Before terms like crossover and subcompact cornered the sport-utility-vehicle market, cars like the first-generation Toyota RAV4 were simply smaller SUVs. Instead of today’s nostalgic novelty, a two-door SUV was the cheaper and more fuel-efficient option at the time. This edition of the RAV4 needs no convoluted definition of crossover, considering it dubbed the now-prevalent chassis style.
Equipped with a 2.0-liter four-cylinder cranking out 120 horses and 125 lb-ft of torque, the first-generation RAV4 (along with Honda's CR-V) is often thought of as underpowered. Weighing in at only 2469 pounds, the power-to-weight ratio was similar to a Mazda Miata from the same year. Sitting squarely on 215-mm section tires gave the micro SUV a sure footing and inspired off-road hopeful builders years after its release. Not to mention, the 1997 RAV4 was EPA-estimated to achieve 30 mpg on the highway.
Great mileage was just one of many attractions for the current owner, who purchased the car in Colorado and moved to Brooklyn shortly after. In a nod to the international iterations each model goes through, this RAV4 wears decals from the 1995 year model sold in the Netherlands. Known as the "fun cruiser" overseas, it's not hard to understand how something as simple as a RAV4 has become notable in a sea of rising window lines and third-row seating. Street-parked in the Clinton Hill neighborhood, this RAV4 has remained immaculate, at least for now.
With bulbous gray plastic bumpers and locking alloy wheels, what’s the worst that could happen? Besides, the real value of this pristine Radwood specimen lies within. The cloth seats welcome drivers and passengers alike with a pattern that can only be described as one part 90s bus seat and one part infamous “Jazz” pattern wax paper cup. For this Brooklynite, nostalgia lives on with each mile.
It's unlikely we'll see a seat pattern as Millenial-pleasing again, though the Chevy Bolt's hatchback seats and the infamous VW GTI plaid trim make up the difference. This original RAV4 had a wheelbase of only 86.6 inches—a far cry from the current one (stretched to 105.9 inches). Today's small crossovers and SUVs do their best to recreate the functionality and driving dynamics of cars like the original RAV4, and they can't for all the right reasons pertaining to pedestrian safety and consumer demand for space. That's all ok, but can we at least bring back the spare tire?
A New York transplant hailing from the Pacific Northwest, Emmet White has a passion for anything that goes: cars, bicycles, planes, and motorcycles. After learning to ride at 17, Emmet worked in the motorcycle industry before joining Autoweek in 2022. The woes of alternate side parking have kept his fleet moderate, with a 2014 Volkswagen Jetta GLI and a 2003 Honda Nighthawk 750 street parked in his South Brooklyn community.
