This car is extremely reliable. Throughout more than two decades, it has consistently been a car that I can rely on. A few minor issues over the years but for the most part, nothing major. It has survived moving from Texas to California. It has survived many, many road trips. The car has never left me stranded in the middle of the night.

The Toyota Rav4 is a really safe car. It's kept me safe in a wreck in which the airbags were deployed. It brakes very well, and doesn't have loose pedals. Cruise control works well and does not vary in speed, unless changed by the driver. The car is very consistent in mileage. Mine gets 23.2 mpg in the city, and at least 26ish on the interstate, such as on a road trip. There is plenty of room in the car for a road trip, and plenty of room to store bags. We always use it to bring our Christmas tree home. We store it inside, on top of the folded down seats! There's also a handy "trunk" in the trunk where I store fix-a-flat, my tire iron, a flood light, etc. The double glove-box is super useful, too!! The seats are comfortable and easy to clean, due to the material covering them. I also like the interface on the dashboard. It's simple and easy to use. The rear shield wiper is a useful "extra," especially during heavy rain. The only thing that I would change about the car is the shape of the headrests. They kind of lean forward and push onto the top of the head (without force). They just kind of keep the head tilted down. I prefer straight headrests that are a bit shorter. I would also prefer if the car had some smaller corner mirrors that gave better blind-spot visibility.