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jonathanbelloblog · 6 years

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2019 Toyota RAV4 Is All About Risk and Reward

CARMEL-BY-THE-SEA, California — A niche vehicle at its inception 25 years ago but now practically an entire industry unto itself, the Toyota RAV4’s 2019 redesign sees it take a dramatic turn for the rugged. But rather than being a wanton risk, the change enhances the RAV4’s stature as Toyota’s bestseller and the truck/utility market’s top non-pickup.

The 2019 lineup incorporates nine trim levels—five with the gas-only powertrain and four with the gas-electric hybrid one—and all now share a platform with the Camry and Avalon rather than the Corolla, as in the past. The new RAV4 is a bit wider and offers up to 8.6 inches of ground clearance, but the roofline is slightly lower. The chassis is claimed to be 57 percent more rigid yet lighter than before, and it accommodates wheels up to 19 inches in diameter on the top-of-the-line Limited. The RAV4 has a new 2.5-liter inline four-cylinder gasoline engine and eight-speed automatic transmission, and the all-wheel-drive setup now has available torque-vectoring and rear driveline disconnect.

The thoroughly revised hybrid uses a version of the four-cylinder but routes its power instead through a continuously variable transmission and a unique, electric-assist all-wheel-drive system. Body designers received a green light and, evidently, a set of sushi knives, so the outgoing model’s squinty and somewhat dorky face has been supplanted by a craggy and puckered countenance that suggests that, after years of pursuit, Prospector Pete finally got a smooch from Madame Kitty. LED forward lighting is standard across the board to illuminate the way from your favorite trail back to civilization after a day’s paddle-bike-climb. The scalloped and sculpted sides challenge one’s eye; overall, we see a strong resemblance to other Toyota trucks, especially the Tacoma and 4Runner, and the design holds together pretty well.

Compared with the outgoing model, the new interior offers better outward visibility, a wider center console with side-by-side cupholders, and more backseat legroom. Options such as a panoramic sunroof, digital rearview mirror, eight-inch info screen, and wireless phone charging highlight the features list. The crystal-clear radiance of the optional 11-speaker JBL audio is a shock in a vehicle that costs from $26,545 to $36,745—it’s better than the system we have at home. When the RAV4 is equipped with Remote Connect, you can use a smartwatch app or Amazon Alexa’s Toyota skill to warm up the engine or find out how much fuel is in the tank.

Safety is a primary consideration for RAV4 buyers—and there were about 408,000 of them in 2017, or basically the population of Tulsa—and thus active safety features have increased. Toyota Safety Sense 2.0 is standard even in the entry-level LE and includes pre-collision sensors that, among other things, can detect bicyclists in the daytime (no word as to whether unicyclists will also be spared). The adaptive cruise control is good from a stop all the way to 110 mph, the lane-departure alert with steering assist now can read roads’ crumbly edges, and the RAV4 will also peruse road signs for you and send alerts if necessary. Passive safety includes eight airbags and a trial subscription to Safety Connect for emergencies. Trailer sway control helps, well, control trailer sway, with the Adventure model able to tow up to 3,500 pounds. (The other gas models are capped at 1,500 pounds, the hybrid at 1,750.)

Under the hood, the 2.5-liter four-cylinder meets the battle call readily but is a tad reedy under acceleration. The engine and other components are arranged to look respectable and smart, like a good review of municipal officials. Is this powerplant sophisticated? The 16 variable-action inlet and outlet valves are schooled to jump back and forth between beats as varied as disco, AC/DC, and techno. The high compression ratio of 13.0:1 (14.0: 1 in the hybrid) is like living on Bolivia’s Altiplano and never having a headache while running a marathon. This paragon of a four-banger eschews turbocharging but, in nonhybrid versions, still makes 203 horsepower and 184 pound-feet of torque while running on 87-octane fuel. The hybrid’s version of the four is rated for 176 horses and 163 pound-feet, but electric assist pushes total horsepower to 219 and allows the gas-electric XSE to dash from 0 to 60 mph in 7.8 seconds, according to Toyota. The automaker says 8.3 seconds is the best a gas-only RAV4 can do. The hybrid’s electric-drive components are more fit and efficient than ever, and its nickel-metal-hydride battery slots neatly under the backseat. The AWD-only 2019 hybrid can achieve an estimated 39 combined mpg—up 7 mpg from the 2018 model.

As mentioned, gas models get an eight-speed automatic transmission, a big upgrade with a wider ratio spread than the previous six-speed. In our driving, it operated invisibly. The hybrid’s continuously variable transmission is responsible for the same old counterintuitive engine mooing under acceleration. Indeed, our enthusiasm lags when a CVT is involved, even as Toyota is attempting to sell the XSE hybrid on its performance—it also has a sport-tuned suspension, they say. “Our goal is to broaden the appeal of the hybrids,” said Lisa Materazzo, Toyota Motor North America vice president, who expects the take rate to jump from 10 to 25 percent.

