This is where it gets unfair, “this” being the 2006 Toyota RAV4, “where” being the North American market for small SUVs, and don’t ask to whom – just listen for the sound of grinding teeth emanating out of the middle of the country. Grind away, fellas. It won’t change the fact that the RAV4 is bigger, better, safer, and more powerful, thus earning it the Autobytel Editors’ Choice for Best New Small SUV of 2006.

Pardon the misnomer. The reality is that the RAV4 is not that small anymore, not when it practically elbows the Highlander off dealer lots and out-muscles most of the competition. But at 72 cubic feet of maximum cargo volume, it barely squeezes into the small SUV category.

Buyers can pick from three trims – Base, Sport, and Limited –ranging from around $20,000 to $26,000 before adding options. A capable-but-whiny 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine that makes 166 horsepower at 6,000 rpm is standard, and the optional engine is a new and strong 3.5-liter V6 with a rating of 269 horsepower at 6,200 rpm. Power flows through a four-speed automatic or a five-speed automatic; no manual transmission is offered. Buyers also choose between two-wheel-drive and four-wheel-drive, and, for the first time, a third-row seat – the word “seat” a very kind description of what amounts to a grocery bag holder. All RAV4s get the Toyota Star safety system, which includes Vehicle Stability Control (VSC), Traction Control (TRAC), and an Antilock Braking System (ABS) with Electronic Brake-force Distribution (EBD) and Brake Assist (BA).

All of that safety technology virtually assures that the 2006 Toyota RAV4 is a no-fun zone for driving, and that’s fine by us: The RAV4 is about the kind of performance people count on in their daily lives. Accelerating from traffic lights, changing lanes, driving up hills, turning into parking spots – these are the tests a vehicle such as the RAV4 must pass, and it must do so effortlessly. On that score, the 2006 Toyota RAV4 is champ. Inside the cabin, the 2006 Toyota RAV4 is sublime. Controls are well placed, gauges are clear and easy to read, and the tilt/telescoping steering wheel is especially nice, as it helps people of all statures find a more comfortable driving position. And, in typical Toyota fashion, the RAV4 is designed for people who don’t want to think about the car they’re driving – they just want the same thing, day after day, for 100,000 or more miles, a vehicle as efficiently dependable as the sunrise.

Bigger, better, and badder – that’s the 2006 Toyota RAV4, our Autobytel Editors’ Choice for the Best New Small SUV of 2006. – Brian Chee