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www.oakvillebeaver.com The Oakville Beaver, Wednesday April 16, 2008 - 33 Discover the new Toyota RAV4 continued from page 31 sole box with armrest, upper and lower glove boxes, front seat back pockets, overhead sunglass pocket, cargo area tie-down rings, and door map pockets; · Telescopic/tilt steering wheel & cruise control; · Dual exterior power remote heated mirrors; · Roof rack, front/rear splash guards, colour-matched bumpers, rear spoiler and mirrors, and a spare tire cover; · Variable intermittent wipers with rear window intermittent wiper/washer; · Halogen headlamps with auto headlamp cancel system. That's a pretty full suite of equipment laid out in simple and ergonomic style with no hitches except for a slightly odd placement of mirror controls on the console. There's no skimping on comfort with biggish seats, lots of head room and leg room reflecting on the biggerthan-expected evolution of size and interior space. Inside, the 2008 RAV4 holds up to five people in tworow models, and squeezes in seven passengers when equipped with a third-row seat. The rear right-hinged tailgate swings open Japanesestyle with the opening on the driver's side, which we could nit-pick about but it's a negligible negative, so I'll just get over it. Cargo space is rated at 35.9 cu.ft. expanding to a maximum of 73.2 cu.ft. behind the front seats. The rear-mounted spare tire doesn't really interfere with mirrored visibility. Under the hood is a choice of either a 2.4-litre four cylinder engine making 166 hp @ 6,000 rpm and 165 lbft of torque @ 4,000 rpm or the 3.5-litre V6 harnessing 269 hp @ 6,200 rpm and 246 lb-ft of torque @ 4,700 rpm. I tested the four-banger which performs adequately, pulling with little drama from under the hood and a nasal drone emanating from the exhaust. This engine is mated to four-speed automatic, tows up to 680 kg and fuel economy is rated at 10.1L/7.7L/100km (city/hwy). The V6 gets an upgraded five-speed auto tranny, tows up to 1587 kg and is only slightly thirstier with an 11.1L/7.7L/100km (city/hwy) rating. Both engines feature variable valve timing with intelligence, lightweight aluminum alloy blocks, sequential multi-port electronic fuel injection and a stainless steel exhaust system.All RAV4s in Canada are four-wheel drive complemented by ABS disc brakes with Electronic Brake Force Distribution and Brake Assist technologies as well as traction control and Toyota's Vehicle Stability Control, which enhances stability by using both throttle and brakes to correct oversteer and understeer. The V6-equipped RAV4s are further enhanced with Hill Start Assist control and Downhill Assist Control, useful for towing heavy loads or tackling steep terrain. And on the safety front, all models come with dual stage driver and front passenger airbags, front seat mounted side airbags, and roll-sensing front and rear head/side curtain airbags. This year's new Sport model that we mentioned earlier in the story adds: · Premium cloth seats; · Privacy glass; · 18" aluminum alloy wheels; · A power tilt/slide moon roof with shade; · Sport badging and a unique black headlamp surround; · Fog lamps I'm constantly amazed how models grow and evolve every year, maturing in size and sophistication to the point where I can picture Toyota almost having to insert a new entry-level SUV underneath the RAV4. With its handsome, sculpted exterior, this third generation RAV4 has become a benchmark in the compact class. Certainly with its range of selection, along with the all the qualities that earned it honours as Best New SUV/CUV (under $35K) in last year's AJAC Car of the Year competition, the RAV4 offers customers surprising sophistication in an entry-level sport utility vehicle. The RAV4 comes home to Canada with future North American production slated for the brand new plant in Woodstock, Ontario later this year.Just one more reason for any customer to take a long serious look at one of the best compact SUVs on the market - the 2008 RAV4. Cargo space is rated at 35.9 cu.ft. expanding to a maximum of 73.2 cu.ft. with seats folded down.