Your dealer can do an "A" trade with anyone within 2 regions of them. Here in the Milwaukee (Chicago Region) 30% of base 4X2s and 4X4s are allocated with Side Airbags. Just tell your dealer to make the effort and get one. I am fairly sure (haven't looked at a map) that every region is within range of region that has SABs on base models.
Oh, and to donzi81 - Shame on us dealers for trying to make a profit when we can - but that's another topic.
you: Yet, if you live in other regions, you CAN get less-expensive models with this important safety feature.
me: So in this day and age where you can buy a vehicle over the Internet at a dealer down the road or 3,000 miles away, why does it matter what they have in a region. Buy a $100 plane ticket and take a little vacation, use your RAV instead of a rental, and drive your vehicle back!
I agree with your comments. I told my salesperson that I would not pay MSRP for any vehicle and I had requested $1,000 off of sticker, which is more than a reasonable deal. He told me to contact him again in a month or two.
Another dealer just got a silver unit in stock, but I could not stop to see it up close, or to test drive it. Maybe, I will get around because I am definetly interested in the RAV.
In your opinion, does your car's interior have similar appointments and amenities to what an LTD Highlander would have? Thanks for the insights!!
NO! Its not even close. The Ltd RAV 4WD 4c we have on our lot lists for $26400 ( no leather ). The interior is more up to date than the Highlander but it is not nicer. But look at the price difference. The Highlander is much closer to the Rx330 than to the RAV. But that's intentional. The RAV is the entry level SUV.
Express your dissatisfaction to the GSM. Toyota has nothing to do with how each region orders it's vehicles. The GSM though is part of that decision-making process.
actually as you posted above there are about 1600 dealerships in the US. Lexus excluded.
But.. initially all of them will come from Japan as in the past. In the last few years 'Yota has delivered about 60-70000 RAVs here. Thus on average about 40/year or 3-4 /mo. This is consistent with our experience and we're on the larger side. Some of the mega stores in Boston, Miami, DC and LA will have way more than 4 per mo.
But.. They are building a new RAV plant in Canada intending to produce about 100000 units there. Launch next year(?) This is the reason for the 135000 figure - in the future - 100K from Canada and the balance from Japan as in the past. That's a 100% increase in sales expectation. I think they see that they have a winner.
So in this day and age where you can buy a vehicle over the Internet
So true.. We are on the eastern edge of VA.. next stop east is Portugal and I've sold vehicles to clients in Atl, Niagara Falls, Ohio, San Diego and Pensacola. Big Navy presence here so they are used to moving vehicles all over the world.
I stand corrected. What I'm going to say really is that the Honda brand, has the best selling line up of SUV/crossover, meaning CRV and Pilot sales combined. Cosidering that the CRV and RAV4 are being cross shopped, It is far fetched to think that people do not want or does not consider SAB when purchasing their vehicles. And no, I do not want to go out of state to buy a Toyota. I'm not that desperate to drive a Toyota if that is what Toyota thinks of us consumers. I'm on the fence on this. If after a month, I dont see what I want in the RAV4, I'll take my business elsewhere. I'll reconsider the Pilot LX or maybe the new Hyundai Santa Fe is worth the wait.
And no, I do not want to go out of state to buy a Toyota. I'm not that desperate to drive a Toyota if that is what Toyota thinks of us consumers
Again talk to the GSM at the stores in Houston it's them and the people at Gulf State region that decide what you get. Toyota doesnt make that decision. It's a local decision.
It is far fetched to think that people do not want or does not consider SAB when purchasing their vehicles
It may appear farfetched to you if you are safety conscious but in meeting the public everyday it is real that many people decline the SAB option. 'I've never had it, I've never used it. And I dont want to pay for it.'
And if it is already in the vehicle a Camry lets say then they will either decline that vehicle to look at a cheaper one or ask for a discount of $700 because they dont want those airbags. It's quite a struggle sometimes to explain the benefits and show them the IIHS website and they still ignore the benefits and go to the less expensive vehicle.
Granted it's a lot less in the last year or two but resistance still exists.
