2022 Toyota 4Runner vs 2023 Toyota RAV4

Family-hauling, kid-toting three-row SUVs have become the de facto vehicle in most suburban towns. Just look in any mall parking lot, and you’re bound to see countless Honda Pilots and Toyota Highlanders. So ubiquitous are these vehicles, you might forget that the definition of “Sport Utility Vehicle” is actually quite vast, and there are still new examples that have some connection to the segment’s rugged origins.

The 2022 Toyota 4Runner is one such example. It may not be optimized for soccer practice or pizza-party duties, but it can certainly handle them. Just as crucially, it can also venture out where these mall-dwelling SUVs dare not go. If two years of a pandemic have taught us anything about ourselves, it's that the ability to get out on an adventure is more relevant than ever, and the 4Runner is one vehicle so-equipped to do it.

The RAV4 was last revised for 2019, and Toyota takes the if-it-ain’t-broke approach for the new model year, retaining the well-reviewed styling while updating the frequently maligned infotainment system of yesteryear.

This review focuses on the gas-powered RAV4. The RAV4 Hybrid and the plug-in hybrid (PHEV) RAV4 Prime are each covered separately.