I just picked up my V6 Limited yesterday. I live in NY, and have only seen a handful of V6's, and all were limiteds. I have a close friend who was able to snag this one for me, at an excellent price. There are people out there paying over sticker price for this car. According to my friend the majority of the RAVs coming in over the next few weeks are 4cyl. The V6 is awesome...
"Life is short", "Here today, gone tomorrow", "Go for it!" versus increased acquisition/maintenance costs, increased insurance rates, and if you're not careful or lucky, increased speeding tickets. However, if you can afford it and really want it then get what you want. As my former First Sergeant said " Until you can afford to go first class, go economy class. But when you can afford first class then by all means go first class." As it is, I can't afford any type of RAV4 class so that's why I'm asking everyone who reads these posts to send me $5 so I can purchase a RAV4 which I will use to drive my grandmother to the hospital for the surgery she needs. I also will use it to carry orphans to school, church, and of course to visit Santa Claus when he is in town. Honestly I will do this.
Where are you in NY and how much over invoice did you pay? Keep us posted on MPG since that seems to be the big question here. Lots of conjecture, not many facts.
Rumor has it they are coming out with the RAV32P. Three wheel, 2 passenger, liteweight pedal version. Right up your alley and maybe $500 under invoice. Should be perfect for you. Enjoy
Well if you have the urge for a RAV4, a dealer I stop by once in while on the way home from work has 10 tonight.
Atlantic Toyota on Long Island has 4 V6s. Two are Sports and 2 are Limited. And I finaly saw my first Limited v6 with leather. No idea what the pricing situation is there. There are 2 or 3 4cyl ones there that have been sitting for at least two weeks.
you: Do dealers have to meet goals by month-ends and push more deals through in the last few days?
me: I remember reading on Edmund's about a guy who was working undercover at dealers and writing the story. I believe most of the dealers had monthly goals to move a certain amount of units. If the management was typical the monthly goals would be set high to be motivational. It seems logical that near the end of the month the sales staff is under pressure to do what they can to meet the numbers, right? Go on the last day of the month, and pray for heavy rain those last couple of days.
This is correct. As a rule the very end of the month is a good time for a 'knowledgable' buyer to come in and get the best price. 'Knowledgbalbe'?
Don't plan on coming in on the last day test driving several models and think about it for a while. If you've made upyour mind come in tell them your number OTD and stick to it. If you are realistic you will get it right away in most cases. Look at FitzMall and use that figure as your 'worst case' scenario.
In Toyota's system if a store misses it's goal it loses future vehicles. IOW it stagnates and dies. Missing a goal once in a while is normal ... doing it all the time is death, or it means the management get fired enmasse.
If it were only for me, I'd go for the RAV32P but I really need a RAV4 for Grand Mah Mah (pronounced Ethel Lou). True some doubt the authencity of my need for $5 from each Forum poster to pay for a RAV4 but I swear I really need the money. Some question why she doesn't take a taxi to the hospital. Well, the RAV4 has fold flat seating thus making it easier for her to crawl in and lie down. Some respond by saying "Let her go in a CRV" but I say "Never!". Grand Mah Mah (prounced Ethel Lou) wouldn't be caught dead in a Honda (which BTW she might be...dead...if the money doesn't come soon). And don't forget the orphan children who need to be taken to school, church, and Santa's Toyland Adventure Tours at ACME MALLS of Midwest Missouri. I can just see the glee on their little faces as they playfully recline/fold, recline/fold, recline/fold the rear seat(s)and try to stuff their little baby sister into the storage wells under the cargo mat. I just know that all who read this post will respond with kind generosity born of a sensitive soul and send $5 to: Grand Mah Mah's and the Orphans RAV4 Fund. Bless you, Bless you. For those who don't respond, well, I'll refuse to believe it when you're called CALLOUS, HEARTLESS, COLD, UNCARING B*****Ds. Afterall, that's what Grand Mah Mah calls me and I know you're better than I.
Yes BTW I do own some prime swamp land in Florida which I lease to FEMA as storage sites for mobile homes. And while it's true that they sink into the quicksand, they can be used as underground bunkers for Dick Cheney when he needs an undisclosed location. Please note that as a patriot I don't charge extra on my lease for this added benefit. BTW...there really was a salesman who sold refrigerators to the Alaskan Eskimos. He demonstrated the advantage of having unfrozen food available during the winter months. True story. Thanks.
