2006 Toyota RAV4

bill119

I own a 98 Forester in addition to my 06 V6 AWD Ltd Rav. The RAV has much more room than than the Subie, rear seat leg room is a problem in our Forester. The Subie has been a great car, but I love my RAV, and we have hauled people around in it in comfort. You should have no problem with it if you go with the RAV!

thecat

"The RAV looks wider but looking at each back seat they seem the same size"

Huh? I owned a Forester and now have an 06 RAV. The back seat room isn't even close to being the same. Leg room in the back of the RAV is the best in the class. My one complaint about the Forester is that the back seat was too cramped. The Forester's overall length is 175.2 compared to the RAV 181.5. These demensions are bumper to bumper.

sushilover

In Canada, the V6 Limited comes ONLY with a 3rd row seat, which I do not need. Can anyone tell me if the 3rd row is (easily) removable?
Thank you!

petl

Get the V6LTD. It doesn't have the 3rd row seat. I wouldn't touch it. Removing it may drastically affect the value of the vehicle. If you don't want the LTD, just keep the seat down. You never know what the future holds.

orioninil

For those of you calculating your MPG, do you let the pump automatically shut off and mark it there, or do you keep filling past the auto shut off until you can't get any more gas in?

I filled up for the first time this am. (dealer provided full tank of gas).

I got 327.1 miles and filled up until the auto shut off, which was 13.155 gallons.

24.86 MPG (50% city driving / 50% highway)

V6 Limited 4X4 with emissions package
Not sure what grade they put in at the dealer.

bcbob8

sushilover- you can get the V6 Ltd w/o 3rd row; you just have to opt for the "B" package which is leather, all air bags, upgraded stereo, etc. If you haven't looked at the cargo area of a RAV4 w/o 3rd row, do have a peek. The under deck volume is very large and nicely hidden. Unless you think you may need to haul around more than 5 people I would consider upgrading to the "B" pkg. Good luck with your decision. Zero regrets on my part.

gunga64

Are they redesigning the Rav4 in 2007, or has that been done already in 2006?

scottyg1234

Already done for 2006, I am sure that there will be a few minor tweaks, but the major redesign was for 2006.

raydahs

I always turn the vehicle off, and then turn the key to accessory position so I can see the fuel gauge as it fills up, as a result of the auto filler stopped without filling it up once, I noticed after driving away on a road trip :mad:

Then when it stops and see it’s full on the gauge, I round it up to the nearest .05 cent for billing records only; it’s easier to log $25.50 than $25.47.

This topic was discussed on the other RAV4 site; it’s not good to “top off”. Link courtesy of “QUICKDTOO” very good stuff.

http://www.jpsalestraining.com/topping_off.htm

lampwalk

Hi--We had put a hold on an allocated RAV4 coming into Burnsville, MN (hope to get a refund on the CCard fee, as this was not a special order), but we found one closer to home for close to the same price. So, this hold will hopefully come off today or tomorrow--so if anyone is looking--they can call Burnsville and probably get this vehicle immediately:
RAV4 V6 Base 4WD, Everlade metallic, 3rd row seats, Roof rack, Side Airbags, Towing Package, 17" Steel Wheels. MSRP 26,250. WE got it for $24,497. But it is quite a trek for us to drive over to Twin Cities. They have a $50 doc fee. So, finding a similar unit (Silver, not green and had alloy wheels) closer, to us, we are letting the vehicle go up in Burnsville, so somebody will get a good deal up there if they act fast!

gunga64

I just hate to see those naked doors. So many dings, why no bumpers?

When I go to purchase a new car I will be looking at the following.

Honda Pilot 2006-2007 ,avg MPG around 21
Rav4 4 cyl 2006-2007, avg MPG around 26
Honda CRV 2007 new model, avg MPG old model around 25
Santa FE 2007 new model (dont know much else cept its big)
Mazda Tribute 2007 new model, avg MPG around 23

Looking for high MPG, low price, lot of room, don't care about engine.

They are all pretty close in price, funny how the Pilot costs just about the same as a RAV4 (dont believe the pricing you see on this site. I noticed edmunds overprices real prices for Hondas and Toyotas). The Toyota and Honda have great reps and may knock the Santa FE and Mazda out because of that.

