Thom Blackett’s Opinion of the 2006 Toyota RAV4’s Design:
When based solely on appearance, the 2006 Toyota RAV4 is a winner. The swept back headlights and raised hood give the truck senses of power and sportiness, while the tapered rear quarters impart a neat precision. Gently flared wheel wells and attractive 17-inch alloys add to the look, and a subtle rear spoiler serves as a nice extension to the sloping roofline. The interior is stylish and user-friendly, with gray accents, large clear gauges, common controls within easy reach, and 10 cupholders scattered throughout the cabin – two of which are reserved for third-row passengers. Our truck lacked that last row, but by the looks of how much space is available, I would surely pass up on sitting back there at every opportunity. Plus, I’d prefer the generous cargo hold made available when that folding rear bench is left at the factory.

Like that miniscule bench seat, there are a few other questionable points regarding the updated RAV4: Power mirror controls are located in the center console rather than on the door panels or left side of the dash; a dedicated outlet can be found in the cargo area, but the nearest light source is the center dome; and the rear bumper pad, excellent for preventing scratches and gouges to this body-color panel, only covers a fraction of the bumper.

Ron Perry’s Opinion of the 2006 Toyota RAV4’s Design:
The 2006 Toyota RAV4’s exterior design leaves me non-plussed, looking similar to other vehicles in this class. The hard spare tire cover mounted on the back door looks silly and out of place on a modern car. The side-swing rear door is also a bad design for America. It works well for drivers in right-hand drive countries, but here it leaves you trying to navigate around it with full arms to get out of traffic and safely to the curb. I’m also displeased with the Sport model’s plastic cladding, which isn’t timely design and will quickly date the RAV4.

Inside, the front area is well thought out, from the dual glove boxes to the big knobs for the climate controls. Step into the back seat and things start to go wrong. The rear headrests must be raised before settling in to get comfortable as they hit you squarely on the shoulder blades in the down position. It is likely back seat passengers won’t remember to lower the headrests after each ride so be ready for them to block visibility in the rearview mirror. The cupholders in the fold-down center console are just big enough for a can of soda but won’t hold a big Slurpee like most kids enjoy, and lowering that console is difficult since it requires two hands. The cargo floor isn’t completely flat with the seats folded down, but lowering the seats is a simple one-handed operation. Overall, I was surprised to find so many poorly executed designs on a Toyota.

Christian Wardlaw’s Opinion of the 2006 Toyota RAV4’s Design:
Inside and out, the 2006 Toyota RAV4’s design will have you applauding details like the huge glovebox and handy covered slot in the dashboard and then ripping your hair out over things like the tailgate design and the coin tray. I’ll start with the exterior, which I think is quite good looking until you see the spare tire hanging off the rear end. Although it ruins the RAV’s lines, this is an extremely useful location for the full-size spare. First, it allows Toyota to offer your choice of a third-row seat or a storage well under the cargo floor, and second, if you must change the tire, like we did during an off-roading jaunt, this location makes the spare easy to access.

Locating the spare on the rear door precludes a traditional liftgate. Instead, the RAV4 gets a swinging tailgate. That’s not so bad, except that it swings from left to right, and if you live where parallel parking is a reality, this makes loading and unloading both difficult and dangerous. Difficult because the open tailgate blocks access to the curb, and dangerous because it puts you on the edge of traffic as you try to put items in or take items out. This design is a real shame, because the RAV4’s ultra-low load floor makes it perfect for swallowing heavier items, pets, athletic equipment – you name it. Here’s another downside to locating the spare tire where it is: during my trip to Maine, my bicycle was left behind and the kids’ bikes went inside because my universal bike carrier, which has been used on a wide variety of SUVs, minivans, sedans, and hatchbacks over the past decade, could not be used on the RAV4 due to the spare tire and the spoiler affixed to the upper portion of the gate.

Inside, stylists tried way too hard to be trendy, and the result comes off looking like something that will not age well. For instance, the silver plastic has a brushed appearance – I don’t know if it’s supposed to emulate brushed aluminum, but it looks and feels like a school project during which your kid painted the trim with a horse-hair brush. Additional complaints include a steering wheel that is too small, cupholders that can’t keep a can of Red Bull or a 1.5-liter bottle of Poland Spring water secured, and a coin tray on the left side of the dash that is shaped so that it’s hard to get coins out.

The new RAV4’s exterior design isn’t as clean as the previous model, what with all the new swells and bulges, but it is less cutesy. Losing the spare tire from the back would be a huge improvement. Still, the RAV4 isn’t the manliest ride on the planet, though I love the new wheel design.