Toyota Rav4: Does It Have A Sunroof Or Moonroof?

Luxury vehicles get the best of comfort, design, and advanced tech features, but Toyota is slowly incorporating features like the moonroof into most of their everyday vehicles. The sunroof design has been around for over 80 years, while the first moonroof was introduced almost 50 years ago, and Toyota jumped on board to offer these features to their supporters as soon as they could.

Some models of the Toyota Rav4 have either a standard or an optional feature of a sun or moonroof and the Rav4 has had the sunroof option since its release to the American car market in 1996. Sunroof technology has been advanced over the years and the moonroof is becoming a more popular option.

The first sunroof in a Toyota Rav4 was a fun feature loved by young families and first-time teenage drivers. It was a “beach” kind of compact SUV and Edmunds rates the 1996 a huge 4.8 out of 5 based on driver reviews who love the Rav4.

Toyota has kept the sunroof trend going in all the Rav4 models and has upgraded this feature almost every year. Find out which models have the sunroof or the moonroof below.

Does the Toyota Rav4 Have a Sunroof?

The Toyota Rav4 has had the option of a sunroof feature since its release on the American car market in 1996. The base model did not have this feature but the second, upper trim, offered the sunroof as an upgrade for an extra cost.

Since then, the Rav4 has offered the sunroof as either a standard or additional feature on most of its upper trim models.

Sunroofs are not available on the basic Rav4 trims as either standard or a packaged option.

Although the term sunroof is still used in articles, blogs, and car dealerships, a sunroof is not a moonroof, and the moonroof is becoming a more popular option in new vehicles released to the market.

Does the Toyota Rav4 Have a Moonroof?

Some Toyota Rav4 trims do have the inclusion of a moonroof and a panoramic moonroof.

The Rav4 moonroof is a standard feature in some of the upper trims of the favorite SUV, and the panoramic moonroof option is offered as a package-only feature on the top-tier Rav4 trim, the Limited model.

Moonroofs are a great option for limiting wind noise and wind rash as well as helping drivers to feel less claustrophobic and providing good use of ventilation throughout the vehicle.

Sunroof vs Moonroof, What’s the Difference?

The terms sunroof and moonroof can get a little confusing and you will see them both used as crossover information and probably wonder if they are the exact same thing. They are not, however, the same thing so we’ve got the technical definitions for you here.

Sunroof and moonroof are not interchangeable terms and here’s why:

Sunroof meaning

The Sunroof was the first term used for vehicles that would allow for additional light and ventilation in a vehicle with the use of removable glass or “plastic” panes on the roof of a car.

If yours has an opaque non-glass material on the roof, it will be a sunroof.

A sunroof is defined as a solid body-colored panel that can either be manually removed and/or tilted or automatically through a powered system that tilts the sunroof with the press of a button. From the outside of a vehicle, the metal plaque placed over a sunroof means the passengers can’t see through it.

Here’s a quick recap

• A sunroof is opaque
• It can be removed or tilted to allow aeration in the vehicle from the roof
• You cannot see through a sunroof when it is closed or tilted
• A sunroof looks like a body-colored panel of the vehicle

Here is an example of a 1998 Rav4 sunroof provided by Truck Camper.

Moonroof meaning

A moonroof, on the other hand, is like a sunroof but without the metal plaque over the top of the glass. So, you can see through the glass panel from the inside of the vehicle because it is transparent. It is also tinted and slides rather than being removed or tilted and is made of glass.

A moonroof can slide and tilt also, like the sunroof, but can slide much further than a sunroof.

There’s also a panoramic moonroof, which covers the whole roof, or most of the roof of a vehicle. Panoramic moonroofs can slide open much further than typical moonroofs and are either tinted or clear depending on the option chosen when adding this feature.

Some panoramic moonroofs are purely glass roofs that cannot be opened and don’t have a blind cover.

Here’s a recap of a moonroof:

• A moonroof is transparent
• There is no body-colored panel that blocks the sunlight or moonlight
• Moonroofs can slide open and tilt, but you can always see through them
• A moonroof is made from glass
• Moonroofs are taking over sunroofs

Here is an example of a 2015 Rav4 moonroof by Toyota USA.

Here is an example of a moonroof and a panoramic moonroof by MJA plc.

Which Toyota Rav4 Models Have a Sunroof and/or Moonroof?

Rav4 vehicles have always had the option of having a sunroof but the moonroof has become a newer version of the sunroof.

The Rav4 offers a sunroof, moonroof, and a panoramic moonroof depending on which year model and make you’re after. And also, depending on whether the dealership calls it a sunroof or a moonroof will make a difference too.

Because each dealership we have come across uses the term interchangeably it’s hard to determine which model comes with what feature, but for the fourth and fifth generation of the Rav4 we can help you out!

Here are the Rav4 vehicles that offer a sunroof and/or a moonroof as either a standard or additional feature in this well-sought after compact SUV:

• 1996 – 1998

The Rav4 is released to the American market and the second trim, the Rav4 GX comes Standard with twin removable sunroofs.

• 1999 – 2000

This un-classable favorite Rav4 is eventually labeled as a mini sport-utility vehicle and comes with two doors, a removable soft top for the rear passengers, and a new version of the sunroof that is now a single removable pane so that the front passengers can have the same “outdoor” experience as the rear passengers.

This Rav4 has been one of the most popular for its low cost, compact size, and fuel-efficient design, but most importantly, it was a “beach and holiday favorite”.

• 2001

The Rav4 was redesigned yet again for a third generation of the Rav4. The 2001 Rav4 is the best-rated compact SUV on Consumer Reports for its low emissions, good fuel economy ratings, and its standard safety features.

The 2001 Rav4 offers an optional power-controlled sunroof, but this is where the term moonroof starts coming into the specs for the Toyota Rav4, whether it’s a moonroof or a sunroof now depends on your and the dealerships classification

• 2017 – present

The 2017 Rav4 is offered in five trim levels, Le, XLE, SE, Limited, and Platinum of which the XLE and most of the higher trims are offered with a standard moonroof.

Rav4 no longer calls its open roof feature a sunroof in most areas and is now referred to as a moonroof.

The 2021 Toyota Rav4 makes the moonroof available as an additional feature with the XLE trim and makes the moonroof standard on the XLE Premium trim. The panoramic moonroof is available as a package for the Limited Rav4 trim only.

Which Toyota Models Have A Sunroof?

Although it is surprising to many people, there aren’t actually many Toyota models that offer a sunroof. Many models have a moonroof but not many have sunroofs.

The only Toyota models that have a sunroof are:

• Toyota Rav4
• Toyota Land Cruiser
• Toyota Highlander

Although many other models have moonroofs (which I will cover next) those are the only models that you can purchase with an actual sunroof.

Which Toyota Models Have A Moonroof?

So only three Toyota models come with a sunroof but what about a moonroof? Which Toyota models have one?

The following Toyota models can be purchased with a moonroof:

• Toyota 4Runner
• Toyota Avalon
• Toyota Corolla
• Toyota Camry
• Toyota Highlander
• Toyota Land Cruiser
• Toyota Prius
• Toyota Rav4
• Toyota Sequoia
• Toyota Sienna
• Toyota Tacoma
• Toyota Tundra
• Toyota Venza

Conclusion

Depending on where you come from, where you purchase your Toyota Rav4 from, and what your local dealer calls it, your Rav4 may come standard with a sun or moonroof if you purchase a higher-level trim of the Rav4.

Not all Rav4 models come with the sun or moonroof and not all are offered this as an additional feature but every year of the Rav4 does offer the sun or moonroof in at least one of their trim levels.