SUVSport Utility Vehicle

A tall wagon-shaped car that sits higher off the road.

You sit up higher, which makes it easier to see out and to get in and out. More ground clearance than a hatchback or sedan, so gravel roads, steep driveways and kerbs are less of a worry. The cost is a bit more fuel and a higher price than the same-size hatchback.

For this car: Every RAV4 ever made is an SUV — there is no RAV4 sedan or hatchback. It is a 'medium SUV': bigger than a Yaris Cross or C-HR, smaller than a Highlander or Land Cruiser Prado.

CrossoverCompact SUV

An SUV built on a car's underpinnings rather than a truck's.

Crossovers drive like a normal car — comfortable, quiet, economical — but are not built for serious off-roading, rock crawling or heavy towing. Most SUVs sold today, from every brand, are crossovers.

For this car: The RAV4 is a crossover. Great for city, motorway, gravel roads and the ski field road; not for proper 4x4 tracks.

Ground clearance

The gap between the lowest part of the car and the road.

More clearance means you can drive over bumps, ruts and speed humps without scraping. Hatchbacks are around 140–160 mm; SUVs 180–220 mm.

For this car: Recent RAV4s sit at roughly 190–200 mm.

FWDFront-Wheel Drive, 2WD

Only the two front wheels are powered.

The simplest, lightest and cheapest layout, and the most fuel-efficient. On sealed roads — which is almost all driving in New Zealand — you will not notice a difference. It can spin a wheel on wet grass, loose gravel hills or snow.

For this car: Listings say '2WD' or 'FWD'. The cheaper RAV4 grades are FWD. Pick it if you live and drive in town and on sealed roads.

AWDAll-Wheel Drive

All four wheels can be powered, switched in automatically.

The car normally drives the front wheels and sends power to the rear ones by itself the moment the front starts to slip. There is no button to press. Better grip on wet roads, gravel, grass and snow; slightly more fuel and a higher price.

For this car: Worth it if you drive to ski fields, on gravel or rural roads, tow a boat up a wet ramp, or just want extra grip in the wet. Adds roughly $1,500–$3,000 to a used price.

e-FourToyota electric AWD

Toyota's hybrid AWD: an extra electric motor drives the rear wheels.

There is no driveshaft running to the back. A separate electric motor on the rear axle kicks in when the front slips or when you accelerate hard. It behaves like AWD to the driver and has fewer mechanical parts to wear.

For this car: Every RAV4 hybrid listed as 'AWD' uses e-Four. Same meaning as AWD for your purposes.

4WDFour-Wheel Drive, 4x4

A heavy-duty system for real off-road driving, with low-range gears.

A true 4WD has a transfer case and a 'low range' you select for steep, rocky or muddy tracks. It is built for Hilux, Land Cruiser and Ranger-type vehicles. Many people say '4WD' when they mean AWD.

For this car: No RAV4 has ever had low-range gears, so none is a true 4WD, even though the '4' in the name comes from '4-wheel drive'. 1994–2005 RAV4s are full-time 4WD (always driving all four wheels); 2006 on is AWD. A listing that says '4WD RAV4' means one of those.

Torque vectoring

AWD that can send more power to the outside rear wheel in a corner.

It helps the car turn in more neatly and grip better on slippery bends. A nice extra, not something you need.

For this car: Overseas, some 2019+ petrol 2.5 AWD RAV4s (Adventure) have it; not confirmed for NZ-new cars. Not a reason to pay more.

AutomaticAuto

The car changes gear for you — no clutch pedal.

Two pedals only: accelerator and brake. Nearly every car sold in New Zealand is automatic. 'Automatic' is a family name: a conventional torque-converter auto, a CVT and a hybrid e-CVT are all automatics to the driver.

For this car: Every RAV4 sold new in NZ since 2013 is automatic. Before that a manual was offered, and the 2008–2012 diesel was manual only.

CVTContinuously Variable Transmission

An automatic with no fixed gears — a belt between two pulleys.

Instead of stepping through gears 1-2-3-4, it smoothly changes the ratio, so the engine sits at its most efficient speed. Very smooth and good on fuel, but the engine can 'drone' when you accelerate hard, and some drivers find it feels like a slipping clutch.

For this car: The RAV4 petrol 2.0 FWD (2013–2023) uses a CVT. The 2019+ version is a 'Direct Shift CVT' with an extra real gear for pulling away, which fixes most of the rubber-band feel.

e-CVTElectronic CVT, power-split device

The hybrid's gearbox. Not a belt — a set of gears plus two electric motors.

