2006 Toyota RAV4

joecarnut

Lets say its 2008-2009 for example, and gas might be at least $4.00 plus per gallon, and people are flocking to the hybrids or other similar economical gas mizers, how is that going to affect the resale value on the current 06 RAV4s and similar mpg vehicles?
I like the RAV4 very much and I'm carefully considering this vehicle for purchase, but wanted some feedback about this.

Ken

thecat

Maybe I'm a little dense but if the on demand will direct 40% to the rear wheels when needed (the same distribution provided by the 4 wheel lock) how would I ever get into a situation where the lock is required. Or, even more to the point what does the "lock" function provide that I wouldn't already be getting from "on demand"? Sounds like Voodoo to me.

jimd4

It is not voodoo.

clam

Because non-functional hood scoops look tacky, and only appeal to teenagers and the body-kit crowd.

edgor

We drove the CRV, RAV, Mariner, Rendezvous, and Santa Fe, and found the Rav the quietest of them all. It wasn't much louder than our Camry. The big thing I'm struggling with is whether to just get a Rav now, or wait for the new CRV to come out in order to try it. The new CRV is based on the redesigned Civic, so it could we be a great vehicle. Wish I could find out more about it...

edgor

The ones I saw in Ohio and in Nashville are Dunlops, which is what we also had on our Camry. The ones on our Camry were awful, needed to be replaced at 30K.

clam

No, the new CRV is not based upon the civic. It will be based on a new light truck platform shared with the RDX.

jimd4

When you get your new Sport, keep us posted on MPG, ride, noise handling etc.
Good luck with it.

Jim

jonpnj

Crude in the sense that there is no % of torque variation from side to side as in the Subaru or Audi. Crude may have been too harsh a word. Perhaps less sophisticated is more appropriate. This would certainly not disuade me from purchasing one as in most situations you would not have any problems. Stability control and traction control, ABS are not part of the equation since those features are available on 2wd as well.

jimd4

My guess is they are trying to upscale the RAV4 and that means no scoop. Scoops are for kids ice cream, not serious cars...just kidding.

hit_the_road

Jim,
I'll keep you posted. It might take awhile for accurate MPG until the engine is broke in, but I'll fill you in on the rest. Have you test drove any yet?

jimd4

Yes, have drive the base and two different Sports but all 4 cyl. Very nice. Since I am in no rush I am waiting to drive the v6.

hit_the_road

Ken,
To be honest, the MPG on the RAV4 is about the same as the hybrid Highlander. According to Consumer Reports, the EPA city mileage figures for hybrid vehicles are averaging 19 mpg less than EPA estimates! They do burn cleaner and that's their main advantage right now.

hit_the_road

Jim,
I've been driving various V6's for over 20 years and I was pretty impressed when test driving a RAV4 base model a few weeks ago. It had as much "get up & go" as the '02 Explorer
I just sold. Of course, that was alot heavier. I'm sure we'll get some more reports when the V6 RAV4's eventually come out.

saqsalm

I agree with 'thecat'. I would assume the on-demand mechanism would do a good enough job to give the same performance as the 'lock' function. If the RAV4 is stuck in 8" of snow, the situation would need for on-demand to show what its got. Why would on-demand not kick in to get the rear wheels moving? Why would it instead take the 'lock' to get the rear wheels moving and get the SUV out? Defeats the very essence of the meaning 'on-demand'.

flyingn

absolutly there is.. Traction control takes care of this.. It picks the tire with the most traction to apply power to...

flyingn

to be honest the 4wd lock button does not do much. I mean, the truck will spin the tires with the most traction anyway.. The only benifit would be that the fronts no not have to spin (1/2 rotation??) first before the rears come into play..

Frank

flyingn

well, as everyone asked this question and I said that th e6 would not get anywhere near the mileage the 4 does.. The Car & driver who did the test of the Limited 6 (with more break in miles then mine) got 16 mpg mixed and we got 21 mixed first tank.. Thats over 30% better guys.. :)

Glad we have the 4
Frank

joecarnut

Thanks for responding hit_the_road.

