Description
Back to the Nineties!
2000 “W” Toyota RAV4 GXS Giant – Red, Manual, 177, 740 Miles
Up for sale is my first-gen 2000 Toyota RAV4 Giant in red, with a close ratio, 5 speed manual gearbox, 177, 540 miles and counting, and still in daily use.
The Rav4 continues to go where no 4WD had gone before it’s launch right back in 1994, and this one comes complete with its own Giant mountain bike!
Toyota’s own marketing team described this car at launch as, “a compact but roomy on or off roader that performs like a GTi”.
Autocar magazine struggled to know what to compare the RAV4 with at launch, eventually settling on the Ford Escort RS2000 4x4, a performance hatchback with a 2. 0 litre 16v engine, permanent 4WD and a sharp, agile chassis. The magazine found in a comparison road test between the two cars that the Toyota was unexpectedly faster off the line than the 150 bhp Escort despite having less power, because it was 100kg lighter and featured shorter gearing. In summary Autocar found the Rav4 to be a surprisingly agile and swift urban vehicle, and it was well received going on to dominate the compact-SUV segment that it’s launch identified and then brought to the world and defined, to this day. It is estimated that more than 90% of all RAV4 models ever produced are still on the road !!!
The RAV4 GXS Giant is a rare and quirky UK-only special edition, manufactured in Japan and introduced in 1999 to celebrate and mark the phase out of the mk1 Rav4 (2 door only), one of Toyota’s biggest successes in the UK at the time, sales of which ceased in 2000. Loaded with extra, luxury equipment and bold “GIANT” graphics and logo-badges on the body and wheel centre caps to compliment the unique, funkier interior upholstery, the GIANT comes with high levels of fitted equipment including ABS, electronic diff lock for the permanent 4WD system, electric headlamp adjustment, Air Conditioning (fully sealed for life, never requires re-gassing) a POWER Activated tinted glass “moonroof” with three pre-set positions and integral, additional driving lamps set into the front bumper WHICH OPERATE AUTOMATICALLY WITH THE MAIN BEAM HEADLAMPS. In addition to electric windows the GIANT comes equipped with key fob central locking, an integral alarm and immobiliser, plus power adjustable and heated door mirrors and, unique to this model, stunning 17” five spoke GIANT design alloy wheels and a full body styling package with side mouldings, dual door bars, extended wheel arches, a unique front bumper design and flattering smoked Perspex rear spoiler, also unique to this model. This car is mechanically and bodily completely standard and unmodified, however, it does benefit from having had a few very subtle improvements under my ownership. One of the most beneficial is a very nice specification, bang up to date ALPINE CDE-205DAB Bluetooth connection CD/ Radio that I had professionally installed, which required a digital Aeriel to be integrated into the front windscreen and a condenser mic to be installed at the top of the a pillar. All works beautifully, stream music, make and answer calls hands free, play CDs, even charges phones via USB, which sound fabulous and the appearance of a 1990s single din car stereo-with a detachable front. When I sell the car I intend to leave this equipment in, the purchase/ installation would cost around £400 at todays prices.
Another improvement is the gorgeous three spoke sports steering wheel (identical to the wheel fitted into the mk2 Toyota MR2) re-trimmed in hand-stitched Italian Alcantara. It is one of the best features of the car, looks and feels fantastic and definitely deserves to stay with the car. See photos. Of course I do have a standard wheel should the next owner prefer it.
The front airbag system on this car was replaced by RRG Toyota in 2020 to comply with a global recall which had found fault with the original installation.
One improvement I made myself was to tint the rear side glass with a perforated polka dot pattern interior film. This gives an enhanced external appearance being tinted black, while also reducing sunlight / heat in the rear, and restricting the ability of prying eyes seeing into the rear of the vehicle, a security boon, especially when using a car as a delivery vehicle.
When you run out of road you certainly won’t run out of fun because this RAV4 GIANT comes complete with a Giant Boulder Shock mountain bike to explore parks, peaks and pastures new. Most have been lost so the fact that the bike is still with the car is testament to it’s originality and it’s extremely low number of owners. Offered for sale and included in the price, this is one for the classic car meets in the future. The correct Toyota locking roof bars are also with the car... The car has recently been damaged, and has been through an insurance claim process, now category N, non structural damage and not required to be noted on the log book. Quotes to repair around £500.
