Toyota RAV4 Is Our Compact SUV Best Buy of 2026

All-new version of world’s best-selling vehicle
Hybrid powertrain standard
Excellent mix of power and efficiency
All the latest safety features and technology
Wide choice of trims and options
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It wouldn’t be hard to argue that the Toyota RAV4 is the most important SUV on the market. In terms of sales numbers, there’s no argument at all: Toyota’s compact SUV outsells every other sport utility vehicle available in the U.S., compact or otherwise. Factor in global sales, and the RAV4 wears the crown as the world’s best-selling car. Perhaps more incredibly, the Toyota RAV4 did this despite being in the final year of its generation.

Simply put, few vehicles are as important or as popular as the Toyota RAV4. So when an all-new version comes along, it’s absolutely vital to get it right. Thankfully, Toyota did.

All-in on Hybrids

For the sixth generation of the compact SUV that literally created the compact SUV segment — the RAV4 debuted 30 years ago in 1996 — Toyota has again zigged where everyone else zags: The biggest headline of the 2026 Toyota RAV4 is that every model is a hybrid.

Just as Toyota did with the latest generation of two other Best Buy Award winners, the Camry sedan and Sienna minivan, every powertrain of the 2026 RAV4 is gas-electric. The benefit of such a hybrid system is better fuel efficiency and more power. That’s what you get when both gasoline and electrons are helping propel a vehicle, and no manufacturer has more experience making them than Toyota, creator of the Prius. Those decades of engineering and learning pay off once again in the best RAV4 to date.

All-Around Value

Several other compact SUVs are also available as hybrids, but in those rivals, such a powertrain costs extra. So while the RAV4’s starting price is higher than some competitors’, in an apples-to-apples comparison, it’s lower. For example, a hybrid version of the RAV4’s archrival, the Honda CR-V, starts just over $37,000. That’s nearly $4,000 more than the Toyota.

A rear left 3/4 angle photo of a 2026 Toyota Rav4 XLE against a hilly backdrop under blue skies. — Image courtesy of Alan Davis

For less money, you also get more power in the RAV4, plus better efficiency. At the minimum, a RAV4 makes 226 horsepower in front-wheel-drive form. Add another 10 hp for models with all-wheel drive. To again use the CR-V Hybrid as a comparison, it makes 204 hp. Then there’s the RAV4 Plug-in Hybrid, which boasts 324 hp – more than many sports cars.

More power for the money? Check. More miles per gallon to stretch your dollar further? The RAV4 checks that mark, too. Front-wheel-drive models earn an estimated 48 mpg city/42 mpg highway and 44 mpg combined, while all-wheel-drive models get up to 46/39/42 mpg. Again, compare that to the CR-V Hybrid’s best of 43/36/40 mpg for front-wheel drive (FWD) and 40/34/37 mpg for all-wheel drive (AWD). That can mean a lot of money saved on fuel over the years, not to mention time saved from fewer stops at the gas station.

If you want even fewer — or potentially no — stops at the pump, there’s the RAV4 Plug-in Hybrid (PHEV). Its larger battery pack allows the RAV4 Plug-in to drive on electricity alone for an estimated 52 miles. No rival PHEV compact SUV can touch that.

Of course, the RAV4’s value story doesn’t end there. Toyota, as a brand, boasts the best resale values in the business, and we expect the 2026 RAV4 to retain its status of holding its value over the long run.

New 2026 Toyota RAV4 Prices

		Retail Price	Fair Purchase Price (92620)
	Base Style	TBD	TBD

Loaded With Tech

The 2026 RAV4 is offered in a wide variety of trims, broken down into what Toyota calls three main designs: Core, Rugged, and Sport. Within Core are the LE, XLE, and Limited models; Rugged is the outdoorsy Woodland model; and Sport is comprised of the SE, XSE, or PHEV-exclusive GR Sport trims.

No matter which version of the RAV4 you choose, you’ll get all the latest technology and some incredible safety systems. Regarding the latter, there’s the expected stuff like Apple CarPlay and Android Auto (wireless, natch), and the unexpected like Drive Recorder — a standard video recorder that uses the RAV4’s exterior cameras to capture 20-second clips of driving events, either manually recorded or triggered automatically.

A detailed view of the front dashboard, including the steering wheel, infotainment screen, and center console, in a 2026 Toyota Rav4 XLE. — Image courtesy of Alan Davis

Touchscreens range in size from the standard 10.5 inches on lower trims to 12.9 inches on higher ones. All models benefit from a customizable 12.3-inch digital instrument display.

On the safety side, there’s a full roster of standard active driver-assist features that range from blind-spot monitoring to adaptive cruise control with lane-keeping assist. One of our favorite features is Toyota’s Proactive Driving Assist (PDA), which we liken to automotive ESP. When switched on, the system can handle some driving duties such as gentle braking and steering. It works in the background, and it works beautifully.

Practical and Enjoyable

Finally, the new RAV4 wouldn’t be a RAV4 if it weren’t practical and simply easy to drive. Regarding the former, the all-new 2026 RAV4 edges the outgoing model in key aspects like rear-seat legroom and cargo room. Its figures aren’t quite best in class, but they are still impressive. Rear legroom measures 37.8 inches, and cargo area comes in at 37.8 cubic feet behind the rear seat and 70.4 cubic feet with the rear seat folded. We found that type of space highly usable for friends, family, and all of our associated gear.

As for driving the RAV4, it’s Toyota easy. By that we mean it isn’t fussy, does everything you want it to do, and is predictable and comfortable. Just as we found with the Camry, the RAV4 always feels like it has power in reserve thanks to its electrification. It gets up to speed quickly and easily, even if the engine can sound a bit coarse while doing so. Pop the drive setting into Sport mode, and acceleration is even quicker.

We also found the RAV4 easy to maneuver in tight parking lots, and its brakes are smooth and linear — not always a given in hybrids.

The all-new RAV4 is a lesson in how to take a calculated risk to ultimately reward everyday drivers. Toyota could have rested on its laurels in remaking its best-selling vehicle. Instead, it sank a ton of engineering and know-how into making what is arguably the most mainstream vehicle, a gift that will surprise and delight buyers with its efficiency, power, technology, and practicality.

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