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Review

Sometimes I forget just how long I’ve been doing a test drive column.

Can you believe the Toyota RAV4 is actually in its eighth year of gracing American roads? That shocked me.

But you know what? The 2004 Toyota RAV4 is totally different from the RAV4 first introduced in 1996. I remember the first time I hopped in the RAV4, my first impression was that if I happened to get rear-ended in the thing, whomever was in the back seat was toast, that’s how small the cargo area was and how close the rear seats were to the rear bumper.

It actually scared me a little, because I had two very small children at the time. Granted, they were in protective child car seats, but it was in the back of my mind whether they would really protect them adequately.

We got through the week fine, but I remember giving the RAV4 poor marks on cargo room and general comfort for the driver and passengers. My goodness, that RAV4 was small.

That’s just not true any longer.

The RAV4 can hold its own against the gaggle of small sport utility vehicles out there today, from interior comfort, styling and rear cargo area. It’s truly remarkable how far it’s come.

And for 2004, the RAV4 has been totally revised, from its better engine, exterior restyling to its safety upgrades and interior restyling. Its last redesign was in 2001. Much has changed this year.

The RAV4 was one of the smaller SUVs that started this new segment. It was for those people who didn’t want a huge -- or even mid-sized -- SUV because either they didn’t need that much room, or didn’t want the low mileage numbers that came with it.

That really wasn’t of grave concern way back when gas hovered at a buck and a quarter a gallon, but today, it is a concern. RAV4 will net you 22 mpg in the city and at least 27 mpg on the highway. During a trip up to northern Michigan and Traverse City, we clocked around 29 mpg. Not bad. Depends on how you drive, I guess.

By the way, impress your friends at the next cocktail party by knowing that RAV4 is an acronym for Recreational Active Vehicle with 4-wheel-drive. And that it was first introduced in Japan in 1994. Hmmm.