The dog belonged to a girl shooting, but it was terrified of the gun shots so it kept following us hoping for a ride home.

In Oct / Nov 2010 we toured around Central Australia in my 2009 RAV4 CV 2.4L for six weeks. Car fitted with Bridgestone Light Truck tyres on mags, tougher suspension, under engine alloy gravel guard. Carried full manual recovery kit (hand winch, cables, etc) 100L fuel, 120L water plus 3 people carrying limited personal equipment. Average daytime temp of 36C, with peaks of 45C some days. Car went like a dream. Mud, sand, gravel, creek crossings, around Lake Eyre all taken in stride. Hardest jaunt was Arkaroola in Northern Flinders range. Had to get the passengers to walk up hill on two occasions. Steeper and rockier than in the video. Be daring and try harder next time fellas.

I've just found this. I'm from Australia and I've taken this exact model RAV across some of our roughest roads we have here in the Kimberley region, eg: The Gibb River Road, and the road to the Keep River National Park, as well as Purnalulu National Park. All 3 roads are open to high clearance 4WDs and we made it. The road you've been travelling is a highway compared to ours. My Rav would have made it over those "big rocks" and more...BTW: take the running board off and it would have been even better...

Take another rav4 that body style that doesn't have the ridiculous and unnecessary running boards.

Nick, just as an FYI for you. The Exhaust system runs at exactly the same height above the ground as the running boards. Even without running boards the RAV4 still only has 6.3 inches of ground clearance which means you'll bash the exhaust just as easily as the running boards.

I drove this car a few month ago, and I got over 40 miles a gallon on eco!!! It's amazing, I thought the gauge was wrong when I was at the gas station. I did some light off road too, it was good.

Thanks for the nice comments. We love Brazil. Someday perhaps we can test the VW Amarok in your country.

I have a 2014 Rav. I do t really take it down rocky roads, but in the hills of the desert it does just fine.

what was the point? to show that you could tear up the running boards?

The RAV4 AWD 2013 is very capable at off roads it's got enough power and great traction. It just doesn't have enough ground clearance but overall it's an amazing car.

what is affecting the ground clearance arr that stirrups under the doors and they are not standard, just don't buy them for your car and you'll get better ground clearance, because as you can see car hits the ground only with them, so the problem is not the ground clearance

I put a 2.5 inch lift on my 2015 and some bigger tires and it does great. I’ve taken it to Moab many times, it cant do large rocky tails but it’s a smooth car that can handle a bit of dirt.

One of the best winter vehicles out there

The awd system seems a lot like the awd system in my sister Lexus rx300, it really doesn't take a lot for the rear end to kick in! Good job Toyota, and kudos to yall for taking it off road! I'd like to see more crossover off road videos, love em!

I think this car looks much better in person. The interior is much better then the past generations. I hope Toyota keep it quality up and above. Not everyone buy Rav4 to take it offroad but it's good to know that the car's capabilites. Great video!!!

I love all your videos and I love you guys! Keep doing this fantastic work! Best regard from a Brazilian fan ;-)

I have watched several Russian video reviews on the Rav4 (There is no Crossover or SUV that doesnt go under a extreme off road test on Russian videos), and it performs very well in most common moderate off road conditions that most drivers will take it into, especially somewhat deep snow roads, dirt or gravel roads and not so even terrains, including creeks and water streams. Actually it perfoms way better than the CR-V in off road conditions. BTW, those runnings boards reduces the ground clearance, the Rav4 is not that tall to need them... Running boards are good for taller SUV like a Land Cruiser.

The running boards create a "three wheeler" situation, where you can't avoid a boulder at any position. If you only had the exhaust to worry about, you could possibly position the car in a way where it wouldn't hit it.

exactly .. This is what I am taking about. Thx for your video

Glad you followed up on that! The Fast Lane Dog Saviors!

Can we get a repeat with the 2019 Adventure? So we can see if it really is more capable or just better looking.

Thanks for the vid. Thinking of getting a used one as a daily driver. Nathan, Great Shirt! Love our Rush up here In The Great white North. Cheers.

Awesome video.

Well, guys, it was actually Lada Niva who invented the crossover.

Thanks for putting together this review. As you guys said this really does not have the ground clearance for those kinds of road. Personally unless you have money to blow why risk breaking a $30k car when you can purchase a cheap and cheap to fix used SUV for this kind of driving. The RAV4 of this generation is designed to be comfortable and economical while allowing you better all weather handling. We had the "misfortune" of driving home through the Cascade Mountains around Crater Lake during a spring snow storm. While dealing with three or more inches at some points the RAV4 handled beautifully in variations of powder and hard packed ice to heavy slush and areas of standing water as we came down in elevation.

Another Brazilian fan here! The VW Amarok is a really nice truck we have here, if you end up having more time I would like to see a review of Ford New Fiesta that started to be manufactured in Brazil including two kind of engine and also transmission. Oh and I loved the dog following you guys all the way! Best regards from Brazil!

There always has to be a kid playing with guns. Good video!!

Did you guys ever find the owner of that malinois that was following you around?

