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Toyota RAV4 · 1st gen (1996–2000)

1997 Toyota RAV4

This page is a draft. It has not been approved yet, so read it with care.

Learn

What changed

  • New fabric in the two-door, a sunroof offered on the four-door for the first time, and more sound deadening in the dash.1

What it came with

  • 2.0L four-cylinder2

    120 hp in 1996, by Edmunds

Transmissions
5-speed manual2,3, 4-speed automatic3
Drivetrains
Front-wheel drive2, All-wheel drive2
Trims
Base3, L Special Edition3,4

Colors

  • Mystic Teal Mica 4
  • Radiant Red 4
  • Natural White 4
  • Quicksilver 4
  • Deep Jewel Green Pearl 4
  • Royal Sapphire Pearl 4
  • Black 4

Interiors

  • Gray 4

Compare with another year

Buy

Recalls

No recalls are listed for this year.

Checked against NHTSA records on 21 October 2026.

What buyers say

Reputation: what owners and the press report

  • Sought after: The Soft Top All years

    Jalopnik calls the Soft Top the best RAV4 ever made, and The Autopian says Toyota fans regard it as rare.5,6

Before you pay

Open the buyer's checklist

Every warning and recall for this generation, with a box to tick.

Sources

  1. Edmunds 1997 review
  2. Edmunds 1996 review
  3. Edmunds 1998 review
  4. Edmunds 1999 specs
  5. Jalopnik (Soft Top)
  6. The Autopian (Soft Top)