Despite the name it has no belt or pulleys. A simple planetary gear set blends power from the petrol engine and the electric motors. It is one of the most reliable gearboxes made — Toyota has used it since the first Prius in 1997 — and there is little in it to wear.

For this car: Every RAV4 hybrid and plug-in has an e-CVT. So 'ECVT vs CVT' on a listing really means 'hybrid vs petrol'. Pay for the hybrid, not the gearbox.

8-speed autoDirect Shift 8AT

A conventional automatic with eight fixed gears.

Feels like a traditional automatic: you can feel each gear change. Handles towing and hard acceleration a little better than a CVT.

For this car: Used on the 2019–2023 petrol 2.5 AWD RAV4 (GXL AWD, Adventure). The 2013–2018 petrol 2.5 AWD has a 6-speed auto.

PetrolICE, internal-combustion engine

A normal petrol engine, nothing electric driving the wheels.

Cheapest to buy, simplest to fix anywhere. Uses the most fuel of the three options.

For this car: RAV4 petrol uses about 6.5–8 L/100km. Toyota NZ stopped selling new petrol RAV4s after 2023 — 2024 onwards is hybrid or plug-in only — so petrol is a used-car choice now.

Diesel

An engine that runs on diesel fuel instead of petrol.

Strong pulling power and good economy on long trips, but in NZ every diesel car pays Road User Charges on top of the fuel, and modern diesels dislike short town trips. Diesel cars have mostly disappeared from small SUVs.

For this car: RAV4 came with a 2.2 diesel from 2008 to 2018 (manual to 2012, auto after). Rare now; budget for RUC.

HybridHEV, self-charging hybrid

A petrol engine plus an electric motor and a small battery. You never plug it in.

The battery charges itself when you brake and when the engine has spare power. In town the car often runs on electricity alone at low speed, so it saves the most fuel in stop-start traffic. You fill it with petrol like any other car.

For this car: The RAV4 most people buy. Uses about 4.7–5.5 L/100km — 20–30% less fuel than the petrol RAV4, roughly $450–$800 a year at 14,000 km, more in town. Holds its value better too.

PHEVPlug-in hybrid

A hybrid with a much bigger battery that you charge from a plug.

It drives roughly 70–100 km on electricity alone, then carries on as a normal hybrid. If most of your days are under that distance and you can charge at home, you will rarely buy petrol. It costs more up front, and in NZ you pay Road User Charges (RUC) on it as well as petrol tax.

For this car: Sold new in NZ from 2026 (GXL, XSE, GR Sport); earlier ones are Japanese imports sold there as 'RAV4 PHV'. Worth it only if you can charge at home overnight.

Hybrid battery

The large battery that powers the electric motor in a hybrid.

Buyers worry about replacing it. In practice Toyota hybrid batteries commonly last 15+ years and well over 200,000 km. Toyota offers extended hybrid battery cover for cars serviced at Toyota dealers — ask the dealer what applies to a particular car.

For this car: On a used hybrid, ask for the Toyota service history — it can keep extended battery cover alive and proves the car was looked after.

2.0L / 2.5LEngine size, displacement

How big the engine is, in litres.

Bigger usually means more power and slightly more fuel. It is a rough guide only — a 2.5 hybrid is both more powerful and more economical than a 2.0 petrol.

For this car: RAV4 petrol: 2.0 (FWD) or 2.5 (AWD). RAV4 hybrid: always 2.5.

kWKilowatts (power)

How powerful the car is. Higher = quicker.

Multiply by 1.34 for horsepower. 100 kW is modest, 150 kW feels brisk, 200 kW is quick for an SUV. For a hybrid, look at the 'combined' figure.

For this car: RAV4 petrol 2.0: 107 kW (2013–18) or 127 kW (2019–23); hybrid 163 kW (2019–25) or 143 kW (2026); plug-in 201–227 kW.

NmNewton-metres (torque)

Pulling force — how strongly it pushes you from a standstill.

Matters for towing and overtaking. Electric motors give lots of torque instantly, which is why hybrids feel quicker off the lights than the kW figure suggests.

L/100kmFuel economy

Litres of fuel used per 100 km. Lower is better.

The official number is measured in a lab; real driving is usually 10–20% worse. At about $2.70 a litre and 14,000 km a year, every 1 L/100km costs about $380 a year.

For this car: Petrol RAV4 ≈ 6.5–8; hybrid ≈ 4.7–5.1 official, 5–6 real; plug-in far less if you charge it most days.

