Early examples of this popular soft-roader will definitely have a place as a classic in the future - perhaps not in the traditional sense (which is often saved for soft-top British-built sports cars), but certainly as an interesting chapter in motoring history. As you say, the RAV4 can indeed lay claim to being one of the first compact crossovers - but a couple of things stand in the way of its classic credentials. The first is its reliability and longevity (strong mechanicals mean there are still plenty of early ones about) and the other is the fact the model is still in production. There's no owner's club either, yet. Remember, Japanese cars do take longer to be accepted as modern classics in the UK - for years, you could buy a Mk1 Toyota MR2 for £500.... now you'd struggle to find one with an MoT for under £2500. When it comes to Japanese classics, patience is key. But if you enjoy it and cherish it, then that's really all that matters.