I should have mentioned that the edmunds' trade value on my van was $9000. Heritage Toyota in S.Burlington gave me $10500. I look at this as 1500 off sticker (25,400 incl.side airbags.)and they threw in floor mats and a cargo tray. Mine is dark blue ext., light gray interior. I drove the base model and the interior was not as appealing(I swear they go out of their way to do that). The dual climate control,6-CD/mp3 player,power driver seat(which is more adjustable than the one in the base model),foglights,roof cargo rack etc. are worth the extra dough to me. My wife is in love with this car and I really like the way it handles. 2.4 cyl. is plenty of power when entering the interstate.I never thought foglights would be a big deal until I drove this in the rain at night.Dual climate sounds like hype but it actually does eliminate the battle for the climate controls. The night I brought it home, I had 9 inches (no exaggeration) of nearly frozen slush in my driveway. In AWD, with the all season tires that came with it, I got stuck. I clicked on the 4WD, shifted into "L" and drove out of it with little difficulty.
Since you were lucky enough to drive the Sport model what did you think of the ride, noise and handling? I drove the base model and found it pretty nice, but a little soft sprung so I am interested in the Sport but not if it is rough and noisy. Jim D
Jim: I have not driven the base, but I recently drove the CR-V EX. I could certainly feel the holes and bumps in the RAV4 Sport - hey, this is Boston! - but it didn't seem noisier than the CR-V. In fact my son, sitting in the back, thought it was quieter. I liked the way it handled, but again, in Boston, it's hard to give it much of a workout. If I could get the Sport 4-cyl with side airbags, I think I would. That's my $.02 worth. richard
I think that number is way, way high. Isn't it more like 1200?
The dealer quoted $480.Mo for a 36Mo/12K mile lease
That price sounds just plain absurd to me. You can lease a Tribeca for $299 a month. Even if popularity of the new model makes prices higher, residual values should move up with that.
Basically they're saying you will pay an extremely high price up front and they will give you very poor residuals down the road. $480 is a luxury car/SUV payment, not an entry-level crossover payment. You can probably get a Benz ML for less than that.
I'm not saying that they equipt all their cars with SAB as an option. What I'm saying is make the SAB available to even the base model. Finding a car with SAB on the lot is next to impossible. You may find one but it has the other "USELESS" options you dont need. The thing that pisses me off is that you can configure the car with it without the "USELESS" all weather guard and extra mile package. Lets say Gulf State Toyota control the retail/distribution, doesnt Toyota have any say at all to all this nonsense? Dont they ever step in an say this is not right?
Lets say Gulf State Toyota control the retail/distribution, doesnt Toyota have any say at all to all this nonsense? Dont they ever step in an say this is not right?
No, at the local level Toyota has no say in how the vehicles are configured and priced. None. Your problem with useless options that you dont want is with the local dealer and the regional office in Houston.
Toyota could make it standard, but if it's an option, doesn't the dealer use software to order cars the way they want them?
Yep you are correct and we do this all the time. Within the parameters of our regional office we can configure a vehicle anyway the client wants. It may take some time for that special vehicle to arrive but it will come.
There are regional restrictions though. For example on the Prius there are 8 packages on the new '06's. In CAT we can only order 4 of these 8. In SE Toyota they can get a package #4 but we cannot get that package in CAT. District rules.
I agree with you 100%. I think Toyota has misjudged the market demand for side airbags on base models.
Unless I'm misreading the option packages, In Canada, one would have to pay $38,000K to get a Rav4 with side curtain airbags as part of the opt. package. The honda CRV and Kia Sportage have them as standard equipment on base models.
I could deal with a crappy stereo, or the unavailability of a sunroof in some trims, but side airbags are a must-have.
Again it's a local matter. Go to the dealer or dealers near you and demand it. Clients do it all the time here. In the NY area it seems if most ( all? ) the base models have them why not your local area?
Those are the option packages available for Canada. I'm not going to harass them and spend personal time to convince them to sell me a car, that's their job.
I'll just buy the competition which will allow me to easily configure a commonly found model to my needs. Side airbags are hardly an exotic feature in this day and age.