Between this and the Forester, which do you think would be better suited (even without the running boards) to taking that trail?

hi, what I was trying to say was that while the exhaust system is at 6.3 in., it doesn't affect the departure angle, because it doesn't stick out. So it won't drag unless you are going up rocks that are higher than 6.3 in. , in inclines it doesn't matter. The difference is that, with the sidesteps your breakover angle is compromised along with the clearance, letting the rav down on steep stuff and rocks See it this way,how many times did you hit the boards and how many the exhaust in that trail?

How about lifting it by 2 " and to equip it with proper tires would it be better off road ?

I take my wife's FWD Rav4 off-road to my shooting spot all 4 seasons and it has done great. Sometimes I wish i would have bought her the AWD.

kudos to you guys for helping out the little pooch :)

I love the sound

Any vehicle with running boards is pretty much telling you, "don't take me off-road, take me to the mall!" Btw, those loud gunshots are typically from a rifle, in this case it's probably some guy with an AR-15 shooting .223/5.56.

Are you able to do sand driving tests with the cross overs?

You didn't get one with the center diff lock?

where can you buy the bottom step??

YOU GUYS ARE SO FREAKING AWESOME, thank you for making this channel

When are you guys going to test a new 4Runner on those snowy or muddy Colorado trails? I've been patiently waiting....

this is good keep it up

Nice videos and I hope that you try the new car MG RX5 2018 off-roading.....!

Did you guys ever take a previous gen CR-V up the trail?

Love the gun shots😂

Will there be a follow-up video about the dog?

would replacing the tyres with bigger ones give it ground clearance? and if replaced, what effects may this have on the rest of the car?

Love that dog

Making a long story short: the 4th gen Rav4 is by no means a 4x4 off roader. But its a very dependable awd system combined with ok ground clearance (the 6" is minimum, meaning you have an exhaust pipe sticking out at that height, you can still plow into snow all day) and a bulletproof engine+transmission. It also has a 50/50 rear diff. Lock that lets you make wheelies on a dime in a snowy parking lot. What else could you want unless you live in the wooded moutains of Alaska? Itll get you anywhere as long as there is a road. Thats all 99% of drivers need. The climbing height is also perfect for a daily driver. Its easier for my granny to enter/exit than her corolla. I actually enjoy taking seat and setting up for my ride in that car. Its solid and smooth. Its a camry 98" jacked up. Lol P.s: I chose this over an old xterra pro4 for gas mileage and average need. If it can move big stuff once in a while im good. Im pretty sure a rav4 on bilsteins and alloy gravel plates becomes a rally car too. Ok maybe with super tuning and super brakes. But trust me Ive seen people abuse these things inside and out. Theres a reason toyotas hold value. Its just very very very well put together. Ive owned everything daily and the only match on assembly and durability was on late 90's era honda/acura base models. The high end luxury editions are just unmatched and probably never will be again. Golden era of Jap cars. Toyota kept a bit of that in the 2013/18 era and the Canadian built rav4's are very on par.

I was all like "WTF??? O_____O" when your camera man suddenly spoke at 4:26 :))

JWhat is the ground clearance under those rockers? 4-5" maybe?

how does it compare to the Ford Escape Titanium

So the whole problem is the ground clearance? I'm thinking to lift 2 inches my 08 4WD rav4 and put bigger size off-road tires. Will that work?

Well why you have that extension on bottom side? Make it lower

does any one know of a similar trail to what's shown in this video around the North Georgia area? I own a 2018 Rav4 Adventure and been wanting to take it on a dirt road or small trail. I'll check out anything! Thanks

good video

They made it into a mall-finder. It used to be a small offroader, but has gone more soccer-mom mobile through the years. How much further can they go? get rid of the 4x4 option?

Yes it is, but it doesn't hurt the departure angle, while the sidesteps hurt the ramp breakover angle. Simply measuring your clearance judges your cars ability to climb sidewalks hehe. I don't know if it's possible but I believe most of us would like to see that retested without the running boards. Thank you.

Hi there, And now, several years later, I am considering a either / both a particular used diesel 2013 model for sale near me, and a new 2020 hybrid cruiser AWD model. Out of interest, how many km / miles have any of you got on your 2013 or similar RAV4, and what has your experience been? Especially diesel ones? The 2013 one I’m considering is a 6 speed manual 2.2L 4 cylinder diesel AWD, with 116,000 km (72,500 miles) ... for about a third of the price of the new 2020 model hybrid AWD cruiser model. I need a car now and wouldn’t struggle to several wait months for the new 2020 model (my current car is dying fast), and I also have two teenage boys who want to get their manual licence ... so I’m considering buying the 2013 one now to teach them in over the next 1-2 years, then maybe selling that to one of them and/or upgrading to a (then used) 2020 model (auto / CVT) hybrid then when they’re hopefully a bit more affordable. Would appreciate hearing more of your own experience with RAV 4’s around the 2013 era, and especially those with the same Diesel engine ... and thoughts on the above? Thanks Adam

Hi, is there a difference in specs between EU and US RAV4. In EU the Ground Clearence is 187 mm which I thnk is about 7.3 inches... I can also spot some differences in the front

The Most honest review by Far.