I lived in Anchorage for years, and people in the bush would buy freezers from Montgomery Ward and ship them out, but there wasn't some guy going around door to door. Another urban legend I'm afraid.
I've been a lurker here for a while, and have had my V6 Rav4 for almost 2 weeks now, and have filled it up 3 times. I drive approximately 35 miles each way to work, and it's mostly highway driving, and I've consistently got around 24 mpg thus far. First fill up was 23.63 mpg, then it was 24.37 mpg and then 23.99 mpg.
As an aside, I also have the third row seat, and the other day took 6 coworkers along with me for lunch in the Rav, and it was AWESOME! Of course it was snug, and I'm sure my passengers wouldn't have wanted to travel too far in such close proximity of each other, but the most interesting comment I got was from the two passengers sitting in the back - they said they were surprised that it wasn't as cramped as they expected it to be. I have two small children that it'll be perfect for when my mum comes to visit!
Anyway, just wanted to let you know of my experience with the V6 mpg...
I just noticed that the car that will come to me is listed as having Leather Faced Seats-LA10. Does anybody know what LA10 includes? I couldn’t find this information.
I requested it with leather and I was expecting to get it with leather instead of cloth everywhere not only seats. Maybe is just confusion in my mind, but from what I read it seems to have only the seat faces changed. Does anybody know if it has cloth on the door panels and if this part is usually changed with leather if somebody requests leather for the car or stays cloth/plastic? I couldn’t see anyone with leather and I do not remember how the door panels for the cars with cloth interior are. Another question is why the leather is installed on Southeast Toyota and not at the factory (the dealer told me this)? Will work the seats airbags after that? Is Southeast Toyota certified to do this?
Well I have heard here SE Toyota district is independent of Toyota. If you go to Toyota web site and enter zip 34423 you will get the site. The show LA10 at about $1400 which is more than factory leather.
My dealer in NY told me I could get aftermarket leather on a Sport for $1350 and it include door panels and 4 seats and have same 36 Mo warranty as factory. I am guessing you are not getting factory leather but that might not be a problem. But you should talk to them and make sure you know what you are getting.
Through town it's about 8-10 miles of about 25-30 mph stop and go, and thereafter, average mph is about 60-70 give or take, since there is a rural road and freeway. I'd say I've been driving this car more gingerly than I usually would do, probably because it's so new still. I have been known to be a bit lead footed, but I've been watching it with the Rav, especially since this one certainly has a lot of guts, and it would be quite easy to steam ahead and be going quite quick without necessarily paying close attention to exactly how fast...
Well, just check with your dealer and ask if it factory leather.
The gas milage souds pretty good if you say up to 70 which is tough on MPG. Also, if I remember correctly, Fallon area is lots of hills and not at sea level. I have been to NAS Fallon.
Yesterday, I saw a V6 Sport in the showroom at Libertyville Toyota in Illinois. It had dealer installed leather seats. The car was black, the leather a medium to dark grey. It looked very nice. The salesman called me today to say that the V6 Sport I ordered 3 weeks ago will still take another 6 weeks to arrive. He said they had a silver V6 Sport coming in in 3 weeks, but I'd prefer to wait til they get the Flint Mica color I ordered. I asked him about the black RAV4 Sport with the leather seats. It sold in one day, he said. I think the sticker was just over $28,000. He also told me that the you cannot get the auto-dimming mirror factory istalled. I pointed out that I saw a V6 Limited in their lot with the auto dimming mirror installed and listed as a factory installed option. The salesman said he didn't know they did that.
When you said you had 7 people in your car, I wondered if you were over the wieght limit. I was surprised to find out that the Payload capacity of the 2006 RAV4 is between 1,021 and 1,130. That's about 300 pounds above my Camry. Very nice.
Speaking of wieghts, can anyone tell me what the difference is between "Curb Weight" and "Gross Vehicle Weight". The Base RAV 4 2WD 4 cylinder is rated at 3,300 is listed at 3,300 LBS curb weight and 4,430 Gross vehicle weight.
You can add the auto dim mirror and Homelink yourself for about $200 aftermarket if your a litte handy or Toyota dealer will install if. Lots of info here from people who have done it already! The guy even arranged for a lower online price for the mirror. The rav4world site has lots of good owner inputs. See:">link title http://rav4world.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=2714
The sales people are really not up to snuff for the most part. One lady told me an ordered car would come in two week "cause they are made in Tennesse now". Enjoy
What is enough power is relative to what you want, and what "enough" means to you. Some people are happy with 125hp, and others aren't happy with 400hp.
