I traded a 2019 frontier pro4x for my 2021 RAV4 limited non hybrid and the rav is way more comfortable in terms of noise and seat comfort. The fuel mileage is almost twice as good also. That is no surprise since the Nissan is a 4wd v6 pickup. Not exactly a fair comparison. I have driven my RAV4 from Maine to Florida with the lady, 2 kids and luggage and it was no problem. Have also taken countless trips from Maine to Connecticut. With all of us in the car and going 75+ mph most of the trips I see 30mpg pretty regularly.

 

I had a nearly new 2020 Outback XT (turbo version) for a loaner when my Subaru was in for work. Very comfortable car, the seat went back 2 inches further than my R4P (before I put extenders on it), so I could drive without bending my legs uncomfortably. The engine was quite powerful and quiet. I was mildly annoyed by the pretend shifts with the CVT, why lower the efficiency and acceleration to mimic an old fashioned geared transmission? Like most Subarus the suspension was long travel and compliant, things an ex dirt bike racer can appreciate. That makes it comfortable on both smooth and rough roads. A little softer than my WRX, but that's good for most people.
I sat in a turbo CX 5 at the dealer, the driver's leg room was way too short for me. Shorties won't have this issue. Cargo space is a bit less. Mazda has a great red, brighter than my Prime's SS red. Both will burn much more fuel than my Prime, Subaru can use regular, can't remember the Mazda.

 

If you are really worried about the noise factor then look at a Lexus SUV Hybrid. We own a 2019 and a 2020 XSE hybrids and the noise doesn't really bother us. We don't have to shout to be heard over the road noise and the music doesn't have to be so loud to be heard that you think you're at a rock concert.

 

Road comfort is definitely personal based, as we all have different tolerance level and preferences.

In addition to the 3 vehicles you mentioned, the new 2023 CRV may also be some interest to you.
Per Motor Trend:

Also, Mazda 50 may still be a good choice, as its seats may feel more comfortable than RAV4, and the cabin materials are more refined.

But none of those vehicles can match a Lexus RX in terms of comfort and noise, so if you can find a pre 2022 used RX in your price range, you may want to test it out.

 

Just did a 2,500 mile drive from NJ to AZ in December. 2019 LE Hybrid. LE seats are the worst but used a 2” foam/gel cushion l use on my office chair and was amazed at the comfort level. Cruising at 70 noise is not a problem unless going up steep hills then it’s just typical high rpm 4 banger noise. Loaded with about 350 lbs of stuff still averaged almost 39 mpg.

 

We have a 2018 Nissan Frontier SV 4x4 and a 2019 RAV4. We frequently drive 7 1/2 hours one way to our property at least once a month. I can honestly say our Frontier is much more comfortable then our RAV4, namely the seats. And the Frontier is much more quieter then the RAV4.

 

I currently drive a Nissan Frontier Pro 4x. It is ok in seat comfort. Cabin noise is mostly road noise and gets tiresome on long trips. I am starting to look for a replacement. I am considering a Rav4, Mazda CX50 with turbo, and the Subaru Outback with a turbo. Still hit and miss on being able to do any extended test drives.

I have searched and read the threads regarding cabin noise in the RAV4. Some say the RAV4engine is noisy under hard acceleration. Some have complained about wind noise. Not many have said they would never take it on a long trip.

So how is the RAV for long trips? Mainly curious about seat comfort and if the cabin is quiet enough for long driving hours.
I can put up with engine noise when the foot is in the throttle. My Nissan makes a bit of noise when the foot is in the gas, but quiet down when you let off.

The earlier threads really didn't give me the answers I was looking for.

