3rd Gen vs 4th Gen

I purchased the (new body style back then) 2007 Jeep JK Wrangler. It had first edition problems too (they called it The Stall Bug). While driving, it would shut down unexpectedly. It was an easy programing fix though. I kept that Jeep until 2019 and put over 200K miles on it. So that's why I wasn't really hesitant on my next "new edition" purchase.

Purchased "new" 2019 Rav4 Adventure for the wife. She wanted the AWD version for inclimate weather events. I didn't really know at time of purchase that the AWD system was part of the new technology package that Toyota released for that year. Buddy we found out real quick after only 1500 miles of service. NEVER AGAIN.

 

what happened to the rav4 after 1.5k miles?

 

No contest, strippers and blow every time

 

"Other than shifting like it is supposed to..." What other function does it have? Lugs the shit out of the engine, I swear I hear valves clattering (and I haven't "imagined" that on any single vehicle I've ever had). Got 14k on the clock.

 

BMW’s have become incredibly more reliable over the years, even with their new introductions. I’d have no concerns buying a new M4 if it didn’t look like a train wreck.

 

Only 1st gens are driven until the wheels fall off - Toyota changed the lower ball joint design afterwards to make it less likely...

 

Got a sneak peek at the Gen 4 Tacoma last week. This truck is gonna be lit!

 

Damn, I thought it was this one lol.

 

Yuk!!!

 

IKR, that thing is freaking hideous.

 

They decided it would be better not to have a grille.

 

The frame and cab are identical, and the suspension and brakes too I believe?

 

Numerous threads on this from verified inside sources, 2024-2025 is 4th gen not 2022-2023, 2020 was a midcycle refresh. 2016-2020 (midcycle)-2024.

 

Buying new and keeping forever, that's definitely part of the romance of these vehicles. If used prices weren't patently absurd a lot of people would go used though I feel.

But since you're going new there's something about driving a current-gen truck that feels... right? Idk, I find the immediately preceding generation gets the worst of it when a vehicle get updated. Like 1st gen Tacomas feel vintage/classic now, while 2nd gens just give off "frugal", "stubborn" or "idgaf" vibes.

 

According to Toyota, the sales failure of the Ridgeline prompted them to stick to the tried-and-true basic truck configuration.

 

I wouldn’t call the Ridgeline a sales failure. 100% of Ridgeline owners bought one.

 

Ridgeline would be enough for 99% of what I actually need
I thought about it, but then said no to Ridgeline was because it's direct-injection only as opposed to Tacoma's dual injection.

Heck, even the upcoming Hyundai Santa Cruz can do almost everything I need to do, and it has dual injection engine, so maybe they will sell better than Ridgeline

 

As others have said, I see the 3rd generation going another 4-5 years at minimum. Way too soon for new model.

 

The new "proprietary" AWD system had a serious (?) design flaw. The system was designed to shift in and out of AWD (to FWD) automatically as needed. The shifting process was extremely loud on my wife vehicle. Every time it shifted, I would check the rear view mirror to see if anything was left behind on the road.. First, Toyota denied the issue (It's Normal). I had to schedule another appointment and produce documentation from the Rav4 Forum (showing many other people with the same issue) to even get the service department to look at it. Soon after, they acknowledged the issue and sent out a TSB. But, said that they did not have a fix. Two months later, they scheduled a repair to replaced the clutch dogs inside the transmission. Two days later, the issue became detectible again. Once again, Toyota denied the claim (said it was normal). We traded the Adventure for a FWD Limited and took a $2K loss.

 

Dang, it might just be the loud noise but I would feel just as uncomfortable as you felt. I think RAV4 is the case that you might be better off getting the Hybrid AWD. There is no transfer case to worry about and rear axle is driven purely by electric motor, so should be smooth and quite and less powerful.