If the name RAV4 brings to mind a small, awkwardly-designed, underpowered cute ‘ute, it’s time to visit your Toyota dealer to reboot your impression of this capable SUV. Redesigned for 2006, the RAV4 still falls to the feminine side of the gender scale, but it presents a more upscale look compared to the 2005 model and makes the impressive original look like a shop-class experiment. Behind the sleek sheetmetal is a spacious cabin with seating for up to seven passengers, front- or all-wheel-drive capability, and a choice of powertrains. Base models, starting at a smidge below $22,000, are equipped with a 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine pushing 166 horsepower and 165 lb.-ft. of torque that’s mated to a four-speed automatic transmission. In front-wheel-drive guise, this fuel-efficient version returns an EPA-estimated 24 mpg city, 30 mpg highway, and 26 mpg combined; add four-wheel drive and those figures change to 23 mpg city, 28 mpg highway, and 25 mpg combined. In addition, the base price rises by $1,400 with 4WD.

If that was the end of the story, the 2006 Toyota RAV4 would appear as a competent SUV with impressive efficiency, though a little light on power for some tastes. However, there’s more to this little ‘ute, like an available 3.5-liter V6 pushing 269 horsepower and 246 lb.-ft. of torque through a five-speed automatic transmission. Best of all, fuel economy closely mirrors that of the four-cylinder. With power going only to the front wheels, a RAV4 with the V6 is rated at 22 mpg city, 29 mpg highway, and 25 mpg combined; four-wheel-drive models are rated at 21 mpg city, 28 mpg highway, and 24 mpg combined. The base price of a four-wheel-drive Limited model with the six-cylinder engine is about $26,000, which makes the RAV4 about similar in price and economy to the Honda CR-V despite more than 100 extra horsepower.

Be forewarned about that V6, however. It’s hard to keep from nailing the accelerator to enjoy the thrill of those 269 ponies.

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