We basically had this discussion a week ago if you go back in this topic. All I'm going to say is that it is less likely you'll be unhappy with the V-6; and the cost increase isn't much (compared to what you're paying: +10%) and you get some other goodies with it. But by all means go buy a 4-cyl, so there are more 6's out there if I go buy one.
I posted this same question about a month ago but had no response. Will any of you new RAV4 owners check to see if the RAV4 has a auto tran dipstick? Heard that Toyota has gone similar to other auto manufacturers in taking it away for cost savings and to make do-it-yourself fluid changes near impossible.
Thanks, I thought I had read in another forum that Toyota was going that way with their new engines. I had looked at at a RAV4 at the dealer and forgot to check it out. I found out the hard way with my daughter's Chevy Malibu - no auto tranny dipstick. To check the fluid on that you have to go underneath the car and unscrew a sight plug Bet that saved Chevy $5 per car!!
Started reading the first few messages in this forum.. message # 8 has a very interesting website: http://www.donlen.com/buildstart_toyota.asp this gives production dates for '06 and '07 Rav4 V6 (plus all other Toyota vehicles). Some in this forum might already have seen this one! Please let me know if anyone is aware of improvements in the upcoming 2007 Rav4 V6 later this year over its current 2006 model. thank you
since this model was NEW on 12-15 I dont expect any change this year or next unless there is something the market hates or absolutely demands enmasse. The first tweak to this iterattion should come in the 2009 model late in 2008.
I have had my V6 Ltd for a bit over a week now. My last vehicle was a 93 Geo Prism which is like driving around in a riding vacuum cleaner compared to the RAV, which is also head and shoulders above our 98 Subaru Forester. Absolutely love it, my only gripe so far is with the cupholders which are too large and the device intended to grip smaller cups is too loose. Also, it is designed for deep mugs with high handles. Seems like a small gripe, but these are things that bug you on a day to day basis.
Speaking of "Hates", how about the fact that Toyota will not install a sunroof on the Base Rav4, not even the V6. Interesting marketing ploy? I guess they realized how nice the standard features are with the base model and wanted a way to steer people to the Sport and Limited model. The dealer can install a sunroof on the Base model, but it's about $1,200 vs $900 at the factory.
Not many people are posting their V6 actual mileage. I think there are few people who have V6. I hate to think people are not posting their mileage because they do not like what they are getting.
I have the 6, I have not yet tracked my milage, although I have not exactly been driving conservatively. The accelerator has not been "floored" yet, but a medium depression of the pedal pushes me back in my seat with an impressive G force. Once I pass the 1000 mile mark I will see what a flooring is like! My impression is that it is not using any more gas (and perhaps less) then my old 1.8 liter 4 popper. I will start tracking this week, but it may be awhile before I can accelerate slower.....
Yes, I have driven three v6s and know what you mean. I think the MPG will be fine if you drive with a lite foot. And the power is very nice What car was your 1.8 4 popper?
Well, I got my new Rav4 Limited V6 4x4 this past Thursday (now with just over 1000 miles on it of mixed and varied driving). It's got the side curtain airbags, auto-dimming mirror and JBL 9 speaker system options (NO moonroof - I'm 6'5" and my head touches the (unforgiving!) headliner with that installed). Here's how it's going so far:
MPG: mostly highway driving (varied RPM and speed though), averaged 24.2 MPG on the 3rd and latest fillup (up from 22.0 mpg initially). Running 87 octane fuel. I expect this to improve over time, particularly on long trips.
Overall impressions: road noise isn't bad at all, really. Handling is fine, even around corners. Surprisingly sure-footed in windy conditions or when passing semis. Engine is pretty quiet, braking is swift and sure, shifting is solid (ability to select L-2-3-4-D is very nice for hilly terrain). Looking forward to driving in snow this week to see how VSC works in practice.
