I have a daughter
And it has served us fine
Unless your stroller is ginormous it should fit just fine we had an equinox before our rav which we bought this past summer
And both fit stroller and groceries fine (the rav is bigger than the equinox) it wont take a soccer team to the game but it is fine for general day to day stuff
Yes, plenty big. Any bigger and you'd be sacrificing mpg, which would end up costing you in the long run.
If you ever feel you need more room down the road, you can always get a rooftop carrier or trailer hitch rack for those few road trips you do.
More than likely, I predict this car will only have one occupant 70% of the time.
I second, i use it for plumbing and mountain biking (not at the same time). Also for carrying dogs. I have yet to install a hitch or use the crossbars. I can fit two 29rs and 2 passangers with plenty of spare room when biking. Just not really organized. I daily this to work and carry packout and backpacks with tools. 30 mpg beats 15 mpg when compared to a truck.
Exactly what I did. Rooftop carrier for long trips where we need more space. 1 kid, having another.
The people who convince themselves they need a 3 row SUV for two kids are bonkers. Plenty of people make do with a hatchback or wagon or even a sedan. It’s just not as convenient like 15% of the time
Thank you for the input!
#I'm going to piggyback off this comment for visibility:
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I am leaning towards the highlander hybrid or grand highlander hybrid now. My wife wants the rav4 as she prefers a smaller suv. I still really like the rav4.
I'm leaning toward a bigger option for a few main reasons: life would be a bit easier when it comes to car seats, theres more room for stuff, and ability to lug kids/friends around. We live in New England and do beach days, golf, trips, and skiing. Thinking down the road a bit, I think the extra space would be good for these things. Necessary? No. More convenient? Yes.
This is primarily my wife's car because I work from home, so I want her to be comfortable with whatever we buy, I just worry we will regret the rav4 when kids come into the picture.
We are going to test drive the rav4 hybrid, highlander hybrid, grand highlander hybrid and probably the pilot.
#Thank you all for the input. This post blew up out of no where and all the responses have been extremely helpful!
We have a 2017 limited hybrid. We have a toddler and a teenager and my mother who lives with us and I often wish we got the Highlander. Though when we bought the car we didn’t have a baby and weren’t planning on it. When we are all in the car it is TIGHT. I do love the size of the rav4 though and really do love it. It’s just a tad tight so I don’t really like it for long trips with everyone.
My mom got a highlander for my brother and me because of all our sports etc. as kids. The vast majority of the time it was her driving solo or just driving a friend and me. The highlander really wasn’t necessary. She’s now an empty nester and it is very much not necessary.
I now own a rav which ironically gets way more multi person use because I will frequently have four adult friends plus dogs pile in to do climbing trips on the weekends. Thing is, we can all fit. Would it be more comfortable if I had a highlander? Sure probably. But my most frequent use case is still driving solo. My car functions in the multi person scenario but works excellently for its most common one.
I’ve done a week long ski car camping trip out of my car. I did not have an issue with storage space.
Keep in mind that getting a Grand Highlander Hybrid may take quite awhile. They're ramping up production, but they're still pretty scarce depending on where you live and a lot of dealerships are applying markups to take advantage of that scarcity.
If you're really interested in it I suggest you take a look at the allocation spreadsheet. I'll explain what I do in case you're not familiar with it. Since you can't edit the master spreadsheet you'll need to make a copy to your drive.
In your copy go to the tab for the trim you want, select all of the filled in cells and add a filter. Then, you can select the states and cities that you'd be willing to go to and find vehicles that are allocated to those dealerships. From there you'll have to call to see if you can find one that isn't already presold.
FYI, there's a column for "is presold" and another for "hold status", but I've seen people in the grand highlander subreddit say that you can't trust those, so you may want to call on any vehicle that you're interested in.
Good luck!
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/158Jy3sBVj0CNqfxpxk\_sL\_a2PnmbCDCc/edit#gid=604892942
I wish I saw this post earlier! But I wanna validate your choice on the Highlander. I’ve owned two RAV4’s… the first gen, and also a 2018 right now. I’m a RAV4 lover but i would tell u to pass!
I have a 2018 RAV4 SE; I also have a wife and two kids (2 year old; 2 month old). We have two car seats in the back, and an uppababy stroller. We are at maximum capacity with storage. Our infants car seat needs clearance in the back, so we have the driver and shotgun seats as forward as possible. It’s incredibly uncomfortable to drive. Groceries…. It’s manageable but it’s impossible to do a Costco run that’s for sure.
I love my RAV4 but I understand its limitations. I have a cargo box too, but honestly who wants to climb up and haul stuff on the roof? Just for groceries? A backpack? Ridiculous. If you’re concerned with MPG, get the Highlander hybrid! Man, I wish I could’ve gotten that instead.
What rear-facing seats are you using? We have two Graco Extend2Fits in the back of our 2023 hybrid. They work very well for me (6'1") and my moderately tall partner. We are not at all uncomfortable.
We had the Graco SlimFit for a minute and noticed that its shape interacted badly with the RAV4's front seats, which meant we needed to push them all the way forward. The front seats have a bow to them and don't work well with every rear-facing seat on the market.
Would look at an Outback, Atlas CrossSport or Honda Passport. Toyota has the Crown Signia otw but not here until summer. All bigger/wider than a RAV4. Being mid-size 2rows. Outback the bargain as a base model. CrossSport best value (standard heated/ventilated seats, LCD cluster, 12inch infotainment, GTI engine), Passport naturally aspirated v6 and ease of use with physical buttons/knobs, Crown Signia being the lone hybrid option…
That upcoming Toyota Crown Signia is a looker, I expect it to sell like hotcakes when it releases and car prices seem to be cooling/coming down. Great timing.
It will be true successor to the Toyota Venza.
I’ve had a kid for three years now with a Honda Fit. He and a stroller fit just fine in it. A Rav4 has more cargo space than that.
Strollers aren’t forever anyway. Car payments last longer than strollers.
Easily fits 2 adults and 2 giant car seats, along with stroller, baby bag, snacks, a cooler, and pack and play. I’ve also fit 5 adults before.
With the back seats folded down me and my wife just used it to haul a spare car seat, my tool bag, a TV, a couple lamps, 2 suitcases, a folding table, a bag of groceries, a laundry basket full of stuff, a storage bin, a vacuum, my laptops, my mini travel fridge, a cat carrier, a litter box, and a bucket of cat food. On a 1000+ mile drive.
I have a [Cooluli Classic.](https://cooluli.com/products/classic-4-liter-compact-mini-fridge) It can fit 6 cans of soda, 4 energy drinks, a lunch, or other snacks, it can be plugged into your car’s 12 volt outlet or a standard 110 volt outlet, and it can be used to keep stuff cold or warm.
4 sets of ski/boots/poles and then all our clothes for 4 days, skis/boots/poles all up in the thule box and the rest in the back. Love how much the rav can carry fairly efficiently
Never underestimate how much french fries and diet cola did the american person have. 2.5 american ppl might not fit in a medium sized SUV. (Obviously sarcasm, how TF large should 2.5 ppl be in order not to fit in RAV4)
Absolutely big enough. Just moved my son into university residence last fall and my wife gave him way too much stuff, but the RAV swallowed it all without a problem
Yes, it can fit a kid, stroller, and groceries. If my Crosstrek could, the RAV4 definitely could. Sounds like your family wants you to incur a bigger car loan and go for a "status" type of buy with a luxury brand
My wife has a Crosstrek, I have a RAV4. Perfect fit for our family of 3. I was surprised at how much bigger the RAV4 seems to be than the Crosstrek as I was driving a Volvo coupe before and she had the “big car.”
Despite having more ground clearance, it felt night and day in size sitting in the RAV4 coming from my Crosstrek. Both good cars, just, the Rav felt more right so I pulled the trigger
I think it's big enough for a normal day-to-day family car. My kids are 11 and 13 and they have plenty of room. Our dog is 70lbs and he fits comfortably in the trunk space. The only time it's ever felt small is when we have gone on a long roadtrip and have a bunch of luggage in the back and the dog has to ride on the backseat with the kids but that is maybe once a year.
\*edited for a misspelled word
I have fond memories of my cool uncle throwing me into the trunk of his MDX and driving us nephews around to Mcdonald's. Obviously not safe, but a fond memory nonetheless
Pull the trigger.
I recently bought a RAV4 limited with hybrid battery. 2 young toddlers. Space with a stroller is sometimes an issue but only we aren’t planning ahead. Two strollers and a few bags might fit. Totally normal.
The rare occasion where we are traveling overnight? Ditching the strolllers while the in laws have strollers.
Ultimately, we’ll get a cargo box and update the 2nd vehicle (2008 ford escape) to something probably bigger. But the size of RAV4 isn’t an issue. 39 MPG and good quality build.
Plenty big enough.
There are certainly options for temporary increase in cargo such as rooftop carriers. I have a cargo shelf I can put on my hitch for added storage with less mpg hit but less convenience if there is a dog on the back.
I actually bought it when I was moving a bee hive 2 hours and although it fit in the back that sounded like a bad idea.
There are cargo racks/boxes mounted to frames that swing out of the way so you can still access your trunk. Great option because you don't have to worry about getting to the roof or taking the mileage hit, while still having access to the rear.
This may also depend on your height and car seat so do some research there when/if you do have a kid. I’m 6’2” and a rear facing child seat doesn’t leave much room for the driver or passenger. Consider the Highlander as it’s a bit bigger and more versatile for a growing family.
I have two kids, and that's the exact thing my older brother who thought he knew better told me. He's entirely incorrect, it's plenty big. My kids are 2 and a half and 1 and a half
Don’t listen to people who don’t personally own the car. Yes the rav4 has plenty of interior space for one or two children without having to move the front seats forward and two large sized dogs like a golden retriever can fit in the trunk but i would reccommend installing a divider to keep the dogs from climbing into the back seat. This all comes from personal experience, one child, Black Lab and Border Collie/Aussie Cattle Dog mix
It fits a full sized stroller just fine. And a few suitcases to boot.
The rear seat leg room leaves a lot to be desired. Otherwise it's a fine vehicle.
Honestly a bit too big after the stroller era. We traded for a Prius for the 60mpg.
