Im a fan of Toyota's having owned a number of them, but I dont know about a RAV4 (it doesnt seat 7 does it?). I know of a few people that have them and they havent had any problems that I have heard of. I did change a tire on a friends vehicle one time, and the jack that came with her RAV4 bent the first time it was used!
If you want a vehicle that has seating for 7 I would think about something like a minivan. The best is something like the Honda or Toyota one, but the best bang for the buck is still the first one on the market, the Dodge caravan. cheaper than the other two domestics, but still more reliable than the Chev or Ford.
The other option would be a Suburban, but then you are into big and a gas hog.
As much as I love fullsizes, the best for reliability, resale, and economic are imports ie Honda's, Toyota's, Mazda's, etc.