OK thanks for the input. I suspect the Sport will be find since I am use to Audi sport suspensions and happy with that. The dealer is going to call me when he gets a V6 or Sport version of anything. My present lease ends in Dec. 2006 so I have time. I guess in 6 mo. this RAV4 stuff will settle out some and we can all see what the real story is. If RAV is too hard then I just replace my A6 with an A4 Avant for two or 3 years. Lots of good lease deals on them. They are perfect but just don't have as much cargo space as RAV4. Jim D
Took an extended drive today and thought the base 4cyl RAV drove much like our 2000 Camry, with about the same level of acceleration. It really felt like we were driving our car much of the time! Cabin noise is slightly louder than the Camry inside, but not by a lot... its quietness was the best of the small SUVs we've driven recently. Balance seemed good. The 4cyl isn't a hot rod, but I thought its power was more than adequate for two people on the highway (One thing to note, it did take us awhile to figure out that we were initially driving around in third gear because we were unfamiliar with the "3-D" setting on the stick. You're in 3rd gear when the stick is to the left, and 4th/drive when it's to the right.) The telescoping steering wheel is nice, as is the display. There are a few things we didn't like: 1) The base radio sounded muffled and lousy compared to our Camry (yes, we had the controls set correctly). 2) the seat is shaped adequately but the only cloth fabric offered is scratchy and unpleasant, which means we are looking leather - Toyota should offer a cloth upgrade, 3) The cupholders are kind of tucked in a bit and I hope we aren't going to catch drinks on the lip above them (slobs take note), 4) It seemed to lack a place to put change. 5) The overall look of the inside was a little cheap. However, the key thing we took away is that this SUV isn't there to blow anyone's socks off. It's just a nice, small, functional SUV that drives nicely and which should be more reliable than the US SUVs, and we are probably going to purchase it soon (if we can find the specific features we want, it's annoying that you can't build to order).
We think the RAV has several advantages for us over the current CRV: a) it seems less sluggish when accelerating, b) its cupholders are within arm's length and not on the floor, c) The limited includes auto climate control. d) controls are better overall; with the CRV you have to reach for the radio controls e) it has a real armrest (yes you can pay to get a "suspended" armrest on the CRV, but we thought it looked cheesy and too small... the Highlander's lack of a real armrest is why we aren't considering it).
MOST DEALERS IN THE CHICAGO AREA HAVE ONE OR TWO LIMITED RAVS IN STOCK THEY ARE LOADED WITH THE TOP OPTION PACKAGE LEATHER, MOONROOF ETC. AND THEY ARE ASKING MSRP. ALSO TAKING ORDERS WITH A DEPOSIT. WHAT A JOKE.
Hey Edgor: Thanks for the report: what part of the country are you in? Do you know if your dealer is getting base models with side airbags? What features would you like? As I understand it, you could upgrade the seats to leather if you wanted to spend $1,000 + and wait awhile. It's very annoying that leather doesn't come standard with the limited so you have to pay for a $3,800 option package (on top of the already high Limited price) just to leather seats - which are standard in the CRV SE. I've only driven the Sport which I liked a lot, but I don't think the 18-inch low profile tires would be good if you go even a little bit off road. Or in snow?? It would be great if this forum could collect info on what packages are available in different regions, so if someone wanted to go out of their area to get what they wanted, it would be possible. Or, for you dealers on the forum, is there any online service that can find you the package you want - assuming you know what ones are available? My wife and I are pretty sold on the RAV4 over the CR-V, but now it's a matter of waiting until the supply increases. I don't like the idea of paying MSRP, but the dealers around Boston are saying (of course!) that they won't be budging for a long time because of the high demand. richard
BTW.. more than 50% of buyers do not want leather in their vehicles. They would not buy it. So it has to be offered as an option on an entry level vehicle.
Thanks. What about RAV Base 4WD + Package #1? And do you have to order these from Toyota, or are they configurations that will be available at dealers at some point (depending on the region, of course.)?
Looked at the inside of a base for my aging Mom who is replacing a 98 Mercedes ML320. Given the limited width of her garage door opening and bloating widths of SUVs, we are looking at smaller width SUVs. Considering a Highlander, but I like the newer platform of the RAV4, V-6 engine and price point.
Of course, she is used to relative luxury, so when I saw the base model of the RAV4, I thought, "I better wait til a limited model shows up before letter her see a RAV4". Would you guys agree that the Limited has a nicer interior, especially in leather? I'm not expecting luxury by any means, but coming from a ML320, I don't want to shock her (though to be honest, the interior in that vehicle has plenty of cheap plastic). She already doesn't like the spare tire hanging off the back thing...