Went and sat in a Rav4 today, was right next to a Highlander. I told the salesmen that they are just about the same length. I was a little disappointed in the rear cargo space for the Rav4, also the rear seats were kind of low, I'm 5' 10" and felt like my legs were the height of my chest. Toyota needs to design seats for normal sized people. I liked the front leg room in it though longer then other SUV's and my Sienna.

steveo2

I don't think you'll see 21 mpg with the Pilot very often. My 03 would get 17-18 mpg in mixed city/highway. 22 mpg freeway only. Great SUV though and some deals to be had.

quickdtoo

Bodyside mouldings are available from Canadian dealers, they're offered as an accessory there, cost about $80 plus shipping.

wizzobutter

Well, if anyone remembers my occasion posts since February, here's a re-cap. On Feb 18th, I put a $500 deposit on a Flint Mica Sport V6 4x4 with a sunroof and the auto dimming mirror. I foolishly offered to pay full sticker of $27,414, thinking it would be hard to get less than full sticker. He said it would take 4 to 6 weeks. Then, it was pushed back to the first week in May. Fast forwarding to yesterday, I saw Dealer A had a Flint Mica Sport V6 4x4 for $27,869. I called up the dealer and wanted to let him know I was interested in that one. I also checked Daeler B and saw a flint mica Sport 4x4 V6 in stock for $27,249. I sent an E-Mail to dealer B asking to verify that it was a 4x4, since the web listing did not say. I stopped by Dealer B and confirmed that it was a 4x4. I then Stopped by Dealer A, but the flint mica listed on the web site weas not in stock. I went home and there was an E-Mail from Dealer B offering the $27, 259 RAV4 for $25,604. Whoa! I can get that much off? Today, I told Dealer A that I was going to check out Dealer B's price to see if it was legit. Dealer A pleaded with me to let them re-negotiate. He said he would have my RAV 4 by next week. He then called back an hour later and said my RAV 4 had come in, but did not seem interested in coming down any, instead, he wanted to work out a deal with the purchase price and my trade, a 1999 fully loaded Camry Le V6 with full leather, real wood, and every option (Full sticker was $27,300 in 1999). I told him I needed to go 30 miles to Kenosha, Wisconsin's CarMax to find out the trade in value. he tried to talk me out of it but I said I would go to Carmax first. I drove up to CarMax about 3 hours ago. Lo and behold, the Car Max is also a full sized TOYOTA dealer!. While they were appraising my Camry, we looked at what he had in stock. No flint micas, but I saw a BLACK Limited V6 4x4 with leather seats, heated seats, remote starter, sunroof, steering wheel audio controls, and other goodies that had a full price of about $30,400. The "no haggle" price was $28,400. I had my heart set on flint mica, but I do love black also. I had to resist buying it. I wanted to see Dealer A and see if he could come down big time on the Sport model. The appraisal for my black Camry V6 came in at a nice $5,500, so I have 7 days or 300 miles to make my decision. I'm leanin heavily towards the black Limited at CarMax. They said the Kelly blue book value for my Camry was $5,110. I think the Toyota dealer would have offered me less than $5,000 if I had blindly traded it in. CarMax was a nice experience. So two days ago, I was waiting for one vehicle. Now, I must choose between 3. AARRRGG!

sayers1

I feel your pain. I dealt with several dealers who made blind promises that they could get the vehicle I wanted, but when put on the spot could not get it for me at all. We even had a signed purchase agreement, then out of the blue they sent back my deposit. Go to KBB.com to get your trade in value, before you have a dealer try to play you. Each one of those dealers you mention, sound like they are trying to play a different angle. After all kinds of promises from dealerships that they could get THE car I wanted, I saw one online in stock at a dealership, then I drove 4 hours to get it. You can't honestly wheel and deal for a car that they don't have in stock is my experience.

jimd4

If you keep fooling around to save $500 bucks you might not have either one of them. The dealers are not sitting there holding two RAVs while you think about it. One dealer has a RAV and one has promises. Which one are you buying?
Just a thought.

raydahs

No brainer....."Black Limited". You're going from a loaded Camry, keep your cars more than 5 years.