I love the dig at all those guys who always Bitch that isn't an off road trail Nathan.

it is a center locking differential, meaning it splits your power to 50% in the rear wheels and 50% in the front.

You guys should try to do this with a CR-V. Those little buggers are actually kind of impressive off road...

Thanks so much for rescuing the dog 👍

is it really 6.5 inches ground clearance? Because in some specs I fond 197 mm which if calculating it right is about 7.7+ inches...

You took care of the dog +1 !

Can you test the 2013 Dodge Journey Crew on that trail?

That would be great, try for it, please!

You can compensate low ground clearance with high side clearance. For instance when you want to overtake a big rock, you don't drive over it, you are driving over it with a tire and in this situation side ground clearance is your friend.

Thanks for the review. It's always great to see your willingness to drive these crossovers on real trails. I used your 2014 Forester reviews plus last year's Rav 4 review to choose my Forester. But, as you noted yourself, this review sucked. Noisy background, distracting dog. re-run the review in a better location before posting. Also, can you do another review of the other features of the car? I'd love to hear how the engine, fuel economy, cargo capacity, interior stacks up against the Forester

Can I use this video as a similar comparison of my 2009 Lexus RX350 AWD off road? In no way do I wish to abuse my beautiful pristine newly found, very low milage "New Old Stock" "Only Driven to Church" Lexus... But, I did buy it for the exact purpose of getting me to that campsite in the mountains... and not gouging my gas tank in the Picacho Peak parking lot!

You should use the rav4 off road mode and the 4 wheel mode

Although the running boards provide exactly the same ground clearance as the RAV4's exhaust system, because the running boards where positioned on the sides of the vehicle, they would cause a greater problem if the rocks where positioned in the spaces in which the exhaust system was not located. Therefor, greatly decreasing the chances of a successful and longer journey up the rocky hill climb in Boulder, Colorado compared to the old rav4 and the model with the running boards.

Good intro

why would you use the rav 4 with running boards...this don't even make sense

I think it would have done better with the steps at the bottom sides removed.

We need the 0-60 Off Road time!

I agree with Nathan. Get rid of the side steps and you're good to go off road. =)

The RAV4's exhaust system is at the exact same ground clearance as the running boards. We measured it. We fear that removing the running boards does not solve the ground clearance problem.

Nick, your absolutely right! these people obviously don't know much about off-roading. Comment below states exhaust is the same height, but they need to understand that the side-steps decrease the overall clearance significantly.

no dif lock?

We can also tell who's CC was put down on the deposit. Funny how pissed Roman gets when unplanned stuff happens in the video, that is what makes TFLcar videos the best, not only in the bloopers but in the reviews as well.

I love the sounds of freedom bellowing in the distance.

I think if you tried a Rav4 without the running boards, it could have gone farther. Those running boards are OPTIONAL. Here in NJ I haven't even seen a 2013 Rav4 with them.

Nice video guys. With those step boards the ground clearance really appears to be compromised. I'm sure it can't be too hard for an owner to remove them before heading off-road. On a side note, how come you guys know how to speak Russian?

Yes, Roman and I represent nearly 500 lbs, so it made sense to let Andre drive a bit.

The new rav4's with AWD also have a lockable differential that gives power to the front and back wheels 50/50 up to 25mph. Idk if you guys used that tho :)

Why is the rear suspension so low? the stock one isn't this low?!

Great car, excellent Toyota quality and reliability. Off road worth? very mild off road stuff. Great car for slick roads, very comfortable, and the reliable Camry engine.

Can you guys do a Review of the Mercedes Benz S-Class and talk about the Brake Assist that has pedestrian recognition

wow. why would you pick the rav4 with running boards then complain about ground clearance? setting this up for failure. i have this exact car, same year, color, AWD, no stupid running boards because it doesn't need them. its like the honey badger in the snow and rain. if you need to go that far off road why the hell would you buy this car? comes down to common sense. if you need something that goes up a jeep trail then buy a jeep. lol..if you occasionally have to deal with dirt roads that aren't in terrible shape or have to deal with snow then buy something like this. honestly no point to this at all.

Excellent video. This car has done more off road than 99.9% of the Rav4's would ever do in their lifetime. Too bad toyota doesn't keep them as off road worthy as the original ones.

Shoots and more shoots

I went off road all weekend and did not damage my Rav 4 at all... it is called respect your car.

What happened with the dog? Is there any chance of you testing the Toyota Hilux? I know it's not available in the US, but you could test it at any other country. Just make sure to remove the sidesteps if you get the luxury version, they limit it's clearance under it's belly to ~ 30 cm (11 inches) from ~ 40 cm (15 in).

Guys, when You drive slowly offroad, why don't You use the button to lock the center diff?

lol this is y i watch!!! its ur imagination!!! this is off my shopping list, looks like its the forester for me

1:27 "you can go off the beaten track, this is off the beaten track" that "trail" looks well traveled to me

why all those newer crossover or so called 4x4 turning into a ground huggers?

good video. I don't see what the point of a crossover with that little ground is, The thing is as low as a regular car. The new rav4 is nothing more than a large hatchback car.