WHY THIS 5-YEAR-OLD COMPACT SUV IS THE BEST USED BUY IN 2025

The SUV market in the U.S.A. is on top of its game, with millions of units sold per year, and, along with pickup trucks, is our most favored type of vehicle. We have proper off-roaders, crossovers, hybrid SUVs, electric SUVs, luxury SUVs, mid-size SUVs, and compact SUVs - most auto brands are now rolling out one type of SUV or another. We have the choice of the new market, but unfortunately, some of these new iterations are slightly out of budget.

The average price range for a new SUV is between $30,000 (crossover) and $80,000 (for a full-size SUV), so a lot of money, whatever way you look at it, but thankfully, we also have a burgeoning used SUV market with millions of choices. Of the used market examples, it can be difficult to pin down exactly what is going to suit you every time, but we have found a compact SUV that combines reliability, the infamous moniker of one of the best SUVs ever produced, bags of versatility, low maintenance costs, and is an all-round great used buy.

This compact SUV is produced by the market stalwart Toyota and, as a five-year-old model, delivers everything we could hope for in a used SUV - this is why we are taking a closer look and have found exactly why it makes for the best SUV to buy in 2025.

The 2020 Toyota RAV 4 Is The All-Round Package

For those of you who know your onions, as soon as you saw the words "Toyota," "five-year-old," and "compact SUV," you would have known it was going to be the almighty Toyota RAV4. Long coveted as one of the best SUVs ever created, the 2020 model continues the legacy with its own set of credentials that has brought the plucky little SUV all the way from where it started in the mid-1990s to a modern-day SUV, which delivers everything we need it to and slots into today's market perfectly with a blend of modern design and modern engineering.

The RAV 4 Holds Its Value Up There With The Best

This may not be the best thing to hear, considering you may be looking for a very cheap used compact SUV, but the RAV4 is in the top echelons for vehicles that hold their value on the used market. According to Car Edge, the RAV4 depreciates at an average rate of just 27 percent over 5 years, meaning if you buy a 2025 RAV4 LE (base trim) at its MSRP of $29,950, in 2030, if the market continues the way it is going, you'll be able to sell it for around $22,000. In fact, the RAV4 ranks in the top 20 for vehicles with the best resale value in over 3, 5, and 7 years.

The upside to this for those of you who are looking to buy a used model is that if you buy a 2020 RAV4 at the national fair purchase price of between $21,542 and $31,141, you'll still be able to sell it for just over 50 percent of its original MSRP value, or between $14,576 and $18,935.

Multiple Engine Options And Trims Means Multiple High MPG Ratings

Fuel economy is one of the most important factors in buying a vehicle, and thanks to Toyota's dedication to rolling out new technology and staying a market leader in both ICE and hybrid powertrains, the 2020 RAV4 is available in both flavors. The 2020 lineup's ICE trims include the LE, the XLE, the XLE Premium, the Adventure, the Limited, and the TRD Off-Road, and they are equipped with a 2.5-liter Inline-four.

The 2020 RAV4 Hybrid is available as the LE, XLE, XSE, and as the Limited, and all are equipped with a 2.5-liter hybrid line-four, which is still useful under the hood for power, and can still provide some decent towing kudos, considering the RAV4's small stature, but is also very good at sipping away at fuel.

Both lineups are good on fuel and at saving money at the pump, with the AWD ICE RAV4 costing you, on average, $1,700 on gas (or costing you $250 more over 5 years compared to the average modern car), the FWD ICE RAV4 costing you $1,550 a year on gas (saving you $500 over 5 years), and the RAV4 Hybrid costing you only $1,150 a year on gas (saving you $2,500 over 5 years).

Toyota-Grade Reliability In Spades

If there are some things that Toyota is known for, they are reliability and all-round rugged builds, with a score of models that prove their bulletproof dependability. Yes, some may think that build quality has dropped in the last few years, but unfortunately, that is the way the market is at the moment. There are still supply chain issues from the pandemic, and with the growing use of electronic nannies, there are more technical features to go wrong, which, unfortunately, they do. But, the RAV4 is a widely renowned and sturdy little SUV with a reliability rating of 4 out of 5, placing it 3rd out of 26 compact SUVs.

Low Maintenance Costs And Huge Parts Availability

What is more telling about the 2020 model is that it boasts a reliability score of 77 out of 100 and a low maintenance cost of just $429. This low maintenance cost puts it much lower than the compact SUV market's average annual maintenance cost of $521 and a lot lower than the wider vehicle market's average yearly maintenance cost of $652.