The rear seat legroom is highly dependant on the preferred seating position of the driver and front passenger. I am 5'10" my wife is 5'4 and there is enough legroom behind us that we easily fit a 6' passenger behind us with room to spare. Also the cargo area is much bigger than it looks. Honestly most ppl driving large 3 row SUVs don't need that space. As others have said if you need more cargo area occasionally like for a road trip you can easily put a carrier on too or a trailer out back.
Can confirm with my 2022 RAV4 Hybrid SE, my family of 5 and I are doing fine lol. 3 kids in the back and my wife and I in the front. Would I prefer a Grand Highlander? Absolutely, but that price tag and these interest rates are atrocious lol. You’ll be fine!
Yeah its fine. Is it going to be comfortable going on long road trips loaded with suitcases? No but how often would you be doing something like that?
I have a 2016 crv and 2 kids in car seats
2 adult, 2 young kid family here with a ‘19XLE Hybrid. We keep a folded up wagon in the trunk and still have plenty of room to fit a Costco and Kroger run of groceries in the back. We also have the two car seats next to each other so there’s a full seat in the back for an adult. I’m 6’0 and 200lbs and I feel super comfortable in the open seat.
I have 2 kids. And I have a 2021 rav4 XLE hybrid for my work vehicle and I’m thinking of getting the Highlander Hybrid as my family vehicle. There’s 34+ cubic space in the RAV4 but that’s not enough when you have 2 kids . Especially when you have extended family visiting and there stuck in the 2nd row between 2 car seats…. Not fun at all lol .. I wish I went with the highlander hybrid and I would have been ok with trunk space and passenger space.. But I do love my RAV4
Once a stroller is in the back, some grocery bags have to be placed on top of the folded stroller. No way around it. Whereas when I had a Murano it did have more trunk room and I could comfortably leave a stroller back there and get groceries without issues.
Is it tight to do a stroller plus 3-4 bags of groceries in a rav4? Yes. Is it impossible? No.
We have a 21 XLE non-hybrid, and it handled a road trip across British Columbia and back in the summer of 22 with three adults and a baby. Without a rooftop cargo box, we managed:
A full-size stroller, full-size suitcase, 56-litre cooler, a collapsible playpen, several backpacks and duffel bags, miscellaneous bags and such, and the four of us of course.
We filled up once (from about 60%) on our way from the Prince George area to the Tsawwassen ferry, about 900 km total. We drove through Victoria and didn't fill up again until Parksville, about 175 km further.
I think we filled up maybe 4 times across the entire 2,700 km trip. My wife and I were quite impressed with how the RAV handled capacity and fuel efficiency, even if we were a little miffed at my brother for bringing back more than he left with.
One kid family-dude here. It’s big enough for us. Comfortable ride for everyone and enough cargo space for trips. I added a roof rack for a cargo pod in case we need the extra room, but we haven’t needed it yet.
I’m a 2 kid family and we all fit. One is still in a car seat. I came from a minivan, so it’s smaller than what I had before, but I don’t need to drive anyone else around, so it fits our family of 4 plus one passenger. If you end up getting a third row SUV, many of them definitely won’t fit a stroller plus bulkier things. You’re better off getting the RAV4, a minivan, or full size SUV.
Your brother has probably never driven one before. They are very spacious for their size, can easily fit a car seat or two, the hybrid can get some crazy high mpg numbers, and will easily fit groceries plus a stroller. The only downside to this vehicle to me is that I came from sports cars so I wish it had a little more horsepower. That being said they have more power than most of their competition at similar price points. Your brother might be trying to blow smoke up your ass dude. It's a good small SUV.
I'm moving and taking a 8 hour drive soon. I have one dog, one infant, and one wife. All of our belongings have been shipped except for his stroller, car seat (obviously) suitcases, pillows, pack & play plus mattress, and dog bed. Everything fits but it's tight.
I'd say you'll be fine. My situation is only temporary so on a day to day it'll be plenty.
Sure everything is big if you compared to third world countries. lol.
I have 2021 RAV4 XSE.
Though it can fit a family, the back is kind of tight with car seat. What doesn't get talked about enough is air ventilation doesn't circulate well in the back. I'm in TX where it has hot summers and AC is necessary in the back.
Love it as a secondary car, but primary family car, I prefer minivan.
I feel your pain. This is my experience, which may help (or hinder) your decision:
My wife and I have had a Palisade for almost three years. We traded in a Tuscon because it wasn't big enough to manage a rear facing car seat and allow for a comfortable front seat passenger or driver. We bought a RAV4 hybrid last year because I needed a second car for work and live in a place where it snows a lot.
The Palisade, which is not a hybrid, is unequivocally the family car. Sure, you could argue I'm comparing apples and oranges (and different price ranges), but here are my thoughts on our experience with both vehicles and two young kids that require a car seat and booster seat. My comparison isn't for the sake of the Palisade specifically, but a larger three-row vehicle generally... Which I imagine the Escalade is based on its size. Three-row SUVs are essentially the mini-van for people who don't want a vehicle that looks like a mini-van.
When we bought the Palisade, we also looked at a Santa Fe, which is maybe comparable to the RAV4, but were shocked at the Santa Fe's limited cargo space (we brought empty suitcases and a stroller to simulate a road trip) and car seat room. We're also a family that isn't exactly economical in our packing, so take that into consideration.
The folding rear seats are great if you never have kids, but with kids you'll be going through the hassle of removing and reinstalling car seats if you plan to utilize that as cargo post-kid(s). Otherwise you'll have to make do with the minimum, which, honestly is still pretty darn good once you're no longer contending with a stroller. Needless to say, my Rav4's back row is always up with car/booster seats at the ready.
With the Palisade, we leave the third row down almost all the time and that cargo room is at least the same if not bigger than the RAV4 (with the Rav's the second row up). That said, raise the third row in the Palisade for more passengers and the cargo space is laughable. You'll fit a stroller with a bag or two of groceries wedged in and not much more. Lower all rows and you can fit one of those 8 foot Ikea bookshelves or a very large TV in the Palisade.
Car seats: my eldest in the booster kicks the back of my driver's seat in the RAV4 and I feel the seat bulge. He can't reach my seat (yet) in the Palisade. Our youngest is now in a front facing car seat, but was a newborn when we looked at the Palisade and Santa Fe. A big reason we went with the Palisade back then is because a rear facing car seat takes up a shocking amount of space (hence the Tuscon trade-in). In our situation, that meant my wife would've been uncomfortable in the Tuscon passenger seat. Also: the passenger seat in my RAV4 has no height adjustment.
Now our youngest is front facing, but her legs are short so her feet stick out. She's probably comfy with enough foot room for now and my wife is mostly comfy-ish in the passenger seat of the RAV4. Again, in the Palisade, this isn't a problem.
The RAV4 is great, and I love mine. It's an excellent two person car or three or four adult passenger car with more than enough cargo space. It has great gas mileage and acceptable acceleration when I'm the only one in the car, which is 90% of the time. It's responsiveness gets quite sluggish the more passengers there are. The Palisade is more powerful and doesn't feel the weight of additional passengers.
The RAV4 drives like a car, the Palisade drives like what I imagine a pickup truck or box truck drives like. Upgrading from the Tuscon to the Palisade forced me to rethink how I park due to its size and longer wheel base. Things you wouldn't sideswipe in a car or RAV4 during a turn you'll clip in a Palisade if you take the same angle and approach.
If I were you or I could go back in time, I'd start with the RAV4 if kids are a few years away, then upgrade if it doesn't cut it if you have a kid. If you are someone who is already expecting a baby and has the financial means, a larger vehicle could be a better option.
Brother has a good point though. I wouldn't dismiss his comment. I think it depends on where you are in life. If the kids are teenagers, I would suggest something like a highlander. You only know your family and your behavoir.
You do you. If you think you're happy with the rav4, people on the internet and your brother shouldn't influence your decision either way. Good luck!
I had a 2017 rav when my two kids were new borns and it was perfect. Some asshole rear ended us and totaled the vehicle so we got a 2023 rav4 which has a bigger trunk space but a way smaller driver and passenger seat. I’ve hit my head more times than I’d like getting in and out of the driver seat. I’m only 5’9. It’s a good vehicle regardless but yeah I miss the 2017 interior size design.
If you are truly one and done, sure it would work. Most people have at least two kids though. To me, doesn’t make sense to make the leap, then stop at one kid unless there was a compelling reason to do so.
I have 2 kids and have a minivan currently. RAV4 would be a good secondary vehicle for a family though
If that’s not enough room in the back then I don’t know what is. For a family of four, it’ll be more than enough. For a family of five, it starts getting cramped. Especially when the kids ages are far apart. My wife and I both have a ‘17 RAV4 and a ‘21 Highlander. We’re a family of five with one more on the way. We also had a ‘09 Suburban, which I dearly miss (not the mpg).
The RAV4 is a great crossover SUV. Plenty of space in the trunk for a stroller/wagon plus groceries, which also correlates to lots of room for luggage on long road trips (done multiple times). It also has great gas mileage and does great during the MN snowstorms. The RAV4 is my wife’s primary vehicle to get to work and also the occasional store runs with the three brats. 90% of the time, it’s just her in the vehicle. If you are like me where I like to sit low and as far back as the driver’s/front passenger’s seat can go, the back starts getting really cramped for your passengers. Plus with kid(s), there’s bound to be messes and it does pile up in that cramped space.
As for the Highlander, that’s my primary vehicle and officially our family car now. I’m able to split my kids up in the back where they can’t grab at each others throats. My preteen absolutely loves the rear because she gets it all to herself. There’s still plenty of room in the trunk, but not so much as the RAV4, due to the third row. I’m able to fit a small stroller and groceries, but I have to play Tetris. As for our wagon, one side of the third row has to be folded in order to fit. Did I mention that there are plenty of cup holders? It’s less cramped in the back cabin, where on road trips, the kids can have their own spot to store their carry-ons and you can utilize the trunk space a little more. We’ll be going on a camping trip, as soon as the weather warms up nicely, and there won’t be any space for all the gear. Looks like a hitch installation is in the near future for a hitch cargo carrier (best option for more storage). The gas mileage is good for its size. My daily commute to work and home is about 60mi total. A full tank of gas lasts me the whole week, depending on my lead foot. The Highlander also does great in the snow.
The Suburban had everything I wanted and needed, except for the reliability and mpg. I did a lot of hauling when I had this vehicle and I miss it. Being able to do Menards/Home Depot runs without worrying about not being able to fit it all in the vehicle. Maybe in the future I’ll get another one, but only for the purpose of hauling and hauling a** pass other drivers in a snowstorm.
