2006 Toyota RAV4

jimd4

Hey, good luck with your Sport, keep us posted on how you like it and the MPG etc. I am waiting to try the V6 which I guess will occur in the next month.
By the way, two Toyota dealers told me they could have the Sport done in leather for $1300 and that would come with the same warranty as if it came from Toyoto. A litte more expensive than factory leather on the Limited but it is available.
Have fun with your Rav4

snagiel

I just went through this as well; I would've rather saved a little money with third-party floormats, but like you said, there aren't any yet. So I ordered up a set of the all-seasons from my dealer, which came to around $100 after my 10% discount. They are the black rubber-type (no other colors available for the all-season mats), and seem to be very durable and accommodating of mud/dirt/slush/water. Of course, the fit is excellent (although only about 95% as wide as they should be, IMO).

I considered the cargo liner as well, but because of the storage compartment underneath, I thought it would be too much of a pain to access it with the (non-articulated) liner above the latch.

jimd4

Toyota dealers are selling 2006 RAV4 mats on Ebay for about 60% of list it seems. Also other RAV4 stuff like cargo nets etc.

subieman

Dealer prices obtained from Star in bayside ny (via toyotas dealer website). Unfortunately, 2 weeks ago, they didn't have any more Rav4s. So I pricematched to Lees in Jamaica (a considerably lower volume deealership) and they had a few in stock. The sport model they had left at Star they put up to a bidding war starting at sticker price. They probably have more by now.

All NY cars come with certain options delivered that can not be deleted. With the V6's showing up soon, I'd imagine the sport 4 cyl will be at invoice soon as well.

*Note, I bought the base 4x4, which is more available than the sport 4x4. YMMV.

ateixeira

I gotta go test drive one now that the V6 is in dealers. I'm happy to see prices come down from MSRP already, the market is too hyper-competitive for retail pricing.

-juice

andrelaplume

1) Is there a way to find the RAVS with the 3rd row seat or must you look thru all entries.

2) I am in Eastern PA...is there a pickup dealer anywhere near me?

THANKS!

edgor

They have '06 RAV4 stuff at http://www.toyotapartsstore.com/, too. Not sure if they are trustworthy or not... Their prices are very good. We are just going to give the genuine toyota parts a try instead of waiting for the 3rd parties. I ordered a cargo tray. Supposedly it is rubber/plastic and is movable so you can get at the storage bay, but who knows... The pic on the toyota site makes it look flexible. It just looks like a rubber mat. (Edit: I fixed the URL)

ateixeira

They're not consistent in how they list models, you may or may not see a "3rd row" in the model name.

I think they have 2 MD and 1 FL location, not sure about PA.

-juice

melissa1028

I have been following along the discussion here for about a month or so. I have test driven a 4 cy. Rav 4 and really liked it but really want a third row seat. The dealer told me that for now it would probably be a special order only item. Does anyone know if this is true? If so can we talk down the price if we order or does ordering mean we will basically have to pay MSRP?

Thanks!

jimd4

Go to www.fitzmall.com and they list all their locations. 3rd row seat is an option, not a model. And it is not available on Sport.

vlad7

wow, you were able to find a sport without any option/upgrade. I'm looking for one just like that and can't find it anywhere.
Where did you get it from?

defrance

Hello everyone, I have been learning from this group for a while now. I got my base 4x4 in savanah metallic w/ side air bags on friday and so far I am please with the ride, overall noise and performance. I got the Yokohama tires. I checked my mpg after about 130 miles and I averaged about 19mpg. This was about half highway, and about 25 minutes in a traffic jam. I'll keep checking as I expect it to be better later and on more highway driving. One problem I have noticed though, and I don't think I saw it mentioned, is when I have the radio set to AUX, there is a high pitch whine that gets higher and lower based on the engine speed. So, at idle, it is barely noticable, but during acceleration, it gets rather annoying. This does not happen on any other radio setting and it happens whether there is anything plugged in to the aux jack or not. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks.

jaxs1

If it happens even if nothing is plugged in to the AUX jack, then take it to the dealer to be fixed.

pretzelb

I had not seen the Edmunds compare tool before. It isn't bad but I'm suspicious of the TMV values as they are showing very low numbers for the RAV4.

stever

You can compare TMV with real world numbers in the Toyota RAV4: Prices Paid & Buying Experience discussion.

So if you've recently purchased a RAV4, please post about your deal in there so others can benefit.

Steve, Host

jimd4

Actually the Fitzmall dealers site is selling RAV4 for LESS than Edmunds prices!

shaggnasty1

agreeance....just put a deposit on the V6 @ Fitzmall listed earlier in this thread and it is right on the Edmunds TMV.

stever

Pretzelb may be in an area of high 4WD demand and there may not have been enough actual sales data yet to fine tune the TMV for his zip code.

Steve, Host

defrance

I am hesitant to take it back to the dealer right now, because they may not be very skilled in how to deal with the new rav4 yet. The last thing I want is to have a different problem when I leave the dealership. That is what happened everytime I took my Audi in. Anyway, am I the only one experiencing the noise?

vsoars

I have decided to buy a RV4. I also have decided to wait till I can get a V6. Is Fitzmart the only one with one in stock? I don't know how to find other dealers who work over the internet and discount prices.

