The 2017 Toyota RAV4 bears witness to a host of price cuts midway through its model-year run. While hybrid models and the top-of-the-line RAV4 Platinum are unaffected, consumers looking at 2017 Toyota RAV4 LE, XLE, SE, and Limited trims will see savings that range from $500 to $1330. RAV4 sales volume is actually up through April in what’s shaping up as a soft sales year, but the company set an ambitious 400,000-unit target for this year a couple of years ago when it introduced the refreshed 2015 edition. Toyota also seems eager to fight for market share in the compact-crossover segment.The low end of the price-cut spectrum affects the base RAV4 LE, which now starts at $25,370, or $500 less than before. The LE, like all RAV4 models, has standard lane-departure warning, forward-collision warning with automated emergency braking, automatic high-beam headlights, and adaptive cruise control. However, the bottom-of-the-barrel RAV4 is still priced $385 higher than a base Honda CR-V LX.
The real value of the RAV4’s updated pricing takes hold as you move up the trim ladder, where the well-equipped XLE now starts at $26,460, or $1330 less than before. The model adds luxuries such as a power sunroof, dual-zone automatic climate control, and an improved gauge cluster with a 4.2-inch color display screen.
RAV4 customers looking for extra verve will want to step up to the sportier SE, which at $29,750 is $1195 less pricey than earlier in the year. The extra coin compar...