SEEING eye-to-eye with White Van Man is an interesting experience. For once, in a Rav 4, you are on level pegging with this scourge of the highway.

At junctions, when you are turning left, you are no longer forced to wait for White Van Man to move on, when he is turning right or moving straight ahead, before you can see what’s coming. This gives you a head start over lower down drivers, not to mention much less neck straining.

A better view of the road is a good thing and not just for seeing pretty countryside over hedges. A better view provides more time to react to hazards - and it can give you an air of superiority over the lower-down drivers. No wonder the 4x4 market is burgeoning.

The fact that 90 per cent of 4x4 drivers never venture off road is neither here nor there. They feel superior because they could if they wanted to. Who knows what terrible hazard might be lurking around every corner? And so the human survival streak kicks in.

In Toyota’s new Rav 4 driver and passengers not only feel safer but are a lot safer thanks to an array of special features. Parents naturally want to protect their little ones as best they can so it’s no wonder there are all those 4x4s at the school gates.

The fact that many of the drivers rarely encounter anything more mountainous than a kerb is not the point. They feel they are doing their best to save their young passengers, plus there is plenty of room inside for plenty of children. The rear seats three adults comfortably.

A paltry £80 on the road tax seems a small price to pay and one that the majority of parents will pay without thinking twice.

The soaring price of fuel hits the pocket harder but even here there is solace. Thanks to advances in technology the new Rav 4 D-4D achieves more than 40 miles to the gallon, incredible when you think of its size.

This figure is not far off that of my own Ford Fiesta 1.2.

It was back in 1994 that Toyota’s Rav 4 made its debut. The original soft-roader was a runaway success, combining for the first time sporty hatchback handling with the ruggedness of a 4x4.

Like all new models, the third generation Rav 4 has grown. It’s slightly longer and wider but just as easy to drive, if not better.

There’s more cabin space and an almost 50 per cent increase in load area volume, which is no bad thing when it’s holiday time with a mound of suitcases. There is also a useful underfloor compartment in the boot.

Prices start at £19,020 for the 2.0.litre VVT-I petrol engine which does 32.8 mpg in the combined cycle and nought to 62 mph in 10.6 seconds. But the one most people will go for is the six gear diesel D-4D 140 at £20,295 which does a nippy nought to 62mph in 10.5 seconds and 42.8mpg (combined).

There’s also a top of the range D-4D 180 which is just 9.3 seconds for nought to 62mph and still does 40.4mpg in the combined cycle and includes Bluetooth compatability. The T180 is £26,995 which Toyota says beats the popular BMW’s X3 rival which costs £32,495 with the same spec.

The Rav has a permanent 4x4 system, Active Torque Control, which adapts to road conditions automatically without the need for the driver to adjust any knobs or levers. Driving down an icy hill is a cinch. But for anyone wanting serious off-road ability or needing to tow a horse box, opt for a Toyota Land Cruiser.

The family will be kept safe thanks to an NCAP five star crash rating. Sitting up high is good for vision but also has a downside - vehicle roll. Toyota has helped minimise this with its Vehicle Stability Control Plus which, combined with electric power steering, help bring the car under control in a skid.

Its chunky good looks combined with sporty appeal are aimed at young families in the 35-45 bracket and to young-at-heart empty nesters. With all this to offer it will be no surprise if the Rav 4 continues to be the best-selling SUV in Europe.