I love my 97 rav4 4x4 sport. Using your videos I managed to fix everything up and turn it into a camper that I go off-roading with then spend the night in the woods. -A
mensajero here; First generation is the best regarding durability, suspension, looks, and mine is turbo with the 3SFE engine and a ton of aftermarket parts. Paul, like always, you're the best..
Thanks guys! Once upon a time, before I bought my 1st gen, I test drove a 3rd gen RAV4 at a car dealer. It was very rattly, and the hood and doors felt cheap when you closed them. I was not impressed. The first generation felt a lot more solid, so I bought that instead. Then all the 20 year old car problems hit me.... At least we all got a ton of videos out of the deal!
You are the RAV-Master. Thank you for your superb videos. I used them to install a new radio and speakers in my gen1 with sunroof. I use it as an hunting-vehicle in the woods. Keep up your great work. Many thanks from Germany :-)
I had a second gen one for 7years as a first car, used to be my moms car and I loved it so much, years later now I want one again. I prefer the styling of the first gen too but the features of the second gen ones are great. Just a well taught of suv overall. I used to take out the back seats when I didn’t need them to make it less heavy and you could feel it while driving. I mean it’s no sports car but a little lightweight four wheel drive, manual transmission suv is just pure fun. Especially during winter.
@@williamperri3437 I’ve replaced all struts and shocks with Midas OEM specs. It’s solid and is a bit jarring on bad roads. Tracks straight and starts stops every time. Greatest city car ever. When I’m the city I can parallel park in the tightest spots compared to my Tundra. Rust and dinged up, no worries. I just need to find replacement subframes as they are not going to last much longer in Midwest winters.
@@idiOTytinflUnceRs Yeah, my recent 3rd car is a Scion XA and I can Parkette in many spots people don’t fit in! 👊 you know I’ve been thinking about doing a Midas strut upgrade on the XA. They are good!
Paul, I would like to congratulate you very much. I've bought one month ago a very late model of the first version. It is from 2000. Your videos help me a lot to manage improvements on lights, back door ajustement and many other subjects to discover with you. As they said my Toyota is fantastic. Thanks very much Paul for your help. I write to you from France 😊👍
howdy Paul! just bought a 99 rav4 less than a week ago and cant tell you how happy i am that you go the lengths with such detailed videos I don't have the cooler 2 door rav like you but it hasn't stopped me from watching you undergo surgery on yours. you're awesome!😁
I love the 04/05 versions, something about them, they're still very small compared to the 06+, plus with the factory body kit and hood scoop, they look very sporty! I have a 04 limited 4wd with the hood scoop and a 08 limited 4wd with the v6, love them both, the 08 is fast af, has alot of room and overall pretty nice, would get a highlander next though for sure. the 04 feels alot more nimble in the handling. Only way I would get a first gen rav4 would be to put a 3sgte into it, other than that i'm extremely jealous they got rid of the dual separate hi-low beams, what a joke, single bulb is and always has been horrible. luckily they brought back separate hi-low in the 3rd gen. sorry for rambling on, thanks for the vid
The 3S-FE is a very sturdy engine, bulletproof. The combination of this engine with a mountain type manual transmission makes it ideal for offroad and very steep roads. Also, the RAV4 gen 1 weights around 1150 kg empty for the 3 door version, so 120 Hp is more than enough to move this vehicle.
"One step above strapping yourself to a drum of gasoline" lmao. I've got a 2005 2nd gen rav4 with the 2.4L and I absolutely love it. Great little comparison. I'm always super envious when I see people with the 2 door gen 1 but it sounds like they're not all that amazing lol.
Love my gen 2, light bed camping setup, roof rack, bow hunting ready.... She goes places she wasnt meantbto with some at tyres... 😂 ❤ Love seeing peopls faces in their jeeps and land cruisers when you turn up in this sweet driving road ride 😂❤
“I like to live dangerously” My 1999 3 Door Rav4 doesn’t have one. That makes the two of us. BTW I went for the 99 3 Door after watching these videos. They helped a lot.
Thanks for this tutorial video of the different gens. I have a 97 4dr & it has been pretty reliable. Not the coolest car on the road but gets me where I need to go without a lot of headache
We have a 2004 AWD RAV4. There's was an option that offered a much Larger spoiler than the one shown. There was also an option for Side impact Airbags; we didn't get that one..