"Splurge" over 5 years of ownership, the difference in price will be nothing compared to the satisfaction and appreciation for all the bells and whistles utilized on a daily basis. The Black Limited seem to be rare in my neck of the woods, however I've seen 3 Flint Mica Sports..FWIW.

bcbob8

FWIW wizzobutter, my Toyota dealer was far more generous with the trade-in value of my '96 4Runner than I would ever have believed, just going by all the on-line appraisals I got and seeing what they were going for on used car lots around town. If your Toyota dealer is local, I would at least give them a chance to "blow you away" with their best deal. I would go in and have a "bottom line" net difference in mind and if they don't meet it, go to Carmax.

We love our Ltd. btw; check out the oodles of extra features you get for the extra dough. Raydahs hits the nail on the head: you'll be driving this for the next x many years and should get something about which you will have no regrets. Best of luck!

wester8

I am about to purchase a 2006 RAV4 Sport model. The salesman is pitching the extended warranty...6 years, 75,000 miles...Is it worth purchasing?? And what should I expect to pay??

jimd4

Do not know if it is worth it but people here have gotten it about $750. Do not pay list! I would probably consider it if I was keeping the truck 6 years.

bcbob8

Extended warranties are a big money maker for the manufacturers. BUT. It is the first year of the new iteration. I fell for the 6 year warranty, mostly because the dealer gave me a sweet trade-in value plus again concerns over the first model year. I did pay about 2/3 of the asking price. Be sure to have a dollar figure in mind and advise the salesperson that $XXX is what it's worth to you. They usually will give in rather than let you walk.

raydahs

In case you didn't know, you don't have to buy it at the time of purchase. You can buy it before the 3/36 expires.

However if you feel better buying it now, you can contact the finance department from a dealer up in Massachusetts online, (7/100, 0 deductible platinum from Toyota of Greenfield for $805).

ateixeira

If you can find one that cheap, jump on it.

They usually include roadside assistance, at least Subaru does.

-juice

slaigo

Is there a RAV4 2007 without the spare tire carrier at the back. A toyota website for Switzerland shows a new RAV 4 without it.

jason330i

so it looks like the new crv will not try to match the new rav4...

http://www.edmunds.com/insideline/do/News/articleId=110193#2

sushilover

Thank you. Yes, I have looked at the "hole" and I like it a lot. However, I had not noticed that the B package subtracted the 3rd row seat! Excellent.

sushilover

Thank you for the advice. Another poster pointed out that the Limited with "package B" excludes the 3rd row seat. I want to have the storage space!

sushilover

European RAV4 are like that. They do not have a 3rd row seat option, which means that the spare can go under the car, where the 3rd row seat would store.

gunga64

If your a member of sams club, you should compare what they offer for an extended warranty. Sams has 7 year 100k if I recall right. The dealers don't go that far out in mileage. Also it covers more things, and usually costs a lot less. It is also backed by walmart itself. Also theres an option for no deductible, at very little cost.3 levels of coverage if I recall right.

wester8

Thanks for the feedback. The salesman said he was giving me a "deal" since I am a friend of a friend. $750. Which it sounds like is the standard base price for a 6/75,000 mile warranty...

gunga64

Sorry I had my year wrong I think its actually a 7 year 100k warranty when I looked in 2002. Also be careful with warranties. If you are getting a warranty from a dealer make sure its an actual warranty backed by Toyota. I have heard horror stories about extended warranties from dealers that have nothing to do with Toyota and going belly up. On the other hand I would trust Sams with something like this they are too big to put up with nonsense. They have had these extended warranties available for many years. Read fine print as well on whats not covered and deductibles are important.

Also the longer you wait to get a warranty the more expensive it gets. When I first looked into getting one for my Sienna it would have cost 1100.00, when I looked 2 years later it would have cost 1800.00 for the same length of time as the original.

jimd4

Well the list prices for the RAV4 warranties are available on the Toyota web site. I think the 6/75K was about $1000.

sayers1

I got the Platinum Warranty, 6/75, $0 deductible for $470. With the warranties, the dealership can only make money. It's another line they add to the sales paperwork. If they sell it for $470 then they make, I don't know, $50; but if they can sell it for $870, then they get $450 for filling out the same couple pages of paper. They don't have a stock of warranties that they have to sell, like cars on the lot.

bcbob8

Actually someone posted earlier that the European RAV4 has run-flat tires and no spare. Not sure if that's true or not.