Also considering: Avalon (I know it's sedan, but darn nice and higher seat cushion for easier entry and exit) Highlander (probably the right vehicle, but a tad boring) RX330 (horrible rear visibility when backing up) ML350 (terrible reliability and wider now, plus $50k, but electric folding mirrors (like on my Trooper)) Freestyle (tad big and wide and weak V-6, but Volvo platform) Explorer (good V-8, but tad wider) 4Runner (hard to get in and out of versus crossovers, but the right size)
Thanks again! But what's DRL? And what do you have to do to get one of these specific packages? Order from Toyota? Because as I understand it, dealers get in certain configurations with various options and accessories which you may or may not want. I can see this is going to take quite awhile for me, personally, to sort out, and for dealers/potential buyers in general. This is the first time in my life I've shopped for a NEW new car, and the introduction of a new model makes it all the more confusing. keep up the helpful posts! rs
Actually if work the numbers for a Sport at $27000 rough MSRP, using a residual of 61% for a 3 year lease, $480 monthly with NY tax and nothing down equates to a CAP price of a about $5000 over MSRP or a cost of money of 8%. Tricky guys these little old RAV dealers. No rush here to take that "deal"! Jim D
Does anyone have any info on the remote car starter option. Living in the north it is very usefull. From what I can see it is a dealer installable option. Is it available yet? Has anyone seen it other than on the web site in a picture under the VIP key (remote engine starter) Thx Guy
Thanks again! But what's DRL? And what do you have to do to get one of these specific packages? Order from Toyota?
DRL is Daytime Running Lights.
Noone can order from Toyota. These are the packages that any consumer can order at a Central Atlantic Toyota store. Go in and place an order. Get lucky and they might have one in stock in the color you want. It should be an easy process. Prius customers do it all the time for the last 2+ years.
I test drove a base model (only 06 available) yesterday and was both impressed and disapointed. The base model looks very plain in as the model designation might suggest. The 4 cyl. felt peppy and smooth but a bit noisy. Given it's size, it felt quite nimble. The steering was very tight .. reminded me of the feel of the X3. I was left with the impression that there was a lot of room inside. The armrests on the front doors are cloth covered and are sure to be discolored in short order. It appears that with the creature comforts I'm looking for the price of admission isn't going to be cheap. Not to mention whatever the bump will be for the v6. I'll have to wait for a Ltd. version and take another loop but feel confident that I will be buying once the novelty has worn off and deals can be made.
Does anyone have a difinative date for v6 availabilty and pricing. I've heard everything from a few more weeks to April from the salesman yesterday for availability and MUMM on cost.
I had been planning to buy a CRV .. but in all honesty I really don't care for it's looks. When I heard a new RAV was coming I put my plans on hold. Moving from a WRX, the V6 stats were more to my liking and the MPG penality is supposed to be minimal. - hutch
Well you can get details on pricing including V6 from both on Edmunds or the MSN cars site. The prices there are the same as the dealer quoted this week. The V6 adds about $2K to the list. Have fun!
The salesman said that there is only one cloth trim available, and that is the scratchy, uncomfortable version found on the base. I was told that this is because the RAV4 is more "rugged." If they could have even gotten to the CRVs level of comfort that would've been ok. I though it was every bit as bad as the cloth on my old, base 1996 Celica.
I can't remember if it had the side airbags. I'm disappointed that this isn't standard.
Ideally, we'd like a decent cloth with auto climate control & side airbags. Since decent cloth is apparently not available and since auto climate is only available in the limited, I guess we'll look at leather/heated seats & side airbags (but no moonroof or any other pricey add-ons that jack the price up further). I have a feeling it's going to be very difficult to find this. Also, even if we can get Toyota to discount to, say, $500 over invoice, the invoice price is only like $1500 below retail. So that means a limited like we want it is going to cost around $25K. That's a lot for a RAV. You can buy a base 2005 Murano around here for that (no leather but everything else, imo, is nicer). The whole cost issue is depressing, as is the package nonsense. It makes me wonder if we should explore a Mariner or something like that which is discounted big around here.
Keep in mind that nothing can compare to TOYOTA quality and reliability. I just traded in a brand new 2005 Odyssey for a 2006 Sienna... and oooh boy what a difference in QUALITY of that TOYOTA Sienna. Never again anything else except TOYOTA ... keep up the good job TOYOTA!