Hello Paul! Someone actually brought a 1st Gen RAV4 to participate in the Paris-Dakar rally several years back. I thought that it was a great move in showcasing the car's off-road appeal.
Привет из россии! Хочу сказать, что у нас очень много этих авто, настоящих японцев с правым расположением руля. Первое поколение намного крепче. С двигателем 3S. У меня сейчас такой 3 двери. Второе же поколение уже не того качества. И у нас они в большей мере с двигателем 1zz fe 125 лошадиных сил, обьем 1.8cc. На переднем приводе, трансмиссия автомат. Есть с 1az с топливным насосом высокого давления, но из за нашего плохого качества топлива их не очень любят. По этому в большей части ездят на 1.8 передний привод. А какой RAV 4 без 4WD ???? В общем я за старое поколение!!! Спасибо за интересный обзор!!!
What a great comparison! The second generation rav4 uses the same platform whith the first one so thats why the have so many similarities. The mk1 might be a little unstable at high speeds because of the short wheel base but it actually handles corners quite well despite the body roll. Maybe yours it's not as good at that becasue of the lift and the aggresive off road tires.
the small wing on the back of any hatchback design is to smooth the air dropping off the back end of the roof line. it helps negate the "suction" effect of the low pressure zone created which pulls back on the car as it moves forward. Disrupting this phenomenon with this small wing is better for noise (buffeting against the rear glass) and to a small extent - fuel economy. You will notice it implemented on every somewhat modern hatchback, really.
I'm a late 2nd gen Rav4 owner (2005) in my opinion the last model of good looking Ravs...after that they all look "meh" 🤣. (And the latest is the worst looking of them all) I love mine, it's been with me 14 years!
I have a 2002 with 423 000km. Still works almost like new. Only minor repairs that are to be expected with that mileage and age. Things like control arms, calipers. But a/c is still original and throws snow in the car, auto tranny still works great, engine burns a little oil but starts even at -20°C. Awesome car. Unfortunately the rust is killing the frame, damn living in the rust belt (Quebec,Canada). I prefer the look of the 1st gen. But i travel a lot for work, so i think the 2nd gen is better for that. Smooth and quiet car when maintained. Extremely reliable. But does drink a lot of gas. Around 11L/100km if driven like grandma.
2nd gen owner here....auto though pfffft.....when are we Old Man Emu-ing the 2002? Im in Canada and considering pulling the trigger and ditching the front blocking and rear air bags I am currently running...Keep the vids coming man, glad I found this.....oh, and i'd love to see you go wheeling with the bigs boys down south of you
Thanks for watching! The 2nd gen isn't my car, so I don't know if it will ever get a lift kit. I can do a little bit of 4 wheeling, but the RAV4 is not geared for rock crawling, so I might not be able to do some of the trails in Moab.
There's another bt of storage you forgot in the 2nd gen. Theres a storage cubbie under the carpet at the very end of the trunk. Its about 2 feet wide, 3 inches across and 2 inches deep
As a owner of a 1st generation and 4th generation. I like my 1st gen more and the spare tire on the back makes them look more off-road. The only thing I will love to have is rear camera but it is coming soon. The crotch refreshing bent is a most.
Hey Paul, you say your RAV is not stable on the highway because it's a short two door... I also habe a two door and it's very stable on the highway. It's more stable than my 80's Land Cruiser I had before and it's more stable than my 2014 Jeep Wrangler I had before. On both cars I had a lift kit and bigger tires. My RAV is still original, so I think the problem is probably not the lenght of the car, I think it's the lift and the mud tires. ;-)
@@LabCoatPaul Hi Paul, I love your crazy RAV with the lift kit and the bigger tires. As far as I have saved the money I will do the same on my RAV 🙂 But first I want to paint it. At the moment it's blue (but the RAV-blue has also a little bit of purple or so) and I don't like it. I love "mud" colours, so I will paint my RAV with RAL 7006 and the plastic bumpers and door protectors will be painted with raptor.
I have a MK2 3door 2.0 diesel and although it has less Horses than its petrol counterpart it has way more torque and kick like a mule. I have destroyed many BM's and Range-rovers at the lights. It really good at normal speed ranges but doesnt have unnecessary top end that you would never use unless on the autobahn.
