IT’S not hard to see why Toyota’s RAV4 remains the small SUV to beat. Its tenacious hold on the soft-road market is due to its virtually perfect understanding of the needs of small SUV buyers. It’s not so big that it’s intimidating, yet it has ample space for at least four full-size adults, as well as the elevated driving position many people have come to prefer. It’s a handy small wagon that is reasonably economical – and it offers the promise of journeying to remote, faraway destinations not available to regular two-wheel drive vehicles. Unlike its main competition, it offers a 4WD system that works for you at all times – on dry roads, wet roads and unsealed roads – adding that extra margin of security that can sometimes make all the difference.