If this was an option in Canada I think I would go for it; get rid of the spare on the back door.

kdhspyder

Actually warranties are just insurance policies with the dealership acting as the insurance agent. The bulk of the money goes to the insurer, which I'm assuming Toyota chooses. The F&I person acts like your life insurance agent in this case and gets a small commission. It's not a huge money maker IMO. Perhaps those in Finance can confirm or clarify.

I do know that the more prone to repair and more complex and more expensive the vehicle is the higher is the cost of the policy. Like everything else the insurer sets a price based on the acturarial estimate of what it will cost down the road.

newski3

I today checked with my local Sam's and they knew nothing of a New Car Warranty that Sam's offers. I checked on line and got no hits. I also called Sam's 1-888 number and got so frustrated with their automated phone system that after 5 tries, I gave up (never got to talk to anyone). Can you give anymore info on who in Sam's to contact for this info???

rsaltus1

I haven't checked all the messages, but has anyone had trouble mounting a bike rack? I have the kind that's mainly supported by straps and two metal hooks that attach to the rear roof (in this case, the top edge of the door hatch. (Of course, I had to de-mount the spare, but that's not a problem.) Here's the issue: the hook latches onto the edge of the plastic spoiled, not the metal frame of the door itself, and I think a good bump with four bikes on the rack could rip the spoiler right off - and the dealer agreed with me. But to get the hook over the actual metal of the door, it would have to be opened up much wider, and that would be very tough to do.
The dealer suggested mounting them on the roof, but that seems way too hard with four bikes to carry. Then there are racks that attach to the trailer hitch, but I'm not going to install a hitch just for that.
Anybody have any thoughts on this?
many thanks
rs in boston

jimd4

Well a good strong hitch costs $130 bucks and takes 30 min with four bolts on the RAV4 not counting the wiring which you do not need to carry bikes.

wizzobutter

I took your advice and couldn't be happier. Yesterday morning, I called CarMax and told the salesman that I wanted the Black Limited. Early afternoon, Dealer A, who had been trying to get me a Flint Mica Sport V6 4x4 for 9 weeks, called me and asked if I had been to Carmax, I told him my intentions of buying the Limited I saw there. He was nice at first, but then mentioned that the $500 "refundable" deposit I gave him on Feb 18th might be forfeited. He said he had done a lot of legwork for me. I told him to keep the deposit (I knew they could not). He wanted to get me a similar model by the end of the day for the same discount. I told him no. He said his sales manager would be calling me. He called 2 hours later and also threatened to keep the deposit. I bluntly said "Fine, goodbye" and hung up. He called back 10 seconds later and now was a nice guy. He said he would send my check back to me and asked me to consider them in the future. How nice. ;-)
So, at 7PM sharp, I arrived at the Kenosha Carmax/Toyota dealer in southern Wisconsin. The process of buying from them was so smooth. I have bought 4 new cars in the past and helped 5 others buy cars. This was the best experience. It was 10PM when I got out of there, partly because it took them a long time to get my plates off the Camry. One screw was stuck. Anyway, I was so nervous driving it back to Illinois, I stayed on the frontage road for the 5 miles to the border instead of getting on the expressway. Now, 24 hours later, I have put over 100 miles on it, and picked up my mother's 6 foot wide dining table and 4 chairs with it so she would not have to pay $40 to have it delivered. The V6 is unreal. Even pushing the accelerator about a half inch down will give you enough acceleration to keep up with normal traffic from a stop light. The radio/CD changer is very nice. I only have some very minor complaints. The clock is hard to read in any lighting situation. I'm 6 foot 2 inches, but could not adjust the seat and steering wheel so that I could see the top of the speedometer without lowering my head. Also, I don't mind that the speedometer only shows numbers at 20, 40, 60, and 80, but I would have preferred the line at 30, 50, and 70 to at least be as thick as the ones that are numbered. Very minor issue, but until I got used to it, it took a couple of seconds to figure out my speed. I'm really glad I got the black. Black is a lot of work to keep clean, but looks great when it is clean. My black 1999 Camry was washed about 500 times in 7 years, almost all by hand.
One other minor issue is the amount of brake dust on the fron wheels. The car had 11 miles on it when I picked it up. At 100 miles, I washed the brake dust off the two front wheels. I see so many nice cars that have filthy front wheels because they never clean the brake dust off them. My Camry never seemed to have any brake dust on the wheels. Must different brake linings or something.
One more thing I love is the temperature reading on the dash. I drove from Grayslake illinos to North Chicago Illinois on the lakefront of lake Michigan. The temp was dropping one degrees each mile and fell from 66 to 58. The reading seems to be very accurate.