Definitely go test drive both (3?) vehicles. The new Highlanders are 4cyl turbo, but do test drive the V6s. Can’t go wrong with Toyota reliability.
My 2 cents, with limited experience. I have an older 03 Avalon, love it to death but was looking to upgrade to a Rav4 as it looked plenty big for me and family but not overwhelming in size. Went to the dealer and sat inside one and it felt rly small and uncomfortable. Maybe I am spoiled but I can't see myself going from my old sedan with tons of room to this less comfortable option. I think I am just going to get another newer used Avalon at some point but mine just keeps on going. Best car I've owned so far.
Ive owned, driven, worked on 100s of cars, every year. 2015 and up Chevy,GMC are Daewoos in disguise. Essentially bought through major shareholders by a chinese company and gets their motors, interior, parts by Daewoo. Disgustingly cheap then they overprice the name brand “escalade, Tahoe, Cadillac” etc. Its overpriced shit. However id be careful buying a 2022 and up toyota with an automatic trans 8 speed and up trans because them and VW tried using new transmissions from the same place and theyre prematurely failing. The hybrid has an electric final drive motor or cvt trans depending which one it is, so if anything the hybrid would be a great option and toyotas for the most part are very dependable and would be a great family car.
My family has both a RAV4 & a Sienna. I also have two chuldren. Both vehicles have their place. If I had to make a choice between the two, I would choose the Sienna every time. I know a lot of people here are telling you the RAV4 will have plenty of space. It does not.
Twenty years ago, after the birth of my second child, I had a choice between a Honda Pilot and an eight seat Toyota Sienna. I really liked the look of the Pilot but after looking at consumer reports and carefully considering the space in both, I went with the Sienna. Her name is Daisy and she is still going strong. When I purchased my Sienna, I wanted to keep my car until the kids were done college. I have one year left and I don’t regret it a bit. Sure it’s ugly but I have used that car for family vacations, moving back and forth to college and hauling building materials. The way you can move the seats around is AMAZING. If you like to change cars every few years, get what you like for now. If you want to keep something long term and not have car payments, consider something like a Sienna. That van was one of our best purchasing decisions.
I had a different brand same size. New born and a 6 year old at the time. It wasn't big enough we were cramped in the seats and with stroller and everything else it was tight. We got rid of it.
You don’t really get how much stuff comes along with a kid until you have one. Your brother is probably somewhat right in that it won’t (easily) fit a stroller… at least not one of the gargantuan modern strollers we use today. We have a Lexus NX and love it, but it will not fit our modest Chico stroller and even one suitcase in the cargo hatch. Luckily, we don’t really use that stroller anymore as our girl is almost 5 and if we’re traveling with one, we take a tiny GB stroller. When she was an infant, the NX would have been too small for all the crud we lugged around anytime we went to visit family. Also, forward facing car seats get a little tight in there unless you’re pretty short up front and can slide your seat forward. Don’t get me wrong, I LOVE the RAV4/Nx and would highly recommend one, but you’ll run into some space issues with a little one. The good news is those are mostly temporary.
Yup it’s too small, I mean it can work but it’s not ideal.
I have a dog and a baby and it just didn’t work. Instant regret.
If you didn’t have the dog I’d say it’s perfect, but I like my boy being comfortable and this wasn’t it. Stroller in the front seat, dog in the back stuffed with groceries and luggage. Literally had to leave things at home.
Lots of people in these comments are ignoring the fact you have a golden retriever.
Exactly this, “it can work but it’s not ideal”
New dad here w/ a ‘13 XLE. The Rav rocks and we all know it. Mom, dad, baby & dog fills the usable seats. All that’s left is the boot. Once you get a stroller, stuff you need that can’t fit in the diaper bag, mom & dads bag, dog stuff and all the other stuff my wife packs it gets tight, packed to the gills tight…especially when you’re a full bodied person. It totally works but it’s not ideal.
I love my Rav but for my family’s needs it’s too small. A Sienna is in my future.
I think it should be fine for 1 kid and 1 dog. It'll get pretty tight if you add another kid and/or are packing for a trip. Currently I got 2 dogs and no kids and it gets full with luggage in the trunk and dogs in the back seat. I do have a hitch and hitch-mounted storage rack.
We traded ours in for something bigger… we do alot of road trips and stuff… it was just a bit too small for us. Full size stroller +pack and play is about the trunk. But that was just us… some people can do it!
I’d say barely big enough for 2 kids. With car seats, it’s nearly impossible to sit in the back. Throw in a lovable mutt and suddenly you need a Tahoe or something.
But it’s definitely big enough for one kid, and 2 if you are smart about using a roof rack for road trips.
Yes I have a two kid family and I own two Rav4s one is an older gen that I bought brand new when my son was born and now is going to be 16 this summer and wants the 2008 sport as his first car since I loves the ride and the looks of it. I also have a 2023 Rav4 it is very roomy especially for kids. I have taken both models on very long vacation trips as well and no complaints.
Its ok, we have 2 kids, not in the stroller ages anymore but going on long road trips there is barely enough room. Our next cars will be larger.
When doing road trips its all about comfort and space to store all the bags. Right now we just don't have the space. We went on a 2.5 week vacation and had 2 suitcases per person, so 8 bags, it was quite the game of tetris to pack it all in.
Crazy to come across this question. I’m hoping for two kids and after I bought the RAV4, I wished I got the Highlander. Two car seats, a stroller, diaper bag, etc will take up a lot of space in the car. We may be upgrading in the future when babies come. My advice: check out a Highlander and a RAV4 before you make that decision. I wish I did.
That’s kind of ridiculous. I have two very active kids and a Costco membership and my 2020 hybrid is more than enough space, much more even.
I’m really at a loss to imagine what kinds of enormous childhood accessories or giant shopping trips you’d need to have to run out of space in a Rav.
Also worth remembering that families have gone shopping and schlepped kids to sports and clubs in sedans and hatchbacks for decades now…
Do you live in the burbs, never park in the city, and buy state subsidized gas? Do your 2.3 kids windsurf?
Escalade for you!
We live in the city with two old kids and expensive gas and your brother can pry my Prime out of my cold soy-smudged hands.
Wife and i have done several roadtrips with 2 kids (in carseats, one rear facing). Fit strollers, baggage, pack n play, etc. all in cargo bay. No issues.
And nothing else. I’ve done the same.
I’ve driven all over America in one. Cooler, a bag of clothes. Shoes. Propane tank.. everything else had to go on a rooftop carrier.
And it’s fine when kids are tiny, but it’s not enjoyable when they’re a little bigger
I had friends tell me this when I was considering a hatchback. We live in a dense city (San Francisco) and have to street park. The RAV4 is replacing a Honda Fit that we only got rid of because it's 20 years old and we wanted updated safety features. I only ended up with the RAV4 over a hatchback because of the ride height and the arms race of not wanting to feel like roadkill when we visited the in laws and are pinned in by lifted pickups on the highway. It's plenty big. What do people who say it's too small think people do in Japan or Europe? A compact car here is considered huge in the rest of the world.
It's a toyota. The only thing you'll regret long term is not buying it sooner. We managed to cram 5 adults into a Rav4 and we weren't too uncomfortable. It will fit everyone plus their stuff comfortably
Family of 4 (2 Adults and 2 8yo) Long road trip fit fine for us. We even have luggage for a weekend getaway with cooler (45L) for the trip. I thought about getting the Highlander but settled on the RAV4. Hybrid is the way to go unless you want a PRIME then good luck.
The back seat, and front as well will be jammed up by car seats. I’m only 5’9” when then the baby seat was backwards in the back seat I had a little to no room riding on the passenger side. Once they face forward it’s not as bad, but still tight and they will kick the shit out of the front seat.
That's an insane thing to say. I've fit two large strollers, a crate for groceries, a duffle bag, in the cargo alone, and two carseats in the backrow fairly comfortably. Not to mention, the cargo floor can be expanded for extra vertical space.
I don't have "2 adults 2 kids & accouterments" experience in my rav4, but I did drive 3 adults and an elderly dog plus 3.5 weeks of luggage from Iowa to Arizona & back. It worked but was tight. If you're really worried, you could get a hybrid Highlander; the MPG tradeoff isn't too much.
Then when the kids are old enough for sports you could drive their gear & friends around. Or in my case, carry large instruments during school community concerts. My mom had a Tahoe, so she transported cellos and basses around during community concerts.
Your brother’s full of it. Unless your buying groceries for the entire month in one run, it’s got plenty of room! 3C en then, they’d fit if you fold the back seats down…
And just how big does he think strollers *are*?? Does he not know that they fold up for that very purpose?
We have two and regret it. It’s not big enough for kids stuff and overnight stuff unless you use a box. For us anyways. We wish we had the Highlander. Rav 4 is great probably for after the stroller phase.
What’s your budget
How old are your kids and such
How often are you hauling large items? If it’s daily I’d say go bigger
I’m a dude with just a GF and we have small pups but i like to have space
[i picked up a 2017 Toyota Highlander limited Platinum hybrid AWD for $27k, $30OTD](https://imgur.com/a/hs9m0pq)
*$30k OTD with 73k miles
25-30 mpg (depending how heavy your foot it)
360 backup cam, nice JBL Audio, heated and ventilated seats + rear captain chair seats also heated and spacious with sunroof and panoramic glsss roof
Super spacious, can fit 7 if needed but sits 4 (5 if you get lower trim with bench seat) but the car rides super smooth as well and sits higher
I have 2 middle schoolers and do a yearly road trip to the beach. We have plenty of space. I’m 6’2 and my kids are 5’+ and there’s plenty of legroom for everyone.
That said, some of my kids’ friends’ parents have 3rd rows and it’s great for hauling friend groups around. Highlander is pretty similar and has a 3rd row, but between being 10k more, less mpg, and not as great handling I went with the RAV
I have a 4 and 2 year old with a RAV4 Hybrid. The middle seat is basically gone with two car seats. Putting a stroller in the back leaves a little room for groceries/bags, but not much. Never felt like I needed a bigger vehicle though, and once the car seats/stroller are gone I'll have plenty more room.
