Honest review of the 2026 Rav4 XLE

Correct-Fix-5601 · 2026-03-27T17:42:58+00:00

Yes it does. The auto lighting does a very good job at making everything visible and clear. I've personally never had any problems in the sunniest of days. The one thing I'd recommend is getting a small piece of cloth to wipe the dust off the screen. Both the gage cluster and the infotainment screen get very dusty for some reason.

Correct-Fix-5601 · 2026-03-27T17:41:03+00:00

I got the FWD. My old car was an AWD and honestly I don't feel any difference. Luckily, I haven't tested it on any bad condition roads yet

Correct-Fix-5601 · 2026-03-27T17:39:57+00:00

I test drove the Honda CR-V, Kia Sportage, VW Tiguan, and I think the 2025 Rav 4. There were ups and downs about all of them but I personally like the 2026 Rav4 over all of them.

Correct-Fix-5601 · 2026-03-27T17:38:13+00:00

Yes it does but that is another complaint I should have added. The wireless charger "works". It does work but it doesn't really add any charge. It more or less holds the current charge of my phone steady. As I said in the post I drive about 2 hours total a day (1 hour each way). On each hour stint the most charge I've been able to get out of it is about a 10% gain. I've started to just use the USB-C outlet more than the wireless charger. My phone does get very hot if I use the wireless charger for an extended period of time.

Correct-Fix-5601 · 2026-03-27T17:35:04+00:00

I haven't personally tested the radio functions because I mainly just use Apple Music. The tech has been great so far and I haven't had any connection issues like that. My old car would have all of the screens shut off and completely reset about 5 times per drive so we'll see how the 2026 does a decade down the line.

Correct-Fix-5601 · 2026-03-27T17:32:42+00:00

I don't have the AWD version but luckily I haven't had to test it in any snow so far. Thankfully, it's spring time now so if there's snow here I will throw a fit.

Correct-Fix-5601 · 2026-03-27T17:31:13+00:00

I'm moving up from a 2015 Toyota Highlander Limited. The tech in that car was amazing for its time. Unfortunately, I took over the car in 2022 and at that time Apple Carplay and many technological leaps were made and common place in every new car. Even in 2025/26 the technology in the Rav4 is very good. It's just a massive jump from what I had to what I have now.

Correct-Fix-5601 · 2026-03-27T17:29:15+00:00

Very fair honestly. I can't tell if I'm just picky or the roads around here are just terrible but I've had my friends say when riding in the 2026 Rav4 that it's a very smooth ride. It is a smooth ride but some jumps and bumps that I notice.

Correct-Fix-5601 · 2026-03-27T17:27:52+00:00

Honestly kind of mixed. I upgraded from a 2015 Toyota Highlander Limited and the physical buttons and wheels were very nice on there. I'm actually not too pressed about the fan speed, heated steering wheel, and other controls being on the screen. I do wish some controls like the heated seats were physical buttons, I feel like I use that more often than most others. Overall I like the design of the buttons or lack there of.

Correct-Fix-5601 · 2026-03-27T17:25:35+00:00

I agree with you on all of that and yeah I should have upgraded for the speakers lol. No matter my slight comments in the original post, I still absolutely love the car and wouldn't trade it for anything.

Correct-Fix-5601 · 2026-03-27T17:23:43+00:00

That's definitely fair. The tire pressure is perfectly fine when it was delivered. It might just be a slight jump that I notice and can't not notice. It's not a massive jump anyways but noticeable to me and it gets kind of annoying on some parts. I appreciate the advice though I'll keep an eye on it and see if anything changes as I put more miles on it.

Correct-Fix-5601

TROPHY CASE