Classifind Cut: 1998 Toyota XA10 RAV4 Soft Top – SOLD!

December 1st Update – We just confirmed the private seller of this ride deleted their Craigslist ad, so we’re now able to call this one “Sold!”  While this one got away, if you have your heart set on something similar, email us the details of what you’re looking for or call Rudy directly at (908)295-7330.

The compact SUV market is currently one of the few bright spots in new car manufacturers’ sale numbers, with sales now cannibalizing many traditional sedans.  People tend to forget that “overnight” success was actually over twenty years in the making dating back to the mid-1990s. Unlike the bland, look-alike four-door-only example Toyota hawks today, the first-generation RAV4 introduced in 1997 was a cool-looking and capable answer to Honda’s CR-V introduced two years earlier.  Not only did Toyota offer a two-door XA10 version, buyers could also opt for a convertible version such as this green 1998 example listed in November 2020 on Craigslist in Old Lyme, Connecticut with an asking price of only $3,950.  The NADA Guides Classic Car Online Valuation Tool confirms that ask rests within the upper bound of this guide’s current “Low”, “Average”, and “High” retail value range of $1,750, $3,125, $4,225, respectively. Besides the automatic transmission in place of the preferred stick-shift, the seller makes no mention of four-wheel-drive, so you’ll also need to confirm with them whether their RAV4 is only a two-wheel-drive variant.

Here’s the seller’s description:

“Great condition
Very hard to find 2 door convertible Rav 4
Automatic
Pop top sunroof with convertible rear
Runs great!
No rust
Excellent tires and brakes
170 k original
Ac stereo
Clean rip free interior
Ct emissions just done”

Would you replace that rear top?  Comment below and let us know!