Is it realistic to think dealers will negotiate on RAV4 prices any time soon? It's getting such great reviews, has good mpg, and the extra bit of room so many people want. When will supplies be ample enough to overcome demand and force the prices down? And how long before customer feedback leads to them offering more reasonable packages? If prices would soften in 3 months, I might wait. If it's going to be 6 months or more, it may not be worth it. rs in boston PS I talked to Ira Toyota north of Boston, and they say they have 20 vehicles coming in beginning next week.
You find fault with the interior quality of the RAV, but are looking to the Mariner? Have you felt the plastics atop the dash? What about the RAV's excellent electroluminescent instrumentation? According to Carsdirect.com, in my region a Murano FWD is just under $26K, which is a great deal... but werent you interested in AWD? The cloth in the Murano is the same cheap grade used in the Altima is it not? I'd be hard pressed to think that the RAVs is worse than that...
I think people have it in their heads that "X" price for a certain vehicle is too much. Well, times change. A $25K RAV seems very reasonable to me, especially given the comprehensiveness of the package. 10 years ago, I think people would be having heart attacks at the thought of $$29K Accords, for example, but thats what an EXV6-Navi costs. With respect to the RAV, the redesign has the vehicle playing a different ballgame against larger contenders, and I feel it will aquit itself well.
yesterday, one in white and one in black. Also saw a red Sport version. The spousal unit liked the black LTD and the Sport pretty well, and thought that with leather and a V6 the black LTD probably would be a pretty good compromise vehicle - something for her to commute in, for us to take the kids to college in, and for us take some trips in - up to 3 adults. Not sure that 4 adults in that vehicle on trips over an hour or two would work.
The couple of things that we didn't like about the LTD and sport were (1) the middle seats are both moderately comfortable at best, which is ok if you're driving an hour or so, but not if you're taking long trips; and (2) we thought the slide open compartment in front of the passenger seat on the LTD and Sport was a little cheesy. I'd be afraid of breaking it when I lean back in the passenger side with my shoes off and put my feet up on the dashboard on long trips. (:>) Otherwise we both liked the vehicle, and the spousal unit said she could see us adding that vehicle to our stable in a year or so.
We decided to wait on buying an SUV until after the LTD/V6 is available, the first year bugs are ironed out and any modifications/additions are made to the RAv. We also want to see what the '07 CRV and Acura RDX will look like, which should be about mid-06 according to the Honda dealer. By then we suspect the current RAv mania and MSRP pricing will be moderating sufficiently to make a purchase decision worthwhile.
In the meantime yesterday we traded the 2004 Mazda3 stickshift for a Honda Accord EXLV6. Also a great car. And dealing on the last day of the year when the dealer had 600 cars on the lot - and an allocation to protect - didn't hurt at all.
"I'd be afraid of breaking it when I lean back in the passenger side with my shoes off and put my feet up on the dashboard on long trips. (:>) "
Please be careful, that is INCREDIBLY dangerous in any vehicle with a passenger side airbag, you run the risk of destroying your limbs in a relatively minor crash.
I haven't seen a Mariner yet, just mentioning that as one example I may need to look to since 25K is a lot of money for a small SUV (in my book, ymmv). I am well aware of Ford's quality issues.
Also, I am fine with FWD. In fact, the 25K price I mentioned for a RAV4 limited is for FWD. If you do a rav up like I suggested before with AWD, the price jumps to something like 27K. For a RAV!
The Murano's cloth is fine and better than the RAV4s. The 2006 CRV is also significantly better. "With respect to the RAV, the redesign has the vehicle playing a different ballgame against larger contenders..." Which is exactly why they should not have used lousy cloth in it...
Don't get me wrong, the RAV is a good vehicle and I would love to own one, I just don't think it's as good a deal as I first thought.
Hang in there rsaltus1. This is not a good time to buy. In three months the prices will be better. Six month's even more so. I'm considering in 7-8 months to look at buying. Also around then the 2007 CRV should be out.
Comments
Oh, and to donzi81 - Shame on us dealers for trying to make a profit when we can - but that's another topic.