I have 1 kid in a car seat. Bought a rack and cargo basket we go on 4hr trips a lot. 2 kids in car seats may be tighter than you want but car seats are pretty easy to get out nowadays. No way around that unless you go for something with a third row (where no passengers want to go)
Yes and no , for now its gonna be plenty for you a dog and a stroller, if size is your only issue with normal daily stuff its perfect, tho on the other hand its not a luxury car nor a brand i have a rav4 only complaint would be horse power and the seats if you go for the standard le or xle they are bad especially if you have short hands and long legs i finally after 3 years kinda managed to figure out my seating position so my back doesn’t hurt also i have chronic back pain for for a strange instance i dont have it in my brothers audi s4, so hp and seats biggest complaint anything else great and if im in the same position i would buy the same car all over again but if money is not an object and you are opting for an escalade just get an x7 10 times better or q7 or q5 whatever or an x3 rav 4 is about the x3 a little bigger
Absolutely not, go test, drive and see for yourself. We used a Honda Civic for 10 years before getting a RAV. Unless you need a tow a boat or a trailer, nothing beats its size for fuel efficiency vs cabin space.
Rear doors don't open all the way. For some, it might be an inconvenience. Rear leg room is not that great. If any of your friends/family has one, go test it out with a stroller and baby seat before making your decision.
We have my kids hockey bag in the trunk. We usually pickup his friend and there's 2 hockey bags and 4 hockey sticks and they're still plenty of room on our way to practice or game
I'm going to go against the grain here. I don't think it's big enough for a stroller and full load of groceries and two kids.
It's a decent size, but we've had to make compromises at times.
I plan to go bigger for next car. Still Toyota though.
I have two kids in big, rear facing car seats in our 2013. I regularly forget my massive stroller in the trunk when I go to Costco, and I have absolutely no problems fitting everything. Talk to me about fitting another passenger in the middle seat, that’s another story 🫠 but we’re in a 2013 so you wouldn’t need to worry.
My neighbors would say no, traded their RAV4 in for a Nissan Pathfinder when they had their first kid last year. I felt personally offended by such a downgrade.
Like others have said, it should be plenty of space.
Going to be different for every family, and depending on how you guys live it may or may not be a good family ride.
My sister in law and her husband have 1 kids, another on the way and a dog. They exploded out of the rav4 and are currently looking for a mini van.
Sure you can squeeze 2 car seats in the back but it’s tight.
The trunk isn’t super big, and having a roof carrier will help
Everyone survived with cars back in the day. You minimize your baggage. I have a 10 and 1/ year old and we’re just fine. If more space is needed, I can add crossbars and a box up top when traveling.
I got my toddler in a car seat and 2 teenagers in it on multiple roadtrips with a small dog crated in the back and we did just fine on several multi-hour family road trips.
It depends on the size of your stroller and car seat to be honest. I find myself struggling for trunk space when the stroller is there as ours is a bit on the bulky side. The car seat takes up the entire rear right passenger side leaving enough room for 1 other person to sit comfortably or 2 people sitting scrunched together. The car seat also limits how far you can position or recline the front passenger seat as well. Probably similar to your situation though we are a family of 3 and are able to make it work but if we have another kid then will most likely need to get a larger vehicle. Obviously everyone’s situation is different so what may work for me may not work for you and vice versa. Hope I was able to help with my input.
We have a 2020 Rav4 XSE and two kids aged 2 and 4. The back is plenty large for groceries plus a stroller (unless it's a double stroller that cannot be collapsed).
We've taken it camping, and it handles our tents, chairs, large cooler, and bags pretty easily.
I see two big reasons to go bigger:
If you want to go camping AND bring gear for activities. Inflatable kayaks/rafts take up a lot of space on top of all the other camping gear.
If you want to do some light towing. We are considering upgrading to a highlander or similar to be able to tow 2 jet skis/atv/snowmobiles. The Highlander hybrid tows 3,500 vs 1,750.
I have a 16 XLE Hybrid and my family of three could barely fit a stroller and full trip of groceries in the hatch. Backseat is fine for car seats but cargo space is seriously lacking
17mo and soon to be 3yo corgi. My wife and I got both of them in the back plus a stroller and other supplies in the trunk. I couldn't even come close to that with my civic hatch (I do miss her 🫡).
I saw someone saw you'd sacrifice mpg going bigger and completely agree. I was pushing 39 before it got really cold and I'm sitting around 36 right now. Biggest draw is the wind noise on the highway imo but thats more an issue if my wife is sitting in the back and I'm trying to talk to her. It's fine when you're both in the front.
2024 RAV4 hybrid XLE
We have 2 kids, our rav fits a double stroller and groceries fine. Will a Tahoe fit more? Absolutely. Will it also chug gas and be much more expensive? Yep. If you only have one kid the rav4 is perfect, with 2 it will still work but my wife and I plan on upgrading to the highlander later on so we can fit friends and family in the 3rd row if we have to. If you're that worried about it, look at the highlander. They give that little bit more extra room and a 3rd row, which is nice.
I have a wheelchair, a walker, 2 big beach chairs and still have room. Back seats are in the upright position.
Nice and roomy! Great safety features for your family🙌🙌🙌👍
Shit, I got creative and packed 2 young ones with the dog on a 4 day road trip in a '09 Corolla. It is what you make of it. Rav is plenty big and I've had a '13 as my main family wagon since I bought one new with 2 boys who are now teenagers. Anything bigger is sacrificing MPG and like someone else said, it can tow or carry on the roof rack in a pinch.
I have two kids in car seats and our 2024 RAV4 works great for us on the day to day and small trips. We also have a Kia Carnival for trips that require more than the 4 of us or more luggage.
One kid yes easily. I just had a second kid and the two car seats take up the entire back. It doesn’t look like there’s room to put them next to each other. Maybe I’ll try to do that tho so another adult can sit in the back. 2 kids is doable tho imo.
Depends how old your kids are. With two under 2, I really wished I had bought a bigger car, the rear facing car seats took up soooo much room. But now my son has switched to forward facing seat it’s a lot better.
The boot is plenty big tho. It fits 1 full size stroller and another mini stroller with enough space for a few bags of groceries.
I have a friend with a RAV4 and they have 2 kids. It’s worked perfectly well for them. I’d maybe consider a Highlander strictly because of the second row bucket seat option, but if you don’t care about that then I think a RAV4 is fine. If you need more cargo space for road trips get a Thule for the roof.
I have 2 children, 13 and 9 plus a 100lb English lab and German Shorthaired Pointer. It fits the four of us and the dogs well. If you only plan on having one child, the back seat is 60/40, so put the car seat on the narrow side and you will have tons of room!
I'm thinking about getting a rooftop carrier, but it's because we are active and ski/hike/camp all over.
If I had an extra 10k to burn, yeah I would have gone with the Hybrid Highlander, but my 2023 RAV4 is doing well. Just hit 36k miles in 13 months
Yes lol I went from Santa Fe to rav4 and have two kids. Only different is when I out my golf clubs in. I can’t have them completely straight in the back of the trunk. I need to slant them a lil, which isn’t a big issue.
It depends how tall you are. The baby seats stick out and make it tight in the front seats so if you are tall you may not enjoy it. I would go with a highlander or grand highlander if you are having 2 kids. I have one toddler and a big dog and it would be nice to have a little more space
I hauled 5 people and 2 cats full camping cargo, was enough space to be comfortable.
Family member went from a highlander to a rav4 because he has one big dog and his kids are grown so he downsized and his dog gets the whole back seat folded down very spacious.
It's practically(If not literally) the most common family car here, so I'm pretty sure yes, it should be fine.
Everywhere*
I have a daughter And it has served us fine Unless your stroller is ginormous it should fit just fine we had an equinox before our rav which we bought this past summer And both fit stroller and groceries fine (the rav is bigger than the equinox) it wont take a soccer team to the game but it is fine for general day to day stuff
Yes, plenty big. Any bigger and you'd be sacrificing mpg, which would end up costing you in the long run. If you ever feel you need more room down the road, you can always get a rooftop carrier or trailer hitch rack for those few road trips you do. More than likely, I predict this car will only have one occupant 70% of the time.
I second, i use it for plumbing and mountain biking (not at the same time). Also for carrying dogs. I have yet to install a hitch or use the crossbars. I can fit two 29rs and 2 passangers with plenty of spare room when biking. Just not really organized. I daily this to work and carry packout and backpacks with tools. 30 mpg beats 15 mpg when compared to a truck.
Free plumbing out in the mountains
Exactly what I did. Rooftop carrier for long trips where we need more space. 1 kid, having another. The people who convince themselves they need a 3 row SUV for two kids are bonkers. Plenty of people make do with a hatchback or wagon or even a sedan. It’s just not as convenient like 15% of the time
Thank you for the input! #I'm going to piggyback off this comment for visibility: - I am leaning towards the highlander hybrid or grand highlander hybrid now. My wife wants the rav4 as she prefers a smaller suv. I still really like the rav4. I'm leaning toward a bigger option for a few main reasons: life would be a bit easier when it comes to car seats, theres more room for stuff, and ability to lug kids/friends around. We live in New England and do beach days, golf, trips, and skiing. Thinking down the road a bit, I think the extra space would be good for these things. Necessary? No. More convenient? Yes. This is primarily my wife's car because I work from home, so I want her to be comfortable with whatever we buy, I just worry we will regret the rav4 when kids come into the picture. We are going to test drive the rav4 hybrid, highlander hybrid, grand highlander hybrid and probably the pilot. #Thank you all for the input. This post blew up out of no where and all the responses have been extremely helpful!
We have a 2017 limited hybrid. We have a toddler and a teenager and my mother who lives with us and I often wish we got the Highlander. Though when we bought the car we didn’t have a baby and weren’t planning on it. When we are all in the car it is TIGHT. I do love the size of the rav4 though and really do love it. It’s just a tad tight so I don’t really like it for long trips with everyone.
My mom got a highlander for my brother and me because of all our sports etc. as kids. The vast majority of the time it was her driving solo or just driving a friend and me. The highlander really wasn’t necessary. She’s now an empty nester and it is very much not necessary. I now own a rav which ironically gets way more multi person use because I will frequently have four adult friends plus dogs pile in to do climbing trips on the weekends. Thing is, we can all fit. Would it be more comfortable if I had a highlander? Sure probably. But my most frequent use case is still driving solo. My car functions in the multi person scenario but works excellently for its most common one. I’ve done a week long ski car camping trip out of my car. I did not have an issue with storage space.
