I've had luck on Craigslist and Facebook Marketplace finding from private owners

I personally like the 2008 - 2012 RAV4

Which years are the best for RAV4?

Let's brake it down:

3rd generation RAV4 - A lifted Corolla, mediocre, performance in safety is very subpar.

2005-2008: Toyota had issues with the 2.4 Engine stripping head bolts, the V6 is incredible.

2009-2012: Perfectly good engines and transmission both 4 cylinder and V6.

(+) Mechanically solid in 2010-2012  (-) Outdated feeling, lacks safety.

4th generation RAV4 - Pretty much a facelift of the 3rd generation.

2013-2014: Scored POOR in the IIHS Small overlap frontal offset category.

2015-2019: FINALLY got decent safety score, AND FINALLY, got transmission that doesn't handicap the engine.

(+) The 2015-2019 models do it all well, safe-er, have decent dynamics (-) 25 MPG...

5th generation RAV4 - Unlike previous ones, these are NOT based on the Corolla.

2019: Uncertainty about the refinement of the 8 speed transmission on the regular (non-hybrid) variants.

2019-2021: The Hybrid seems to have issues with a cable cording costing owners many thousands of dollars to remedy.

https://www.torquenews.com/1/toyota-investigates-corroded-cables-rav4-hybrids

I'd go for a 2015-2019 or a 2009-2012 given that they have reasonable millage and aren't too overpriced.

Well most of the RAV4 is perfectly fine but everybody wants too much money for cars these days. If there's any way you can access people who are actually selling their own car, that's the best way to go. Or people who are buying a new car? Tell him you'll buy their trade-in and you get a much better deal then because the deal is buying them on trade in and then often will double what they give on a trade in. So even if you offer a little bit more, you go to better deal than buying it after the middle man gets all of it