so they could increase the factory torque specifications to improve rigidity.

 

Toyota doesn't do radical platform changes for the most part and when they do things don't go so well, V35A cough cough.

 

I predict they will continue to sell a ton of these.
Nice job by Toyota.

Good alternative to the EV Model Y for those that can’t charge.

 

https://pressroom.toyota.com/the-lat...reen-near-you/

Huge upgrades to the infotainment, it looks like. Now the car can utilize the cameras around the car as a dashcam like a Tesla. Nice thing is its standard and not hidden behind a subscription.

 

I love the looks of this thing. I am trying to convince my wife to buy one but she's hung up on honda. Boooooooorrrrriiiiing.

 

Lots of fake ruggedness. Especially those ugly wheel wells that are not painted. . Yuck. Awful.

@BayouLexus Those PHEV models look good

to the bold that’s what Lexus is for