We took our 2022 RAV4 XLE (my wife's car) on a 3,400 road trip after the break-in period. We found it to be a very comfortable car well suited for such travel. Being a retired orthopedic physical therapist and 6'2" tall, I'm particularly attuned to seating position and comfort. I had plenty of leg room and head room and the seat was quite comfortable. Visibility is very good. I don't know what all the complaining is about noise. I did note that wind noise increased above 80 mph but that speed was rarely exceeded. The car handled a rocky dirt road up to a mountain lodge well and was equally at home crossing the Rockies in Rocky Mountain National Park at over 12,000 feet of elevation. The transmission was very responsive under all conditions. Handling was good on curvy mountain roads and braking on downhill sections was also good. Maneuverability was surprisingly good as we were able to safely maneuver at speed during one incident where there was unexpected debris in the road during heavy highway traffic and another where a wheelbarrow suddenly fell off the back of a truck in front of us. Gas mileage was in the 30s overall with high 20s in the cities and hitting 40 on some long flat stretches. We had plenty of room for all our luggage and gear. Passing power was acceptable but then again, more than 99% of the cars on the road pale in comparison to my regular ride, a 2021 BMW X3M Competition with 503 hp which also has incredible handling and braking. Given the comparison to the X3MC, I think the RAV4 comported itself well and would not hesitant to recommend it as a long distance travel car. Recently, we drove it when the thermometer dipped to -14 deg. F. There was absolutely no problem starting which was probably assisted by the 0W-16 oil. I do my own oil changes and find that is easy to do as well. .

 

Personally, I think you have to be out of your freaking mind to purchase a passenger vehicle with a turbocharged engine. For instance, do some research on Honda's recent turbo 4. If you want to lease a turbo vehicle and then wad it up and flush it down the toilet before it becomes a reliability nightmare, go right ahead. And with that out of the way, let's talk about "engine noise" in the gasoline-powered RAV4.

You might check out the "savagegeese" YouTube channel, and their "rattly-ass engine" comments about the RAV4. So, what exactly do they do with vehicles? They stop in the middle of a public road, then floor it, accelerating full-throttle up as fast as they have room for on that road, going however much faster than the speed limit that winds up being. And yes, at full acceleration, you will hear the RAV4 engine.

However, just consider for one minute whether you would ever do such a thing with any vehicle that you're paying tens of thousands of dollars for. "Not exactly what normal human beings do with their passenger vehicles."

If you rev the RAV4's engine above 3,000 RPM, you will start hearing quite a bit of engine noise. Once you get below 3,000 RPM, it'll be as quiet as any other vehicle you could possibly be considering. So, how does that work in "real life?" If you drive around town like a normal person, you probably won't go above 3,000 RPM. But if you step on it going up a freeway onramp, you will hear more engine noise. If you're at appropriate speeds for freeway and highway driving, you won't hear any extra engine noise, at all. If you step on it to pass a vehicle on a two-lane highway, you will hear more engine noise.

And so on. I consider modern 4-cylinder engines like the one in the RAV4 to be some kind of "modern miracles" -- they will cruise along and get excellent gas mileage. I'm averaging right around 30 MPG with my 2019 Limited AWD. Yet, they have enough power to pass safely on the open road -- I do it all the time. As a general rule, I don't go more than 10 MPH over any speed limit, but I'll pass on the open road when I encounter any vehicle doing less than that. Usually, I will pass "every car I want to" -- bearing in mind that some cars might pass me, if they're willing to do more like 20 MPH over the limit, and I'll just let them go right around me. But short of getting into drag races with vehicles that have more horsepower, my RAV4 Limited AWD goes plenty fast enough for anything I've ever wanted to do.

So, there's no need for "more power," as far as I'm concerned. The more you learn about CVT transmissions, the more you should realize how you should avoid them like the plague. I don't need a "sports car" or a "luxury car," but I want a certain level of refinement in most areas. I want enough speed to pass on the open road -- no problem. I want enough handling so I feel in control at any speed I'm likely to go -- that "10 MPH over the limit" is fine.

And that's where I should mention the Limited (and any other models with the "Dynamic Torque Vectoring AWD" system) -- I don't think Toyota mentions it anywhere, but it has been mentioned many times here in these forums. Mainly, if you use the "Sport" drive mode, the AWD system WILL WORK on normal pavement. If you pull up the display of the power going to the wheels, while you're in Sport mode, you will see power going to both rear wheels while going uphill -- indeed, the rear wheels help push you up the hill. And when you're driving on curvy mountain roads, you will see the outside rear wheel get power, as it helps push you around that curve. I literally have never felt a vehicle seem more like "it was riding on rails" than while going through twisty mountain roads, making use of the Torque Vectoring AWD system.

So, you might get a bit of engine noise when you "step on it." I can absolutely live with that. That's like less then 2% of the time when I'm driving -- the rest of the time, my RAV4 is just as quiet as any other vehicle you might consider. Otherwise, I feel that I have enough power to pass safely on the open road, I have most likely the best handling in this category and price range, and all the while I'm averaging 30 MPG. And I literally couldn't be happier.