Our favorite of the bunch was the Adventure, the only gas model not available with front-wheel drive. We sampled a one of those in the alluring Lunar Rock gray with Ice Edge white roof, and the experience and color combo brought to mind a fun time we had years ago with an FJ Cruiser. Today’s two-toner has a skid plate and black slotted wheels with discreet machine finishing—quite easy to touch up after rubbing against rocks—and the Adventure also features the latest AWD driveline with torque-vectoring that funnels power to the wheel or wheels that have traction. We careened around a course at Carmel Valley Ranch, where Toyota hosted this preview, and found ourselves marveling at its tenacity and ability. And it could do even better, we suspect, with rubber more aggressive than the Yokohama Avids fitted to the vehicle we drove.

On the road, every iteration of the new RAV4 impressed with high levels of composure, substantiality, and refinement. The interior is quite serene, although some trim in the Adventure rattled over Carmel Valley Road’s indifferent pavement. The seating position and comfort are tremendous, as is the control layout. USB points abound, and the trim is imaginative and vibrant. We didn’t see our test cars after the wine was poured at dinner, so we can only transmit rumors of excellent nighttime ambience and the digital mirror’s backlighting.

The RAV4 was introduced in Europe and Japan in 1994 and came to North America in 1995. How well we remember our Four Seasons test of that first RAV4. I personally drove it thousands of miles in 1996 and 1997, including a sortie from Automobile’s former home of Ann Arbor, Michigan, to Tacoma, Washington, and back, to interview Richard Griot, founder of the Griot’s Garage catalog. Montana had no posted speed limits back then, and the RAV proved its cheek and contributed to my hearing loss by achieving 90 mph. (The cassette of Nirvana’s Nevermind didn’t help). Everybody at the magazine loved it; none had an idea it would lead a gargantuan category in the United States, selling roughly 14,000 fewer units in 2017 than Audi, Volvo, and Jaguar Land Rover combined.

Now turning 25 years old, this pioneer of compact crossovers has completed its MBA and hasn’t lived with its parents in years. For my own college frat brother who asks what to do when trading in his Honda CR-V next year, the answer is, “Yes, turn your pointy head toward the RAV4.” Moms, dads, doctors, retirees, adventurers, humanities majors, human-resources managers, acolytes, activists, zealots, and zombies will like this vehicle. Sales are going to grow, maybe because the category is expanding but also because the 2019 RAV4 is so appealing, especially compared to baby Jeeps and dowdy Subarus. Toyota’s risky redesign is rousing, and the rewards will be large.

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jesusvasser · 6 years

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2019 Toyota RAV4 Is All About Risk and Reward

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robertkstone · 6 years

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2019 Toyota Avalon Interior Review: Not a Camry-Plus

It’s a different atmosphere inside the redesigned 2019 Toyota Avalon. Sure, the Avalon’s steering wheel buttons, instrument cluster, and gear stalk will look familiar to Camry drivers, but the rest of the package has evolved into something more special. And it should be, considering the 2019 Avalon starts at $36,395, or more than $10,000 above the starting price of a base-model four-cylinder Camry—which nonetheless shares many of the larger Avalon’s underpinnings. The interior’s relative improvement versus its midsize sibling is the 2019 Avalon’s biggest step forward compared to its predecessor.

We drove Toyota’s new flagship sedan and, while sitting inside a string of new Avalons, interviewed Alan Schneider, senior principal designer at Toyota’s Southern California CALTY design studio. Keep reading for more on the car’s cabin.

Rising Up

The top of the 2019 Toyota Avalon’s dash isn’t very high—unlike the Camry—and that makes the larger sedan feel a little airier inside. The impression is made possible in part by slim air vents positioned below the touchscreen. Schneider says the design goal for the interior was combining the spaciousness that is expected of an Avalon with the feeling of a cozy cockpit. The way the center console rises between driver and front passenger to become the center stack of controls is an interesting design, and we’re pleased that the standard 9.0-inch touchscreen (with standard Apple CarPlay but no Android Auto) sits at the top of the dash. Another cool detail: The interior-color part of the lower dash appears to continue behind the screen to the driver’s side.

One of the most difficult challenges with the interior design was determining how to make sure the silver trim that slices through the passenger-side air vent maintains a consistent alignment with the trim that continues across the dash to the edge of the center stack even as you adjust the air vent to point higher or lower. Engineers worked overtime to figure that one out, Schneider says.

Keeping it Real (Mostly)

The 2019 Avalon Limited has real matte wood trim, and it looks great. That trim is one reason I would personally go with a Limited model instead of the similarly priced Touring, whose visual upgrades include sporty exterior doodads and real aluminum trim inside. Even on a Toyota-branded vehicle requiring a more cost-conscious approach than the mechanically related 2019 Lexus ES, why go with real and desirable materials?