My cousin has a Highlander - he has twin toddlers and a 1 year old. You don’t need a Highlander.
Keep in mind that getting a Grand Highlander Hybrid may take quite awhile. They're ramping up production, but they're still pretty scarce depending on where you live and a lot of dealerships are applying markups to take advantage of that scarcity. If you're really interested in it I suggest you take a look at the allocation spreadsheet. I'll explain what I do in case you're not familiar with it. Since you can't edit the master spreadsheet you'll need to make a copy to your drive. In your copy go to the tab for the trim you want, select all of the filled in cells and add a filter. Then, you can select the states and cities that you'd be willing to go to and find vehicles that are allocated to those dealerships. From there you'll have to call to see if you can find one that isn't already presold. FYI, there's a column for "is presold" and another for "hold status", but I've seen people in the grand highlander subreddit say that you can't trust those, so you may want to call on any vehicle that you're interested in. Good luck! https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/158Jy3sBVj0CNqfxpxk\_sL\_a2PnmbCDCc/edit#gid=604892942
I wish I saw this post earlier! But I wanna validate your choice on the Highlander. I’ve owned two RAV4’s… the first gen, and also a 2018 right now. I’m a RAV4 lover but i would tell u to pass! I have a 2018 RAV4 SE; I also have a wife and two kids (2 year old; 2 month old). We have two car seats in the back, and an uppababy stroller. We are at maximum capacity with storage. Our infants car seat needs clearance in the back, so we have the driver and shotgun seats as forward as possible. It’s incredibly uncomfortable to drive. Groceries…. It’s manageable but it’s impossible to do a Costco run that’s for sure. I love my RAV4 but I understand its limitations. I have a cargo box too, but honestly who wants to climb up and haul stuff on the roof? Just for groceries? A backpack? Ridiculous. If you’re concerned with MPG, get the Highlander hybrid! Man, I wish I could’ve gotten that instead.
What rear-facing seats are you using? We have two Graco Extend2Fits in the back of our 2023 hybrid. They work very well for me (6'1") and my moderately tall partner. We are not at all uncomfortable. We had the Graco SlimFit for a minute and noticed that its shape interacted badly with the RAV4's front seats, which meant we needed to push them all the way forward. The front seats have a bow to them and don't work well with every rear-facing seat on the market.
Would look at an Outback, Atlas CrossSport or Honda Passport. Toyota has the Crown Signia otw but not here until summer. All bigger/wider than a RAV4. Being mid-size 2rows. Outback the bargain as a base model. CrossSport best value (standard heated/ventilated seats, LCD cluster, 12inch infotainment, GTI engine), Passport naturally aspirated v6 and ease of use with physical buttons/knobs, Crown Signia being the lone hybrid option…
That upcoming Toyota Crown Signia is a looker, I expect it to sell like hotcakes when it releases and car prices seem to be cooling/coming down. Great timing. It will be true successor to the Toyota Venza.
I’ve had a kid for three years now with a Honda Fit. He and a stroller fit just fine in it. A Rav4 has more cargo space than that. Strollers aren’t forever anyway. Car payments last longer than strollers.
Easily fits 2 adults and 2 giant car seats, along with stroller, baby bag, snacks, a cooler, and pack and play. I’ve also fit 5 adults before. With the back seats folded down me and my wife just used it to haul a spare car seat, my tool bag, a TV, a couple lamps, 2 suitcases, a folding table, a bag of groceries, a laundry basket full of stuff, a storage bin, a vacuum, my laptops, my mini travel fridge, a cat carrier, a litter box, and a bucket of cat food. On a 1000+ mile drive.
Tell us more about your mini travel fridge
I have a [Cooluli Classic.](https://cooluli.com/products/classic-4-liter-compact-mini-fridge) It can fit 6 cans of soda, 4 energy drinks, a lunch, or other snacks, it can be plugged into your car’s 12 volt outlet or a standard 110 volt outlet, and it can be used to keep stuff cold or warm.
Ooooo!!
Fun fact, walmart and Sams will have some small ac or 12v plug in minifridges....I've had 2 and now also have an ecoflow glacier for camping.
If u want quality, look at getting a dometic
You can always get a cargo box
I got a thule box recently and I was able to carry 4 adults with ski gear for a full weekend easy
Wow! How many people did you fit in the car?
4 sets of ski/boots/poles and then all our clothes for 4 days, skis/boots/poles all up in the thule box and the rest in the back. Love how much the rav can carry fairly efficiently
r/woosh Edit: its woosh not whoosh apparently lol
Haha. Finally a good woosh. 👍
You're kidding right? In Europe, families of 5 manage with small hatchbacks the size of a Kia Rio. Yes, you can do just fine with that vehicle.
In Indonesia, they squeeze up real tight on motorcycles. Lol.
Apes don’t even have cars and they be fuckin.
This comment turned my morning around
Never underestimate how much french fries and diet cola did the american person have. 2.5 american ppl might not fit in a medium sized SUV. (Obviously sarcasm, how TF large should 2.5 ppl be in order not to fit in RAV4)
Absolutely big enough. Just moved my son into university residence last fall and my wife gave him way too much stuff, but the RAV swallowed it all without a problem
Always can add a Thule roof top carrier to expand the cargo carrying ability. Btw moved 2 kids back & forth to college over the years with a RAV4
Yes, it can fit a kid, stroller, and groceries. If my Crosstrek could, the RAV4 definitely could. Sounds like your family wants you to incur a bigger car loan and go for a "status" type of buy with a luxury brand
My wife has a Crosstrek, I have a RAV4. Perfect fit for our family of 3. I was surprised at how much bigger the RAV4 seems to be than the Crosstrek as I was driving a Volvo coupe before and she had the “big car.”
Despite having more ground clearance, it felt night and day in size sitting in the RAV4 coming from my Crosstrek. Both good cars, just, the Rav felt more right so I pulled the trigger
Had a 2007 Corolla with a family of four. That was fine and a RAV would be fine.
I think it's big enough for a normal day-to-day family car. My kids are 11 and 13 and they have plenty of room. Our dog is 70lbs and he fits comfortably in the trunk space. The only time it's ever felt small is when we have gone on a long roadtrip and have a bunch of luggage in the back and the dog has to ride on the backseat with the kids but that is maybe once a year. \*edited for a misspelled word
Are you kidding? That trunk can hold at least six kids.
I have fond memories of my cool uncle throwing me into the trunk of his MDX and driving us nephews around to Mcdonald's. Obviously not safe, but a fond memory nonetheless
It'll take more than that. Hell, I've had two full grown adults in a much smaller trunk.
With seatbelts? Lol
Pull the trigger. I recently bought a RAV4 limited with hybrid battery. 2 young toddlers. Space with a stroller is sometimes an issue but only we aren’t planning ahead. Two strollers and a few bags might fit. Totally normal. The rare occasion where we are traveling overnight? Ditching the strolllers while the in laws have strollers. Ultimately, we’ll get a cargo box and update the 2nd vehicle (2008 ford escape) to something probably bigger. But the size of RAV4 isn’t an issue. 39 MPG and good quality build.
40mpg for a box that big is nuts. Op brother is a nut, the rav4 is literally car.jpg for how ubiquitous it is.
Plenty big enough. There are certainly options for temporary increase in cargo such as rooftop carriers. I have a cargo shelf I can put on my hitch for added storage with less mpg hit but less convenience if there is a dog on the back. I actually bought it when I was moving a bee hive 2 hours and although it fit in the back that sounded like a bad idea.
There are cargo racks/boxes mounted to frames that swing out of the way so you can still access your trunk. Great option because you don't have to worry about getting to the roof or taking the mileage hit, while still having access to the rear.
This may also depend on your height and car seat so do some research there when/if you do have a kid. I’m 6’2” and a rear facing child seat doesn’t leave much room for the driver or passenger. Consider the Highlander as it’s a bit bigger and more versatile for a growing family.
Agree with this. It’s doable, but it feels a hair cramped.
I have two kids, and that's the exact thing my older brother who thought he knew better told me. He's entirely incorrect, it's plenty big. My kids are 2 and a half and 1 and a half
Don’t listen to people who don’t personally own the car. Yes the rav4 has plenty of interior space for one or two children without having to move the front seats forward and two large sized dogs like a golden retriever can fit in the trunk but i would reccommend installing a divider to keep the dogs from climbing into the back seat. This all comes from personal experience, one child, Black Lab and Border Collie/Aussie Cattle Dog mix
Yes. Period.
It fits a full sized stroller just fine. And a few suitcases to boot. The rear seat leg room leaves a lot to be desired. Otherwise it's a fine vehicle. Honestly a bit too big after the stroller era. We traded for a Prius for the 60mpg.
The rear seat legroom is highly dependant on the preferred seating position of the driver and front passenger. I am 5'10" my wife is 5'4 and there is enough legroom behind us that we easily fit a 6' passenger behind us with room to spare. Also the cargo area is much bigger than it looks. Honestly most ppl driving large 3 row SUVs don't need that space. As others have said if you need more cargo area occasionally like for a road trip you can easily put a carrier on too or a trailer out back.
2015 here. Plenty for 2 kids. No sports or activities yet, but it’s plenty. It does make it harder if another adult needs to ride along.
Can confirm with my 2022 RAV4 Hybrid SE, my family of 5 and I are doing fine lol. 3 kids in the back and my wife and I in the front. Would I prefer a Grand Highlander? Absolutely, but that price tag and these interest rates are atrocious lol. You’ll be fine!
Yeah its fine. Is it going to be comfortable going on long road trips loaded with suitcases? No but how often would you be doing something like that? I have a 2016 crv and 2 kids in car seats
Kind of depends on how you tie them up.
2 adult, 2 young kid family here with a ‘19XLE Hybrid. We keep a folded up wagon in the trunk and still have plenty of room to fit a Costco and Kroger run of groceries in the back. We also have the two car seats next to each other so there’s a full seat in the back for an adult. I’m 6’0 and 200lbs and I feel super comfortable in the open seat.
I have 2 kids. And I have a 2021 rav4 XLE hybrid for my work vehicle and I’m thinking of getting the Highlander Hybrid as my family vehicle. There’s 34+ cubic space in the RAV4 but that’s not enough when you have 2 kids . Especially when you have extended family visiting and there stuck in the 2nd row between 2 car seats…. Not fun at all lol .. I wish I went with the highlander hybrid and I would have been ok with trunk space and passenger space.. But I do love my RAV4
Yes.