@@davidmarques8448 Yeah I have used it on dirt roads and on estate land no worries, the 50/50 split all wheel drive is really good on snow and ice too. the diesel is more reliable engine wise, but you gota change the cam belt at around 60k miles which is £400-600 unless you know how to do it yourself.
I've been watching your videos for help on my 2002 RAV4. I've been struggling on troubleshooting some of the problems. I'm a single mom and I can't afford to pay a mechanic, so I've done hours of research on my car and put some blood and sweat into it. If you can make the time to contact me, and maybe help me figure my little Rav4 out I'd really appreciate it!
Can you tell me how to brighten the dashboard on the old one? I have both that are showed on the video and on the newer one there is a button on the left of the steering wheel but I don't know how on the old one.
My apartment neighbor used to park a 2021 Rav4 next to my 1997 Rav4, its really crazy how much they've changed.
It's a completely different car!
I love my first gen. Ill never get rid of it. It's a classic now. Thank you for all your videos.
But finding parts can be $$$
I love my 97 rav4 4x4 sport. Using your videos I managed to fix everything up and turn it into a camper that I go off-roading with then spend the night in the woods.
-A
Love love LOVE my 1st gen RAV4. Most mechanically sound car I’ve ever owned. I plan on never getting rid of him ❤️!
Excited about my new 98, 4 door, 5 SPD. Only 160000 kms
Great comparison Paul! I would still choose gen 1 since you have done so much repair videos 😀
mensajero here; First generation is the best regarding durability, suspension, looks, and mine is turbo with the 3SFE engine and a ton of aftermarket parts. Paul, like always, you're the best..
Paul is the best indeed, in my opinion the first gen will always be a king of all generations. They're extremely solid and reliable.
Thanks guys! Once upon a time, before I bought my 1st gen, I test drove a 3rd gen RAV4 at a car dealer. It was very rattly, and the hood and doors felt cheap when you closed them. I was not impressed. The first generation felt a lot more solid, so I bought that instead. Then all the 20 year old car problems hit me.... At least we all got a ton of videos out of the deal!
You are the RAV-Master. Thank you for your superb videos. I used them to install a new radio and speakers in my gen1 with sunroof. I use it as an hunting-vehicle in the woods. Keep up your great work. Many thanks from Germany :-)
Thanks for watching the videos! It sounds like you're having a lot of fun.
❤ sehr gut! Same here in NZ , but mountains as well as forest, come visit! ❤
I had a second gen one for 7years as a first car, used to be my moms car and I loved it so much, years later now I want one again. I prefer the styling of the first gen too but the features of the second gen ones are great. Just a well taught of suv overall. I used to take out the back seats when I didn’t need them to make it less heavy and you could feel it while driving. I mean it’s no sports car but a little lightweight four wheel drive, manual transmission suv is just pure fun. Especially during winter.
Yeah, the RAV4 is a lot of fun!
I have a 1997 RAV4 2 dr… it’s only front wheel drive. Crazy practical city car. 👍
How does the suspension feel Hittin imperfections in the road?
@@williamperri3437 I’ve replaced all struts and shocks with Midas OEM specs. It’s solid and is a bit jarring on bad roads. Tracks straight and starts stops every time. Greatest city car ever. When I’m the city I can parallel park in the tightest spots compared to my Tundra. Rust and dinged up, no worries. I just need to find replacement subframes as they are not going to last much longer in Midwest winters.
@@idiOTytinflUnceRs Yeah, my recent 3rd car is a Scion XA and I can Parkette in many spots people don’t fit in! 👊 you know I’ve been thinking about doing a Midas strut upgrade on the XA. They are good!
Paul, I would like to congratulate you very much. I've bought one month ago a very late model of the first version. It is from 2000. Your videos help me a lot to manage improvements on lights, back door ajustement and many other subjects to discover with you. As they said my Toyota is fantastic. Thanks very much Paul for your help. I write to you from France 😊👍
First gen for life!
Just bought a 2000 bc ive always wanted one. Shes running great. Working on replacing everything going out.
