Should I sell my 4runner??

[Ventil8]

Not too crazy

It's not bad of an idea. I would call you crazy if you thought about downgrading to a chevy or ford model. But, the 2019 Rav4 is a very nice vehicle. So good of a vehicle that even JA bought a 2019 model.

J.A.'s Toyota Rav4 Adventure AWD Informational Website

JA is getting up there in age too but this vehicle was for his wife. If I had to consider a crossover SUV, it would be a 2019 Rav4 or a 2019 Subaru Crosstrek.

I've owned my T4R since 2005, I love the vehicle and wouldn't consider driving anything else in my lifetime(i'm 40). Maybe that will change when I get older(70s?)

 

[SnowYeti]

I get a lot of what you are saying. I traded an MDX for my 19 ORP. There are things I miss. The MDX was much nicer on the highway, comfort was better, and with a wife that is always cold dual climate control.

Gas aside

Clearly you have modded your 4R, to me that is the big difference. Having a hobby car is a lot more fun that owning a car you don’t mod and wrench on. I love working on the 4R and modding it. Doing a trip then tweaking more. My MDX never saw a single modification. Actually I have a sports car I have modded a lot, and that drove me to owning another car to play with. I also own a Avalanche that was my backcountry adventure truck but I found it was limited on places I wanted to go and dragged it ass over trails.

Your 4R looks great, maybe you are out of mods you want to do? Making a car “yours” and unique is an option the RAV4 can’t offer. Though the new design is great.

 

[thennen]

Hey everyone, been awhile since I’ve been on here. I hope you’ve all been doing well! I’ve been a 4runner owner since 2005 and I never thought I’d say this but I’ve been debating if I should sell/trade in my 2016 trail premium 4runner lately. Crazy right?!

I guess what planted this Idea in my head was I rode in a Tesla for the first time last week. I couldn’t believe how quick it was and my friend raved about how he saves so much money on gas. It didn’t help that I spent $90 that day to fill up regular unleaded.

Fast forward to now and I was looking at the new Rav4 hybrid. I know, it feels like a downgrade right? But realistically as I’ve gotten older, I don’t hit the trails hard anymore and I live in the city of San Francisco where parking sucks for larger cars and there’s lots of hills and traffic so gas mileage suffers too.

I love my 4runner. The size, the height, being able to haul stuff and hit trails to go camping or whatever. Not to mention the amazing looks!

Am I crazy to consider swapping out for the smaller RAV4? It does have some cool new features that my 4runner doesn’t have, but it’s missing a lot too.

What are all of your thoughts?

Here’s some pics for reference

Ouch! $90 is twice what I pay to fill up. Gas must be $5.00/gal in California - which would be half your problem. MOVE! ;-)

I like the looks of the new Rav4, and it's supposed to be a really nice vehicle. I see more of them on the road every day. Plus, they are somewhat more off-road capable than the previous model. Are you able to rent one for a few days to get an idea what it's like to live with it?

Either way, go with what you like. I think the new Rav would be very easy to live with. Keep in mind that resale value versus the Runner will be less, simply because there are millions out there - if that's important to you. I typically keep a vehicle until 250k+ miles, so resale doesn't matter so much to me.

Best wishes!

 

[brtnstrns]

I could be wrong, but seems the 19 and 18 rav4 are pretty different. Yes I test drove the hybrid XSE yesterday. It didn't blow me away or anything like that but it drove solid. Decent enough handling, but it definitely felt more like a car than a truck. Maybe a mild lift and some beefier tires would spice things up a bit :lmao:

I'm just looking for other's feedback and opinions. Always good to hear some input from a different perspective.

Why not!

You're thinking rationally. I'm in Seattle and even I generally don't have to pay more than $50 for a tank of gas.

I would totally rock a RAV4 assuming it drove well, but as someone else said, I just like the aesthetics and size and "ruggedness" of the 4Runner.

I'll never use it to it's full potential, but who gives a shit. I like driving the thing and I want it to look gnarly.

If you want to try a different vehicle and have the financial means, why not?

My problem is that since vehicles are my main hobby, it doesn't matter whether I have a 1995 Camry, a 4Runner, or a 2017 Mustang GT350, I'm going to want to modify the damn thing.

 

[mteolus]

Watch this before you buy a hybrid

 

[mscot]

Watch this before you buy a hybrid

I would rather be shot in the foot than listen to that guy talk.

 

[Jetboy]

There will be a 2020 Rav4 Plug In Hybrid that could be a great option for a more reliable and useful vehicle if you want an EV. It's not probably as "cool" as a tesla, and surely not as quick, but it will also have things like automotive grade electronic components which Tesla does't. So it'll last quite a bit longer and be significantly more reliable in the long term. It also gives you the range as a hybrid to go on road trips, etc.

