2026 vs 2025 Toyota RAV4: 3 Improvements and 2 Misses
The 2026 RAV4 is better in nearly every way—but we've found a few features that feel like backwards steps.
By our rough count, there are at least two million examples of the fifth-generation RAV4 running around American and Canadian roads. Many of the owners are probably eyeing up the new model—at least some due to our 2026 RAV4 first drive review, even. (Don't forget about the new GR Sport trim, either.) As luck would have it, during our second drive of the sixth-generation model, we were able to briefly get it together with its predecessor to get an on-the-spot feel for how these two differ.
The good news? As you'd probably expect, the new model makes important strides in areas like technology and powertrain refinement. That's not to say it's a complete home run for Toyota though, with a handful of small issues in an otherwise swell package. Read on to find out what they are.
Improvement: Infotainment
The 2026 RAV4 debuts an entirely new infotainment system set to spread across Toyota's lineup over the next few years. With more computing power it's quicker, and the default screen size (10.9 inches) is larger than you'll find in the last RAV4. Beyond sheer numbers, the setup is also just easier to use. The useful left-side menu is retained, with an additional quick-access menu on the top right corner. Drivers can customize the main menu with their most-frequent widgets, and the voice assistant now responds to more natural language.
One stand-out feature is the built-in dashcam, standard on all trims. No more awkward fiddling with wires and blocking visibility, and hello integrated information like speed, location, and even turn signal activation.
As good as the new setup is though, it ain't perfect...
Miss: On-Screen Climate Controls
Toyota has kept some physical buttons for climate controls in the new RAV4, but that's the thing: it's only some. Adjusting the temperature is still done via physical controls—though we'd argue a dial is easier than a pair of buttons. Yet if you want to dive further into climate details, it requires using the screen. Boo. Hiss.
To Toyota's credit, it is at least keeping the climate controls on-screen at all times, so users aren't left fumbling through menus to adjust which vents are doing what. But a miss is a miss, and physical controls are still the gold standard for common-use elements.
Improvement: Powertrain Refinement
If you have an existing RAV4 hybrid, you know the noise it makes when the gas engine kicks in. Subtle it ain't. That's why it's so refreshing to experience the calmer, quieter setup in the '26 model. Truth be told it's basically the same 2.5-liter engine, but the combination of a more powerful hybrid motor and increased sound deadening materials means more time spent without the ICE component, and less racket when it is pressed into duty.
This holds true with the Plug-In Hybrid models as well. With 201 horsepower from its front motor alone, the RAV4 PHEV can easily tackle most everyday needs without sipping from its gas tank.
Other improvements include new suspension bushings for a quieter ride.
Miss: The Door Pulls
Yes, really. Maybe we're making a mountain of a door pull, but we couldn't ignore this one.
The door handles themselves? Fine, basically unchanged from before, placed nice and high and requiring no additional button or movement. It's an understood mechanism. It's the door pulls that are a step backwards, awkward plastic alcoves for drivers and passengers to slip their mitts into like the world's least satisfying handshake. The shape means there's no comfortable way to truly grab the door, either.
Now look at the old door handles. Clearly defined via trim. A suitable thickness. A pass-through to actually wrap your hand around. There was even a grippy plastic surface on the inside!
Improvement: The Rest of the Interior
The RAV4 is a family vehicle first and foremost, so it needs a practical interior. Thankfully the 2026 model makes good strides here, with plentiful practical storage solutions scattered throughout the cabin. We like the small storage shelf ahead of the front passenger and the dual-level storage ahead of the shifter. Not only does the center console cover open from both sides, owners can press both buttons to detach it, only to then secure it upside down. This opens up another shallow storage surface, perfect for small bits and bobs you may want quick access to.
The models we drove were all pre-production examples, at various states of progress. Most of the trim pieces looked and felt pretty final to us, and they show a cabin that isn't as swanky as other rivals, specifically the Hyundai Tucson and Kia Sportage. Yet on the flip side, the new RAV4's cockpit looks like it will stand up to years of daily abuse, so what matters more?
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Kyle began his automotive obsession before he even started school, courtesy of a remote control Porsche and various LEGO sets. He later studied advertising and graphic design at Humber College, which led him to writing about cars (both real and digital). He is now a proud member of the Automobile Journalists Association of Canada (AJAC), where he was the Journalist of the Year runner-up for 2021.
More by Kyle Patrick
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