If you’re looking for a compact crossover, then the 2022 Toyota RAV4 is a solid choice. It’s large enough to fit five adults comfortably, has excellent road manners and gets fairly decent fuel economy. However, picking the right one out of the 12 available trim levels can be tough. There is one trim level – TRD Off Road – that could pique your interest. Although, it’s really only for one type of buyer.

Who is the 2022 Toyota RAV4 TRD Off Road for?

The 2022 Toyota RAV4 TRD Off Road is for the weekend adventurer that likes to be able to get off the beaten path but doesn’t need to go rock crawling. Let me explain. The RAV4’s TRD Off Road trim level sets itself apart from the other by offering buyers 18-inch black TRD wheels wrapped in all-terrain tires, a TRD-tuned front suspension, bottom skid plates, and a Dynamic Torque Vectoring All-Wheel Drive system.

As you can guess, the sum of those parts equates to the RAV4’s ability to crawl over a multitude of uneven land features when the road gets rough. However, they don’t exactly help when it comes to the rougher stuff like deep crevices and high rising obstacles. Ryan Douthit of Driving Sports TV put the RAV4 TRD Off Road to the test and it wasn’t able to get through a moderate off-road obstacle.

This was surprising, considering the torque-vectoring system should be able to adequately send power to the wheel that needs it. But as Douthit found out, the system ended up cutting power to the front wheels and “shutting down” its progress over the obstacle. He then tested the crossover on a medium-sized dirt incline and it was able to complete it just fine.

In this case, the Toyota RAV4 TRD is great for those that need to get to that cabin in the woods, but don’t need to get over boulders – or moderate obstacles – to get there.

Is the RAV4 TRD Off Road comfortable on the road?

Yes, I have tested the 2022 Toyota RAV4 TRD Off Road for the past week and am impressed with its overall ride quality. At slower speeds, the TRD suspension does feel rougher than the regular RAV4 suspension, but it won’t beat you up. At highway speeds, it feels just as comfortable as a non-TRD RAV4. I must note, though, that the car does sound a little louder than usual. So if you want your RAV4 to feel a little plusher, then I recommend opting for the Limited trim or one of the lower trims.

Is the Toyota RAV4 TRD Off Road worth the extra money over the Adventure trim?

In my opinion, not really. The Toyota RAV4 Adventure trim level has a starting price of $33,230 while the TRD starts at $36,915. For that extra $3,000, you’re mainly getting the TRD suspension bits and the all-terrain tires – but both trim levels come with the torque-vectoring all-wheel-drive system.

That being said, I think it would be worth saving the extra $3,000 if you’re not going to use that extra off-road hardware since everything else is nearly equal. As stated before, the RAV4 TRD Off Road is really only for one specific buyer that needs that added capability. Just note that if you opt for this trim level, then the price can easily creep up to $40,000 with the available packages.