Are Early RAV4s Cool Yet?
We find ourselves strangely drawn to this well-preserved cute ute.
Back in the mid-1990s, the SUV craze was just getting started. Toyota and Honda were among the first to realize that while most consumers wanted the looks and high seating position of a sport utility vehicle, they didn’t necessarily care for their road manners.
When the car-like RAV4 and CR-V debuted, they were an instant success. At the time, designers were still unsure of just how much “sport” buyers wanted in their sport utility vehicles. As a result, both had rugged, off-road styling features that belied their humble car-based underpinnings.
In particular, the RAV4, like the one seen here, was available in a two-door configuration with a faux removable top and an external spare tire. It certainly looked the part of a small SUV like the Suzuki Samurai, Geo Tracker, or Jeep Cherokee, but it lacked much of the off-road finesse. This configuration of the RAV4 didn’t stick around long, as buyers overwhelmingly preferred the more family-friendly four-door body style.
Loving the Unloved
We didn’t pay much attention to these when they were new. In fact, we probably called RAV4 drivers “poseurs” at the time. It’s true that absence makes the heart grow fonder, though. It’s been years since we’ve seen one this nice, and when we found this minty fresh example on Craigslist in Maryland, we found ourselves oddly smitten.
This RAV4 appears spotless inside and out, from its white paint to its very ’90s multicolor cloth interior. The leather bra up front is another great ’90s touch. Incredibly, this isn’t some low-mileage collector’s piece. This RAV4 has a whopping 176,000 miles on it! You’ve got to love that bulletproof Toyota reliability.
It’s probably pretty fun to drive with a five-speed, and it appears to have plenty of cargo room with the seats folded. This could be a pretty fun parts chaser or daily driver. It’d be like a trip back to the ’90s every time we got behind the wheel.
Are early RAV4s finally old enough to be cool? We’re not sure. However, we wouldn’t be upset if we woke up with this in our driveway. After all, a Toyota is a Toyota, right?
Photos: Craigslist
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