• High quality build has aged well
• Reasonable diesel running costs
• Two-wheel drive doesn’t save much fuel

All of the diesels give good, though not outstanding, fuel consumption figures, while the later 2.0-litre Valvematic petrol is at least acceptable – unlike the original VVT-i. Choosing the two-wheel drive petrol won’t save much fuel compared with the four-wheel drive model.

2009’s 2.2-litre D-4D Optimal Drive offers the lowest CO2 at 154g/km, and gets closest to 50mpg – though in the real world ‘around 45mpg’ is a fair expectation for the diesel RAV4 regardless of version.

Toyota RAV4 maintenance and reliability

• Toyota dealers among the best in the UK
• Good engineering and long-term parts availability
• A well-maintained RAV4 should be cheap to run and dependable

The cliché about outstanding Toyota reliability continues to ring true for the third generation RAV4, even as the oldest examples approach an age more often associated with modern classic cars.

It’s a reputation that many other car makers would be proud to inherit. It’s business as usual for the third generation RAV4 – the cabin oozes quality fit-and-finish and there’s no reason to doubt any other area of the build.

See what real owners have said about the RAV4 in our owners’ reviews section.

Most owners wouldn’t take a car this age to a main dealer. However, many Toyota dealers offer competitive rates for older cars and we’d say it’s worth paying a premium for cars that have been cared for by one local main dealer. Even if you do your own maintenance, part of that strong reputation is the quality of the components sourced by Toyota – fitting genuine spares makes sense, and Toyota keeps parts available long after many European manufacturers cease supporting their cars.