Finally, though, as I have gotten older, "seat comfort" has become the most important aspect of any vehicle I might purchase. And I have been exceedingly happy with the seat comfort in my RAV4. We are certainly all different shapes and sizes, but "this driver seat works for me." I'm probably among the pickiest "seat comfort" people you might encounter, and "I approve of this driver seat."

I have been retired during my entire ownership of my 2019 RAV4 Limited AWD, and I've done plenty of freeway driving and rural highway driving. I can't see any competitor that I would even walk into a dealership to have a look into. Most of what I'm saying here is "trying to put 'engine noise' into perspective -- and I can't imagine it bothering anyone enough to be unhappy with a RAV4. For anyone like that, I would expect the 'solution' to be spending $20,000 to $40,000 more, and getting some form of a "luxury" alternative.

Hope this helps.

 

Well, I've owned a 2000 Audi S4 (twin turbos), 2004 WRX STi (single turbo), and 2021 BMW X3M Competition (twin turbos), all turbocharged cars. All were fun cars that I've never regretted owning.

The S4 was notorious for turbo failure because of how tightly the engine compartment was packaged but that was if you chipped it and/or didn't allow the turbos to cool down before shutting it off or didn't use the correct oil. I learned how to make it live from others' mistakes. The S4 was a beautiful car, fast for its time, and would go anywhere with winter tires with the quattro system and electronic differential lock. I loved every minute of driving it. Servicing could be expensive though and because of the reputation for the 1st to 2nd gear synchros giving up, so I sold it about a year after the warranty expired and got a good price for it.

The STi was actually one of the most reliable cars I've ever owned but I didn't abuse it like some people did. It had a lot of interesting features like adjustable xenon headlight height, water spray on the intercooler, the ability to fully lock the differentials, etc. and was very fast and sure footed. The aerodynamics for it were actually designed with input from McLaren and the faster you went on a track, the more you could feel the downforce securely planting it, more so than anything else I'd driven up to that time except for a Porsche 911 Twin Turbo. I sold it for $3,000 over Kelly Blue Book because I had taken such meticulous care of it.

But the X3MC far outclasses both of them in every category including comfort, room for luggage, gas mileage (26 mpg at 75 mph), acceleration, handling, and braking. And the exhaust noise is magnificent (but can be muted, if desired). It is quite simply an amazing car. One friend, a car guy, rode in it and declared that it was his new favorite car of any he's ever driven or ridden in. Everyone who has ridden in it or driven it can't understand how an SUV can perform like it does but the BMW M division engineers worked their magic on it. Will I own it long term like the RAV4? Probably not. I brought the RAV4 for my wife as a reliable car that she can own and easily maintain long term if something happened to me. Personally though, I love turbocharged cars. YMMV.

 

Pretty interesting we all have this combo. I also have a Frontier - 2011 SV 4x4. I run tame highway tires. I would say the fronty and Rav4 are both about the same amount of noisy but in different ways. The Frontier is engine noise, very little road noise. The Rav is all road noise but mainly if the highway has an older surface.

Now when I had all terrains on the Frontier -different story of course.

The Rav4 has way more comfortable seating IMHO, not that the Fronty is uncomfortable. We have driven both on extended trip without any issues.

 

Thanks for the replies.
Good to know that the Rav4 is better cabin comfort that the Nissan Frontier. One of the dealers that I plan to visit says the participate in the Try before you Buy program. Will look into renting a R4 from them for a day. That way I can have an extended no hassle test drive. Hopefully I can do the same with the Subaru. We have a mazda cx-5 turbo that we like. The CX-50 with its panoramic moon roof is starting to drop out of contention.

 

I haven't really paid attention to wind noise on my RAV4 XSE.

Yes, the Toyota motor is noisy but it is not something to avoid as a highway vehicle.

If you are the type of person that thinks a revving motor is unsafe then maybe the car is not for you. The only time you really hear the motor is when you are trying to drive quickly, like to pass on a highway, beat the driver to your side when the light turns green or if you spend a lot of time driving up steep hills.

I have owned my car for 4 months, my most recent of 4 trips was a 3/4 tank trip. It was pleasant, there was no wind and I drove on flat roads the whole way (unusual for here). My car did come with cross bars but I removed them. With a sunroof, you can't really open it at highway speeds without the wind catching the cross bar and making it very very loud.

