Talk of Toyota, and the first word that comes to the mind of auto enthusiasts and even a layman is reliability. Over the years, the Japanese giant has built a solid reputation as a car maker of vehicles that can last till eternity, provided their proper TLC happens. It stays right for all its best-sellers, with most of them getting considered by their potential buyers due to their remarkable reliability. One such name on the list is the 2022 Toyota RAV4, the best-selling SUV in North America.

The first-generation debuted in 1996 in the USA. Since then, the sales of the Toyota RAV4 have increased in all these years. The current fifth-generation Toyota RAV4 has also become the most sought-after SUV, especially by those who want a simple, no-nonsense SUV having its basics covered rightly. Of all aspects that make the Toyota RAV4 such a popular SUV among the masses, even in the used car market, reliability ranks the highest.

So what all things make the RAV4 such an unquestionably reliable vehicle? We had a look at it and came up with the following conclusions.

Related: What It Costs To Live With A Toyota RAV4 Everyday

Total Quality Management: Toyota's Global Philosophy

Toyota RAV4 front three quarter parked beside a beach
via Toyota

Total Quality Management (TQM) has always been a forte of Toyota, and this aspect of this Japanese carmaker makes it the king of reliable vehicles. For the RAV4, Toyota has ensured that the quality of certain pre-fixed levels is matched at each production stage from start to end. In addition, Toyota has put its customers’ feedback at its core of continuous improvement. According to data released by National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the current-generation RAV4 has witnessed a much lower number of recalls for all variants in recent years. It is much lower against all of its rivals and even the RAV4s of the previous generations.

The Rav4 Offers Low Costs Of Ownership

Toyota RAV4 rear three quarter parked beside a beach
via Toyota

There exists an additional advantage of over-engineering that helps the Toyota RAV4 gain an additional advantage – low ownership costs. Due to matching high levels of quality checks, the RAV4 is one SUV that faces minimal breakdowns. As a result, the maintenance and repairing costs of the RAV4 are also among the lowest by industry standards. Due to this, most people spend low on maintenance and fewer visits to service stations, making it a more fuss-free vehicle in the longer run.

Related: Come On An Adventure With Toyota And Their New RAV4 Hybrid Woodland Edition

The Rav4 Prioritizes Function Over Form

2023 Toyota RAV4 Hybrid Woodland Edition in the woods side view
Toyota

In recent times, almost all carmakers are focusing on visual aesthetics rather than engineering under the skin. On the contrary, Toyota is one carmaker that purposely puts aesthetics below actual performance. It is evident in the visual appeal of the Toyota RAV4, which has remained almost unchanged in the last four years since the current generation debuted.

At the same time, the RAV4 doesn’t claim to be the segment-best in performance and efficiency outputs. Instead, what the RAV4 tries to offer is putting all the functionalities like performance, efficiency, comfort, and driving dynamics in an equalized manner on the same plate. An average Joe wants that level of versatility in a single product, which is why the RAV4 has succeeded to a large extent despite not being outstanding in any one parameter.

The Rav4 Is Filled To The Brim With Modern Features

2023 Toyota RAV4 Hybrid Woodland Edition on the road
Via Toyota

To be ahead of others, modern-day carmakers try to include comfort, convenience, and safety features before others to gain the first-mover advantage. However, the Toyota RAV4 is out of this rat race. While the Toyota RAV4 is a handsomely equipped SUV, not a single feature in the SUV makes it a ‘first-in-segment’ case. Like all of its previous offerings, Toyota carefully studied all the features of the RAV4 before adding them to it. It has helped Toyota ensure zero error in its research and development. Every feature of the RAV4 met with proper attention to detail before it got included in the SUV. Call it the conservatism of Toyota, but it has paid for most of its models, including the RAV4.

Toyota Put Keen Focus On Over-Engineering

Toyota RAV4 side profile parked
via Toyota

Toyota has always followed the theory of ‘over-engineering’ for its panels and components, which stays true for the RAV4. This approach of Toyota has helped the RAV4 gain prowess in the longevity of its parts and made it a long-lasting vehicle without many requirements of trouble-shooting. It is a result of the consistent development of RAV4 as a product in the long term, making it a ‘bullet-proof’ SUV irrespective of the number of years it is in use. Instead of boasting about best-in-class power and torque outputs, Toyota has always worked on making the mechanicals of the RAV4 durable.

The Toyota RAV4 might not be the segment-leading SUV in any particular core aspect. However, due to the factors detailed above, it has achieved the best-seller tag, which others have been trying to earn even after doing better than the RAV4 in various aspects. And going by the legacy of Toyota as a reliable car maker, the RAV4's leadership will be hard to challenge.