I guess we will have to see what the future hybrids bring to the table.

Ken

jaxs1

Many Avalon owners are also getting 16-17 mpg in the city.
However, many Avalon drivers are able to meet or even slightly exceed the highway EPA estimates. Not sure why the V6 city mileage is so off.

clam

That's pretty unscientific for so many smilies.

Think about it - Car and driver are beating the hell out their tester...a bunch of auto journalists hammering the gas whenever possible, especially with such an entertaining engine. You're probably driving much more reasonably for the break-in.

The EPA estimates are out to lunch, as usual, but 16mpg mixed is going to prove abnormally low.

jimd4

I have never owned a Toyota but the RAV4 looks good. So all you Toyota owners tell me: Do they have good sturdy wipers and washers for NE winter? How about the heaters, defronsters and A/C. How about rattles and body integrity? And the annual required service for a RAV4 type vehicle would cost?
Thanks,
Jim D

flyingn

The wipers seem strong but we have not ice to really put em to the test.. BUT they do have front windshield defrosters (when you put on the rear defroster switch) to unfreeze the wipers if they get frozen on the windshield. Preety smart.... The washers seem to squirt hard enough to do the job too. The heat and defrosters are very robust.. The heat comes on after about 3 minutes in 25 degree temps with the truck sitting outside. I have the auto ac/heat,,

Frank

mcswine

with regard to the mileage Car & Driver got with the V6...the 16mpg they got was after a lot of "hard mountain driving". They go on to say that the 4 is "only a slightly better hedge" than the 6.

I am waiting for the 6 because of the performance advantage. I don't feel the need to convince others that the 6 is the way to go because that's what I want; it's strictly a personal decision.

flyingn

and also do not forget that C&D's Rav was broken in and mine has 150 miles on it.. and 1/2 of that mileage is bumper to bumper city traffic...
Im not talking down the 6, I'm just saying that the 4 will be better for the type of driving that we mostly do.. city driving
Only time will tell but I'll betcha im right:)

my guess... the 4 will get 20-30% better *city* mileage then the 6....

kdhspyder

Not sure why the V6 city mileage is so off.

This is the big controversey on the hybrid forums also. From personal experience..

The EPA test is done with a very very specific set of test parameters. Essentially you have to be in San Diego rolling forward at a constant 25-30 mph and you will replicate the EPA test conditions and achieve their city numbers.
However 'city' driving is different things to different drivers. For you is it..
a) going to the store, job, soccer in several 2-3 mile trips?
b) sitting in rush hour traffic on an LA freeway?
c) driving in your neighborhood from stop sign to stop sign to stop sign etc?
d) is it cold where you live? subtract 10-15%.
c) driving in Manhattan during the day?

Short trips kill city mileage numbers. subtract 20-30%. This is true for all ICE vehicles. It's just since the hybrids came along that people have noticed the discrepancies and now this week the EPA is revising it's testing parameters beginning in 2008.

Conversely there is really only one way to cruise at ~ 55mph. That test is more indicative of real highway driving. There is however a major drop off in efficiency when you go constantly above 70 mph.

hit_the_road

The slight edge in performance for the V6 is great, but
when Spring/Summer rolls around & I have to shell out
50 BUCKS to fill the tank....I want to get the most
performance outta my wallet!