VIew this Sat @ RUSTIVALalong with a Thule rack mount (required if you wish to mount the bike onto the roof bars). Only 179 units of this special model were ever manufactured in three colours, silver, met black and red with the option of manual or auto gearbox. 29 autos were registered of which there are currently 7 licensed and 4 SORN. 150 manuals (probably the better and more desirable gearbox option) were registered of which 28 are still registered and on UK roads today, plus 22 SORN, making this a true collectible and potential future classic. The number of GIANTS remaining has practically halved in the last five years, many having been broken/ stripped for their increasingly valuable and rare GIANT only parts.
This one has been my own personal daily transport since July 2020 and comes with a comprehensive and fully documented Toyota main dealer service history, all carried out at RRG Toyota, purchaser and first owner using the supplying site at Bury Street in Blackburn, Lancashire for all servicing and repairs. When I purchased the car in July 2020 c/ o Darren Tarry, Maclan Marsh, a specialist dealer based in Cheshire who only offers main dealer part-exchanged cars, I was surprised to see so much documentation. The car having been serviced at RRG Toyota, on more than thirty separate occasions, with a folder present for each one. Darren had himself worked in Toyota sales during the 1990s, and remembered how good these cars were, so as soon as he spotted this one at RRG, after a quick inspection he was sure it could be saved to be re-sold, and was certain it would fit perfectly into his stock. Despite its comprehensive servicing the car had suffered from some corrosion around the front subframe and rear, sills, inner wings etc. in line with the age and mileage, something almost every Japanese manufactured car from this era suffers with. Darren had the ability have it all painstakingly corrected and the car was made solid, clean and smart again underneath before I purchased it. See the MOT history from 18 March, and 5 June for further details. Since then I have had some small amount of welding completed to keep up with MOT requirements before finally, last November having sourced genuine Toyota parts, had the whole front subframe replaced with a brand-new old stock sub-frame manufactured by Toyota, and including the lower wishbones on the suspension -front. The subframe and lower wish bones are massively over-engineered on these vehicles and you can tell by their appearance and weight that they really are built to last, at least the next 25 years. Even with the corrosion that had been previously identified and rectified on the subframe and lower wishbones, once these parts were removed from the car I could see the strength of the construction and that despite rust taking hold and progressing over the years, these parts certainly would have gone on giving good service safely for many more years. A trusted MOT tester simply stated that welding to sub-frames is no longer advised, and for this reason I had the whole lot replaced. Of course it does give the underside a much-improved appearance as well. The rear of the uni-body underside is going to require attention in similar areas to the repairs previously detailed at some point, although this hasn’t been an advisory or an MOT fail yet under my ownership. However, RRG Toyota noted that around previously repaired areas corrosion had resurfaced at the last service they carried out in November 2025, along with a broken exhaust bracket, one damaged fuel tank strap and corrosion on one of the outriggers that holds the body kit (side skirt) in position. The strap was replaced with a brand new one, and the second one remains with the vehicle for future repair if needed, the exhaust bracket was fixed and the outrigger was removed. The body kit remains in-situ and undamaged but further repair work would future-proof the car for another 25 years and this requirement is reflected in the very low offering price. Invoices and the full service record is included with the sale, and the service book has been stamped right up to it’s most recent service in November 2025 and for this reason I have continued to use RRG Toyota (as they have a branch at Leeds Road Huddersfield) for servicing and some repairs, plus two local trusted garages for other works including MOT work. There is an increasing lack of availability of some parts from Toyota due to the age of the car, for example an exhaust, a new radiator and a new petrol tank were required at different times, and Toyota couldn’t supply any of these items.
The gearbox itself is lovely to use, clutch is perfect but gear 5 no longer holds, engages and operates perfectly on all other ratios. Simple fix on the car using a kit and 2-3 hours.
There isn't anything else quite like the MK1 RAV4, come to Rustival at the British Motor Museum, Gaydon this Saturday and see the car.
CV35 0BJ
Instagram at rav4giant 4 loadsa pics and vids
Come say hi
