1st gen Toyota RAV4 1996–2000

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

A small two- or four-door on car parts, with a 2.0L four, front- or all-wheel drive, and a soft-top convertible from late 1998.

What it came with

Model codes: XA10⁵
Bodies: Two-door and four-door, and the two-door Soft Top from late 1998^1,2
First sold: In Japan, from May 1994⁶
RAV4 EV: A battery-electric version from the late 1990s, leased to fleets, with a 288 V nickel-metal hydride battery and 80 to 100 miles a charge. Sales to the public in California were due from February 2002.⁷

Rare options, colors and interiors to look out for, and whether finding one is good news.

Good find Soft Top Trim
Sold in the US from 1998 to 2000 only³

Why it is a good find: The Autopian calls the soft-top convertible an even cooler version of the three-door RAV4, and found none for sale.³

1996 On sale in the US. Edmunds calls it the first sport utility with front-wheel drive.^1,8
1997 New fabric in the two-door, a sunroof offered on the four-door for the first time, and more sound deadening in the dash.⁹
1998 Small changes to the grille, lamps and cabin, new seat fabric in the four-door, and the Soft Top late in the year.²
1999 The L Special Edition package with leather seats and color-keyed cladding, color-keyed mirrors and door handles, and a full-size spare.¹⁰
2000 Largely unchanged. New cupholders, and the two-door convertible is gone.¹¹