2019 Toyota RAV4: conquering its segment Photo 1 of 48

We test-drove the 2019 Toyota RAV4 Trail, the “mildly” off-road version of the automaker’s crazily popular compact SUV, fully redesigned for its new generation. The Japanese automaker has shown nerve in fully revising one of its most popular models.

Not that the super-popular Toyota RAV4 really needs it, but we give you four good reasons to love the revised new 2019 edition of the Japanese automaker’s best-selling model, and the best-selling vehicle in the U.S. outside the Big Three’s pickups.

In the crowded compact SUV segment, the Toyota RAV4 has made its mark and then some. Here’s the result of our first encounter with the new 2019 RAV4 in the beautiful region in and around Monterey, California.