TM
me: So in this day and age where you can buy a vehicle over the Internet at a dealer down the road or 3,000 miles away, why does it matter what they have in a region. Buy a $100 plane ticket and take a little vacation, use your RAV instead of a rental, and drive your vehicle back!
Another dealer just got a silver unit in stock, but I could not stop to see it up close, or to test drive it. Maybe, I will get around because I am definetly interested in the RAV.
NO! Its not even close. The Ltd RAV 4WD 4c we have on our lot lists for $26400 ( no leather ). The interior is more up to date than the Highlander but it is not nicer. But look at the price difference. The Highlander is much closer to the Rx330 than to the RAV. But that's intentional. The RAV is the entry level SUV.
Express your dissatisfaction to the GSM. Toyota has nothing to do with how each region orders it's vehicles. The GSM though is part of that decision-making process.
actually as you posted above there are about 1600 dealerships in the US. Lexus excluded.
But.. initially all of them will come from Japan as in the past. In the last few years 'Yota has delivered about 60-70000 RAVs here. Thus on average about 40/year or 3-4 /mo. This is consistent with our experience and we're on the larger side. Some of the mega stores in Boston, Miami, DC and LA will have way more than 4 per mo.
But.. They are building a new RAV plant in Canada intending to produce about 100000 units there. Launch next year(?) This is the reason for the 135000 figure - in the future - 100K from Canada and the balance from Japan as in the past. That's a 100% increase in sales expectation. I think they see that they have a winner.
So true.. We are on the eastern edge of VA.. next stop east is Portugal and I've sold vehicles to clients in Atl, Niagara Falls, Ohio, San Diego and Pensacola. Big Navy presence here so they are used to moving vehicles all over the world.
Cosidering that the CRV and RAV4 are being cross shopped, It is far fetched to think that people do not want or does not consider SAB when purchasing their vehicles.
And no, I do not want to go out of state to buy a Toyota. I'm not that desperate to drive a Toyota if that is what Toyota thinks of us consumers.
I'm on the fence on this. If after a month, I dont see what I want in the RAV4, I'll take my business elsewhere. I'll reconsider the Pilot LX or maybe the new Hyundai Santa Fe is worth the wait.
Again talk to the GSM at the stores in Houston it's them and the people at Gulf State region that decide what you get. Toyota doesnt make that decision. It's a local decision.
It is far fetched to think that people do not want or does not consider SAB when purchasing their vehicles
It may appear farfetched to you if you are safety conscious but in meeting the public everyday it is real that many people decline the SAB option.
'I've never had it, I've never used it. And I dont want to pay for it.'
And if it is already in the vehicle a Camry lets say then they will either decline that vehicle to look at a cheaper one or ask for a discount of $700 because they dont want those airbags. It's quite a struggle sometimes to explain the benefits and show them the IIHS website and they still ignore the benefits and go to the less expensive vehicle.
Granted it's a lot less in the last year or two but resistance still exists.
Jim D
richard
I think that number is way, way high. Isn't it more like 1200?
The dealer quoted $480.Mo for a 36Mo/12K mile lease
That price sounds just plain absurd to me. You can lease a Tribeca for $299 a month. Even if popularity of the new model makes prices higher, residual values should move up with that.
Basically they're saying you will pay an extremely high price up front and they will give you very poor residuals down the road. $480 is a luxury car/SUV payment, not an entry-level crossover payment. You can probably get a Benz ML for less than that.
They are nuts.
-juice
Lets say Gulf State Toyota control the retail/distribution, doesnt Toyota have any say at all to all this nonsense? Dont they ever step in an say this is not right?
-juice
No, at the local level Toyota has no say in how the vehicles are configured and priced. None. Your problem with useless options that you dont want is with the local dealer and the regional office in Houston.
Yep you are correct and we do this all the time. Within the parameters of our regional office we can configure a vehicle anyway the client wants. It may take some time for that special vehicle to arrive but it will come.
There are regional restrictions though. For example on the Prius there are 8 packages on the new '06's. In CAT we can only order 4 of these 8. In SE Toyota they can get a package #4 but we cannot get that package in CAT. District rules.
Unless I'm misreading the option packages, In Canada, one would have to pay $38,000K to get a Rav4 with side curtain airbags as part of the opt. package. The honda CRV and Kia Sportage have them as standard equipment on base models.
I could deal with a crappy stereo, or the unavailability of a sunroof in some trims, but side airbags are a must-have.
