So, who has a RAV4?

My wife totaled her 2013 Outback in December of last year, no pics but it got screwed up bad, she walked away with a bruised knee. Replaced it with a Forester

We test drove several RAV4's and the road noise was terrible..one felt like my 89 Tercel.

That being said I bought my daughter a 98 RAV4...She loves it and I actually wouldn't mind one for a DD...it just needs a low range:biggrin1:

New SUV's all look like they were designed by the same guy. A RAV4 looks like a CRV IMO
 
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[MENTION=51186]philsey[/MENTION] Geez man, you know the drill by now. Let HER go drive the CRV and then the Subaru and then the RAV. Those three are the best. Go to the dealer with her but DON'T go on the test ride with her. Let HER choose. Just make sure it is one of these three.
 
1engineer said:
[MENTION=51186]philsey[/MENTION] Geez man, you know the drill by now. Let HER go drive the CRV and then the Subaru and then the RAV. Those three are the best. Go to the dealer with her but DON'T go on the test ride with her. Let HER choose. Just make sure it is one of these three.
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Yeh yeh, I know I know. Not my first rodeo pal. Just gettin' some background - never even sat in a RAV. I do let her pick - which is why she has that damned Coupe. Wish I had do-overs on that one.
 
Bland, functional, and very reliable. If this is what you need, it is top of the class in the "SUV-but-sharing-a-platform-with-a-compact-car-that-a-franchise-maid-drives" segment.

Can't lie though, those V6's ones are very quick.
 
[MENTION=51186]philsey[/MENTION], .....I have a "15" 4runner which I just love.....possibly the last new vehicle I will ever own!.......We started looking around for and AWD for my wife and ended up buying a "15" Rav AWD limited, and she loves it!....Easy to get in and out, hauls alot with the back seats folded down, has great power for a 4cyl, and it handles really well!....I really think she will love it this winter when the weather gets bad!....I can really appreciate diving it also as it feels like a mini 4runner!.....The only complaint that I have at the moment as it has more road noise than my 4runner!.......and all the reviews that I have read talk about the reliability!.....We are both in our mid 50's and couldnt be happier with our Toyotas!
 
Not sure what year/generation you are looking at, but we have a 2013 Rav4 Limited AWD. it has 63,000 miles now and I'm actually trading it this month for a 2016 Limited 4Runner 4x4.

Overall, it's been really great vehicle and I have very few complaints.

The Good:
- I quite like how it drives. The Limited has bigger wheels and lower profile tires, so the ride is a little harsh but combined with the AWD system, it is really not bad to drive at all. I considered the CR-V and CX-5 but the CR-V was just kind of dull and the CX-5 was too small for me. The Rav4 is peppy, sure footed, confident and will hold it's own on a mountain road in sport mode. The Rav4, despite having a 4 cylinder, is much peppier and quicker on it's feet than a 4Runner.
- AWD system is great
- Interior is nice and larger than you'd think. I can fit four grown men and all of our gear in it with no problem.
- I drive pretty aggressively, mostly city driving, and have averaged about 22.5MPG over the duration of my ownership. At reasonable highway speeds, 28-31MPG is more than doable.
- Great real-world tech: blind spot monitor, rear cross traffic alert, automatic rear hatch, and the newer models have the whole TSS-P suite with auto high beams, radar cruise, Lane departure, etc.

The Bad:
- Ride quality really can be kind of choppy
- More road noise than you'd think
- I am 6'1, 250 lbs with a broad build and the seats are too narrow for me. I suspect this wouldn't be a problem for your wife.

Overall, the Rav4 is really a great buy and I think your wife would like it. I've been pleasantly surprised but it's time for something new. My biggest pain point is size - I need something bigger, wider and more comfortable for my frame.


Here were my sentiments when I cross shopped the Rav4 with CR-V, Escape and CX-5 last year: Personal Review: Ford Escape vs. Honda CR-V vs. Mazda CX-5 vs. Toyota Rav4 - Club Lexus Forums

Feel free to PM/ask any other questions.
 