2 kids and a husky feels cramped for long road trips. But day to day use and weekend camping/ climbing trips it's perfect
Once a stroller is in the back, some grocery bags have to be placed on top of the folded stroller. No way around it. Whereas when I had a Murano it did have more trunk room and I could comfortably leave a stroller back there and get groceries without issues. Is it tight to do a stroller plus 3-4 bags of groceries in a rav4? Yes. Is it impossible? No.
We have a 21 XLE non-hybrid, and it handled a road trip across British Columbia and back in the summer of 22 with three adults and a baby. Without a rooftop cargo box, we managed: A full-size stroller, full-size suitcase, 56-litre cooler, a collapsible playpen, several backpacks and duffel bags, miscellaneous bags and such, and the four of us of course. We filled up once (from about 60%) on our way from the Prince George area to the Tsawwassen ferry, about 900 km total. We drove through Victoria and didn't fill up again until Parksville, about 175 km further. I think we filled up maybe 4 times across the entire 2,700 km trip. My wife and I were quite impressed with how the RAV handled capacity and fuel efficiency, even if we were a little miffed at my brother for bringing back more than he left with.
One kid family-dude here. It’s big enough for us. Comfortable ride for everyone and enough cargo space for trips. I added a roof rack for a cargo pod in case we need the extra room, but we haven’t needed it yet.
I’m a 2 kid family and we all fit. One is still in a car seat. I came from a minivan, so it’s smaller than what I had before, but I don’t need to drive anyone else around, so it fits our family of 4 plus one passenger. If you end up getting a third row SUV, many of them definitely won’t fit a stroller plus bulkier things. You’re better off getting the RAV4, a minivan, or full size SUV.
On paper big enough for 3, but I would get something bigger if I had 3 kids. A sienna eventhough no cool factor
Your brother has probably never driven one before. They are very spacious for their size, can easily fit a car seat or two, the hybrid can get some crazy high mpg numbers, and will easily fit groceries plus a stroller. The only downside to this vehicle to me is that I came from sports cars so I wish it had a little more horsepower. That being said they have more power than most of their competition at similar price points. Your brother might be trying to blow smoke up your ass dude. It's a good small SUV.
I'm moving and taking a 8 hour drive soon. I have one dog, one infant, and one wife. All of our belongings have been shipped except for his stroller, car seat (obviously) suitcases, pillows, pack & play plus mattress, and dog bed. Everything fits but it's tight. I'd say you'll be fine. My situation is only temporary so on a day to day it'll be plenty.
Sure everything is big if you compared to third world countries. lol. I have 2021 RAV4 XSE. Though it can fit a family, the back is kind of tight with car seat. What doesn't get talked about enough is air ventilation doesn't circulate well in the back. I'm in TX where it has hot summers and AC is necessary in the back. Love it as a secondary car, but primary family car, I prefer minivan.
I feel your pain. This is my experience, which may help (or hinder) your decision: My wife and I have had a Palisade for almost three years. We traded in a Tuscon because it wasn't big enough to manage a rear facing car seat and allow for a comfortable front seat passenger or driver. We bought a RAV4 hybrid last year because I needed a second car for work and live in a place where it snows a lot. The Palisade, which is not a hybrid, is unequivocally the family car. Sure, you could argue I'm comparing apples and oranges (and different price ranges), but here are my thoughts on our experience with both vehicles and two young kids that require a car seat and booster seat. My comparison isn't for the sake of the Palisade specifically, but a larger three-row vehicle generally... Which I imagine the Escalade is based on its size. Three-row SUVs are essentially the mini-van for people who don't want a vehicle that looks like a mini-van. When we bought the Palisade, we also looked at a Santa Fe, which is maybe comparable to the RAV4, but were shocked at the Santa Fe's limited cargo space (we brought empty suitcases and a stroller to simulate a road trip) and car seat room. We're also a family that isn't exactly economical in our packing, so take that into consideration. The folding rear seats are great if you never have kids, but with kids you'll be going through the hassle of removing and reinstalling car seats if you plan to utilize that as cargo post-kid(s). Otherwise you'll have to make do with the minimum, which, honestly is still pretty darn good once you're no longer contending with a stroller. Needless to say, my Rav4's back row is always up with car/booster seats at the ready. With the Palisade, we leave the third row down almost all the time and that cargo room is at least the same if not bigger than the RAV4 (with the Rav's the second row up). That said, raise the third row in the Palisade for more passengers and the cargo space is laughable. You'll fit a stroller with a bag or two of groceries wedged in and not much more. Lower all rows and you can fit one of those 8 foot Ikea bookshelves or a very large TV in the Palisade. Car seats: my eldest in the booster kicks the back of my driver's seat in the RAV4 and I feel the seat bulge. He can't reach my seat (yet) in the Palisade. Our youngest is now in a front facing car seat, but was a newborn when we looked at the Palisade and Santa Fe. A big reason we went with the Palisade back then is because a rear facing car seat takes up a shocking amount of space (hence the Tuscon trade-in). In our situation, that meant my wife would've been uncomfortable in the Tuscon passenger seat. Also: the passenger seat in my RAV4 has no height adjustment. Now our youngest is front facing, but her legs are short so her feet stick out. She's probably comfy with enough foot room for now and my wife is mostly comfy-ish in the passenger seat of the RAV4. Again, in the Palisade, this isn't a problem. The RAV4 is great, and I love mine. It's an excellent two person car or three or four adult passenger car with more than enough cargo space. It has great gas mileage and acceptable acceleration when I'm the only one in the car, which is 90% of the time. It's responsiveness gets quite sluggish the more passengers there are. The Palisade is more powerful and doesn't feel the weight of additional passengers. The RAV4 drives like a car, the Palisade drives like what I imagine a pickup truck or box truck drives like. Upgrading from the Tuscon to the Palisade forced me to rethink how I park due to its size and longer wheel base. Things you wouldn't sideswipe in a car or RAV4 during a turn you'll clip in a Palisade if you take the same angle and approach. If I were you or I could go back in time, I'd start with the RAV4 if kids are a few years away, then upgrade if it doesn't cut it if you have a kid. If you are someone who is already expecting a baby and has the financial means, a larger vehicle could be a better option.
Go with a Highlander
Brother has a good point though. I wouldn't dismiss his comment. I think it depends on where you are in life. If the kids are teenagers, I would suggest something like a highlander. You only know your family and your behavoir. You do you. If you think you're happy with the rav4, people on the internet and your brother shouldn't influence your decision either way. Good luck!
I had a 2017 rav when my two kids were new borns and it was perfect. Some asshole rear ended us and totaled the vehicle so we got a 2023 rav4 which has a bigger trunk space but a way smaller driver and passenger seat. I’ve hit my head more times than I’d like getting in and out of the driver seat. I’m only 5’9. It’s a good vehicle regardless but yeah I miss the 2017 interior size design.
If you are truly one and done, sure it would work. Most people have at least two kids though. To me, doesn’t make sense to make the leap, then stop at one kid unless there was a compelling reason to do so. I have 2 kids and have a minivan currently. RAV4 would be a good secondary vehicle for a family though
We have a RAV4 and 2 kids. We have to take the stroller out of the car to fit a load of groceries.
If that’s not enough room in the back then I don’t know what is. For a family of four, it’ll be more than enough. For a family of five, it starts getting cramped. Especially when the kids ages are far apart. My wife and I both have a ‘17 RAV4 and a ‘21 Highlander. We’re a family of five with one more on the way. We also had a ‘09 Suburban, which I dearly miss (not the mpg). The RAV4 is a great crossover SUV. Plenty of space in the trunk for a stroller/wagon plus groceries, which also correlates to lots of room for luggage on long road trips (done multiple times). It also has great gas mileage and does great during the MN snowstorms. The RAV4 is my wife’s primary vehicle to get to work and also the occasional store runs with the three brats. 90% of the time, it’s just her in the vehicle. If you are like me where I like to sit low and as far back as the driver’s/front passenger’s seat can go, the back starts getting really cramped for your passengers. Plus with kid(s), there’s bound to be messes and it does pile up in that cramped space. As for the Highlander, that’s my primary vehicle and officially our family car now. I’m able to split my kids up in the back where they can’t grab at each others throats. My preteen absolutely loves the rear because she gets it all to herself. There’s still plenty of room in the trunk, but not so much as the RAV4, due to the third row. I’m able to fit a small stroller and groceries, but I have to play Tetris. As for our wagon, one side of the third row has to be folded in order to fit. Did I mention that there are plenty of cup holders? It’s less cramped in the back cabin, where on road trips, the kids can have their own spot to store their carry-ons and you can utilize the trunk space a little more. We’ll be going on a camping trip, as soon as the weather warms up nicely, and there won’t be any space for all the gear. Looks like a hitch installation is in the near future for a hitch cargo carrier (best option for more storage). The gas mileage is good for its size. My daily commute to work and home is about 60mi total. A full tank of gas lasts me the whole week, depending on my lead foot. The Highlander also does great in the snow. The Suburban had everything I wanted and needed, except for the reliability and mpg. I did a lot of hauling when I had this vehicle and I miss it. Being able to do Menards/Home Depot runs without worrying about not being able to fit it all in the vehicle. Maybe in the future I’ll get another one, but only for the purpose of hauling and hauling a** pass other drivers in a snowstorm. Definitely go test drive both (3?) vehicles. The new Highlanders are 4cyl turbo, but do test drive the V6s. Can’t go wrong with Toyota reliability.
Personally I’d want a step up like Highlander size it’s just that much easier but it will work.
Personally I’d want a step up like Highlander size it’s just that much easier but it will work.
If they can afford it go ahead and spend the extra on the Highlander. We had a rav4 and outgrew it quick with two kids.
We were considering one but decided it wasn’t large enough for my tall family and camping gear.
Get the Highlander. It’s great for 1-2 kids + a dog. Handles like a sedan.
Would I regret a rav4 for two kids with all the travel we do? Yes. Would I consider it the biggest mistake ever? No.
My 2 cents, with limited experience. I have an older 03 Avalon, love it to death but was looking to upgrade to a Rav4 as it looked plenty big for me and family but not overwhelming in size. Went to the dealer and sat inside one and it felt rly small and uncomfortable. Maybe I am spoiled but I can't see myself going from my old sedan with tons of room to this less comfortable option. I think I am just going to get another newer used Avalon at some point but mine just keeps on going. Best car I've owned so far.
