It’s been a little over a week since the RAV4 rolled out of Don Davis Toyota and into my heart. One word, splendiferous. Absolutely splendiferous. I do have a few complaints though, and I’ll address them first. The wheel cover. The wheel cover is a pain in the ass to get off and put back on again. I wish it was either a soft cover or a hard cover, none of this inbetween garbage. Also, no steering wheel controls for the radio. Shouldn’t that be standard on all cars now-a-days. So what if I got the “Sport” model, I deserve radio controls on the steering wheel. Not a big deal since I just hook up my iPod into the AUX IN port in the center arm rest and hit shuffle. But it would’ve been nice. Then there’s the change holder. The Taurus had these spring loaded change holders that were very nice. The RAV4 on the other hand, has these indentations in the top section of the arm rest. It works, but whenever you open up the arm rest, it sounds like all your change is falling, getting all over the place. The next complaint, isn’t really a complaint, more of an observation. The RAV4 is fast. Like 269hp fast. To compare, the Taurus, only 145hp. The RAV4 is more powerful than the BMW X3 and about a second quicker in both the quarter mile and 0-60. I’m afraid to depress the accelerator. It feels like I’m in control of the forces of hell, and at my command they will spill forth and destroy this world. It’s a lot of responsibility. And that’s it. Seriously. I love everything else so much.
The best feature of the car is the back seats. Whoever designed those seats deserve some sort of car industry award for brilliance. The seats move back and forth, to maximize/minimize cargo space. AND they recline. The people in my back seat are some of the luckiest people in the world. Not to mention, if you need to fit half of a piece of whiteboard in the RAV4, the rear seats fold down easily by just pulling a lever that is conveniently located in the rear. Also, it’s a very car-like drive. It’s a nice fit between the toy-car feel of my dad’s old Jeep and the detached behemoth of his Expedition. And although the ride is stiffer than the Taurus, it is “nicer”. And, I can’t really explain it, the RAV4 feels more stable through turns, like on highway ramps. The RAV4 smacks of engineering. It’s like they went over everything and triple checked it. You can feel the love.
As for mileage, it’s rated higher than my Taurus (22/29 vs 20/28). I haven’t checked real world usage, but the next time I fill up I’ll make note.
So if you’re looking for a new car, check out the RAV4.
9 Comments
My 4runner has radio controls on the steering wheel…hmmm. I’m glad you like it! It was hard for me to get used to such a big car but I love it now!
Very happy you went with the rav4 instead of some wagon. *pants off
The RAV4 is a wagon. *ass
Depends where you look on the net. Edmunds thinks its a SUV. Car and Driver has this to say: “Toyota says it’s short for “Recreational Active Vehicle with 4-wheel drive.” Oh.
Pardon us if we can’t get misty over that ostentatious acronym, and while you’re at it, pardon us for failing to coin a universally accepted description of the RAV4’s genus. Is it a crossover, a sport wagon, a cute ute, or a soft-roader? Write your congressional representative—not us—if you have strong feelings either way. Future epigraphists, at least, will be watching to see how it all shakes out.”
There’s no defined standard, but I’m sure most would agree that it /looks/ more suv like than a wagon. I’m going with small SUV. What do you call the Tribute?
Also, TopGear: “If SUVs set your heart fluttering, turn up your pacemaker for the new Toyota RAV4.”
*Jerk
Everyone calls my 4runner a truck. Maybe that’s a Texas thing though?
Well your 4Runner is a real SUV, not a girly SUV like my RAV4. And today, most SUVs look like wagons raised a few inches.
What kind of stereo connector (wire) did you use to connect IPOD to AUX port in your 2006 RAV4 ?.
Just a standard 3.5mm stereo cable Something like this http://www.monoprice.com/products/product.asp?cid=102&cpid=10218&csid=1021802&pid=644&seq=1&format=2&style=
I also bought this remote control http://www.provantage.com/griffin-4021-acpod~7GRFT01Q.htm So I can leave my iPod in the center console
I also have a car charger always connected, since the 12v port is linked to the ignition so it turns off when the car is off. It’s a very nice system