Thanks for the feature go over!!
howdy Paul! just bought a 99 rav4 less than a week ago and cant tell you how happy i am that you go the lengths with such detailed videos I don't have the cooler 2 door rav like you but it hasn't stopped me from watching you undergo surgery on yours. you're awesome!😁
I love the 04/05 versions, something about them, they're still very small compared to the 06+, plus with the factory body kit and hood scoop, they look very sporty! I have a 04 limited 4wd with the hood scoop and a 08 limited 4wd with the v6, love them both, the 08 is fast af, has alot of room and overall pretty nice, would get a highlander next though for sure. the 04 feels alot more nimble in the handling. Only way I would get a first gen rav4 would be to put a 3sgte into it, other than that i'm extremely jealous they got rid of the dual separate hi-low beams, what a joke, single bulb is and always has been horrible. luckily they brought back separate hi-low in the 3rd gen.
sorry for rambling on, thanks for the vid
👍👍👍 Greetings from Germany!
I have a 1998 RAV 4
First Gen for life!
The 3S-FE is a very sturdy engine, bulletproof. The combination of this engine with a mountain type manual transmission makes it ideal for offroad and very steep roads. Also, the RAV4 gen 1 weights around 1150 kg empty for the 3 door version, so 120 Hp is more than enough to move this vehicle.
Omg the original rav4 i love the tires on that thing!!! Looks so much better than the generations made after it
First generation is just ✨everything I need ✨ it's so cute 🤩
Just picked up a 2000 in tan. Thing runs perfect
"One step above strapping yourself to a drum of gasoline" lmao. I've got a 2005 2nd gen rav4 with the 2.4L and I absolutely love it. Great little comparison. I'm always super envious when I see people with the 2 door gen 1 but it sounds like they're not all that amazing lol.
Does it runs on 1AZ-FE ?
I know i'm a year late but when you mentioned the shrapnel shooting airbags on the rav i started crying in laughter, very relatable.
Thanks Paul. Your RAV4 videos are awesome. Super complete videos!
Your spray paint really helps with differentiating car parts!
really good comparison, very complete and well filmed.
posted at the perfect time, i'm looking to buy one.
greetings from france
Love my gen 2, light bed camping setup, roof rack, bow hunting ready.... She goes places she wasnt meantbto with some at tyres... 😂 ❤ Love seeing peopls faces in their jeeps and land cruisers when you turn up in this sweet driving road ride 😂❤
Your videos have been a great reference when working on my 2 RAVs. Please keep up the good work!
Thanks, will do!
“I like to live dangerously”
My 1999 3 Door Rav4 doesn’t have one. That makes the two of us. BTW I went for the 99 3 Door after watching these videos. They helped a lot.
15:59 😅 Why officer, I wasn’t doing donuts in a parking lot. No sir, I was filming a educational UA-cam comparison video. 😂
Those were not donuts. I was looking for a parking spot. :)
Awesome video. Great humor. Great style! Enjoyed this.
A guy starting off the video with "this is probably one of the cutest cars you can get" builds so much trust right away THATS WHAT IVE BEEN SAYING
Thanks! The first gen RAV4 is super cute.
The second gen RAV4 is probably one of the best vehicles ever made.
Cody, you are my favorite Rav4 UA-camr lol I'm totally going to look for a second gen Rav4 now. So awesome haha!
"the cupholders adjust for different sizes of beer"
"If you're smoking, you'll have to hold your second beer"
This guy is killing me
That first model suv is the most beauty in the world..
The long awaited video..❤️
Wow that 1st gen is beautiful 🔥
Thank you!
I have the 2 door 2nd gen, looks so much better than the 4 door 😉
Thank you for this video Paul, a great comparison
Thanks for this tutorial video of the different gens. I have a 97 4dr & it has been pretty reliable. Not the coolest car on the road but gets me where I need to go without a lot of headache
Your dad or son probably would😳
We have a 2004 AWD RAV4. There's was an option that offered a much Larger spoiler than the one shown. There was also an option for Side impact Airbags; we didn't get that one..
I love my 99 4door rav4. I'll most likely get an EV toyota in 2 years or so but I'll still keep my 99 rav4.
Hello Paul! Someone actually brought a 1st Gen RAV4 to participate in the Paris-Dakar rally several years back. I thought that it was a great move in showcasing the car's off-road appeal.
It's lightweight and it's small. That can be helpful. I wonder how well they did.
I love the first gen one. just love it...
