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Toyota Rav4 Bird’s Eye View: Does It Have It On All Models?

Driver assistance has been a beneficial technology advancement in vehicles for a few years now. More features are helping people to become better drivers every day, depending on where you stand on that argument. When we say better drivers, we mean thanks to cars with advanced technology there might be fewer accidents on the road.

The Toyota Rav4 does have a bird’s eye view camera feature but only on select upper-trim levels. The bird’s eye view camera includes a perimeter scan and overhead 360-degree view when the car is in low-speed and reverse drive modes.

The 360-degree camera feature in cars is becoming more popular with each new release of vehicles every year. People enjoy the convenience of driver-assistance modes in cars, and it might even be making some of us better drivers.

Keep reading below to find out how the 360-degree camera can benefit you and which Rav4 models have this (what we think is) pretty cool feature.

Does the Toyota Rav4 Have Bird’s Eye View?

The Toyota Rav4 does have the Bird’s Eye view 360-degree camera system, but it is only offered in selected trims.

Although the bird’s eye view camera does not come as a standard offering in any of the Rav4 trims, it can be purchased through an additional upgrade for an extra cost in four of the Rav4 upper trims, including the Hybrid.

Have you recently purchased a Rav4, new or used, and are wondering if you have a 360-degree bird’s eye view camera? You can check your vehicle manual for guidance or call your local Toyota Dealership for guidance, but we’ll go through the models and trims below to determine whether you have this feature or not.

Which Toyota Rav4 Trims Have Bird’s Eye View?

Toyota introduced the Bird’s Eye view camera to the Rav4 in its 2016 models, so if you have purchased a Rav4, new or used, from 2016 to 2021 you may have the Bird’s Eye view function in your car.

Here are the Rav4 models from 2016 – 2021 that most likely do not come with the bird’s eye view camera:

  • LE
  • LE Hybrid
  • XLE FWD
  • XLE AWD
  • XLE Hybrid
  • XLE Premium FWD
  • XLE Premium AWD
  • XLE Premium Hybrid
  • Adventure
  • XSE Hybrid

Here are the Toyota Rav4 trims that, if purchased used, might have the bird’s eye view camera installed and if purchased new can have the bird’s eye view camera installed as an optional package:

  • TRD Off-Road
  • Limited FWD
  • Limited AWD
  • Limited Hybrid

If you have any of these models of the Rav4 you can opt-in for an extra cost for one of their available technology packages that include the bird’s eye view camera.

Toyota VehicleAvailable Opt-in Package
Toyota Rav4 TRD Off-RoadTRD Off-Road Technology Package Front and rear parking assistAutomatic brakingBird’s eye view camera with perimeter scan and overhead 360-degree view, and curb viewDigital Rearview MirrorWireless smartphone charging
Toyota Rav4 Limited FWDLimited Grade Advanced Technology Package Smart key system on all doors and liftgateFoot-activated power liftgateBird’s eye view camera with perimeter scan, overhead 360-degree, and curb viewWireless smartphone charging with indicator light
Toyota Rav4 Limited AWDAs above
Toyota Rav4 Limited HybridAs above

Bird’s Eye View Benefits in Car Technology

The Bird’s Eye view camera gives you a 360-degree view of your vehicle when you are driving slowly or reversing. This is particularly helpful when parking especially if you cannot see some obstacles that may be around the car.

There are four cameras on the Toyota Rav4 that assist with the 360-degree Bird’s Eye view feature. There is one camera at the front of the car, one on each side mirror, and one at the rear of the car. Each camera works to give you a decent view of each angle around your car.

Here are the benefits of the Bird’s Eye view camera in the Rav4:

  • Assists the driver to park within designated parking lines
  • Assists the driver to park safely
  • Can help the driver to see otherwise hidden obstacles
  • Provides a full perimeter scan of the vehicle
  • Gives drivers the confidence to reverse and parallel park
  • Provides drivers with the confidence to park in and leave smaller and tight parking spaces
  • Gives driver’s sight in what would usually be their blind spot

Is the Bird’s Eye View in the Rav4 Good?

There has been much debate over useful and useless car technology and whether driver assistance features like additional cameras are making us better or worse drivers.

The bird’s eye view cameras and other rear and front cameras and sensors might not be making more “skillful” drivers, but they do help with drivers who lack confidence or need some help with parking. That doesn’t necessarily make a bad driver, does it?

Here’s what drivers are saying:

  • “I’m the kind of person who doesn’t want to rely solely on technology to drive my car, but I do find the bird’s eye view camera system a useful piece of technology and I’m glad the Rav4 has it”
  • “I think that it’s the best new feature. I can easily park perfectly between the lines in a tightly drawn parking space and if it wasn’t for the bird’s eye view in my Rav4 I would have dropped off the edge of a cliff”
  • “I love it, it’s really useful for pulling in and out of my garage”
  • “I’m 76 and one of the primary reasons for buying a Toyota Rav4 limited was for all the technology options”

You can find these reviews and more at Rav4World if you want to delve deeper.

Although reviewers rate the bird’s eye view cameras highly, they don’t rate the camera quality of the rear-view camera and say it needs a decent upgrade.

How Does the Bird’s Eye View in the Toyota Rav4 Work?

Do you struggle with reverse or parallel parking in your car? With the Bird’s Eye view cameras in car technology terrible parking is a thing of the past.

Sometimes technology can feel way ahead of us and using this bird’s eye view camera system can take some getting used to.

Here is how you can use the bird’s eye view and 360-degree camera monitoring system in the Toyota Rav4 to help you park:

  1. Turn your vehicle on
  2. Have your transmission in Park
  3. Turn park-assist on
  4. Press the bird’s eye view button located above the dash display
  5. Select pause to stop the moving 360-degree view where you feel necessary
  6. Press play when you want the cameras to move again
  7. The on-screen button located at the lower-left side of the screen activates a “see-through moving view” which can also be paused and played
  8. When you shift your car into reverse the bird’s eye view camera will still be visible but the rear camera will also take place on the touchscreen so you can clearly see behind you

Toyota USA provides a YouTube video example which you can watch here for visual learning.

Conclusion

Check your surroundings without even getting out of your car with Toyota’s bird’s eye view and 360-degree perimeter cameras in the Toyota Rav4. Having driver-assist front and rear cameras is great but the Bird’s Eye view takes safe, straight, and practical parking to a whole new level.

The packages start from around US$1800 depending on your trim level but for a better driving experience and the other advanced technology features that come with these packages, you might find the price is worth it.