This Is Considered The Best Used Toyota RAV4 Model To Buy In 2026

The Toyota RAV4 is one of the most popular vehicles in the United States and among the 10 best-selling vehicles in 2026. However, there are certainly reasons why someone wouldn't want to go buy a brand-new model from their local dealership. While the starting price of a 2026 RAV4 isn't crazy expensive at $31,900 (plus a $1,595 delivery fee), that's still out of many people's budget, and prices can get high quickly for certain features and trims. Also, the 2026 model year saw the RAV4 switch entirely to hybrid drivetrains and away from gas-only models, which isn't to everyone's taste. That means those shoppers need to look at the used market for their ideal RAV4.

There are a number of model years to choose from, but one year that sticks out as a great option is the 2017 Toyota RAV4. This is the model year that has the greatest cross section of high ratings from both owners and experts, along with offering good value for the money. According to Consumer Reports, some model years have slightly better reliability ratings, while others have slightly higher owner satisfaction scores, but 2017 is the year where those two metrics are most closely aligned. The same is true for its expert and consumer ratings from Kelley Blue Book, earning 4.5 and 4.4 stars, respectively. J.D. Power has the 2017 RAV4 tied with the 2017 GMC Terrain for the second-highest score among compact SUVs of its year, with an overall rating of 83 out of 100, along with an 87 for quality and reliability. RAV4 ratings have peaks and valleys, but 2017 shows a remarkable level of consistency.

One of the tricky things about buying a used Toyota RAV4 is that prices can be somewhat high because RAV4s keep their value so well over time. Toyota is the brand with the highest resale value of any on the market, and CarEdge estimates that a RAV4 will keep over 72% of its original value after five years. This is why a decade-old model like the 2017 RAV4 is an appealing prospect. Kelley Blue Book puts the fair purchase price for the base-level 2017 RAV4 LE Sport Utility at about $16,350. For a top-tier Platinum Sport Utility, you're looking at around $18,250. Consumer Reports is even more optimistic about average purchase prices, estimating a range of $12,200 to $16,525.

Those prices are for gas-only 2017 RAV4 models. You'll have to pay a bit more for a hybrid, but the difference isn't that stark. KBB puts the fair purchase price of the 2017 RAV4 Hybrid LE Plus Sport Utility at about $16,450. That's just $100 more than the fair price for the base gas-only model. There's more of a difference with the premium tiers, though. A 2017 Limited Sport Utility hybrid goes for around $21,100, according to KBB. That's a good deal of money, but considering it's more than $5,000 cheaper than the lowest-tier hybrid of a five-year-old 2022 RAV4, it's not that bad. If you find a 2017 RAV4 with decent mileage and in good shape, these aren't outrageous prices to be paying, especially considering the general reliability of Toyota vehicles and their ability to hit 250,000 miles.

While we're saying the 2017 Toyota RAV4 is arguably the best model year for the compact SUV on the used market, it's far from the only great one. In fact, most model years for the RAV4 earn such good ratings from experts and owners that it's actually a bit harder to choose years that you shouldn't look at, particularly from the last decade.

If 2017 is a bit too old for you, more recent model years to consider would be both 2021 and 2022. These are both from the same generation of the SUV, so the two are quite similar. However, there's something of a quality divide between the years depending on the drivetrain you're getting. If you want just a regular RAV4 that runs on gas, then 2021 is the one to get. Its owner satisfaction score from Consumer Reports is a bit lower than 2017's, but its reliability score definitely wins out. Kelley Blue Book has it rated as the best compact SUV of 2021 and has a fair purchase price for it at $22,800, going up to $29,400 for the top-tier trim.

For a hybrid powertrain, that's where you want the 2022 RAV4. It ties with the 2017 model for the highest CR reliability score of any RAV4 hybrid and falls just a tad behind it on owner satisfaction. The 2022 RAV4 also has the same scores from J.D. Power as the 2017 for its overall rating and quality and reliability. KBB has the fair price range for a 2022 Toyota RAV4 hybrid between $26,700 and $33,400, depending on the trim. Though more expensive, these are good 2017 RAV4 alternatives.