In February 2020, a total of 10 million RAV4 models of all ages up to that MY had been sold, and considering that the 2020 iteration is two years into the fifth generation of the RAV4, it means that there are lots of parts from donor vehicles available online and lots of OEM parts still floating around. The fifth-gen RAV4 is built on the TNGA-K platform, which is shared with a whole host of other Toyota models, such as the Camry, the Highlander, the Lexus ES, and the Toyota Avalon (even though it was discontinued in 2021 here in the U.S.A.).

There are a lot of models around that share components and setups with the RAV4 - making it easier to find parts than some of the more obscure models on the market, and, thanks to the shared platform, a shared knowledge of how they work for mechanics and engineers of the country.

What 2020 RAV4 Owners Think About It

Average maintenance costs aside, the most crucial way of knowing how good a used SUV is by how owners view it, and as another string to the '20 RAV4's bow, the love for it is fairly unanimous. On Kelley Blue Book, the 2020 lineup receives a 3.6 out of 5 owner rating, which includes:

• Styling Rating. 4.3/5.
• Reliability Rating. 3.9/5.
• Comfort Rating. 3.9/5.
• Performance Rating. 3.8/5
• Quality Rating. 3.7/5.
• Value Rating. 3.6/5.

On Edmunds, out of the 120 reviews that owners have left, the overall rating comes out at 3.4 out of 5, with 38% of owners giving their RAV4 a 5-star rating. It is worth noting that a fair few owners have mentioned battery issues from new, but we are hoping that now the MY is five years old that any teething problems have all been sorted and rectified since.

The Market Is Packed With Used Toyota RAV4s

Because so many RAV4 models have been sold in the last 30 years, and because in the first half of 2020 alone there were 426,000 sales of the RAV4, the market is swamped with these small and versatile SUVs. That is great news if you are a fan of them, and today there is a huge pool of used 2020 examples of all the trim options of both the ICE and hybrid variants, and though they retain their value well, the RAV4 was never an extremely expensive SUV to buy, so prices are more than reasonable for what you get.

The RAV4 Delivering What We All Want

The RAV4 has good reliability, it can be bought for a relatively good price. Once you have purchased one, it holds its value well, it doesn't cost a lot to fuel up, and it doesn't cost a lot to run; for many, it is the all-round package. The 2020 MY is no different, and thanks to a good range of trims and configurations, it can deliver on all fronts, from the basic and bare-bones to a little more luxurious and adventurous.

Whether you are looking at the entry-level package or the top-of-the-range iteration, the RAV4 is well-equipped for the everyday and some light adventuring. It boasts 37.6 cubic-feet of trunk space, you get 40 cubic-feet of space behind the rear seats, and if you fold down all the seats, you'll end up with just shy of 70 cubic-feet, while each trim offers something different. The base trim LE comes equipped with solid essentials like LED headlights, a seven-inch touchscreen with Apple CarPlay, and the introduction of Android Auto to RAV4, plus Toyota's full suite of safety tech. The cabin is simple and functional, but at the lowest price, it is bound to be.

The XLE trim offers a little more refinement with keyless entry, push-button start, dual-zone climate control, and an available sunroof. The XLE Premium takes things a step further with SofTex-trimmed seats, a power liftgate, and a leather-wrapped steering wheel. For those of you looking for a bit of off-road flare, don't get your hopes up hugely - it is never going to be the best off-roading SUV ever created, but for light adventuring, it is well taken care of with tall roof rails, a bolder look, unique interior accents, and an eight-inch touchscreen. The TRD-Pro, though, is both as meaty looking and built for a bit more of the rough stuff with all-terrain tires, off-road-tuned suspension, and rugged styling inside and out with red-stitched SoftTex seats.

The plushest you can hope for with the 2020 RAV4 is the Limited trim, which leans into comfort and luxury a little more with heated front seats, ambient lighting, an 11-speaker premium JBL sound system, 19-alloys, chrome exterior accents, the same eight-inch touchscreen utilized in the other "higher trims," a hands-free power liftgate, extra soundproofing, and a digital rearview mirror. For the price you pay for one today, it feels like a relatively high-end SUV for very mainstream prices.

Other Used SUVs To Check Out In 2025

We know that the Toyota RAV4 is not everyone's go-to SUV, and even though it does have good value retention, high reliability, and great usability, there are, of course, some foibles that may put you off; maybe it isn't big enough. Maybe the battery issues that plagued the 2020 MY when it was rolled out are a deal breaker, or maybe you are looking for something a little more luxurious or off-road ready. The good news is that not only is the used RAV4 market swelling, but the whole used SUV market is, and there are plenty of different options out there with obtainable prices, good reliability, high usability, and good features that will keep you comfortable.

2025-03-27T05:03:19Z