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of people bought RAV4 solely because of its cuteness.
i bought one for my wife months ago, every single day when i look at it, i feel like it is the most
adorable car in the world!
(2) 185-185-185-185 is just about perfect compression - sounds like the engine is otherwise in good shape. If the whole vehicle is in just as good shape, I would not yet give up on it if i were you.
(3) The price is in the ballpark (out near the fence) for valve seal replacement. I would live with it if it were me, and check the oil a little more frequently...but
(4)...I WOULD call Toyota just to see if there are any further goodwill repairs they would be willing to spring for. I would also let them know about the lousy service department my local Toyota dealer has.
2014 Mini Cooper (stick shift of course), 2016 Camry hybrid, 2009 Outback Sport 5-spd (keeping the stick alive)
I just took a 3,800+ mile, 11-day trip in my '01 RAV. Comfort was fine, road/engine noise wasn't bothersome (wind noise not noticeable), and the cruise control did fine going uphill (tho the engine let me know it was working harder), but seemed a little sloppy going downhill (which could be a speed-trap problem).
Note: My speed was usually 65-69 mph tops, unlike yours.
Mileage was very good: 26.6 using Regular 87 octane, even tho I did go thru several mountain ranges, and some of the gas pumps (Maine, e.g.) stated MTBE was added.
I haven't driven a Highlander, but one with a V-6 would probably cruise easier (and use more fuel).
Ya pays yer money, ya takes yer choice.
http://pressroom.toyota.com/photo_library/display_release.html?id- =2004rav4_r
To penske fan--The new engine is the same 4 cyl. that has been standard in the Camry for several years. And keep in mind the Camry actually weighs more than the RAV4. This engine is probably one of the best 4 cyl. engines ever made. I think it will be a big improvement for the RAV4. It should be smoother, quieter, and more powerful than the previous engine. I do not know for sure about the timing belt/chain; but, my guess is that it has a timing belt.
reklawc - Camry engine o.k. by me, I rented one before and was very impressed with the power to weight ratio and the gas mileage.
I was in the market for a CR-V, until now :0
In transitioning to the '04, they have basically eliminated the "stripper versions" that were all but impossible to find anyway. To my mind this is a good thing...a vehicle like this should have things like A/C standard since much cheaper cars do nowadays...
the 4-cyl in the Camry w/ auto is rated at 23/32 mpg...I am hopng that since RAV w/ 4WD is about the same weight (actually a touch less) fuel economy will come up a little from the 22/27 rating the current 4WD auto version gets...
2014 Mini Cooper (stick shift of course), 2016 Camry hybrid, 2009 Outback Sport 5-spd (keeping the stick alive)
Yes, the Camry is heavier but RAV4 uses 4x4 so I expect the overall performance (acceleration) and fuel economy would be less than Camry.
Here is the last minute change for RAV4, I wonder would be any problem later on ?
Don't get me wrong, I'm crazy about my "baby" around town, but I have to admit it leaves a bit to be desired in the long-range comfort department. The arm rests are not padded very well, and the seats are less than ergonomic, at least for MY ailing lower back. I rode in the back seat on a recent 120-mile jaunt, and I found it cramped and awkward. I'm of average height/weight (5'9", 175 lb).
But it sure is fun to drive!
Hate to break it to you Toyota, but everyone should be off of '03s by now, so just give us the 2004's please!
I know I've posted my displeasure about Toyota's US website before, but it has now pushed me beyond my limits.
Please email Toyota (toyota_cares@toyota.com) and let them know your displeasure involving their glacial website updates!
http://toyota.com/rav4
Sorry but the 03 isn't "irrelevant crap now" they are still on many dealers lots and customers still want them and the incentives that are available on the 2003's. Remember, the small percentage of the population that visit here are not reflective of the buying public as a whole.
Relax and enjoy your ride a bit more! You could be stuck in a 60's chromevinylmobile you know.
Steve, Host
Still, this is a good looking vehicle that makes me pause... uh, 6.8% financing, Toyota Canada? Yeah, right!
What's it like to park a car like this with that extra tire sticking out? And isn't the CRV the same, really? Aren't you going to end up hitting the tire rather than the bumper if you just happen to "tap" another car while parallel parking?