“When technology and artificial means of intelligence and communication increase,” Schneider says, talking about trends beyond the automotive world, “I think the value of authenticity and craftsmanship increases to counteract that.”

The sporty but more affordable XSE trim also gets real aluminum trim, whereas the base XLE has what’s called hydrographic interior trim, which I found less satisfying to look at or touch than the options on the other trims.

Just Look at That Wood

One of the reasons Toyota picked Sapele wood from musical instrument maker Yamaha was that “their process allows us to have a compound bend,” Schneider says. The wood trim curves down sharply from one plane to another on the dash, and the unusual placement of the trim on the top of the doors reaches out to meet the dash trim, creating a wraparound feel.

You’re So Soft (Touch)

The last-gen Avalon already had soft-touch surfaces extending halfway up the center console, and the 2019 model takes things a step further. Soft leatherlike material extends from the back of the center console’s armrest/storage compartment all the way to the bottom of the dash. So as you put a drink in one of the central cupholders, your fingers will also brush up against premium-feeling soft-touch trim. The same is true for the sliding lid over the Qi wireless charging area and for the lower part of the dash near the front passenger. A few pieces of hard plastic can still be spotted here and there, but the Avalon makes a good first impression when you combine the extensive soft-touch leatherlike trim with how nice the steering wheel feels (even on the base XLE).

Button Talk

The slim, silver buttons surrounding the 9.0-inch touchscreen are the same as the ones below that control various HVAC functions. That’s not an accident, Schneider says: “In the end, what we realized is that coordinating the touch experience is your goal; you want it to feel unified so that the operation of each one is expected but also predictable.”

It does look good, but for driver and front passenger temperature controls, I still prefer knobs instead of the 2019 Avalon’s up/down buttons. Sometimes, as in the Genesis G80, having four control knobs for the climate and audio settings leads to cranking the volume when you wanted to increase the HVAC fan speed. Unlike the G80, though, the Avalon probably wouldn’t have that issue because its knobs would have been positioned farther apart.

Speaking of the G80, the Genesis’s center stack buttons have a wonderful coating that gives them a more premium feel. A similar feature was considered on the Avalon, but the options considered by Toyota didn’t meet company standards: “There were no soft-spray coatings that didn’t scratch or wear out or peel away in our testing.”

Seats and the Secrets of the Dots

The leather on the Avalon Limited features an interesting pattern that’s more random than the standard equidistant dots you expect with perforated seats (like you’ll find on the Touring). In fact, Schneider says the team considered two dozen perforated patterns. Some of the options that didn’t make it produced a stripelike effect. Others combined their dots to look like stars or make concentric effects. On the production car, along with the swoopy lines created by the stitching on the outside of the seats, the seat design is far bolder than you’d expect of an Avalon.

Although I found the XLE’s SofTex faux-leather material softer than the Limited’s real leather, I’d still pick a Limited if I were considering an Avalon. The Touring may look sportier inside and out and feature Ultrasuede inserts on the seats, but those seats don’t hold you in place any more than the ones on other trims. Both of those trims offer a surround-view camera system with a front-side view that can help you figure out exactly how close your tire is to a curb.

Fun fact: A white interior color option was suggested, but that didn’t pass the automaker’s soilability tests, Schneider says. Instead, Cognac is the 2019 Avalon’s new color for the Limited trim. It’s a bold tan that looks good on the seats, the door and dash trim, and on part of the steering wheel.

About That Trunk

Good news for those considering the 2019 Avalon Hybrid—a car that’s now only $1,000 more than the V-6 model—the trunk size is the same 16.1 cubic feet no matter which engine you choose. Helpfully, the Avalon’s trunk springs open when you press the trunk-open button. There’s no interior grab handle to help you close it, however, and a power-closing trunk isn’t available at any price.

So …

The 2019 Avalon’s interior is a big step forward. Even on the base XLE trim there are just enough premium details to help justify the high base price, and every Avalon gets a 7.0-inch instrument cluster screen and a 9.0-inch touchscreen infotainment system. Front and side visibility is good, and rear visibility is acceptable, though a high decklid and a gently sloping roofline hamper that just a bit. Otherwise, the interior is a huge step forward. But as mentioned in our full 2019 Avalon First Drive review, I prefer the more engaging hybrid information displays found in Fords.

“You can always sell an older person on a young thing,” Schneider says in reference to Toyota’s push to attract new (and younger) Avalon customers without alienating the existing ones, “but you can’t sell a young person on an old thing.”

I agree. And although I’d prefer easy-to-use HVAC knobs any day over the current car’s up/down button control setup, the overall interior is a meaningful step up from a loaded Camry despite its lack of a panoramic moonroof. Those seeking a more exclusive Avalon experience over a Camry XLE or XSE V-6 should be pleased by what they find inside the cabin. Yes, there are a few shared details, but the new Avalon also has plenty of new features and design details to distinguish the interior.

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