Ian Lamming travels the country in a Toyota RAV4 GR Sport
THIRTEEN counties, 946 miles, three people, four bags, all for one wedding, but it was a beauty and so was the means of transport.
Up North to down South and it’s no accident that I choose the Toyota RAV4 to make the epic journey because I know how good it is.
The wedding of good friends is in Devon and the route includes just about every type of road going including those strewn with potholes and even grass growing through the centre.
Of course there are miles of tedious motorway to endure as well as fast A roads and the journey will require effective satellite navigation, not Google maps, as some areas are remote and unlikely to have 4G.
The car needs to be spacious but not too large for narrow high-sided country lanes. It needs to be powerful yet economical. It must be comfortable but engaging. Among posh wedding folk it must also be smart and hold its head up high in esteemed company.
RAV4, in top of the range GR Sport mode, excels in every department and makes the perfect companion for the happy event.
The journey goes by remarkably quickly mainly because I manage to sleep on the sections I’m not driving. The seats are wonderfully comfortable and supportive and perfect for a quick nap and a dribble.
GR Sport is a 2.5 litre petrol plug in hybrid offering an incredible 306PS of power and amazing economy. When the battery is fully charged it runs mostly on EV until it is depleted. So in the Lake District and across North Yorkshire up North and the Cotswolds, Somerset and Devon, darn South, it registers a squillion to the gallon. When the electrical power is gone it is gone, after about 46 miles, and it reverts to self-charging hybrid mode and the true economy comes through at around 55mpg, which is impressive given its stupendous power output.
Going through the heart of Bristol, at pub turning out time on the way down, highlights the many benefits of RAV4 which leaves us feeling safe, illuminated and heading in the right direction thanks to the excellent build quality, lights and satnav. There are even bingy bongy chimes that remind you of the speed limit, which prove invaluable as the place is crawling with speed cameras and the many speed limit changes leave you a bit bewildered and vulnerable to transgression.
The boy is comfy enough in the back with his tech and RAV4 shows its mettle as a long distance tool. Wedding finery is safely hung and baggage swallowed by the large boot. The cabin feels so well built that it has a subliminal effect offering a protective cocoon when you are miles away from home.
When Devon arrives the roads are from a different century. One is so bad, so crater-filled, I don’t risk going down it even though the RAV4 has plenty of ground clearance and is four-wheel-drive. Others have grass growing through the asphalt and most are so narrow with high verges making passing challenging. While RAV4 is a large vehicle it is never too big to be unwieldy and it copes well with the lanes. It’s remarkably easy to park in tourist-choked streets thanks to beepers and 360 degree cameras. Its immense power also makes light work of steep hills and offers blistering mid-range for safe overtakes of the many slow coaches we come across.
Come the big day, at River Cottage, Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall’s gaff, the walk from the car park to the venue is long, steep and gravelly – not at all what you want when in heels. So I sneak a quick foray in the RAV4, dropping off passengers nearer the event, before trudging back down in my boots.
Friends take the motorway from home to Devon and back and it takes them nine hours in each direction because of the traffic. We go cross country in what seems a fraction of the time, with a lot more interest and, thanks to the prowess of the RAV4, a heap more fun. What a vehicle.
Fact file
Toyota RAV4 GR Sport
Engine: 2.5 petrol plus electric
Power: 306BHP
0-62mph: 6.0secs
Top speed: 112mph
Combined: 282.5MPG
Transmission: CVT
CO2 g/km: 22
Price: £48,990.00