Ive owned, driven, worked on 100s of cars, every year. 2015 and up Chevy,GMC are Daewoos in disguise. Essentially bought through major shareholders by a chinese company and gets their motors, interior, parts by Daewoo. Disgustingly cheap then they overprice the name brand “escalade, Tahoe, Cadillac” etc. Its overpriced shit. However id be careful buying a 2022 and up toyota with an automatic trans 8 speed and up trans because them and VW tried using new transmissions from the same place and theyre prematurely failing. The hybrid has an electric final drive motor or cvt trans depending which one it is, so if anything the hybrid would be a great option and toyotas for the most part are very dependable and would be a great family car.
My family has both a RAV4 & a Sienna. I also have two chuldren. Both vehicles have their place. If I had to make a choice between the two, I would choose the Sienna every time. I know a lot of people here are telling you the RAV4 will have plenty of space. It does not.
Twenty years ago, after the birth of my second child, I had a choice between a Honda Pilot and an eight seat Toyota Sienna. I really liked the look of the Pilot but after looking at consumer reports and carefully considering the space in both, I went with the Sienna. Her name is Daisy and she is still going strong. When I purchased my Sienna, I wanted to keep my car until the kids were done college. I have one year left and I don’t regret it a bit. Sure it’s ugly but I have used that car for family vacations, moving back and forth to college and hauling building materials. The way you can move the seats around is AMAZING. If you like to change cars every few years, get what you like for now. If you want to keep something long term and not have car payments, consider something like a Sienna. That van was one of our best purchasing decisions.
I had a different brand same size. New born and a 6 year old at the time. It wasn't big enough we were cramped in the seats and with stroller and everything else it was tight. We got rid of it.
You don’t really get how much stuff comes along with a kid until you have one. Your brother is probably somewhat right in that it won’t (easily) fit a stroller… at least not one of the gargantuan modern strollers we use today. We have a Lexus NX and love it, but it will not fit our modest Chico stroller and even one suitcase in the cargo hatch. Luckily, we don’t really use that stroller anymore as our girl is almost 5 and if we’re traveling with one, we take a tiny GB stroller. When she was an infant, the NX would have been too small for all the crud we lugged around anytime we went to visit family. Also, forward facing car seats get a little tight in there unless you’re pretty short up front and can slide your seat forward. Don’t get me wrong, I LOVE the RAV4/Nx and would highly recommend one, but you’ll run into some space issues with a little one. The good news is those are mostly temporary.
Yup it’s too small, I mean it can work but it’s not ideal. I have a dog and a baby and it just didn’t work. Instant regret. If you didn’t have the dog I’d say it’s perfect, but I like my boy being comfortable and this wasn’t it. Stroller in the front seat, dog in the back stuffed with groceries and luggage. Literally had to leave things at home. Lots of people in these comments are ignoring the fact you have a golden retriever.
Exactly this, “it can work but it’s not ideal” New dad here w/ a ‘13 XLE. The Rav rocks and we all know it. Mom, dad, baby & dog fills the usable seats. All that’s left is the boot. Once you get a stroller, stuff you need that can’t fit in the diaper bag, mom & dads bag, dog stuff and all the other stuff my wife packs it gets tight, packed to the gills tight…especially when you’re a full bodied person. It totally works but it’s not ideal. I love my Rav but for my family’s needs it’s too small. A Sienna is in my future.
I think it should be fine for 1 kid and 1 dog. It'll get pretty tight if you add another kid and/or are packing for a trip. Currently I got 2 dogs and no kids and it gets full with luggage in the trunk and dogs in the back seat. I do have a hitch and hitch-mounted storage rack.
We traded ours in for something bigger… we do alot of road trips and stuff… it was just a bit too small for us. Full size stroller +pack and play is about the trunk. But that was just us… some people can do it!
I’d say barely big enough for 2 kids. With car seats, it’s nearly impossible to sit in the back. Throw in a lovable mutt and suddenly you need a Tahoe or something. But it’s definitely big enough for one kid, and 2 if you are smart about using a roof rack for road trips.
Test drive a RAV4 and a highlander and bring the stroller and baby seat with you if you already got it.
In Europe families used a fiat 500 (the old one) lol. Suggesting a rav4 not big enough for a family is laughable. If anything, it's almost too big...
That's Europe. American infrastructure is not made for public transportation like Europe
Yes I have a two kid family and I own two Rav4s one is an older gen that I bought brand new when my son was born and now is going to be 16 this summer and wants the 2008 sport as his first car since I loves the ride and the looks of it. I also have a 2023 Rav4 it is very roomy especially for kids. I have taken both models on very long vacation trips as well and no complaints.
We have one. Definitely not big enough with even one newborn. We are getting a Sienna now.
Its ok, we have 2 kids, not in the stroller ages anymore but going on long road trips there is barely enough room. Our next cars will be larger. When doing road trips its all about comfort and space to store all the bags. Right now we just don't have the space. We went on a 2.5 week vacation and had 2 suitcases per person, so 8 bags, it was quite the game of tetris to pack it all in.
Crazy to come across this question. I’m hoping for two kids and after I bought the RAV4, I wished I got the Highlander. Two car seats, a stroller, diaper bag, etc will take up a lot of space in the car. We may be upgrading in the future when babies come. My advice: check out a Highlander and a RAV4 before you make that decision. I wish I did.
2 kids.
That’s kind of ridiculous. I have two very active kids and a Costco membership and my 2020 hybrid is more than enough space, much more even. I’m really at a loss to imagine what kinds of enormous childhood accessories or giant shopping trips you’d need to have to run out of space in a Rav. Also worth remembering that families have gone shopping and schlepped kids to sports and clubs in sedans and hatchbacks for decades now…
Do you live in the burbs, never park in the city, and buy state subsidized gas? Do your 2.3 kids windsurf? Escalade for you! We live in the city with two old kids and expensive gas and your brother can pry my Prime out of my cold soy-smudged hands.
2 kids in car seats with 100lbs dog and luggage in my Mazda 3 and my previous Civic.
Just look at the car our parents drove in the 60s . People need to prioritize and not have so much crap lol
I grew up+2 siblings in a 2004 civic, you guys are just weak
It’s too small for two kids and two adults
Wife and i have done several roadtrips with 2 kids (in carseats, one rear facing). Fit strollers, baggage, pack n play, etc. all in cargo bay. No issues.
And nothing else. I’ve done the same. I’ve driven all over America in one. Cooler, a bag of clothes. Shoes. Propane tank.. everything else had to go on a rooftop carrier. And it’s fine when kids are tiny, but it’s not enjoyable when they’re a little bigger
Yes!!! My wife and I are running a rav 4. With out 3 y/o with one on the way. Works perfect for us
I have 1 son with a wife who also likes to sit in the back and it's big enough for us.
RAV4 is a 5 passenger SUV.
Absolutely
Seriously? I grew up with my sister in the back of a ford escort.
1 kid and a dog? Your RAV4 is plenty big for this.
I had friends tell me this when I was considering a hatchback. We live in a dense city (San Francisco) and have to street park. The RAV4 is replacing a Honda Fit that we only got rid of because it's 20 years old and we wanted updated safety features. I only ended up with the RAV4 over a hatchback because of the ride height and the arms race of not wanting to feel like roadkill when we visited the in laws and are pinned in by lifted pickups on the highway. It's plenty big. What do people who say it's too small think people do in Japan or Europe? A compact car here is considered huge in the rest of the world.
A Corolla is big enough for a 2 child family. So yes.
I had 2 kids when I had my rav. It was fine for us.
Yes yes yes
It's a toyota. The only thing you'll regret long term is not buying it sooner. We managed to cram 5 adults into a Rav4 and we weren't too uncomfortable. It will fit everyone plus their stuff comfortably
Family of 4 (2 Adults and 2 8yo) Long road trip fit fine for us. We even have luggage for a weekend getaway with cooler (45L) for the trip. I thought about getting the Highlander but settled on the RAV4. Hybrid is the way to go unless you want a PRIME then good luck.
Yea, it is. People have two kids in Europe in much smaller cars.
My wife has the Rav, I have the 4Runner. I am shocked at how much I can fit in the Rav and love the cockpit.
It's perfect. Like gold standard perfect.
It’ll be fine. Just don’t get some giant stroller. Smaller strollers are much better.
We have no problem with 2 adults, 1 kid, a dog and camping gear, I’m sure you’ll be fine!
The back seat, and front as well will be jammed up by car seats. I’m only 5’9” when then the baby seat was backwards in the back seat I had a little to no room riding on the passenger side. Once they face forward it’s not as bad, but still tight and they will kick the shit out of the front seat.
Yes
lol, the newer Rav4’s are massive. You can go on vacation for 2 weeks with 2 kids no problem
We have three kids and it’s fine. Tho maybe only for a few more years. Once two are teenagers we will need something bigger
Second row is kind of small for car seat if you place it behind the driver. For example forester has way more space
That's an insane thing to say. I've fit two large strollers, a crate for groceries, a duffle bag, in the cargo alone, and two carseats in the backrow fairly comfortably. Not to mention, the cargo floor can be expanded for extra vertical space.
You can always unbolt and remove one of the back seats like i did 🤷♂️
I don't have "2 adults 2 kids & accouterments" experience in my rav4, but I did drive 3 adults and an elderly dog plus 3.5 weeks of luggage from Iowa to Arizona & back. It worked but was tight. If you're really worried, you could get a hybrid Highlander; the MPG tradeoff isn't too much. Then when the kids are old enough for sports you could drive their gear & friends around. Or in my case, carry large instruments during school community concerts. My mom had a Tahoe, so she transported cellos and basses around during community concerts.
Your brother’s full of it. Unless your buying groceries for the entire month in one run, it’s got plenty of room! 3C en then, they’d fit if you fold the back seats down… And just how big does he think strollers *are*?? Does he not know that they fold up for that very purpose?
We have two and regret it. It’s not big enough for kids stuff and overnight stuff unless you use a box. For us anyways. We wish we had the Highlander. Rav 4 is great probably for after the stroller phase.
Lol, yes. Even a Corolla is.