jmcmannis

Yesterday I was finally able to test drive the Sport and the Limited. As mentioned in my previous posts, I was torn between these 2 models. I like the interior color of the Sport as well as the sport tuned suspension and 18" wheels. But the Limited has the steering wheel audio controls, power seats, and automatic climate control. Well I found out the Sport (with the JBL stereo) also has the steering wheel audio controls. So that just leaves the automatic climate control and power seat as differences (to me). The power seats actually turned out to be a disadvantage. Although I didn't play with it for a long time, I found that I couldn't get the power seat to go back far enough for me to be really comfortable. Now I'm only about 5'11 but it felt like my knees were almost sitting against the dash. I was surprised. With the manual seat on the Sport I could get the seat to go back much farther and felt far more comfortable. So I decided I'm going to get the Sport. I can live without automatic climate control. It was extremely windy yesterday when I test drove them but noise didn't seem bad to me (from wind or engine). I was pleased with how the Rav drove. Acceleration seemed good to me and I have a lead foot. One road they took me on has many S curves which the Rav was able to whip around with no problem. Now I just need to work on the price and find one in a color I want. Seems like around here most of the Sports are coming in Pacific Blue or Barcelona Red. I want Silver, Black, or Flint Mica. The dealer I was at was able to get a silver one but couldn't come down in price enough. My lease payment was $50 more than I wanted to spend. I might end up having to drive 4 hours and get it from Fitzgerald in Maryland. I emailed all my local dealers to see if they can meet Fitz's price.

vonnyvonce

Imagine a few inches of snow on the ground. Toyota gives you the option of locking your AWD under this condition.

It is true that on-demand should do the trick as should traction control. I think the theory is no "reactive" system will be as good as a "proactive" system. Locking the AWD turns the system to "proactive". It is less likely to lose traction in the first place if locked.

My guess is the practical difference will be difficult to quantify.

wwest

No, it, Trac, "picks" the tire(s) with the LEAST traction, applies braking to that one (those) to alleviate wheelspin/slip and thereby allows engine torque "production" to remain at a high level.

If the wheelspin is at the front, as is highly likely, the engine will be instantly dethrottled to reduce the potential for loss of directional control. If at the rear, highly UNLIKELY, and you don't recover from the wheelspin/slip incident within a few hundred milliseconds then it will dethrottle the engine to a level just above idle to prevent brake rotor overheating and subsequent warping.

fnamowicz

WAIT FOR THE CRV. SIDE AIR BAGS ARE STD. REAR WINDOW FLIPS UP.

flyingn

just to make traction control a little more clear.... with an open differental, when you apply a brake force to a wheel that is spinning, the power transfers to the other wheel. The wheel with the MOST traction. Open rears always apply torque to the tire with the least amount of traction. so... the brake applied to the tire with the least traction 'fools' the rear into appling all the torque to the tire with the MOST traction Thats the beauty of traction control..

jimbres

What is it with you & your caps lock? Is this your 1st computer?

jimd4

Thanks for the good inputs. I like the sport also. So what sale price and lease terms did they offer? On thing I notice on the Fitzmall site is cars including Sports seem to come with options combos that are not listed on the Toyota site for . For example, sun roof and side bags.

jimd4

Don't know where your located but Fitzmall seems to be in Chamberburg PA also.

saqsalm

I know there is a distiction between AWD and 4WD. Toyota salespersons insist the difference is only in marketing strategy, and the '06 RAV4 4x4 is really an AWD system being marketed as a 4WD. Edmunds lists the earlier RAV4 4x4s in 'AWD' Trim. The general impression is that an AWD is better than 4WD, because of the individual attention each wheel gets as opposed to the two-front or the two-rear wheels together. Is the 2006 RAV4 4x4 really a true AWD? Its brochure, website, and every other material I've read shows it in 4WD Trim. Feedback and comments would be most appreciated. thank you

stever

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joecarnut

I was wondering where you got that information?

I read somewhere that the CRV may have a hatch in 07?
That and if they increase their mpg numbers (last year was 29 mpg highway I think) will have me very interested.

So if there is a website with that CR-V info, could you please post the site?

