Toyota RAV4 2.0 GX-R CVT AWD (2020) Review

Introduction

Right, so you’re in the market for a used midsize SUV under R450k, and you want as little hassle as possible. The 2020 Toyota RAV4 2.0 GX-R CVT AWD is your obvious answer - if you’re willing to live with the naturally aspirated engine in exchange for Toyota’s rep for reliability. That’s the honest truth, and it’s really what matters to most buyers: does South Africa’s favourite still have it? With the hybrid XA60 generation on the horizon and a new GX-R now stickered well over R720k, this five-year-old model is quietly one of the savvier choices around. Here’s how it stands up as a used buy in 2025.

Key takeaway: The 2020 RAV4 2.0 GX-R AWD is the logical used midsize SUV if you care about reliability more than outright punch, and you want real AWD hardware for less than R450k.

Design & Exterior

GX-R was always the RAV4 dressed for adventure. It’s not just a badge and some stickers. You get the wide, blacked-out grille, durable plastic cladding around the arches, pseudo skid plates front and rear, and those matte 18-inch alloys that give it a planted stance.

How it ages

Half a decade on, the XA50 still looks sharp cruising the N1 - angular, but not cartoonish, and a lot tougher than the oh-so-polite CR-V or the now very dated X-Trail T32 you’ll spot at the same dealerships. The Tiguan feels like it was designed by someone who’s never left Sandton. The RAV4? Feels like it was drawn by an engineer who’s actually driven a Hilux down to Augrabies.

GX-R-specific kit

• Twin-tip exhaust finishers
• Full-size alloy spare (oddly, the pricier VX gets a space-saver)
• Standard roof rails
• LED headlights with auto high beam
• Privacy glass on the rear quarter and tailgate

Cabin & Practicality

Step inside and it’s clear Toyota wanted this cabin to be operated with gloves, frustration, or both. Real climate buttons. Actual knobs for volume and tuning. A 7-inch touchscreen perched up high, but not pretending to run your whole life. After three weeks of hopping between Chinese crossovers with touch-everything cabins, climbing back into the RAV4 made me realise how much I missed physical controls. The difference is instant.

Material quality

The leather here? Harder-wearing and less plush than what you’ll find in a Tucson Elite, but that’s by design. Toyota bets this finish will still look presentable at 180 000 km. Judging by the high-mileage GX-Rs I’ve seen filtering through Edenvale dealer lots, it’s a fair call.

Practicality numbers

• GX-R boot space: 492 litres, full-size spare included under the floor
• VX boot: 572 litres, but only because it swaps in a space-saver - choose your compromise
• Ground clearance: 195 mm, more than enough for a Magaliesberg farm track or a flooded driveway after a Highveld downpour
• ISOFIX: two outer rear seats
• Wireless charging pad, dual-zone climate, heated front seats, lumbar adjust - standard on GX-R

Rear legroom is properly generous. You can fit two adults behind two up front and still have enough space for knees and dignity. Try that in a same-year Sportage - no chance.

On the Road

Here’s where things get honest. The 2.0-litre naturally aspirated engine puts out 127 kW and about 203 Nm. Toyota’s 10-step CVT is surprisingly smooth at low throttle, acting like a regular auto. But when you plant your foot, the CVT does what CVTs do - spins up to 5 500 rpm and just sits there while the rest of the car catches up.

At sea level vs the Reef

I once piloted one down the N3 from Joburg towards Harrismith. The altitude difference is not just a spec-sheet detail. On the Reef, overtaking trucks up out of Heidelberg takes planning. Drop down Van Reenen’s and suddenly it feels almost lively. If you’re Gauteng-based and your commute has uphill merges, test drive before you sign. That matters.

Ride and refinement

The TNGA platform is the GX-R’s hidden ace. At 120 km/h on the N1 between Bloem and Colesberg, the ride is impressively composed - long undulations are swallowed, and the cabin stays quiet enough that you can leave the radio off. Around Yeoville’s battered urban tar, the suspension feels firm but never harsh. It copes. Doesn't crash, just gets on with it.

Gravel and the AWD argument

This AWD system isn’t pretending to be a Fortuner. But it’s not just for show. On a damp dirt road, I felt the system push torque to the rear as soon as the fronts lost grip. Perfect for school runs and the odd farm weekend - just enough capability without the complexity.

Data & Comparison

Now for the part that makes your bank manager smile. The price story for the RAV4 2.0 GX-R CVT AWD splits in two: what it cost new, and the reality now.

Pricing then and now

• 2019 launch price: R508 100
• 2025 new equivalent: R720 000+
• Typical 2020 GX-R AWD used: R350 000 – R450 000, mileage dependent
• Estimated 5-year TCO: about R230 000 for fuel, servicing, tyres, insurance

That’s a big spread. You can have a five-year-old GX-R for about half the price of a new one and, on paper at least, you’re not missing much because the XA50 hasn’t been replaced here yet.

Rivals at the same used money

Fuel returns

Toyota claims 6.7 L/100 km combined. Independent testing got 6.9 L/100 km on a real-world mix, surprisingly close to the brochure. My own week in Joburg traffic? 7.4 L/100 km - call it 8.0 if you’re always late for school drop-off.

Ownership

The 2020 GX-R comes with a 6-service / 90 000 km plan and a 3-year / 100 000 km warranty. If you’re buying used, check if anything’s been extended. Toyota’s service network is the trump card here - Polokwane, Mthatha, Upington, you’ll find a bay. Try that with a Tiguan when the oil light comes on in Calvinia.

Editorial Focus

So, does South Africa’s favourite still deliver? Yes - with a few caveats the brochure won’t bother to mention.

The “still delivers” argument has three strong legs. First, the platform is fundamentally good. TNGA gives the RAV4 a ride and refinement level that rivals still can’t quite match. Second, reliability is still the benchmark - the 2.0 NA engine and CVT pairing just doesn’t have an obvious failure mode haunting the SA fleet. Compare that to the chain-stretching anxiety of a 1.4 TSI Tiguan with six figures on the odometer. Third, the AWD is proper, the clearance is practical, and the full-size spare on the GX-R alone is worth the price of admission if you’re crossing the Karoo.

But it’s not all sunshine. Toyota Safety Sense? That’s locked to the VX trim, so you’re missing out on radar cruise, lane-keep, and blind-spot monitoring, while a Chinese rival at this price throws in every camera under the sun. The CVT, as refined as it can be at cruise, still drones under load - especially if you’re climbing De Beers Pass with luggage and kids. And no hybrid for this generation in SA, so you’re paying the full price for petrol.

My verdict? As a used buy in 2025, absolutely. As a new buy at R720k+, the maths is harder - because the XA60 hybrid is on the way, and that’s what this car should have been from the start.

Verdict

The RAV4 2.0 GX-R CVT AWD, at 2026 used prices - R350 000 to R450 000 for a clean 2020 - is one of the most defensible choices around. You get authentic AWD, a full-size spare, a cabin designed to last, and a service network that actually means something in South Africa.

Buy it if: You want a worry-free family SUV, do the odd gravel stretch, care about resale, and don’t mind an engine that needs revs.

Skip it if: You live on the Reef and spend your life overtaking, want adaptive cruise as standard, or you’re tempted by a hybrid and the sums add up.