Motor Trend - USA (2020-05)

makes it easy to toggle to just

the right temperature. Under-

neath the climate controls is a

handy slot for your phone. Most

important, our XLE tester has

cozy fabric seats. Neither too

soft nor too firm, they keep us

comfortable for a few hours of

driving at a time.

When it’s time to take a road

trip, the RAV4 offers plenty of

room for your gear in the trunk,

though it’s not as spacious as

the Honda CR-V’s cargo bay.

On a road trip to Reno, Nevada,

photography director Brian

Vance was able to fit luggage

for four in the cargo area, plus

a portable crib and stroller.

W

e’ve doled out

plenty of praise

and criticism to the

RAV4 in previous reviews. We’ve

commended its sharp styling

and spacious second row but

lamented its coarse engine and

transmission. Now that we’ve

spent a few months in the small

crossover, we can nitpick some

of the finer details.

Sometimes, pressing a

physical button is better than

fiddling around with a touch-

screen. We like the physical

HVAC knobs on the RAV4 not

only because they’re large

but also because they have a

grippy, rubbery surface that

Inevitably, there are a few

features that can use improve-

ment. The power tailgate

is slow to open and close

compared with other vehicles,

which gets a little annoying

when you’re loading your gear

in a hurry. The standard 7.0-inch

touchscreen on our XLE tester

isn’t a multicolor display, only

featuring blue and white, and

it’s a bit slow to respond.

If you’re playing media from

your device, we hope it’s not

an Android. Android Auto is

not available on 2019 models,

but Toyota remedied this error

for 2020, making the feature

standard.

And although we appre-

ciate the RAV4’s interior

design, with its clean layout

and eye-catching dash-

board stitching, the doors

are uncomfortable to close

because of the slanted angle

of the handles.

“It may be an SUV for the

masses, but the RAV4 definitely

has its quirks.” Kelly Lin

Service life:

3 mo/6,781 mi • Avg Fuel Econ: 26.9

Avg CO2 0.72 lb/mi Energy cons 125 kW-hr/100 mi

Unresolved problems None Maintenance cost $0

Normal-wear cost $0 Base price $29,945 As-tested $31,509

EPA City/Hwy/Comb Fuel Econ 25/33/28 mpg

Real MPG 24.2/39.1/29.2 mpg city/hwy/comb

2019 Toyota RAV 4

MT GARAGE

76 MOTORTREND.COM MAY 2020

When you need space for odds and

ends, the Nissan Kicks has it.

I

love Ikea. If I need something for my house, I go there first

before exploring other options because 99 percent of the

time, Ikea has a solution for my home needs. Plus, I can chow

down on some tasty meatballs and smoked salmon before I

peruse the showroom in search of my next piece of stylish (and

affordable) Swedish furniture. When the time came for a new

shelf, I brought along our long-term 2018 Nissan Kicks assess its

practicality chops.

Avg CO2 0.64 lb/mi Energy cons 112 kW-hr/100 mi Unresolved

problems None Maintenance cost $190.05 (2-oil change,

inspection, tire rotation) Normal-wear cost $0

Base price $21,635 As-tested $23,000 EPA City/Hwy/Comb

Fuel Econ 31/36/33 mpg Real MPG 28.7/39.8/32.8 mpg

“Nissan’s subcompact Kicks crossover

passed my practicality test, but not

with flying colors.” Stefan Ogbac

Service life:

8 mo/14,991 mi • Avg Fuel Econ: 30.2 mpg

2018 Nissan Kicks

Nissan claims the Kicks has

25.3 cubic feet of cargo space

with all seats in place and

53.1 cubic feet with the 60/40

split-folding rear bench down.

Respectable, but those dimen-

sions don’t take into account the

lip between the cargo floor and

the seat back, which prevents

you from laying long or large items flat across. You can remedy

the situation slightly by getting the two-level accessory floor, but

you still need to deal with the angled seat backs.

To get the 57.0-inch-long shelf package in, I had to move the

driver’s seat forward slightly. The wide hatch provided more

wiggle room to maneuver bulky furniture, and the low liftover

height meant I didn’t have to strain my back as I was loading

it in. The Kicks’ tall greenhouse makes transporting tall

objects or stacking suitcases a cinch with the rear seats folded.

If all seats are taken, however, the rear window’s angle limits how

high you can stack your bags and boxes.

For its size, the Nissan Kicks has a spacious interior, but its

packaging could use some improvement. Competitors like the

Kia Soul and conventional hatch-

backs like the Volkswagen Golf

have superior cabin packaging with

generous underfloor storage, flat

load floors, and fewer intrusions,

giving you more flexibility for hauling

your wares. In the Kicks, you need to

get a little creative when carrying

oversized or odd-shaped items.

The Toyota RAV 4

thankfully doesn’t rely on a

touchscreen for everything.

Its buttons and knobs have

a satisfying rubbery feel.

The cargo area isn’t as big as a

CR-V’s, but it’s still spacious.