I am more concerned with road noise than engine noise. On the highway, you'll not hear the engine unless you are passing or climbing up a long hill. On rough paved surfaces, the road noise can be pretty loud. I must be getting used to it, as I mentioned my most recent trip was pleasurable.
I test drove 2 RAV4's, before my car arrived.... I noticed instantly how loud the interior is vs the truck it replaced.

If sound level is very high on your list of must-have's, the RAV4 is not at all in the quiet category. It is not 'loud', but there are probably more quiet choices out there. I think part of it is the CUV/SUV type of vehicle as the rear wheels are in your cab unlike a sedan with a trunk space to absorb noise from the rear wheels.

The car itself is pretty quiet. Some engine noise when it revs (but who cares, I don't think it should be a consideration) and the road noise via the rear wheels being in the cab. Other than that it's actually pretty good.
Buying the RAV4 as a vehicle meant for long trips, with noise in mind, may put you in the category for looking into other makes and models (as you have already suggested). You will adapt to some of the noise in-time.

 

I do not think a "a revving motor is unsafe" My current vehicle when punching it revs and is load in the cab. That does not bother me. What I am looking for is a SUV that is quieter in the cab than my Frontier and has a better ride.

I know that cabin comfort is subjective. What prompted me to post this thread is some of the comments in older threads and some RV4 reviews. As the RV4 is a top seller it was hard for me to understand the negative noise complaints.

I do not have expectations of the RV4 being as quiet as a Lexus/Acura type vehicles that cost thousands more.
The posts so far has given me enough info to know I need to go test drive one and see for myself.

The RV4 has a lot going for it compared to the other models I mentioned.

 

Won't buy used. So, a new Lexus RX is out of the running. Will stay in the $39-$45K range on new.

I am in no hurry and will take my time. In my 50+ years of driving I have never done a factory order. That seems to be the trend since Covid. Will see what the spring/summer brings as far as inventory.

 

Don't know what constitutes a long trip in your books, but I just did a 430 mile trip yesterday with no issues. Acceleration there is noise from the engine, but you don't accelerate that much on long trips as you mostly just sit at a constant speed. Wind noise wasn't bad at all, was able to keep my music/movie volumes not too loud and able to hear it just fine.

 

I've had my Rav4 for about 6 months, and have put about 12,000 miles on it in that time. Most of the miles are from trips, since I only work 6 miles away from home, and honestly WFH most of the time.

Prior to my 2022 SE, I had a 2012 Nissan Murano.

About a week after buying, I took a 5000ish mile trip, with a lot of it in mountainous regions. The car was fully loaded since the trip was me moving, but still seemed to manage about 35ish MPG across the entire trip. Since then, I've averages closer to 38 mpg on highways.

A few complaints with the Rav4 is the seats can become uncomfortable overtime, primarily the bottoms, but ive also heard people say that Nissan Muranos just have really comfortable seats, so coming from one prior may be a bit skewed in perception. Second complaint is the engine braking when going down hill. In cruise control, itll use the hybrid motor to slow you down, also recharging the battery, but on long mountain descents, you end up fully charging the battery. When this happens, I've noticed a large difference in engine RPM, and it'll Rev up quite a bit higher to engine brake. I felt like the Murano was able to keep the RPMs at a reasonable level, and didn't sound like it was hitting redline. I'd recommend also swapping out the horns. The factory horn is wayyyy too weak. Hella makes an easy Trumpet horn that you can swap in and sounds a lot more reasonable.

Overall though, I really enjoy using the Rav4 for long drives. It's smooth, mostly quiet unless you Rev it up pretty high. Good on gas. Radar cruise control works great. Lane centering is meh. Auto brights actually work very well, and are very responsive.

 

hahaha yeah, the horn alone is a good reason to buy something else.
Seriously, how embarrassing is it to use the horn.
Somebody nearly backed into me while looking at me -I hit the horn and felt like I was going to be mocked. LOL

 

Thanks everyone for your input.
Hopefully I can find one that I can test drive and compare against the other SUV's I am considering.

 

Not sure if looking for gas or hybrid. If hybrid and up in that price range (so a more loaded model), consider the Venza, basically a more luxurious RAV - some say that. Maybe better insulated, so less cabin noise, same engine and transmission.

