The 2026 Toyota RAV4 has begun hitting dealerships as we speak. Toyota has also revealed pricing details recently, but now, the full configurator is live to show us what’s possible when it comes to creating the perfect RAV4 for you. With six available variants for the RAV4, there’s a perfect spec for everyone, from budget-conscious buyers to those who have the means to go all out.
- Base Trim Engine
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2.5L Inline 4 Hybrid
- Base Trim Transmission
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CVT
- Base Trim Drivetrain
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Front-Wheel Drive
- Base Trim Horsepower
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226 hp
- Make
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Toyota
- Model
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RAV4
- Segment
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Compact SUV
For this article, we’re going to focus on the latter. If you have a lot of financial freedom when it comes to creating the best RAV4 for you, how much can you spend on one? To find out, we configured the most expensive RAV4 possible right out of Toyota’s factory, so you don’t have to.
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Higher Starting Price Than Before
The 2026 Toyota RAV4 has a higher base price than before, but that’s only half the story. You see, the RAV4 is now offered in hybrid form, so when compared apples to apples, the base LE actually ends up cheaper than the model it replaces. For the range-topping Limited, however, its base price of $43,300 is approximately $2,000 higher than that of the previous model.
Only Two Options
Configuring your own Toyota tends to be quite easy compared to American and European brands. That’s because you barely have any optional extras to speak of. There are only two options: the 20-inch wheel package for $1,240 and the 10-inch color head-up display (HUD) for $600. Oddly enough, however, the 20-inch wheels package needs the 10-inch color HUD as a prerequisite, but the latter can stand on its own without the 20-inch wheels.
Now, depending on your taste, the color choice can also be an optional extra. If you prefer Ruby Flare Pearl or Wind Chill Pearl, these cost $425. Add these together with the two optional packages, and you have a RAV4 Limited that costs $45,565.
Accessories Jack Up The Price
Like our past most expensive Toyota articles, the bulk of the price of a fully-loaded RAV4 is only due to accessories—most of which can be retrofitted at the dealer, and some are from third-party accessory brands. Some are even downright cheesy, because in my opinion, the body graphics don’t look all that good anyway.
The total price of our RAV4 Limited? A whopping $69,976 when including the $1,450 destination fee. The 2026 Lexus RX 500h F Sport Performance is even slightly less expensive at that price. Anyway, I’m sure most of these accessories are going to be useless to you anyway, so for most people, a fully-loaded RAV4 Limited is technically at $45,565.
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What You Get In A RAV4 Limited
As the pinnacle of the 2026 Toyota RAV4 range, the Limited comes with all the bells and whistles you need and all the premium appointments you want.
Premium Exterior Features
Automakers often feature the best variant in their brochures to tempt you to spend more than what you need. Go for the 2026 Toyota RAV4 Limited, and you pretty much got the picture-perfect RAV4 you want. Full LED exterior lighting comes as standard, because below the XSE and Limited, basic LED headlights are fitted. The LED daytime running lights in these variants are basically the main projectors, while the rest of the headlight cluster comes with rudimentary incandescent bulbs.
Other premium features in the Limited include a hands-free powered tailgate, smart entry, though, as mentioned, 20-inch wheels are an optional extra, unlike in the sporty XSE, which sits below the Limited. As standard, two-tone 18-inch wheels are fitted to this variant.
Plush Interior Amenities
Where the money you spent is truly felt is when you step inside the RAV4 Limited. SofTex leatherette upholstery comes as standard in the Limited, along with power-adjustable driver and front passenger seats with heating and ventilation. For better or for worse, the Limited also gets an electronic shifter, while undeniably better is the nine-speaker JBL sound system that accompanies the larger 12.9-inch touchscreen running Toyota’s newly-developed Arene OS.
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The Highlights Of The New RAV4
From a design perspective, the 2026 Toyota RAV4 may have hints of the previous generation model, as evidenced by its inherited TNGA-K platform. However, despite using a heavily reengineered version of the previous model’s platform, Toyota has comprehensively redesigned the new RAV4 enough to make it a lot more cutting-edge in 2026.
Most Efficient Japanese Hybrid SUV In 2026
Toyota loves incremental improvements in its vehicles, and with good reason. Their mechanical tidbits simply work. The 2.5-liter fifth-generation Toyota Hybrid System (THS V), which it inherited from the Prius and all-hybrid Camry, develops 226 horsepower in front-wheel drive (FWD) guise, while electronic all-wheel drive (AWD) variants boost this to 236 horsepower, thanks to the second electric motor at the rear.
Credit goes to the 2.5-liter Dynamic Force gasoline engine that is running the Atkinson cycle, along with the stronger electric motors, the new power control unit (PCU), and the new transaxle, which allows for a higher degree of pure electric driving. Yet despite the improved performance, the new RAV4 is actually more efficient—to the point that it’s the most efficient Japanese hybrid SUV you can buy today. Yes, the RAV4 is even more efficient than the smaller, less powerful Corolla Cross Hybrid. Of course, if you splurge for the higher trims with bigger wheels, the RAV4 becomes less efficient.
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RAV4 Hybrid |
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Engine |
2.5-liter four-cylinder series-parallel hybrid |
|
|
Drivetrain |
Front engine, FWD |
Front engine, AWD |
|
Horsepower |
226 hp |
236 hp |
|
Torque |
N/A |
|
|
Transmission |
e-CVT |
|
|
EPA Combined MPG |
43 MPG |
41 MPG 38 MPG (Woodland) |
|
Max Towing |
1,750 lbs |
Up to 3,500 lbs |
|
Base MSRP |
TBA |
|
Cutting-Edge Tech Is Standard
Amazingly, the new 2026 Toyota RAV4 also comes with plenty of tech features as standard. Heck, you don’t even have to spend a great deal of money just to get a decent amount of tech features. That’s because the 12.3-inch digital gauge cluster and the main 10.5-inch infotainment screen (12.9 inches in XSE and Limited) that’s running Arene OS is fitted as standard even in the base LE. Before, you’d have to contend with an analog gauge cluster and an infotainment system that looks like a microwave in the lower trims, but every RAV4 variant in 2026 is cutting-edge.
Arene OS is a highlight in the new RAV4, as this new operating system debuts in Toyota’s best-selling nameplate in the United States. Arene OS brings Toyota closer to creating a software-defined vehicle (SDV), because this new software allows for over-the-air (OTA) updates, which add new software and hardware features to the vehicle. Like your smartphone, features powered by Arene OS, such as the touchscreen, the gauges, and even the Toyota Safety Sense 4.0, can be updated in the coming years, keeping the RAV4 relevant and fresh as it ages. It is supposedly part of Toyota’s plan to extend the production life of its vehicles, as they realize that an SDV architecture helps add value to the vehicle as it ages.