wizzobutter

After driving a Camry for 7 years, I can say that the RAV4 Limited is everybit as smooth over poor road surfaces. Also, here is the complete list of options I got on my RAV4 Limited V6 4x4. Base price of $25,870
GY - Side and curtain airbags $650
HD - Heated front seats $440
LA - Leaather trim seats $1,050
RL - Running lights $40
SR - Power moonroof $900
TO- Tow Prep $160
CF - Carpet floor mats/Cargo mat $214
V4 - Remote Start $499
Delivery charge $605

Full price was $30,428, the no haggle price was $28,588. I'm very happy. :-)

garyweissberg

Beware of this 3 seat option :mad:
The optional 3rd row seat is great but I just bought a new 2006 Rav 4 and the 40/ portion of the 60/40 2nd row was designed not to collapse flat??
Therefore you lose the ability to load a sheet of plywood in the 3rd seat option equipped 2006 SUV Rav 4. Toyota retail dealers and service personal were unaware of the design flaw and I am waiting for Toyota Corp to solve the my storage problem.
The 40% more room is gone when the 3rd row which does collapse flat is optioned on this vehicle.
Gary Weissberg

garyweissberg

I have one but :mad:
The optional 3rd row seat is great but I just bought a new 2006 Rav 4 and the 40/ portion of the 60/40 2nd row was designed not to collapse flat??
Therefore you lose the ability to load a sheet of plywood in the 3rd seat option equipped 2006 SUV Rav 4. Toyota retail dealers and service personal were unaware of the design flaw and I am waiting for Toyota Corp to solve the my storage problem.
The 40% more room is gone when the 3rd row which does collapse flat is optioned on this vehicle.
Gary Weissb

garyweissberg

The optional 3rd row seat is great but I just bought a new 2006 Rav 4 and the 40/ portion of the 60/40 2nd row was designed not to collapse flat??
Therefore you lose the ability to load a sheet of plywood in the 3rd seat option equipped 2006 SUV Rav 4. Toyota retail dealers and service personal were unaware of the design flaw and I am waiting for Toyota Corp to solve the my storage problem.
The 40% more room is gone when the 3rd row which does collapse flat is optioned on this vehicle.
Gary Weissberg

gunga64

I will stop by my Sams today and see if I can get a number. Also AAA and credit unions also sell extended warranties as well. At least in 2002 they were. I live in Florida it might just be a local thing.

ral2167

sounds like you can't lay a sheet of plywood flat with a 3rd row seat

klunkman

No, no, no. You missed gary's point. What he's saying is if you get the 3rd row seat, you can't lay a sheet of plywood flat. He obviously needs to post it again to clear up this confusion.

philliplc

can a current rav4 owner tell me if there are any unusual required maintenance expenses in the first 5 years? edmonds true cost to own shows $4454 maintenance for the first five years for a base I4 4WD, but in comparison cr-v 4WD is only $2839. wondering why the difference is so large.

janetsue

I have the base 4wd and just went thru the maintenace schedule last week. I did not see anything out of the ordinary the first 5 years. Don't know why edmunds shows so high?

06rav

Hello,all,
I am going to buy a new 2006 RAV4 4x2Base 4-Cyl SUV. Do someone own this model? Would you please share your opinions on it, such as power, mileage? How much can I get it? Thanks!

kdhspyder

Ditto what janetsue stated above. If you look in detail at the manual ( go to a local store and ask to see one ) the only thing you must do is change the oil and filters.
- The I4 and V6 are both driven by timing chains which should last the life of the vehicle;
- plugs in excess of 100,000 mi;
- rotate/replace your tires as needed ( your choice);
- brakes etc are dependent on your driving.

That's about it. At our store oil and filters are free for life so the maintenance for 100,000 miles is well less than $1000. That's true for just about any new Toyota now.

Edmunds numbers are way off.