Does anyone have advice. I"m flexible about where I buy it. Since I don't want a 4WD, I suppose it will likely be a dealer in the South.

prash1

Have a 1.2 year old baby. Expecting a new one in April.
Considering 2006 RAV4.
Can anyone tell me if 2 car seats fit at back ?
Or should I consider Sienna.

Thanks.

kdhspyder

2nd row.. yes.

jimd4

Yes in Chambersburg but they ask about $800 than the Gaitersburgh, MD site.

jimd4

You owe me, I am the guy who put the Fitzmall info on here.
Just kidding about the owe me part, enjoy your car, let us know when you get it and how they did everything. I may well end up getting one there also if the NY situation stays like it is.
Of the five RAV4s my local dealer had 9 days ago, all but one is gone.

jimd4

If you look carefully at the Fitzmall site, they have none in stock. The two they shower are undre "Comming Soon"

snagiel

What sort of audio device are you using with the aux input? Is it self (battery) powered or powered via car DC (the cigarette lighter)? If the latter, the hiss is probably caused by ground loop interference; you'll need a ground loop isolator (GLI), available from Radio Shack or other electronics retailer. I recently did the same with my portable XM satellite receiver, which made all the difference in the world.

jaxs1

The original post siad the noise is there even when there is nothing plugged in.
It's defective.
You shouldn't need any Radio Shack supplied fixes on a direct factory connection anyway.
The dealer needs to fix the problem.

defrance

No, you guys are right, I thought my wife had unplugged it when I tested. It is an ipod powered by the car and running off its batteries yields no weird sounds. I ordered that loop thingy. But, why does this happen, and are there power adapters that filter this out so I don't have to fill up the compartment with electronics?

jaxs1

If it's coming from the iPod, then it may be a defective or too cheap power adapter.

mcswine

Well, I've been checking the Fitzmall site periodically, but your post did hasten the deal a bit...

I'm anxious to see how this deal goes down. So far, it's been pretty painless. All the dealers here in Little Rock are asking MSRP, so it's worth airfare and a couple of days travel to save $2000. I'll keep you posted.

nowakj66

Any crash safety ratings on the 2006 RAV4 yet?

snagiel

Actually, this is a common problem with vehicular audio inputs and use of the onboard DC power. Search for "ground loop isolator and aux input" and you'll see the issue come up for a variety of audio devices with a variety of cars. It's not the audio device's fault, but rather the interference caused by the electrical circuit. See http://www.epanorama.net/documents/groundloop/ for more information. Regardless, the dealer won't be able to do anything about it. In fact, the owner's manual mentions this problem, and suggests using battery power to avoid it.

Sporin

Like I said Apples and oranges. Obviously it's a silly "comparison."

And you most definitely can get a Charger with the Hemi for under $30k. MSRP starting at $30,195 and the actual transaction prices are much lower. (as I hope the V6 RAV4 prices will be)

I'm not saying 1 is better then the other, both have their pluses and minuses, it was just an example of other interesting vehicles at that price point.

shaggnasty1

Crutchfield has a ground loop thing that has miniplugs...I think the Radio Shack one uses RCA type plugs.

http://www.crutchfield.com/S-EkwMI6snAeU/cgi-bin/ProdView.asp?search=ground+loop- - &i=127SNI135

snagiel

Good find! This would definitely be easier (and stealthier) than the RS unit, which does indeed require RCA to mini-plug adapters.

jaxs1

You should check the volume levels on the portable player. Sometimes the power adapter also has it's own volume knob.
Too high or two low can be a problem.
Sometimes you get whine when the volume is set too high and other times you get the whine when the volume is set too low and you have to turn the volume up on the stereo which then makes the whine noticeable.
I don't think you should need external ground loop isolators. It should have been built into the car stereo.

defrance

Thanks for all the helpful suggestions regarding the ipod noise. Hopefully the ground loop works. My second fill up was at about 160 miles of 90% highway driving and I got 24.5 mpg. It looks like it will come close to the sticker once the engine breaks in. Pretty excited so far. No other problems with the vehicle after 5 days. Oh yeah, I have the base 4x4.

rushme

We are having a horrible time deciding between the Rav and the Highlander. We can get a 4x4 base Rav w/ curtain airbags for about the same price as a fwd Highlander w/ no side/curtain airbags. We like that the Highlander is a little bigger (will have to fit two car seats this summer), and the rear door w/ no tire is more functional and more appealing in our opinion.

The Highlander gets 5 stars w/o side airbags from the NHSTA and a good rating from the IIHS, but side impact was not tested by them. Not having side/curtain airbags doesn't thrill me, but to get them in the Highlander you have to spend way more.

The 05 Rav gets 4/5 stars and a good rating from the IIHS, but this could change w/ the 06.

My question I guess is: How do I weigh safety in this instance. Are side/curtain airbags even helpful for infants and young toddlers? I would assume that the curtains would prevent debris from hitting them, but could they harm a child when deployed? I have tried to read about this, but can't find any reliable info. Could we go w/ the base Highlander and feel it is safe enough, or should we go w/ the Rav w/ the side bags for the extra assurance?

