Rav4 The Rav4, for Recreational Active Vehicle with 4-wheel-drive, marked Toyota's entry into the nascent crossover SUV market. With its car-like engineering, the Rav4 offered nimbler handling and better fuel economy than the big truck-based SUVs other manufacturers offered. Yet at the same time, it retained the fun go-anywhere image of an SUV. Along with the Honda CR-V, the Rav4 really started the crossover utility market that so dominates the industry today. Crossovers of all sizes are now taking sales away from traditional, truck-based SUVs, minivans, sedans, station wagons and even sports cars.
|  Car designers show off their ideas for the ultimate robot-controlled cars of the future in the Los Angeles Auto Show's 'Design Challenge' contest. (more)  With a few improvements, Chrysler can win back American car buyers. But it still has a few kinks to work out. Here's a look at the carmaker's hits and misses. (more)  Automaker slips to fifth from first place, and some versions of Camry, Tundra no longer recommended. (more) |
