I think RAV4WD is right, the longer the wheelbase, the better the ride quality. Which is fine, because my journey doesn't take as long since the SWB corners better. I'm just kidding of course.
Personally, I think the proportions look better on the US version. But the SWB version is what we get and that's fine bacause it's better than anything else on the market here for the same price. The 2.0L engine (with the 5MT transmission) is adequate and gets decent fuel economy (mileage).
Having owned a RAV4.2 for over 4 years buying this car was a no brainer anyway. The depreciation on my 4.2 was incredibly low (it was a base 4x2 with a few options).
My only concerns with the car at the moment are the clutch, which I hope will tighten up, and the parking sensors which bleep randomly when reversing. I will have those two things looked at. I'm afraid the clutch is something I may have to get used to.
I have to say this car is better than I imagined it would be. It feels solid, luxurious and the extra weight seems to have gone into sound insulation.
And I was also happy to see that it came with Yokohama Geolanders. They seems to have tons more grip and traction than the Bridgestone Duellers on my old RAV4 (especially in wet conditions). Of course, traction control etc. helps as well but under hard braking I clearly felt the difference.