I'll just buy the competition which will allow me to easily configure a commonly found model to my needs. Side airbags are hardly an exotic feature in this day and age.
It was a 4x4. Does that still count?
BTW, that was in SoCal.
The dealer is going to call me when he gets a V6 or Sport version of anything. My present lease ends in Dec. 2006 so I have time. I guess in 6 mo. this RAV4 stuff will settle out some and we can all see what the real story is. If RAV is too hard then I just replace my A6 with an A4 Avant for two or 3 years. Lots of good lease deals on them. They are perfect but just don't have as much cargo space as RAV4.
Jim D
We think the RAV has several advantages for us over the current CRV: a) it seems less sluggish when accelerating, b) its cupholders are within arm's length and not on the floor, c) The limited includes auto climate control. d) controls are better overall; with the CRV you have to reach for the radio controls e) it has a real armrest (yes you can pay to get a "suspended" armrest on the CRV, but we thought it looked cheesy and too small... the Highlander's lack of a real armrest is why we aren't considering it).
Hope that helps.
LEATHER, MOONROOF ETC.
AND THEY ARE ASKING MSRP. ALSO TAKING ORDERS WITH A DEPOSIT.
WHAT A JOKE.
What features would you like? As I understand it, you could upgrade the seats to leather if you wanted to spend $1,000 + and wait awhile. It's very annoying that leather doesn't come standard with the limited so you have to pay for a $3,800 option package (on top of the already high Limited price) just to leather seats - which are standard in the CRV SE.
I've only driven the Sport which I liked a lot, but I don't think the 18-inch low profile tires would be good if you go even a little bit off road. Or in snow??
It would be great if this forum could collect info on what packages are available in different regions, so if someone wanted to go out of their area to get what they wanted, it would be possible.
Or, for you dealers on the forum, is there any online service that can find you the package you want - assuming you know what ones are available?
My wife and I are pretty sold on the RAV4 over the CR-V, but now it's a matter of waiting until the supply increases. I don't like the idea of paying MSRP, but the dealers around Boston are saying (of course!) that they won't be budging for a long time because of the high demand.
richard
Toyota.com ==> CAT ==> build/price your Toyota
RAV Base FWD + Package #1 ( SAB, DRL, Roof Rack ) $21955 +TTF.
RAV Ltd 4WD + Package #1 ( SAB, DRL ) $25250
RAV Ltd 4WD + Package #4 ( SAB, DRL, Leather+heated seats, 6 Disc JBL, Sunroof ) $27980
BTW.. more than 50% of buyers do not want leather in their vehicles. They would not buy it. So it has to be offered as an option on an entry level vehicle.
And do you have to order these from Toyota, or are they configurations that will be available at dealers at some point (depending on the region, of course.)?
You could just get a different trim level instead of leather.
In the Base 4WD the Pckge #'s change a little.
Pckge #3 ( SAB, DRL ) ..... $22295
Pckge #4 ( SAB, DRL, Roof rack, Tonneau ).. $23355
Pckge #5 ( same as #4 + 17" wheels )....... $23475
Pckge #6 ( same as #5 + 3rd row seat )... $24275
accessories are your option
Of course, she is used to relative luxury, so when I saw the base model of the RAV4, I thought, "I better wait til a limited model shows up before letter her see a RAV4". Would you guys agree that the Limited has a nicer interior, especially in leather? I'm not expecting luxury by any means, but coming from a ML320, I don't want to shock her (though to be honest, the interior in that vehicle has plenty of cheap plastic). She already doesn't like the spare tire hanging off the back thing...
Also considering:
Avalon (I know it's sedan, but darn nice and higher seat cushion for easier entry and exit)
Highlander (probably the right vehicle, but a tad boring)
RX330 (horrible rear visibility when backing up)
ML350 (terrible reliability and wider now, plus $50k, but electric folding mirrors (like on my Trooper))
Freestyle (tad big and wide and weak V-6, but Volvo platform)
Explorer (good V-8, but tad wider)
4Runner (hard to get in and out of versus crossovers, but the right size)
or wait til "whenever" for the new CRV/Acura RDX.