Golden content LCP
Awesome tutorial😉
These are the two best generations of these two Toyota vehiclea.
Привет из россии!
Хочу сказать, что у нас очень много этих авто, настоящих японцев с правым расположением руля.
Первое поколение намного крепче.
С двигателем 3S. У меня сейчас такой 3 двери.
Второе же поколение уже не того качества. И у нас они в большей мере с двигателем 1zz fe 125 лошадиных сил, обьем 1.8cc. На переднем приводе, трансмиссия автомат.
Есть с 1az с топливным насосом высокого давления, но из за нашего плохого качества топлива их не очень любят. По этому в большей части ездят на 1.8 передний привод.
А какой RAV 4 без 4WD ????
В общем я за старое поколение!!!
Спасибо за интересный обзор!!!
Привет. В России любят Rav4 (1) !
as a SC430 owner, i’d like that cubby instead of ball cooler under the wheel
What a great comparison! The second generation rav4 uses the same platform whith the first one so thats why the have so many similarities. The mk1 might be a little unstable at high speeds because of the short wheel base but it actually handles corners quite well despite the body roll. Maybe yours it's not as good at that becasue of the lift and the aggresive off road tires.
Tnx great straight forward review
the small wing on the back of any hatchback design is to smooth the air dropping off the back end of the roof line. it helps negate the "suction" effect of the low pressure zone created which pulls back on the car as it moves forward. Disrupting this phenomenon with this small wing is better for noise (buffeting against the rear glass) and to a small extent - fuel economy. You will notice it implemented on every somewhat modern hatchback, really.
Excellent review...
love the 1st gen ravs
I'm a late 2nd gen Rav4 owner (2005) in my opinion the last model of good looking Ravs...after that they all look "meh" 🤣. (And the latest is the worst looking of them all) I love mine, it's been with me 14 years!
Helow from greece good job man
Thank you Paul, very useful video! You convinced us to buy the first gen :) Cheers from Italy!
¡Gracias!
Thank you! I'm glad the videos are helping you!
I have a 2002 with 423 000km. Still works almost like new. Only minor repairs that are to be expected with that mileage and age. Things like control arms, calipers. But a/c is still original and throws snow in the car, auto tranny still works great, engine burns a little oil but starts even at -20°C. Awesome car. Unfortunately the rust is killing the frame, damn living in the rust belt (Quebec,Canada).
I prefer the look of the 1st gen. But i travel a lot for work, so i think the 2nd gen is better for that. Smooth and quiet car when maintained. Extremely reliable. But does drink a lot of gas. Around 11L/100km if driven like grandma.
Woot Woot, a new Video =)
Dude, go in and do that recall airbag replacement! No judgement here, we just finally did ours.
I'm planning on it. I'm going to make a video about it too.
2nd gen owner here....auto though pfffft.....when are we Old Man Emu-ing the 2002? Im in Canada and considering pulling the trigger and ditching the front blocking and rear air bags I am currently running...Keep the vids coming man, glad I found this.....oh, and i'd love to see you go wheeling with the bigs boys down south of you
Thanks for watching! The 2nd gen isn't my car, so I don't know if it will ever get a lift kit. I can do a little bit of 4 wheeling, but the RAV4 is not geared for rock crawling, so I might not be able to do some of the trails in Moab.
There's another bt of storage you forgot in the 2nd gen. Theres a storage cubbie under the carpet at the very end of the trunk. Its about 2 feet wide, 3 inches across and 2 inches deep
As a owner of a 1st generation and 4th generation. I like my 1st gen more and the spare tire on the back makes them look more off-road. The only thing I will love to have is rear camera but it is coming soon. The crotch refreshing bent is a most.
I love my mk2 rav4, amazing vid, on the highway in the automatic and transmission you can accidentally reach 80 easy
The first gen is bulletproof. Also fulltime all the time 4wd. The second gen is FWD with a slip detection system.
rav4 Second gen als 4x4
Why would you need a Bullet proof car? Magat country?
Hopefully we'll see a 4th and 5th gen comparison? Would like to see your takes on those
Hey Paul, you say your RAV is not stable on the highway because it's a short two door... I also habe a two door and it's very stable on the highway. It's more stable than my 80's Land Cruiser I had before and it's more stable than my 2014 Jeep Wrangler I had before. On both cars I had a lift kit and bigger tires. My RAV is still original, so I think the problem is probably not the lenght of the car, I think it's the lift and the mud tires. ;-)
The lift kit definitely doesn't help the stability. My car sits 3" higher than normal and I have a total of 12" of ground clearance.
