Toyota's RAV4 has always been the sort of road biased off-roader that appealed to fashion-conscious urbanites, so it was well placed to reap the benefits when such things became the norm for small families looking for transport.
The thing is, did people buy the RAV4 because there wasn't much else on the market, or because it was genuinely good? Toyotas have never really been the preserve of the chic save for the modish Prius, but we'll not be able to know the answer to that profound question as Toyota moved the newest RAV4 onwards and upwards from the niche it inhabited just as things were hotting up for SUVs.
The RAV4 is now bigger in every direction than it has ever been, and strangely the three-door version has been ditched too. The Toyota has reached the size where it's almost competing with the likes of the Land Rover Freelander rather than the Ford Kuga or Honda CR-V.
The car looks decent enough, but the styling has become a little too anonymous for the RAV4 to stick in anyone's mind. That does seem to be Toyota's modus operandi however, and it isn't the biggest car maker in the world for nothing.
The RAV4 is well-appointed inside, with decent materials used for the dashboard and throughout the cabin. It is spacious, too, and the boot has plenty of room enough for whatever you might need to carry. The Toyota is practical here, with the rear bench seat sliding backwards or forwards depending on your needs.
It is fairly refined, too, resisting noise and providing a relaxed drive. The handling doesn't let the car down, but the suspension is on the soft side, which means there is body roll that holds the driver back from getting too enthusiastic into a corner. The RAV4 is most at home on a motorway cruise, where all of these things combine to create a very pleasant atmosphere.
The 2.0-litre petrol engine available for the RAV4 isn't particularly impressive - as ever with most such cars, the diesel options are by far the better choices. Our pick would be the entry-level unit that produces a sufficient 134bhp.
The RAV4 is not the car it once was - and whilst in this bigger, better quality form it might be much better, it has become harder to see where it fits into a much more competitive off-roader market.