Personally, current generation Honda CRV is more comfortable for me but their 1.5 turbo engines is a stinker for me.

 

Looking at a gas model, limited trim. I am trying to keep the width of the vehicle to 73 and no more than 74 inches. That would allow us to keep both vehicle in the garage and open doors without hitting the other vehicle. Just checking the Venza and it would meet the width requirement.

Thanks for the suggestion. Have not looked at Toyota since 2009 when my 06 Tacoma was totaled when someone hit the vehicle head on.

update: Not wanting a hybrid the Venza is out.

 

That is really interesting, I wonder if the pro 4x bigger tires and different axles could possibly make it louder than the sv model frontier? And I think the gear ratios could be different causing higher highway speed rpm also. Just curious which sub model your 2019 rav is? And does it have the hood insulation on the underside?

 

We have a 2019 XLE FWD, no hood insulation.We have Falken Wildpeaks on our Frontier.

 

We got our '22 AWD XLE ICE in July 2022. Traded our 2010 Sienna in for it, no longer needed a minivan. I've found that Toyota seems to have sandbagged their EPA estimates for all 6 of the models of Camrys, Siennas, RAV4s, and my Tacoma that our family has owned. The RAV get 35-36 mpg on long interstate drives @ 70mph, and averages ~32mpg in mixed driving. I get 24mpg mixed in my Tacoma, 3 mpg better than their highway estimate.

Engine is only noisy on extremely hard acceleration.

We regularly do 7 hour trips, and the seats are very comfortable, far better than the Sienna was, or my '12 Tacoma is. The 205hp is plenty of power, and we keep it in ECO all the time. The headlights with the auto hi-beams are excellent, very responsive.

I installed factory mud flaps, Amazon folding kayak racks for the summer, wireless charging tray, and a remote start last week. I'm very happy with it.

 

There are some great reviews. I appreciate the input. The Rav4 Limited AWD had my attention. Hopefully by next month I can get with a dealer who has a Try before you Buy rental available. Would love to take a car out for a day and give it a try.

Next step is to test drive the vehicles I am interested in.

 

There are some great reviews. I appreciate the input. The Rav4 Limited AWD had my attention. Hopef) ly by next month I can get with a dealer who has a Try before you Buy rental available. Would love to take a car out for a day and give it a try.

Next step is to test drive the vehicles I am interested in.

Due to the shortage of parts, dealers have few cars for rent or test drives. Almost all cars are sold before they even arrive at the dealers lot.

If you live anywhere near Utah, this weekend is the Utah Auto Expo (Home | Utah International Auto Expo) where you can test drive select new cars. From past experience, however, there is usually a very long line for the test drives.

 

I have a 2019 XSE hybrid and I love it. Had no real issue after the gas tank was replaced on the recall. I drive around town and on interstate four lane freeways where the posted speed limit is 70 mph but the average speed is 80 mph and I get around 40 mpg. Wife has the 2020 XSE hybrid and loves that car. on road trip from DFW to Houston she got 39 mpg.

 

2020 Gas Limited AWD here, took it on a ~3000 mile road trip cross country last year and it was a great companion on the open road. Biggest complaint was from the wife about the manual passenger seat in ours which is lacking in more adjustments.

The dynamic radar cruise and the car's self lane keeping and steering are amazing and really reduced driver fatigue. I drove for so long without a break that I finally witnessed the rare "Coffee Cup" MID message asking if I wanted to take a break from driving. 😂

In Eco mode and light on the pedal we got upwards of 38MPG several times in between fill-ups when on nothing but highways stretches. City jaunts obviously not that high.

Mostly Android Auto for navigation but a few areas had to use the AT&T hotspot for connectivity or in rare cases the factory Navigation, which isn't the greatest but is better than nothing at all.

It was overall comfortable and quiet, the climate control kept the cabin just right for each of us with the dual zone climate. Plenty of USB ports kept our gizmos charged and I have a pure sine wave inverter in the hatch DC port routed to the back seat for larger devices like laptops.

Our wheels came wrapped in the Yokohama GT tires and coming up on 25k miles the wear on all 4 is pretty even and they are holding up well.

Aside from my leaky roof issues (fixed under warranty) and a few other little annoyances it's been a pretty decent car overall.

 

RAV4 2019 Le has a worst seats.