@@LabCoatPaul Hi Paul, I love your crazy RAV with the lift kit and the bigger tires. As far as I have saved the money I will do the same on my RAV 🙂 But first I want to paint it. At the moment it's blue (but the RAV-blue has also a little bit of purple or so) and I don't like it. I love "mud" colours, so I will paint my RAV with RAL 7006 and the plastic bumpers and door protectors will be painted with raptor.
I love separate belts. If one breaks you may not be totally sol.
Toyota messed up dropping the convertible option after the 1st gen rav4. And 4runner 🤦♂️
Still an eye catcher since the mid 90s.
Btw is the gen 1 OBD2 compliant already? And Timing chain already?
About to buy a 1997 3-door🤓
I had a 98 and 01 never had a problem.
Which one did you like better?
@@LabCoatPaul probably the 01. I was traveling and the newer one was quieter rode a little better.
Gotta say as a 2008 V6 version ... I like the 1st Gen best
I have a MK2 3door 2.0 diesel and although it has less Horses than its petrol counterpart it has way more torque and kick like a mule. I have destroyed many BM's and Range-rovers at the lights. It really good at normal speed ranges but doesnt have unnecessary top end that you would never use unless on the autobahn.
Did you use it in light offroading? I'm looking to buy one just like yours, 3d 2 liter diesel. Not sure if the petrol would be more reliable...
@@davidmarques8448 Yeah I have used it on dirt roads and on estate land no worries, the 50/50 split all wheel drive is really good on snow and ice too. the diesel is more reliable engine wise, but you gota change the cam belt at around 60k miles which is £400-600 unless you know how to do it yourself.
thank you
Awesome video! What city in Utah is this? Its beautiful!
The 04 model year was probably a better version of the 2nd gen. with a 2.4 engine, improved mpg and better crash test results.
now a 100% you should check the 3th gen. I can easily see how you will fall in love with it.
One of my coworkers has the 3rd gen with the V6. He might let me borrow it for a video.
I need one of your manual car
I've been watching your videos for help on my 2002 RAV4. I've been struggling on troubleshooting some of the problems. I'm a single mom and I can't afford to pay a mechanic, so I've done hours of research on my car and put some blood and sweat into it. If you can make the time to contact me, and maybe help me figure my little Rav4 out I'd really appreciate it!
Great videos!! How about a comparison with the 3rd gen also?
Coming soon!
The antenna... Mine is broken and doesn't pull out as long as it should 😆
Still have my 99 with 250,000 miles
my 01 rav4 has the same issue with the drivers side window switches, the bottom clip just appears to be brittle because that is what is broken on mine
Hola ! Entra sin problemas la optica bifaro en la rav 97 o hay que modificar ? Gracias ! Saludos ,desde argentina
Great video, but youtube unsubed me from your channel again! Either way, both great cars. Also, are you on the rav4 forums?
That's weird that UA-cam did that. Thanks for checking back! I'm not any any forums, but feel free to share the videos on there!
The true, 1st real deal suv.
I just like the short one looks nice and tiny
It's not very useful, but one of the cutest cars ever made!
I agree
Are this cars still available to purchase in 2024?
Do you think the tires on the 2 door rav would also fit on the 4 door rav? Thx
Paintjob on a Gen1 seems better too....
Both cars have peeling paint. The old Toyotas didn't do well when they were stored outside. You just need a lift kit so people don't see the roof. :)
I can confirm the 4 door mk1 rav 4 is still horrible on the highway
I imagine it's pretty loud too. People like them though.
The rav4 with the removable seats was the 97 or 02?
What size tires you have on that 1st gen? What kind of AT tires are they, would they fit onna 2nd gen?
Can you tell me how to brighten the dashboard on the old one? I have both that are showed on the video and on the newer one there is a button on the left of the steering wheel but I don't know how on the old one.
On the first generation RAV4, the dimmer knob is located to the left of the steering wheel.
This car 1997 is always available please?
Oh I forgot also non interference engine
❤