I can see this is going to take quite awhile for me, personally, to sort out, and for dealers/potential buyers in general. This is the first time in my life I've shopped for a NEW new car, and the introduction of a new model makes it all the more confusing.
keep up the helpful posts!
rs
Jim D
Thx
Guy
DRL is Daytime Running Lights.
Noone can order from Toyota. These are the packages that any consumer can order at a Central Atlantic Toyota store. Go in and place an order. Get lucky and they might have one in stock in the color you want. It should be an easy process. Prius customers do it all the time for the last 2+ years.
It looks like the same system that's been out on the Avalon since last year. No problem to have it done locally or order it that way.
I hope Toyota has gone away from the Goodyear 225 65 17's and installed Goodrich or Michelin.
Happy New Year Everyone.
Does anyone have a difinative date for v6 availabilty and pricing. I've heard everything from a few more weeks to April from the salesman yesterday for availability and MUMM on cost.
I had been planning to buy a CRV .. but in all honesty I really don't care for it's looks. When I heard a new RAV was coming I put my plans on hold. Moving from a WRX, the V6 stats were more to my liking and the MPG penality is supposed to be minimal.
- hutch
- hutch
Have fun!
Sigh.
Ideally, we'd like a decent cloth with auto climate control & side airbags. Since decent cloth is apparently not available and since auto climate is only available in the limited, I guess we'll look at leather/heated seats & side airbags (but no moonroof or any other pricey add-ons that jack the price up further). I have a feeling it's going to be very difficult to find this. Also, even if we can get Toyota to discount to, say, $500 over invoice, the invoice price is only like $1500 below retail. So that means a limited like we want it is going to cost around $25K. That's a lot for a RAV. You can buy a base 2005 Murano around here for that (no leather but everything else, imo, is nicer). The whole cost issue is depressing, as is the package nonsense. It makes me wonder if we should explore a Mariner or something like that which is discounted big around here.
If prices would soften in 3 months, I might wait. If it's going to be 6 months or more, it may not be worth it.
rs in boston
PS I talked to Ira Toyota north of Boston, and they say they have 20 vehicles coming in beginning next week.
I think people have it in their heads that "X" price for a certain vehicle is too much. Well, times change. A $25K RAV seems very reasonable to me, especially given the comprehensiveness of the package. 10 years ago, I think people would be having heart attacks at the thought of $$29K Accords, for example, but thats what an EXV6-Navi costs. With respect to the RAV, the redesign has the vehicle playing a different ballgame against larger contenders, and I feel it will aquit itself well.
The couple of things that we didn't like about the LTD and sport were (1) the middle seats are both moderately comfortable at best, which is ok if you're driving an hour or so, but not if you're taking long trips; and (2) we thought the slide open compartment in front of the passenger seat on the LTD and Sport was a little cheesy. I'd be afraid of breaking it when I lean back in the passenger side with my shoes off and put my feet up on the dashboard on long trips. (:>) Otherwise we both liked the vehicle, and the spousal unit said she could see us adding that vehicle to our stable in a year or so.
We decided to wait on buying an SUV until after the LTD/V6 is available, the first year bugs are ironed out and any modifications/additions are made to the RAv. We also want to see what the '07 CRV and Acura RDX will look like, which should be about mid-06 according to the Honda dealer. By then we suspect the current RAv mania and MSRP pricing will be moderating sufficiently to make a purchase decision worthwhile.
In the meantime yesterday we traded the 2004 Mazda3 stickshift for a Honda Accord EXLV6. Also a great car. And dealing on the last day of the year when the dealer had 600 cars on the lot - and an allocation to protect - didn't hurt at all.
Please be careful, that is INCREDIBLY dangerous in any vehicle with a passenger side airbag, you run the risk of destroying your limbs in a relatively minor crash.
~alpha
Also, I am fine with FWD. In fact, the 25K price I mentioned for a RAV4 limited is for FWD. If you do a rav up like I suggested before with AWD, the price jumps to something like 27K. For a RAV!
The Murano's cloth is fine and better than the RAV4s. The 2006 CRV is also significantly better. "With respect to the RAV, the redesign has the vehicle playing a different ballgame against larger contenders..." Which is exactly why they should not have used lousy cloth in it...
Don't get me wrong, the RAV is a good vehicle and I would love to own one, I just don't think it's as good a deal as I first thought.
Also around then the 2007 CRV should be out.