Braked towing

The heaviest trailer allowed when the trailer has its own brakes.

Caravans and boat trailers over about 750 kg need their own brakes. Check this number against what you want to tow.

For this car: 2019 on: 800 kg for FWD, 1,500 kg for AWD — the biggest practical reason to pick AWD. Fine for a small boat or trailer, not a big caravan.

Odometerkm, mileage

Total distance the car has driven.

A typical NZ car does about 12,000–15,000 km a year. Far below that for its age is good; far above it lowers the price. 'Low km' on a very old car can also mean it sat unused for long periods.

GradeTrim, variant

The equipment level — base, middle or top of the range.

Same car, same engine choices, but higher grades add leather, bigger wheels, a bigger screen, a better stereo, powered tailgate and more safety kit. They cost more new and a bit more used.

For this car: RAV4 grades in NZ, cheapest first: GX → GXL → XSE / Adventure → Limited, plus the GR Sport plug-in from 2026. GX is basic but has all the safety kit; GXL is the sweet spot for most buyers.

GenerationGen, model code (XA50 …)

A full redesign. Cars within one generation look and drive almost the same.

A new generation brings a new body, engine and tech, and is the biggest single step in used price. Small yearly changes inside a generation are called a 'facelift' or 'update'.

For this car: RAV4 generations: 1st (XA10, 1994–2000), 2nd (XA20, 2000–2005), 3rd (XA30, 2006–2012), 4th (XA40, 2013–2018), 5th (XA50, 2019–2025) and 6th (XA60, 2026–).

NZ-new

Sold new by a New Zealand Toyota dealer.

Has NZ-spec equipment (English screens, NZ radio frequencies), a traceable local history and is usually easy to service at any Toyota dealer. Buyers pay more for it.

ImportJapanese import, 'Jap import', used import

Sold new in another country (usually Japan), then shipped to NZ used.

Often cheaper and sometimes lower km, but the history before arrival is harder to check, the radio and satnav may be in Japanese, and odometer tampering is a known risk. Look for an auction sheet and a clean CarJam report.

For this car: RAV4 was not sold new in Japan from 2016 to early 2019, so there are few 2016–2018 imports. Japanese-import RAV4s are mostly 2019+ hybrids and plug-ins, often with low km, and ask close to NZ-new prices.

WOFWarrant of Fitness

The regular safety check every car must pass to be driven in NZ.

Yearly for cars first registered from 2000 onwards (first check at 3 years old). The seller should give you a WOF issued in the last month.

RegoVehicle licence, registration

The fee that lets you drive the car on public roads.

Paid for 3, 6 or 12 months. Unused rego stays with the car when you buy it.

RUCRoad User Charges

A per-km road tax for vehicles not taxed at the pump.

Diesel, electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles buy RUC in 1,000 km blocks. Petrol and normal hybrid cars pay it inside the fuel price instead.

For this car: A RAV4 plug-in pays RUC at the plug-in rate, $38 per 1,000 km — about $530 a year at 14,000 km — on top of the tax in its petrol. Petrol and hybrid RAV4s pay no RUC.

Service historyLogbook

The record of every service the car has had.

A full, stamped history is the best single sign a car has been cared for, and it adds to the price. Ask for invoices if there is no book.

CarJam / MotorWeb report

A paid online report on the number plate or VIN.

Shows odometer readings at every WOF, whether money is owed on the car, whether it was stolen or written off, and import history. Costs a small fee and is the best money you will spend.

Money owingPPSR check

A loan secured against the car.

If the seller still owes money and you buy the car, the lender can repossess it from you. Dealers must clear it; for a private sale check the PPSR register or a CarJam report.

Signature Class

Toyota NZ's certified used-car programme.

Late-model Toyotas checked by a Toyota dealer and sold with a warranty and roadside assistance. Usually priced a little above private sale, in return for less risk.

Drive-away priceOn-road costs (ORC)

The price with rego, WOF and delivery fees included.

A 'plus ORC' price is the car alone; drive-away is what you actually pay. Most NZ dealer ads are drive-away; check the small print.

Toyota Safety SenseTSS, ADAS

Toyota's bundle of driver-assist safety systems.

Automatic emergency braking, lane-keeping help, adaptive cruise control (keeps a gap to the car ahead) and auto high beams. Standard on every RAV4 since 2019; missing or partial on older ones.

ANCAP

The Australasian crash-test safety rating, out of 5 stars.

Five stars is the target. Ratings expire after six years, so an older car can show 'expired' even though it was 5 stars when tested.