Road Trip Rides: 2026 Toyota RAV4

Words and photos by Jay Kana | Published June 10th, 2026

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2026 Toyota RAV4.

Canada’s best-selling SUV for the past 10 years is all-new this year. Proudly assembled in Ontario, the 2026 Toyota RAV4 is an excellent blend of practicality, technology and functionality. Plus, all RAV4’s are hybrid or plug-in hybrid.
Recently, Toyota introduced a Woodland trim, being their light off-road, rugged variant with all-terrain tires and a few other goodies. That trim is what’s featured in this Road Trip Rides column, although the vast majority of RAV4 components are the same across the line up.
If you’re looking at a 2026 Toyota RAV4, competitors include the Honda CR-V, Nissan Rogue, Subaru Forester, Mitsubishi Outlander, Hyundai Tucson, Kia Sportage and others.

Key Info

Body type: Compact crossover
Engine: 2.5-litre four-cylinder, 236 horsepower, electronic-CVT, all-wheel drive
Fuel economy: 5.5 to 6.2 litres per 100/km combined
Fuel tank size: 55 litres
Total range: Between 888 and 1,000 km per full tank of 87 octane
Cargo space: 1,070 litres
Towing capacity: Up to 3,500 pounds when properly equipped

Rear seat space is plentiful and longer road trips are welcomed in the 2026 Toyota RAV4 for two out of the three rear passengers. (The middle seat in all compact crossovers are good for short distances.)
There are rear vents, USB ports and tall windows.
The generous 1,070 lites of cargo space can easily fit four carry-on bags and then some.

The 2026 Toyota RAV4 features a hybrid or plug-in hybrid engine.

On the road, Toyota’s decision to go hybrid-only both saves fuel and increases power, making for a slightly more energetic drive feel compared to the 2025. Reaching highway speeds is easy accomplished and the standard all-wheel drive is ideal for our varying Canadian climate. Yes, using an e-CVT can produce louder engine sounds, where some may prefer a geared transmission.
With this tester being the Woodland trim with chunkier, louder all-terrain tires compared to the regular RAV4 trims, the ride was surprisingly quiet and composed.

Mind you, most compact crossover drivers don’t ask “how quiet is the RAV4? on the road?” when considering it but I will say, the road noise is refreshingly quiet in this class.
Let’s be honest, though; with it’s wild popularity, Toyota could have made this the loudest road noise vehicle ever and people would. line up to buy it; that’s how strong the RAV4 brand is.
Zipping around urban areas, the RAV4 is impressively maneuverable and it' handles corners well considering it’s height.

Toyota has gone heavy on the technology side here with a standard 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster with crisp graphics and either at 10.5-inch or 12.9-inch infotainment system, with standard wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.
Having nearly all the climate controls embedded in the infotainment screen is an interesting decision, given the high amount of physical controls in the 2025 version.
There’s storage space aplenty here, with deep pockets in the door handles, a deep centre console with a double-hinged and reversible lid, deep and long shelf space on the passenger side of the dashboard and a two-tray front cargo space. Add in a traditional gear lever and big steering wheel buttons, and the traditional side of automotive interiors shines through.
Front seats are comfortable, there’s lots of soft-touch materials, standard heated front seats, and a long list of standard safety features, including Blind Spot Monitoring, Rear Cross-Traffic Alert, Lane Departure Warning, Lane Trace Assist, Adaptive Cruise Control, Automatic High Beams, and more.

It’s boxier exterior aligns with the balance of Toyota’s SUV roster and while it’s not as edgy and polarizing as some competitors, it has enough of a modern look to stand out.

3 Perks

Excellent fuel economy
Smart interior design
Surprisingly impressive drive feel

3 Irks

Climate controls are nearly fully screen-based
Slightly louder engine sounds with the e-CVT
A high reputation to follow with 10 years of being a best-seller in Canada