Wife wants a Rav4. Any opinions on them?

I stand corrected new (2012) camry does 5.9 sec 0-60 vs the old of 6.3.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FOmZIu_y1js

(There are other videos showing how to get a subaru stuck on rollers as well)

 

That's cool.

If she ever has to drive up a ramp made of rollers I'll make sure I recommend a Subaru.

For the other 100% of the time she drives I suspect a RAV4 will be fine.

 

So the consensus is these are good vehicles, no major issues? My grandmother is looking to trade her 2002 Caravan in for one. She usually doesn't actually test drive vehicles before buying them(not sure if she doesn't feel comfortable driving a vehicle thats not hers with a salesperson looking over her shoulder or what ) so I'm doing the research and going to take some for a test drive for myself. She likes the way the Sport looks which is good cause I actually think they're very slick looking for a CUV. She's not sure if she wants the V6 or 4cyl though. Will be the 4wd for sure though. As a car guy myself I'd like the V6 although I know the 4cyl would be more than sufficient for her. I was out looking at a few today. If I didn't actually use my truck and it's bed and everything I wouldn't mind rocking one of these.

 

Never owned the RAV4 but I am just coming from a Forester XT. For onroad handling and handling on snowy roads and slick conditions, the Forester would be the better choice in terms of an everyday driver. There really is no comparison in terms of handling. Full-time AWD with the boxer engine that sits low results in a glued-to-the-road feel, even in slick conditions. You can also do some very mild offroading with the Forester,but neither is deisgned for that purpose and I wouldn't push it. One thing about the Forester- It looks plain and simple and is far from a performance vehicle, but it is also actually fun to drive. It takes corners like a mini cooper. It is darn near impossible to flip or get into trouble and it is a blast on window mountain roads, especially with the turbocharged XT.

If you do get the Forester, get the turbocharged XT. It is no STI but it is worth the extra cash. As far as compact SUV's go, you won't find one that handles better in snow. They are that good. With decent tires, you will be driving through a snowstorm on loveland pass like a freight train while some fullsize 4x4 pickups are spinning their tires. I have owned two 4x4 tacos and with good tires they will do great in snow, but I have never had a vehicle that handled better in snow than the Forester. Period. They are unstopable. With all other things being equal, fulltime AWD will always give you better handling in these conditions than parttime 4wd.

The drawbacks I have found on the Forester XT over the years--it is a gas hog as far as compact SUV's go. Expect 20 highway, 17-18 around town. The non-turbo is much better but neither is a fuel efficient SUV. You also have to follow the maintenance schedule religiously. The boxer engine and AWD system are very sensititve to oil/fluid changes. You are also limited on mods--forget about lifts or big tires--they will tear up the AWD gears. You will trash your drvietrain in a matter of months. It is also not the best looking vehicle out there and the interior is spartan. You won't get many compliments. But in terms of practical considerations, it can't be beat in its class.

As you sit high and there is so much window rela estate, road and wind noise is always present. Also, the acoustics in a Forester just suck and you won't be able to get really nice sound. The speakers sit low on the panels and there is a lot of window coverage and the vehicle has a somewhat boxy, tall profile on the inside. I upgraded to subwoofer, amp, high quality speaker system and head unit and the sound really never was anything great. The interior space is not compatible with quality acoustics. If you are an audiophile, there is only so much you can do.

The Forester is one of those vehicles that is neither sexy nor sophisticated, but it is fun to drive and is for those who value function over form. It won't let you down but it won't wow you with ammenities, either. If you are the type that is concerned with image and want a chick-magnet type SUV that turns heads, obviously this isn't your vehicle.

 

Going through the wife wants a RAV4 experience at the moment. They certainly have a good reputation and I am looking forward to the test drives having never been in one myself.

 

We started with a 2000 Rav4 4 cyl 5 speed over 10 years ago. Both my boys grew up learning to drive stick. My wife drives manual and it's one of the reasons I married her. I keep reminding her of that. She smiles and laughs about that characteristic. Then in 2009 we bought a cute looking 2003 Rav4 4 cyl 5 speed (once again, a standard) which I am driving now. I love it. It's my 'poor man's recce vehicle'. A couple of years ago, we gave that 2000 Rav4 to my son who is doing post - grad studies. Since he grew up in that vehicle he has come to love it dearly. Last year we found a 2008 Rav4 4 cyl automatic for my wife and she just loves the 2.4L engine. Got lots of zip on the freeway and sometimes I catch myself doing 70 mph and speeding without knowing it.

Now my 2nd son wants my 2003 Rav4 to get on with his life and I'm shopping for a 2nd Gen Taco (after owning a 1980 and 1984 Toy SR5 trucks).

Life is great with the THREE Rav4's in our family. Nothing ever goes wrong with them and if something does crap out, we don't care much because their record is so stellar.

Hope this can work for you and your family like the Rav4's have for ours....

Cheers,
Barney

 

The ones (v6) I drove were nicely put together, no squeeks, rattles, fulltime awd with a switchable "stability control", and will have no problem with the kind of wheeling you have in mind. My bullshit alarm goes off, however when I hear about 40mpg

***doh, old thread, nevermind***

 

My wife got an 05 when her 96 Tacoma was bought back in spring 08. She loves it. It is an electronic 4wd, no hi or lo.

Shortly after buying it we drove to a concert. 5 adults, grill, 4 coolers. All inside, nothing on the roof. It's simple as pie to parallel park as well.

My friend had one last year which got totalled this summer and he knew he wanted another one.

Only thing I'll suggest if you're in a region where it snows, make sure to keep the channel at the bottom of the windshield as clear as you can get it at all times and pull the wipers off the windshield in cold weather. My wife didn't listen to me when I told her to and it's a narrow channel. She turned the wipers on instead of scraping the window and broke them, but that's not the vehicle's fault.

The 05 rear seats do fold down, plus you can remove them with no tools if needed..one or both.