Annoyances (pretty much minor ones but nonetheless...): - Doors do not lock automagically (i.e., once one is at 5-10 mph). It's a pretty simple feature to implement, surprised it's not on here. - Headlights: they don't shut off nor do they warn you if you happen to open the door before key-off. Even locking with the key fob fails to shut them off at that point. Kinda surprised they don't have an auto-on/off feature here, again, pretty cheap to add. - Map lights above dash: holy crap they're bright! Way too bright... wondering how to tone them down in-place. - Interior trim (front): the edge of the door molding digs into your leg/knee depending on how tall you are. - Parking brake: should sound an audible alert for this when in gear (likewise for low fuel)
Going forward: Hitch looks dirt-simple to install (not sure where the pre-wiring is at though). Pondering nerf bars and hood protector for later. Overall the best vehicle for my current needs.
Excellent write-up. I have a few questions and answers to your comments. First how were you able to get the auto-dimming mirror and JBL stereo w/o the sunroof? I haven't seen that combo anywhere. The headlights do automatically turn-off, if you push the lock button on the key 3 or 4 times. Annoying I know, but I tried it and it works. Also, they supposedly go off after a few minutes.
On my first tank I got 18 miles to the gallon, mind you that I was driving with hard acceleration, etc. I will probably get gas tomorrow evening and will update everyone on the latest MPG.
Thanks! The combo was tricky... getting a Limited without a moonroof meant going to Maryland to get my car (only the Central Atlantic region is getting Limited v6 4x4s like that, I've learned... only alternative was to order and pray). It was a package deal with the JBL factory sound, side curtain airbags, and tow prep package, all of which I required, as well as mudguards, wheel locks, DRL and bumper applique which were already on it and which are ok by me.
I had the dealer add the auto-dim mirror. It ran about $80 more thna having it as a port option but at least I didn't have to monkey around near the air bags myself and now I have some power up at the ceiling sans moonroof.
Why is this the only region with such a package? Ask Toyota... it certainly makes no sense to me. I'm just glad at least one place in the U.S. had it!
As for the headlights, I'll fiddle with that. I've seen the auto-off work and the keyfob off work but only if I turn off the car before opening the door. Maybe it still turns off but just takes longer otherwise... hate to find out the hard way though!
Comments
Should be perfect for you.
Enjoy
Atlantic Toyota on Long Island has 4 V6s. Two are Sports and 2 are Limited. And I finaly saw my first Limited v6 with leather.
No idea what the pricing situation is there. There are 2 or 3 4cyl ones there that have been sitting for at least two weeks.
me: I remember reading on Edmund's about a guy who was working undercover at dealers and writing the story. I believe most of the dealers had monthly goals to move a certain amount of units. If the management was typical the monthly goals would be set high to be motivational. It seems logical that near the end of the month the sales staff is under pressure to do what they can to meet the numbers, right? Go on the last day of the month, and pray for heavy rain those last couple of days.
Don't plan on coming in on the last day test driving several models and think about it for a while. If you've made upyour mind come in tell them your number OTD and stick to it. If you are realistic you will get it right away in most cases. Look at FitzMall and use that figure as your 'worst case' scenario.
In Toyota's system if a store misses it's goal it loses future vehicles. IOW it stagnates and dies. Missing a goal once in a while is normal ... doing it all the time is death, or it means the management get fired enmasse.
Steve, Host
Steve, Host
As an aside, I also have the third row seat, and the other day took 6 coworkers along with me for lunch in the Rav, and it was AWESOME! Of course it was snug, and I'm sure my passengers wouldn't have wanted to travel too far in such close proximity of each other, but the most interesting comment I got was from the two passengers sitting in the back - they said they were surprised that it wasn't as cramped as they expected it to be. I have two small children that it'll be perfect for when my mum comes to visit!
Anyway, just wanted to let you know of my experience with the V6 mpg...
Oh, I have a base V6 in Pacific Blue Metallic...
I just noticed that the car that will come to me is listed as having Leather Faced Seats-LA10.
Does anybody know what LA10 includes? I couldn’t find this information.
I requested it with leather and I was expecting to get it with leather instead of cloth everywhere not only seats. Maybe is just confusion in my mind, but from what I read it seems to have only the seat faces changed. Does anybody know if it has cloth on the door panels and if this part is usually changed with leather if somebody requests leather for the car or stays cloth/plastic? I couldn’t see anyone with leather and I do not remember how the door panels for the cars with cloth interior are. Another question is why the leather is installed on Southeast Toyota and not at the factory (the dealer told me this)? Will work the seats airbags after that? Is Southeast Toyota certified to do this?
