MIDDLE CLASS

THE AUSSIE FAMILY DREAM USED TO BE A QUARTER ACRE AND A PICKET FENCE. NOW IT'S A LITTLE MORE MODEST

- JAMES WHITBOURN

Toyota RAV4 Hybrid

THE GOLDILOCKS OF MEDIUM SUVS

THE MASSIVE wait times for new Toyota RAV4 Hybrids are finally coming down from highs of two or more years to about 12 months. But that's still a helluva long time to wait, which makes a near-new RAV Hybrid seem an excellent alternative.

Those snaking backorder queues, and the inflated asking prices for used examples, point to the same thing: the RAV4 Hybrid is in hot demand, for good reason.

Take the 2.5-litre petrol/electric hybrid powertrain, which significantly cuts energy consumption compared with a conventional engine, without the cost or range anxiety of an EV.

And the RAV4's TNGA platform, which adeptly delivers that holy trinity of ride, refinement and driver appeal. You'd own a RAV4 just because it's a Toyota and won't fail you, even if it wasn't much chop to drive. Dud dynamics certainly didn't hurt the sales of the last two RAV4 generations.