Thanks..............Ken

sean20202020

I hope Honda fixes PTTR problem for new 07 cr-v.
The main reasons I got rid of cr-v from my list were
PTTR(pull to the right) and dated appearance.
I've heard PTTR is not for all cr-v, however who knows
if I will get the wrong one and headache for several years.
I am happy to have 06 Rav4 and my choice was right so far.

agnosto

I 2nd that... I just got rid of my problematic 2005 Odyssey and got me a beautiful 2006 Toyota Sienna Limited fully loaded... never ever again HONDA!!!! I have had experience with over 15 years buying new car TOYOTAs and never had any significant issues...

ticoar

All we have at every one of my local dealerships is white, black, silver and 1 blue (this is from 5 dealerships with 4 or 5 at each one). Has anyone seen the Savanah or Everglade? I am not confident that the representations on the Toyota website is what the real life color looks like.

jmcmannis

Actually, the options on the ones on the Fitzmall site are offered on the Toyota site. There are only 2 options packages for the Sport. Only difference between those packages is the stereo. One has the 6 disc changer and the other has the JBL 6 disc changer and 9 speakers (inlucing subwoofer). The package with the JBL stereo is what gives the steering wheel audio controls.

As for pricing and lease terms... MSRP on the model I was looking at was $26,319. I'm putting $2000 down and have a 2000 Neon as a trade. The first offer was was $26,000 for the Rav and $3000 for my trade, giving a payment of $309/mo. This is for 36mo and 12,000 miles/yr. I'd actually be interested in a shorter lease but can't get the low mileage option. Their next offer was for $25,500 for the Rav and $3200 for my trade, giving a lease payment of $289. That's still $39/mo more than where I want to be. Although honestly if I didn't know I could get a better deal at Fitz it doesn't sound that bad and I'd be tempted to go for it.

jmcmannis

How does the black look? That's one of the colors I'm interested in. Silver is probably my top pick. Then Black, then Flint Mica. Around here (Pittsburgh, PA) most of ours are Pacific Blue, Barcelona Red, White, or Silver.

jmcmannis

I'm in Pittsburgh, PA. Fitzmall does have a dealership in Chamberburg, PA also but the prices there are higher. I saw 2 Ravs on their site that seemed identical but one was almost $700 higher. I asked my internet sales rep from Fitz and he called back to tell me that they are identical. The difference in price is the location...and competition. They have more competition in MD so the price is lower. It's less than an hour from the PA dealership to the MD one. As long as I'd be driving 3 hours, what's one more?

ticoar

The black looked really nice to me, we are looking to get one for my wife and she wants more of a color than black or silver. I am currently in So. Cal., maybe they ship more of certain colors to certain locations based on what has been popular in the past. Based on what I have seen here, there will be an awful lot of silver and white RAV's driving down the road.

jimd4

But if it is $50 to fill up, the differnce per week will be $5 between 4 and 6. What is the fun factor worth? First we have to drive the v6 and find out.

jimd4

Maybe no one will buy the v6 then we can get them at 1500 off MSRP. Wishful thinking huh?

hit_the_road

Yeah Jim....but then I can take that $5 a week I'm saving on
gas and buy a cup of coffee at Starbucks!!! :P

cara6

Thanks andrelaplume for your reply.

You said:

"As far as buying the used V and needing a 'new' one 2 years from now; that seems ridiculous unless you always 'want' a newer car. I mean either of these should give you years of use".

Yes I agree- the reason it may be for two years is because of a job/lifestyle change, not because I need a new one. It’s possible I may keep the car for longer but just don’t know. Regarding leasing- I don’t really want to be locked into a 2-3 year lease.

The CRV sold for $18.5 to someone else (I missed it). I am now looking at a used Lexus for about the same price- $18k, an RX300 with 73k miles (I’m hoping it will hold it’s value if I need to re-sell it) I know the miles per gallon is not as good on this as the CRV or Rav4.

Thanks again- appreciate your input.

ral2167

hard to fathom why no satellite radio option on a 2006 vehicle nowadays-- particularly one for $20k +.... what gives??