Any information is appreciated.
Thank you.
My dealer in NY told me I could get aftermarket leather on a Sport for $1350 and it include door panels and 4 seats and have same 36 Mo warranty as factory.
I am guessing you are not getting factory leather but that might not be a problem. But you should talk to them and make sure you know what you are getting.
The gas milage souds pretty good if you say up to 70 which is tough on MPG. Also, if I remember correctly, Fallon area is lots of hills and not at sea level. I have been to NAS Fallon.
Some have been suggesting 16-23 mpg here
Speaking of wieghts, can anyone tell me what the difference is between "Curb Weight" and "Gross Vehicle Weight". The Base RAV 4 2WD 4 cylinder is rated at 3,300 is listed at 3,300 LBS curb weight and 4,430 Gross vehicle weight.
See:">link title http://rav4world.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=2714
The sales people are really not up to snuff for the most part. One lady told me an ordered car would come in two week "cause they are made in Tennesse now".
Enjoy
my only concearn is if has enough power??
please let me know
http://www.epinions.com/auto-review-6831-2573C29A-3A390A3D-prod2
We basically had this discussion a week ago if you go back in this topic. All I'm going to say is that it is less likely you'll be unhappy with the V-6; and the cost increase isn't much (compared to what you're paying: +10%) and you get some other goodies with it. But by all means go buy a 4-cyl, so there are more 6's out there if I go buy one.
--------------------------
http://www.donlen.com/buildstart_toyota.asp
this gives production dates for '06 and '07 Rav4 V6 (plus all other Toyota vehicles). Some in this forum might already have seen this one! Please let me know if anyone is aware of improvements in the upcoming 2007 Rav4 V6 later this year over its current 2006 model.
thank you
Sport has no leather or power heated seat option, no dimming mirror with compass and Homelink.
And oh yes, some regions get side curtain bags on Sport and some don't. I guess we have better accidents in NY!
You just did! You may also want to click on the "Consumer Rating" link near the top of this page and write your own review.
tidester, host
Just kidding, onelady here posted good milage considering she drives relatively fast and is in NV hilly high country think.
There are more and more sixes showing up here in NY. My dealer called Sat and he has 3 more.
What car was your 1.8 4 popper?
MPG: mostly highway driving (varied RPM and speed though), averaged 24.2 MPG on the 3rd and latest fillup (up from 22.0 mpg initially). Running 87 octane fuel. I expect this to improve over time, particularly on long trips.
Overall impressions: road noise isn't bad at all, really. Handling is fine, even around corners. Surprisingly sure-footed in windy conditions or when passing semis. Engine is pretty quiet, braking is swift and sure, shifting is solid (ability to select L-2-3-4-D is very nice for hilly terrain). Looking forward to driving in snow this week to see how VSC works in practice.
Annoyances (pretty much minor ones but nonetheless...):
- Doors do not lock automagically (i.e., once one is at 5-10 mph). It's a pretty simple feature to implement, surprised it's not on here.
- Headlights: they don't shut off nor do they warn you if you happen to open the door before key-off. Even locking with the key fob fails to shut them off at that point. Kinda surprised they don't have an auto-on/off feature here, again, pretty cheap to add.
- Map lights above dash: holy crap they're bright! Way too bright... wondering how to tone them down in-place.
- Interior trim (front): the edge of the door molding digs into your leg/knee depending on how tall you are.
- Parking brake: should sound an audible alert for this when in gear (likewise for low fuel)
Going forward: Hitch looks dirt-simple to install (not sure where the pre-wiring is at though). Pondering nerf bars and hood protector for later. Overall the best vehicle for my current needs.
Keep us posted
On my first tank I got 18 miles to the gallon, mind you that I was driving with hard acceleration, etc. I will probably get gas tomorrow evening and will update everyone on the latest MPG.
I had the dealer add the auto-dim mirror. It ran about $80 more thna having it as a port option but at least I didn't have to monkey around near the air bags myself and now I have some power up at the ceiling sans moonroof.
Why is this the only region with such a package? Ask Toyota... it certainly makes no sense to me. I'm just glad at least one place in the U.S. had it!
As for the headlights, I'll fiddle with that. I've seen the auto-off work and the keyfob off work but only if I turn off the car before opening the door. Maybe it still turns off but just takes longer otherwise... hate to find out the hard way though!