The wife has finally admitted her '13 Accord Coupe is terribly impractical. (I told her it would be, but I ain't bringing that up).

So, yesterday she thought that the RAV looked nice - hint, hint.

Thoughts? Experiences? Problems? Advice? etc etc.

And FYI Subie fans, quoting her: "no way".

Drive the Outback.

It is every way better.

My wife has a 2016 Highlander and she loves it. I would seriously look at one if you are looking for a wife car.

My mom has one, bought new, an 09 or '10, 2wd, 2.7 4cyl
She's a school teacher and it worked great for everything she needed, i think the only issue she has had with it is the charging system which may be rooted to a old battery(az heat fries a lot of things) I'll ask her when I see her today, if there are any other issues. Another friend has one as a family wagon, they wished they got a 4runner
I have no experience with the highlander

Um, reading comprehension?

I'll try, but she has this 'thing' against Subies .... defies logic. Maybe you're single?

So did my dad. He test drove the CR-V, Mazda CX-5, RAV-4, several forgettable Fords...

And now he has an Outback parked in the garage of his Woodland Park home.

It is the best car in the segment. There's a reason we have so many here.

I'm divorced, ex was a Subie lover, tho, and so is the current gf.

I know... I know...

But seriously. Forester XT or Outback all the way in this segment. If Toyota still sold the V6 RAV-4 then maybe. We've got a new Forester XT parked in the drive way and I find myself driving it more if we're just going around town. It even handles the Forest Service 'roads' around here very admirably.

Great power, proven AWD, lots of cargo space, nice interior, handles well, 29 MPG on a brand new engine.

If she's just against Subaru for some reason, here's the latest C&D Review of the RAV-4, hot off the press: http://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/...hybrid-reviews

Used Acura RDX AWD, v6 Power!

Things perfect if you live where it's snowy, and awd for wifeypractical suspensions choppy in the sport better in the limited the auto climate controls are gimmicky, our plastic looking leather seats are showing age and needed restiching, 4cyl here, fuel mileage is slightly worse than the 4 runner. More maneuverable and peppy in the city.

My brother has a 2009 RAV4 Limited. It's a nice vehicle, but terribly boring. It does nothing great. It's ok I guess. It "gets the job done". It has also been very reliable.

I've driven on many occasion the current RAV4 and feel that the last generation (my brothers) is better. The (new) interior is gawd awful and the touch screen (NAV and non NAV) is dreadful. The supsension feels a lot more stiff than it needs to be. Maybe I'm getting old, LOL. Anyway, another observation: Use polarized sunglasses? Say good bye to the screen b/c you will no longer see it when you wear them OR when the sun shines on it. I have have no problems seeing my NAV screen while using my polarized glasses or when the sun shines on it.

People mention the subi, but I would stay away from them. I drove one the other day and couldn't get over the fact that is was the most "ordinary car". Nothing stands out about it. I'm not sure if Subaru has ironed out the head gasket issue on their flat-4s/6s, but having that said, all manufactures have their issues. The subi is probably more "vanilla" than the RAV4.

If it were my money, I would take a serious look at a CRV touring edition. Lots of tech and extremely reliable. Mentionable: There is a new CRV coming to market very soon (if not already) and it looks like a winner. OF course, I'm biased. I have a 07 Civic EX sedan as a DD and currently it has 211,000 miles on it. I do ALL the maintenance myself and haven't had a major problem. I plan on using it until it falls apart.

My brother asked me what to replace his RAV4 with and I told him, "Get a CRV. Period". I have 2 small kids and if I had the money, I would get a Pilot TODAY.

I know most will comment on their experience and opinion, here are both of mine. I hope they help!

Good luck Philsey!

We have a 2012 4cyl 4WD Limited RAV4 and it's an excellent vehicle. The four wheel drive system is full time so my wife doesn't have to worry about shifting a transfer case, but it does have a 50/50 locker for maximum traction.

It is actually very fun and sporty to drive, and handles like a small, sporty car. The 4cyl engine isn't very powerful but it does the job well. I find that when I go from my daily driver 4Runner to the RAV I drive it like an autocrosser.

We love the RAV4 and 4Runner for what they are. Each has it's pluses and minuses. For big road trips the 4Runner is more comfortable, but we've taken many vacations in the RAV4 and enjoy nearly 30mpg on the interstate with beach gear and a dog in the back.

I looked at the Outback and I like the idea, but they're really long and low inside compared to the RAV4, which has a very usable cargo area not much smaller than the 4Runner once the middle seats are folded. They really aren't comparable cars, with the Subaru Forester being more in line with the RAV4.

Plus, if you get a RAV4 you get a cooler looking all-Toyota garage.

@CookieRoe Hey Ed. If I were picking the car, it'd be a CRV, and I wouldn't even look elsewhere. But she's had 2 new ones before the Accord, and she's funny about this ... "I want something different" ... hence the Accord Coupe. It's entirely possible I spoil her.

For you Subie fans, I just got back from driving a Forester and an Outback. Forester is meh, Outback is nice, neither knocked my socks off. Then again, I suppose nothing in this segment will do that.

Yeah, it's about as exciting as picking out socks.

In last year, we became a v6 Toyota family.
- Wife drives a Gen3 RAV4 / 2008 Limited 4x4
- I got a Gen3 4Runner / 2000 SR5 4x4
- son has a Lexus RX350 / 2015 AWD
In 4 decades of driving, I never considered a Subi / the older 4cyl. pan cake engine horror stories, have jaded my memory bank.

We drive near mint older vehicles, and naturally aspirate v6's are my rule of thumb / not interested in a Turbo 4 cyl, once warranty has expired.
- our RAV4 is very fun to drive, all 269 HP and has all the creature comforts, we need / and gas mileage is decent enough
- it has been trouble free & a most enjoyable SUV, for wife to commute to work / love everything about its handling & low maintenance costs
- only redid the rear brakes, in last year and a half, besides synthetic oil changes
- not as road quiet as our earlier Volvo v70 wagon, but too slight of a negative to worry about
Unfortunately the v6 RAV4 was discontinued starting with the 2013 models / Gen4's don't have the exterior spare tire, on the rear door.

When the time comes, to replace wife's RAV4, we will be upgrading her family vehicle to a newer v6 Highlander or take over driving our sons Lexus.
PS - pictured below / 2008 RAV4 wearing 2013 Highlander 17" alloy rims (for summer).

Attached Images

 

Gasket problems were sorted out around 2005. The lingering issue was oil consumption which seems to have been sorted out last year. The base 2.5L engines are dogs, but no more so than the RAV4. They are utilitarian, but very capable. The 2.0l DI turbo engines are very enjoyable too.