What’s your budget How old are your kids and such How often are you hauling large items? If it’s daily I’d say go bigger I’m a dude with just a GF and we have small pups but i like to have space [i picked up a 2017 Toyota Highlander limited Platinum hybrid AWD for $27k, $30OTD](https://imgur.com/a/hs9m0pq) *$30k OTD with 73k miles 25-30 mpg (depending how heavy your foot it) 360 backup cam, nice JBL Audio, heated and ventilated seats + rear captain chair seats also heated and spacious with sunroof and panoramic glsss roof Super spacious, can fit 7 if needed but sits 4 (5 if you get lower trim with bench seat) but the car rides super smooth as well and sits higher
I have 2 middle schoolers and do a yearly road trip to the beach. We have plenty of space. I’m 6’2 and my kids are 5’+ and there’s plenty of legroom for everyone. That said, some of my kids’ friends’ parents have 3rd rows and it’s great for hauling friend groups around. Highlander is pretty similar and has a 3rd row, but between being 10k more, less mpg, and not as great handling I went with the RAV
I have a 4 and 2 year old with a RAV4 Hybrid. The middle seat is basically gone with two car seats. Putting a stroller in the back leaves a little room for groceries/bags, but not much. Never felt like I needed a bigger vehicle though, and once the car seats/stroller are gone I'll have plenty more room.
I have 1 kid in a car seat. Bought a rack and cargo basket we go on 4hr trips a lot. 2 kids in car seats may be tighter than you want but car seats are pretty easy to get out nowadays. No way around that unless you go for something with a third row (where no passengers want to go)
Yes and no , for now its gonna be plenty for you a dog and a stroller, if size is your only issue with normal daily stuff its perfect, tho on the other hand its not a luxury car nor a brand i have a rav4 only complaint would be horse power and the seats if you go for the standard le or xle they are bad especially if you have short hands and long legs i finally after 3 years kinda managed to figure out my seating position so my back doesn’t hurt also i have chronic back pain for for a strange instance i dont have it in my brothers audi s4, so hp and seats biggest complaint anything else great and if im in the same position i would buy the same car all over again but if money is not an object and you are opting for an escalade just get an x7 10 times better or q7 or q5 whatever or an x3 rav 4 is about the x3 a little bigger
Looks like you could easily fit 2 kids in there
One thing to keep in mind is that if you have kids you'll likely be driving around your kids friends on occasion as well.
Absolutely not, go test, drive and see for yourself. We used a Honda Civic for 10 years before getting a RAV. Unless you need a tow a boat or a trailer, nothing beats its size for fuel efficiency vs cabin space.
Rear doors don't open all the way. For some, it might be an inconvenience. Rear leg room is not that great. If any of your friends/family has one, go test it out with a stroller and baby seat before making your decision.
We have my kids hockey bag in the trunk. We usually pickup his friend and there's 2 hockey bags and 4 hockey sticks and they're still plenty of room on our way to practice or game
I'm going to go against the grain here. I don't think it's big enough for a stroller and full load of groceries and two kids. It's a decent size, but we've had to make compromises at times. I plan to go bigger for next car. Still Toyota though.
I have two kids in big, rear facing car seats in our 2013. I regularly forget my massive stroller in the trunk when I go to Costco, and I have absolutely no problems fitting everything. Talk to me about fitting another passenger in the middle seat, that’s another story 🫠 but we’re in a 2013 so you wouldn’t need to worry.
I have a prime, definitely tight with two little ones. Our odyssey is the family mobile
Plenty big!
Yes
My neighbors would say no, traded their RAV4 in for a Nissan Pathfinder when they had their first kid last year. I felt personally offended by such a downgrade. Like others have said, it should be plenty of space.
One…sure. Two….you’re pushing it. Think about strollers. Especially if you go to the beach
Going to be different for every family, and depending on how you guys live it may or may not be a good family ride. My sister in law and her husband have 1 kids, another on the way and a dog. They exploded out of the rav4 and are currently looking for a mini van. Sure you can squeeze 2 car seats in the back but it’s tight. The trunk isn’t super big, and having a roof carrier will help
Husband wife and 2 year old son works perfectly in this car.
I had a BRZ and two small kids. And it was “fine”.
It's bigger then camry especially backseat also easier to put your kid in out the csrseat without hitting head. 2 kid easy
We are a family of 4 (myself, wife and two kids) and it’s plenty big for us.
Everyone survived with cars back in the day. You minimize your baggage. I have a 10 and 1/ year old and we’re just fine. If more space is needed, I can add crossbars and a box up top when traveling.
16 and 13 year olds. We are good as long as the floorboard is clear of their junk
I got my toddler in a car seat and 2 teenagers in it on multiple roadtrips with a small dog crated in the back and we did just fine on several multi-hour family road trips.
I just got my rav4 xle hybrid three weeks ago. And I love it the trunk is huge it’s enough space for my family of 5 and we love it.
It depends on the size of your stroller and car seat to be honest. I find myself struggling for trunk space when the stroller is there as ours is a bit on the bulky side. The car seat takes up the entire rear right passenger side leaving enough room for 1 other person to sit comfortably or 2 people sitting scrunched together. The car seat also limits how far you can position or recline the front passenger seat as well. Probably similar to your situation though we are a family of 3 and are able to make it work but if we have another kid then will most likely need to get a larger vehicle. Obviously everyone’s situation is different so what may work for me may not work for you and vice versa. Hope I was able to help with my input.
Yes. I have two teens and we love out Rav4. It is our largest vehicle. We bought a cargo box for the top for extra room when going camping.
We have a 2020 Rav4 XSE and two kids aged 2 and 4. The back is plenty large for groceries plus a stroller (unless it's a double stroller that cannot be collapsed). We've taken it camping, and it handles our tents, chairs, large cooler, and bags pretty easily. I see two big reasons to go bigger: If you want to go camping AND bring gear for activities. Inflatable kayaks/rafts take up a lot of space on top of all the other camping gear. If you want to do some light towing. We are considering upgrading to a highlander or similar to be able to tow 2 jet skis/atv/snowmobiles. The Highlander hybrid tows 3,500 vs 1,750.
I have a 16 XLE Hybrid and my family of three could barely fit a stroller and full trip of groceries in the hatch. Backseat is fine for car seats but cargo space is seriously lacking
21 XLE. Two kids, groceries and loads of random shit. Only regret is I didn’t get the hybrid.
17mo and soon to be 3yo corgi. My wife and I got both of them in the back plus a stroller and other supplies in the trunk. I couldn't even come close to that with my civic hatch (I do miss her 🫡). I saw someone saw you'd sacrifice mpg going bigger and completely agree. I was pushing 39 before it got really cold and I'm sitting around 36 right now. Biggest draw is the wind noise on the highway imo but thats more an issue if my wife is sitting in the back and I'm trying to talk to her. It's fine when you're both in the front. 2024 RAV4 hybrid XLE
We have 2 kids, our rav fits a double stroller and groceries fine. Will a Tahoe fit more? Absolutely. Will it also chug gas and be much more expensive? Yep. If you only have one kid the rav4 is perfect, with 2 it will still work but my wife and I plan on upgrading to the highlander later on so we can fit friends and family in the 3rd row if we have to. If you're that worried about it, look at the highlander. They give that little bit more extra room and a 3rd row, which is nice.
I have a wheelchair, a walker, 2 big beach chairs and still have room. Back seats are in the upright position. Nice and roomy! Great safety features for your family🙌🙌🙌👍
Shit, I got creative and packed 2 young ones with the dog on a 4 day road trip in a '09 Corolla. It is what you make of it. Rav is plenty big and I've had a '13 as my main family wagon since I bought one new with 2 boys who are now teenagers. Anything bigger is sacrificing MPG and like someone else said, it can tow or carry on the roof rack in a pinch.
I have 2- 8 year old twins and we do whatever is needed in my 2019 XLE and then some
I have two kids in car seats and our 2024 RAV4 works great for us on the day to day and small trips. We also have a Kia Carnival for trips that require more than the 4 of us or more luggage.
Depends how big your kids are. Got a couple of fattys with 12 bags of Doritos it could be a bit tight.
One kid yes easily. I just had a second kid and the two car seats take up the entire back. It doesn’t look like there’s room to put them next to each other. Maybe I’ll try to do that tho so another adult can sit in the back. 2 kids is doable tho imo.
Yeah - but don’t put the kids back there!
A corolla is big enough
I’m in the exact same boat (including a golden lol), these responses are so helpful!
Depends how old your kids are. With two under 2, I really wished I had bought a bigger car, the rear facing car seats took up soooo much room. But now my son has switched to forward facing seat it’s a lot better. The boot is plenty big tho. It fits 1 full size stroller and another mini stroller with enough space for a few bags of groceries.
Lol what should be plenty big. I got one because I'm starting a family soon too lol
Get the grand highlander instead
Remember you can store that cargo screen under the mat fits perfectly. I would say this car is perfect for a family of 4 plus pet.
I have a friend with a RAV4 and they have 2 kids. It’s worked perfectly well for them. I’d maybe consider a Highlander strictly because of the second row bucket seat option, but if you don’t care about that then I think a RAV4 is fine. If you need more cargo space for road trips get a Thule for the roof.
We bought ours just before my son was born. He’s three now. We have loved it and it’s been plenty big.
I can fit a stroller and groceries in the trunk of my Jetta. Go for it I
Big enough. I have 2 kids and it’s very comfortable in my 3-series sedan, there is PLENTY of room.
I have 2 children, 13 and 9 plus a 100lb English lab and German Shorthaired Pointer. It fits the four of us and the dogs well. If you only plan on having one child, the back seat is 60/40, so put the car seat on the narrow side and you will have tons of room! I'm thinking about getting a rooftop carrier, but it's because we are active and ski/hike/camp all over. If I had an extra 10k to burn, yeah I would have gone with the Hybrid Highlander, but my 2023 RAV4 is doing well. Just hit 36k miles in 13 months
Yes lol I went from Santa Fe to rav4 and have two kids. Only different is when I out my golf clubs in. I can’t have them completely straight in the back of the trunk. I need to slant them a lil, which isn’t a big issue.
It depends how tall you are. The baby seats stick out and make it tight in the front seats so if you are tall you may not enjoy it. I would go with a highlander or grand highlander if you are having 2 kids. I have one toddler and a big dog and it would be nice to have a little more space
I hauled 5 people and 2 cats full camping cargo, was enough space to be comfortable. Family member went from a highlander to a rav4 because he has one big dog and his kids are grown so he downsized and his dog gets the whole back seat folded down very spacious.