I recently purchased a used 1998 2 door RAV4 for myself. I was a little hesitant when making this decision because this particular model was not a 4 wheel drive vehicle. Since my last 3 vehicles were 4 wheel drive and I do live in an area where it snows, I was a bit concerned I would miss the comfort of knowing I had 4WD. That concern disappeared after our first major snowstorm. The vehicle handled very well in the snow and I had no problems at all maneuvering to and from work during that snowy day.
(Although the RAV4 that I purchased is only front wheel drive, the do have 4WD options on all their RAV4 vehicles).

I like the compact size of the vehicle. Now that my children are grown and out of the house, I no longer need to be concerned with taxiing kids all over to basketball and soccer games. There is plenty of legroom in the front. The back seat is a bit less comfortable if adults are riding there. I rarely have passengers in the back of my vehicle, so this is not a concern for me, but should be considered for anyone purchasing one.
The storage area behind the back seat not very large, but the two back seats fold down and tip forward to allow for more room. I could easily pack the back for two people travelling on vacation for two weeks without a problem.

The model I purchased is a 5 speed on the floor and is FUN to drive. I also like the ability to maneuver into small areas and find great parking places!

It has a 4 cylinder engine, but has enough power and zip to get me anywhere I want to go without lag or hesitation. I do believe the standard transmission is a plus in this area. The gas mileage I get averages about 30mpg which pleases me!

I recommend this vehicle highly to anyone interested in a small SUV that doesn't need a lot of room for grown passengers. If you have young children that need a lot of equipment (i.e. strollers, playpens, etc) I suggest you wait until they are older before a purchase of a RAV4.