2019 Buick Encore vs 2019 Toyota RAV4

There’s a reason small SUVs like the 2019 Toyota RAV4 are among the most popular vehicles on the new car market. Consider the RAV4 and its rivals, the Honda CR-V, the Mazda CX-5, and the Ford Escape—what do they have in common? To put it simply, these vehicles are asked to do it all. Daily commuter car? Check. Family-hauler to school, practice, and the mall? Check, check, and check. Road-trip vehicle? Yeah, that too. On top of it all, these vehicles have to be affordable, efficient, and reliable. Sales of traditional sedans have been dwindling, but if sedans could do as much as crossovers can, they would still be popular vehicles.

The RAV4 is one of the oldest vehicles in the segment, and its story tells us how these small SUVs became so popular. The previous RAV4 was an extremely competent vehicle for Toyota, covering all the things we ask of compact SUVs. But the new 2019 RAV4 goes a few steps further. It has standout Tonka-truck styling, a surprisingly upscale interior, and something that it had lost since debuting more than two decades ago: a bit of off-road ability. We’ll see whether this makes it better than the RAV4 it replaces, and if it allows the 2019 RAV4 to stand out in a crowded small SUV market.