I really enjoyed my time in the RAV4

BEFORE Christmas I drove two cars from Toyota, the RAV4 and the Toyota Auris Hybrid.

The new Auris is attractive and the hybrid version is really quiet; it’s almost as quiet as an electric car, but you don’t have any worries about making it to the next charge point. Prices for the Auris start at

?¬19,725, while the hybrid version will cost you

?¬26,960.

But I suppose the new RAV4 is the one that should be of most interest to readers, who might be thinking about investing in a 141C registration next month. The RAV4 has been around since 1994 and over the past 20 years Toyota has sold over 4.5 million worldwide. The popular SUV came to Ireland the following year and since then over 10,000 have found Irish homes.

The RAV4 may not be the most attractive car on the school run, but improvements made to this fourth generation version should help it get more admirers from parents and children alike. However, it’s probably away from the famous school run that this SUV does its best work because driving it you will be able to safely negotiate the trickiest boreens you can find in West Cork or South Kerry.

Toyota say that the new version of the RAV4 is longer and wider than the previous model. Normally those measurements are in millimetres, but it does look much bigger than the previous model and it now has stop-start technology also. Meanwhile the reduction in the entry price for the SUV is not in millimetres or inches, but in money,

?¬5,000 in fact.

This is a big chunky motor, with chunky rear lights and you certainly will appreciate the reversing camera. My wife, who is troubled with arthritis, had no difficulty climbing on board. And when she got in the words she uttered were:

‘This is a lovely car.’ Then she discovered that the radio controls were switched around! In the RAV4 the volume button is nearest to the driver, while it’s on the side of the passenger in most other cars.

The seats are very comfortable and all the family enjoyed the high driving position. There are plenty of cubby holes in the cabin for holding drinks, phones etc. The only small crib I have is that with the seats being black and the dash also very black, the interior is a bit dull. But a cream roof helps to give the decor a much needed lift.

There is plenty of leg room in the front and in the back there is also plenty of leg and head room for five well-built adults. I liked the way the bonnet is high at the sides, but slopes down in the middle. The boot is huge and you get a spare wheel, not a repair kit. Available in two or four-wheel drive, with prices starting at

?¬28,995 for the 2.0-litre diesel. And when the time comes to

‘trade-in’ you know that residual values are always very good for a RAV4.

I drove a white version and really enjoyed my time in the car. It was very impressive and was equally at home on the motorway or side road. I think this white-coloured RAV4 would be ideal for Santa as he gets ready to load up with toys and negotiate some rough terrain in the coming days.