If Lexus doesn't come out with a similar RX model plug in hybrid in the next 2 or 3 years, I'll probably end up buying the Rav4 to replace our RX350. If I had to choose one vehicle for us - the 4Runner does everything. But with the exception of going off road, the RX is better at everything else. I live in Utah and go off road at least once a month. Plus I live bicycle distance to work, so mpg is kinda meaningless for me other than on road trips. If I lived in SF - I'd probably own a bicycle and a transit pass as my primary transportation. I'm not sure I'd own a car at all.

My parents have a late model Rav4 and love it. They live in rural Montana and it does just fine on any winter road conditions they have up there. They also have a Tacoma, Highlander, and Land Cruiser. They're retired and I have no idea why they have that many cars or especially why they have a highlander and a Rav4 given that they basically have zero passengers and no reason to have two people movers that are so similar, but they do. Anyway - among all of them, the Rav4 is their favorite vehicle for daily driving and the one they almost always take on road trips. It really is the perfect car for most uses. Efficient, easy to park, comfortable, and reliable.

And - if you ever need a 4Runner, you can usually rent one for pretty reasonable price for a weekend.

If you don't need a 4Runner for offroad or utility functionality, IMO there are many better options for daily driver duty.

 

[4FL]

I tried the practical route once, went based upon cost analysis and my "needs".

It really ended in disaster, I am a car guy by heart, will always be, and it is more than a car, it is a hobby, a source of pleasure, that happens to double as point A to B driver also.

It is difficult to justify hobby and entertainment activities via cost-based analysis, because in reality, they are not a need nor practical, thus should not be approached in such a manner.

Bottom line really is can you afford, or want to afford, your hobby/entertainment, in this case, your 4runner. The rav4 may provided a good substitute and fulfill what the 4runner was filling, who knows.

My disaster was buy a Ford Edge, great price, awesome MPG, hated every second of it, traded that thing in quickly for my 4runner, I am lucky the dealer gave me fully what I wanted from it so i did not lose anything other than depreciation, which was bad enough. If I just would have went with the 4runner in the first place, I would have been ahead financially, and not gone mental over being in such a POS.

 

[mteolus]

I tried the practical route once, went based upon cost analysis and my "needs".

It really ended in disaster, I am a car guy by heart, will always be, and it is more than a car, it is a hobby, a source of pleasure, that happens to double as point A to B driver also.

It is difficult to justify hobby and entertainment activities via cost-based analysis, because in reality, they are not a need nor practical, thus should not be approached in such a manner.

Bottom line really is can you afford, or want to afford, your hobby/entertainment, in this case, your 4runner. The rav4 may provided a good substitute and fulfill what the 4runner was filling, who knows.

My disaster was buy a Ford Edge, great price, awesome MPG, hated every second of it, traded that thing in quickly for my 4runner, I am lucky the dealer gave me fully what I wanted from it so i did not lose anything other than depreciation, which was bad enough. If I just would have went with the 4runner in the first place, I would have been ahead financially, and not gone mental over being in such a POS.

Bad mechanically?

 

[4FL]

Bad mechanically?

About a week after I bought it, it developed a horrible rattle, so bad could not drive at highway speeds without ear plugs. Took it in, heat shield came loose. There were also two recalls (not including the airbag thing which I will not blame any auto company over).

One day the battery was dead, and where I parked, the driver door was next to a concrete wall I usually climbed out the passenger side, (yea, PITA). Luckily I parked far enough where my wife could squeeze through the opened door to unlock the hood. But Ford could never duplicate nor say why the battery went dead, there were no lights left on, nothing, and it was not even parked all that long when it did.

Now, the worse thing of all, the thing that made me get rid of it quickly, was the horrible, if not dangerous, lag when you press the throttle down. Want to jump in the next lane and need to hit the gas? Forget it, the RPMs drop to idle if you hit the gas. You have to play with it to even get it to go. Three dealers said it was normal and part of the gas saving programming. Screw that, it is dangerous, when I hit the gas, I want it to go, not drop to idle RPM then surge to speed. Imagine trying to cut into fast lanes and the stupid thing decides not to go, ridiculous.

It also was not comfortable on any trip over two hours, as in painfully uncomfortable for me, something I did not encounter nor could on the short test drives. That is not really the fault of anyone other than me though.

I drove from Miami to Virginia, hated the trip, saw my 4runner for sale online, went straight to the dealer and got it, the thing was not even at the dealer yet, still being shipped. It was a great trip back home in the 4runner, loved it.

 

[Donovan1]

Yes... It's crap.... Sell it to me.

I've driven in SF with my 4Runner and I know it's challenging. I've also driven my lifted FJ and it was challenging but people tended to see me and I could maneuver better. If you want to keep the big truck thing, you could try to find a nice '14FJ? Or I'll let you have mine for your rig. :hello:

 

[Cozen89]

Yes... It's crap.... Sell it to me.