Thanks in advance for any insight. Protecting my babies is a stressful business. Five years ago we would have gone w/ the cool factor and reliability, but now I rate safety above reliability. I know we should just get a Sienna (std. airbags - what a concept), but I just don't think I can be a mini-van mom yet...not that there is anything wrong w/ that! Please don't yell at me minivan drivers, I will join your ranks soon enough.

MR

jason330i

i'd say go with the 06 rav4 with airbags. the rav4 has grown in size and the airbags do help. i'm sure the 06 model will do well in safety tests.

or u can wait for the 07 highlander.

rushme

unfortunately, we can't wait. baby 2 is coming in June. i am 6'3" and cannot fit a car seat behind me w/o eating the wheel in our current car. our toddler is leggy too and he is fairly wedged in as it is.

MR

sinned

I'm wondering why the SPORT model does not come with the one touch fold-flat lever (this is according to specs from Toyota.com)? Are there any additional equipment the SPORT model has that prohibits this? Also, why would the V6 SPORT not have the Under Floor Storage Space available?

kdhspyder

Good questions.

First put no credence in the NHTSA ratings other than a broad 'pass/fail'. They admit on the website that some of the testing is too old to be of any service and that it needs to be redone. See the IIHS site for a comparison of the NHTSA vs IIHS side impact tests. You'll be shocked.

The RAV '05 was the only 'double best pick' in the small SUV segment. While it's possible that the '06 might be worse in it's ratings it is so very unlikely that Toyota would put less technology into a new vehicle and make it less safe. Dont you think?

Which is better for safety with two children? I'd go with the RAV due to the Curtain Airbags. The curtain airbags deploy like a theater curtain.. straight down instead of into the vehicle like the front airbags. You can see a picture in the RAV brochure.

The only risk in the curtain airbags is if a person is asleep against the window. In that event that person is likely to get hurt either from the direct impact or from the downward movement of the airbags.

I will never have a vehicle in the future that doesnt have S+C airbags plus VSC/Trac.

jimd4

Don't depend too much on the Toyota spec. stuff. I noticed that it said no storage but I checked the Sport when I drove it and it does. I am sure it has those little seat stow handles in the back which are very neat. I tried them on a base model. If I get a chance to check I will let you know. In some place the spec has errors on the Sport tire size which is 235/55/18".
It is amazing that dealers are getting V6 cars on the way and Toyota does not show the prices for that model yet on the web site.

nedkelly

I have a Pontiac Vibe which is smaller than the 06 rav 4 and can fit 2 car seats in the back.
I've sat in the back of a new rav4 and it seems like you could fit 2 car seats and someone could sit back there as well.

mtwebster

Bought a base 4 cylinder 4x4, it began with full tank, already 270 miles on it. Filled it up after another 230 miles - 23mpg. This was with about 50/50 mixed driving, max speed of 65, some stop and go.

Hopefully those first 270 miles were fairly gentle ones.

Excellent fit and finish inside, quality inside and out. Stereo system is somewhat less than I expected, but adequate.

Extremely pleased.

Just for comparison - Paid 24,500 for this total, that's including 750 delivery. Had Option 2 (extra airbags, alloy wheels, etc..)

jaxs1

Side curtain airbags may not do much of anything for babies in a car seat, but don't you want to live so you don't leave behind orphans?

raydahs

Good data from IIHS, Check out question #9. Infants and children: The risk of injury from a side airbag is extremely low for adults or children who are properly restrained. Children should not lean against the door area where the airbag is stored because the initial deployment force may be harmful. It is important for parents to understand that, with or without an airbag, children leaning against a side door or lying down on a seat with their heads near the door or sides of a vehicle are at high risk of injury in the event of a side impact.

Concerns about potential injuries, particularly to small children who might lie down in the seat or assume other positions against a deploying side airbag, led to the formation of the Side Airbag Out-of-Position Injury Technical Working Group. The TWG has a test protocol to assure that the inflation injury risk from deploying side airbags remains low. All vehicle manufacturers have committed to follow this protocol when designing new side airbag systems, and several already have systems in cars that meet the protocol.

http://www.iihs.org/research/qanda/airbags.html

thecat

Based on the Fitzgerald website the RAV and Highlander may not be priced as far apart as you may think. $4k - $5k discounts seem to be available on the Highlander. That makes it very price competitive with the RAV. Shop around.

mcswine

also, they will be toddlers before long.

I would not buy a car that did not have airbags if they were available as an option.

abbiem

I just picked up my new Rav4 LTD 4X4 yesterday, silver with charcoal cloth interior, moonroof. My last two vehicles have been 4Runners. The second one, an '04, was crushed in my driveway by a falling 120' white pine tree a week and a half ago. Although I loved the 4Runner, it was really overkill for the type of driving that I do, and I decided it was time to try a more fuel-efficient SUV. I drove the Highlander (regular, not hybrid) and this Rav4. They are offering good prices on the Highlander - 36 month lease price was only $20/month higher, but it just seemed a bit boring to me. I can't wait to start driving the Rav4 around today!