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Gecko said:
...Here were my sentiments when I cross shopped the Rav4 with CR-V, Escape and CX-5 last year:
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Thanks. Very well-written, guessing you do similar for a living? Only wish it had been done last week. Sadly, wifey is not a car person, style would win her over substance.
 
philsey said:
This seems a very common complaint. Would tires be the reason?
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I don't think so. I swapped out the original tires for Bridgestone Turanza Serenity IIs which I've had on a few different vehicles, and they're always relatively quiet and well mannered. Ride/cockpit still louder than I think it should be. Something like a Camry has a lot more isolation, but the Rav4 isn't terrible by any stretch.

The suspension is probably the weak point for the Rav4. It's not bad, but I think they made it overly stiff to be "sporty" and the reality is that it's just a little more raw than it should be in execution.

The XLEs come with tires that have more sidewall, so keep that in mind. Not sure what model you're looking at?

The new SE is very nice looking and can be had with nice options like LED headlights and BSM.
 
philsey said:
Thanks. Very well-written, guessing you do similar for a living? Only wish it had been done last week. Sadly, wifey is not a car person, style would win her over substance.
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Thank you. I work in marketing for Autotrader and Kelley Blue Book, so looking at reviews, road tests and comparisons is a big part of my job. It might have rubbed off on me...? Ha.
 
philsey said:
A little off-my-own topic, but this is interesting.

All-New 2017 Honda CR-V Gets A 190HP Turbo Engine
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Oh yes, very nice. It's nice to see Honda getting its strut back. Heck, you may not even consider retrofit lights as the Touring edition will more than likely come with LED lights (negating any retrofit). But, As you said, it's up to her.

I hear ya on the "spoiling her" part. My wife is dogging me to get her an Audi, which I might do b/c I'm an idiot. Of course, I told her I would lease it and when it was done, I would dump it (in the woods). She has never experience a "luxury car" and I have many times in my life (Hell, it might be my last hurrah at a German car too, LOL). We all live once, so, what the hell? I'll let try one, then she will see they are overpriced crap. :heh:
 
As others have said and I have been in the exact same boat as you. Wife looking to upgrade to a little bigger and more practical vehicle and absolutely wouldn't not go NEAR the Subaru dealership. Low and behold after test driving all the examples listed in the thread we now have a Forester parked in our garage and at 2 years old and over 40k miles I think we made the right choice. If you literally covered up the badges and had her drive and look at the vehicle your wife would appreciate the fact that there are no blind spots, a giant sun roof, great mpgs for an AWD car(the best in the industry too), not only that but even getting the n/a model they still have some pep in their step. Just have her at least drive one. . . .if she drives one and absolutely :barf: I then will believe her. But it really isn't going to hurt to get a vehicle with the best resale value, reliability, awd, and handling. . .
 
CookieRoe said:
Oh yes, very nice. It's nice to see Honda getting its strut back. Heck, you may not even consider retrofit lights as the Touring edition will more than likely come with LED lights (negating any retrofit). But, As you said, it's up to her.
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Well, one thing I do know, I won't make any decision, er suggestion, 'til I see that '17 CRV. As to the first iteration of the turbo motor, well .....
 
We make taller coils for the Rav4's. For people looking for more ground clearance, generally people taking them out in the sand or rutted trails, and sick of bottoming out, or for people trying to fit bigger tires.
 
[MENTION=51186]philsey[/MENTION] , you know from previous threads my affection with Subaru's. My parents this last weekend just traded in their '06 Outback for a 2017 6 cylinder Touring edition. They did drive a RAV 4, but my dad said the selling point was the iSight technology with adaptive cruise that they preferred to the tech in the RAV4. Also you can't beat Subaru safety and their AWD system. Even my mom is super excited and she drives a Mercedes c-class. I'm as biased as they come, as we've had a Subaru in the family for over 35 years (I came home from the hospital in a Subie station wagon and so have both of my kids). That being said we've also had Toyota's for the past 25...lol.

I don't think you could go wrong with the RAV4, CRV or a Subaru...just my .02.
 
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