I've driven in SF with my 4Runner and I know it's challenging. I've also driven my lifted FJ and it was challenging but people tended to see me and I could maneuver better. If you want to keep the big truck thing, you could try to find a nice '14FJ? Or I'll let you have mine for your rig. :hello:

Hey if you’re interested, make me an offer haha.

Thanks everyone for their opinions and feedback. 1st off, I’m not considering a Tesla. I’m not considering anything really except the 2019 or 2020 rav4. I like the reliability of Toyota.

I definitely get what people are saying about being able to mod your rig. It is a lot of fun being able to modify and make it your own. There’s not much aftermarket support for the RAV4 but maybe it will pick up in the next few years? I’ve seen a couple of lifts out there.

I know for sure I’ll miss my 4runner if I do sell/trade it. Although I do still have my 2002 4runner which may help a bit with my 4runner withdrawals.

I guess the RAV4 is appealing because it’s more practical overall for city living and might still be able to do some light trail work when camping etc. Gonna have to think hard on this one.

 

[Cozen89]

Here’s a slightly modded rav4. Doesn’t look half bad in my opinion.

 

[RockyM]

Hey if you’re interested, make me an offer haha.

Thanks everyone for their opinions and feedback. 1st off, I’m not considering a Tesla. I’m not considering anything really except the 2019 or 2020 rav4. I like the reliability of Toyota.

We seriously looked at the new Rav4, and ended up with the 4R. The Rav4 simply had too much tech on it for our specific situation. Look into any existing issues they may still have with the rear drive line disconnect on the Adventure model. Toyota finally admitted an issue with the transfer case design and/or manufacture. Besides that the drive line disconnect is designed to constantly connect and disconnect based on sensor inputs. The whole thing made me a bit nervous (it is critical we have something durable) so we threw the Adventure model out of the running and considered the AWD XLE.

 

[jkd4141]

WE have a 15 limited Rav4 for my wife which she loves, and I have a 15 4RUNNER for our camping trips,,,they are 2 different beasts with different uses intended for us.....if WE are in a hurry and not hauling much, we drive the Rav4.... its one of the better driving vehicles that I have dove! ....love them both!!!!!!

 

[drewsro]

If you want to see a clean build on a new RAV4 Adventure, check out Radventure4 on instagram.

 

[BobsTrail]

Rent a Rav4 for a few days to see how you feel about it after a few days and different types of driving.

We were looking for a Sienna last year. A 20 minute test drive will not show you much. We rented one for a 3 day trip to see what it's really like for a variety of driving and having time between trips to get away from it and getting back in. It's surprising how much you will not notice on a short test drive.

We kept the 4Runner, it was a good move for us.

 

[Superjet]

A few years ago I was looking hard at a RAV4, I do not do any off roading. Just wanted something more capable in the winter. What changed my mind was they are every where. Once I started looking at them I would notice them even more. After that I went with the 4Runner Limited mall crawler.

Back in the market now for my GF and probably getting a RAV4, they made some big improvements for 2019

 

[Hammeredsole]

Hey everyone, been awhile since I’ve been on here. I hope you’ve all been doing well! I’ve been a 4runner owner since 2005 and I never thought I’d say this but I’ve been debating if I should sell/trade in my 2016 trail premium 4runner lately. Crazy right?!

I guess what planted this Idea in my head was I rode in a Tesla for the first time last week. I couldn’t believe how quick it was and my friend raved about how he saves so much money on gas. It didn’t help that I spent $90 that day to fill up regular unleaded.

Fast forward to now and I was looking at the new Rav4 hybrid. I know, it feels like a downgrade right? But realistically as I’ve gotten older, I don’t hit the trails hard anymore and I live in the city of San Francisco where parking sucks for larger cars and there’s lots of hills and traffic so gas mileage suffers too.

I love my 4runner. The size, the height, being able to haul stuff and hit trails to go camping or whatever. Not to mention the amazing looks!

Am I crazy to consider swapping out for the smaller RAV4? It does have some cool new features that my 4runner doesn’t have, but it’s missing a lot too.

What are all of your thoughts?

Here’s some pics for reference

I would move out of the ****ing miserable shithole city of San Francisco before I sold the 4Runner. That's just me. Every time I have to cross the bridge into that godforsaken cesspool of human excrement and junkies wandering around, I start a timer to see I can break a record of leaving faster. I started only riding my motorcycle in the city so I can at least rip wheelies on the hill intersection, and cutoff all the ****ing retards meandering around in traffic, likely going to their next next methadone clinic appointment.

 

[Cozen89]

If you want to see a clean build on a new RAV4 Adventure, check out Radventure4 on instagram.

I've seen that one, it is pretty nice. I haven't seen any adventure rav4's at the dealers here in SF yet. I'd probably be leaning toward the hybrid for the extra torque and MPG.

I may look into renting one for a few days to really see how it drives.