The proof? Check out the IIHS test results for low speed (5 mph) rear collision damage.
http://www.hwysafety.org/vehicle_ratings/low_speed_smsuv.htm
That Forester, which also scores better than the RAV4 for general safety according to the IIHS as well, starts to look much better in comparison. The 2004 RAV4 got closer, but I still think the Forester rules the roost in this category (I feel very uncomfortable sitting in the CRV driver's seat, even though by the specs it looks very roomy... go figure!) (I really like the Elephant, er, Element as well, but my wife gags when she sees it, or thinks about having to drive it sometimes).
I appreciate your taking the time to reply to my post!
Those of you who have not tried the Subaru discussion boards here at Edmunds, they are a gem. The regulars there have pretty much convinced me to go Subaru from their honesty, politeness and knowledge.
Something to think about.
~alpha
Do I need an SUV? Nope, but I want a car that is good in snow and dependable. I have a 99 Subaru Outback..with just about 90K miles on it. It's been a good car...just replaced the wheel bearings and some other items...the coil, cracked distributor, etc.? Not sure of all the details...but it's beginning to show its age and due to my excessive driving in and out of NYC and my desire to be able to fit into more tight parking spaces - that's why I started to consider the RAV4, as it is so much shorter than most. Oh yes, and I often am transporting 2 or 3 others with their "stuff"...as in ballet gear, et al.
Ideally I'd love to have an AWD, safe, hybrid! ;-)
Maybe someday.
Opinions vary greatly, and I have no opinion other than last winter's Honda TCS, but as far as winter driving is concerned, traction importance seems to be (1) good tires (2) Full-time AWD (3) Part-time AWD (4) traction/stability control. The first two are proactive systems, whereas the last two only start to work for you once you are already getting into trouble, and are therefore reactive systems. Toyota and Honda AWD only kicks in when there is wheel slippage, and Subaru's is full-time. Traction Control (TCS) and Vehicle Stability Control (VSC) are also reactive systems - but then, so is ABS!
The backseat room in the CRV is freakin huge, at least compared to the tight Forester. I am assuming the RAV4 comes somewhere inbetween, although I seem to remember RAV4 backseat room as quite comfy for my 6'1" frame.
The three are very close together for horsepower and torque, and therefore will be close for mileage as well. The wildcard is the new (for 2004) Forester XT, which is faster than 90% of all vehicles on the road - probably not a selling point for many of those hauling ballerinas and their gear!
2005 Toyota Highlander is supposed to have a hybrid option, and if what I am reading about the Prius is true, that could be one awesome midsized SUV!
BUT, installation cannot be combined with the Toyota hitch package for towing (according to the Waag website).
Logically, the Forester seems the better buy, with its limited-slip rear diff, side airbags, four-wheel discs, better stereo, auto climate control, more advanced AWD system (with auto tranny), etc. (Note that Toyota's AWD system is also full-time, NOT reactive as in the CR-V. Given this I would expect that there's a similar requirement re keeping the tires within the same specs as with a Subaru).
All that said, I'm having trouble warming up to the look of the Forester. It's a little too family truckster-ish for someone like myself without a family. So, I'm still waiting for the local Toyota dealership to get a new RAV4 in for me to look at.
This design is a major inconvenience and long overdue for a change. Honda does it better on their Pilot and especially their Element and Toyota does it better on just about every other SUV they make.
(I believe C&D clocked the 01 RAV4 AWD auto to 60 in 10.2, so I'd expect low nines for that model, now.)
~alpha
My Subaru Outback Limited '99 wagon really does not have the pick up needed to merge on to a very busy highway with the kind of entrances on some of the highways I drive daily in the NY metro area - the West Side Highway and the Hutchinson River Parkway.
fryingbologna, I was reading a bit about the Forester XT and am not really sure what it's all about...is it a turbo? I got a laugh out of your mentioning my ballerina's and their gear...actually I feel an awful lot like a yellow cab driver while I'm in Manhattan and I do want a car that handles well and can move out of the way fast. This is in part, why I thought that I'd prefer a car that was not quite as long as the Outback wagon...the Forester isn't that much shorter I don't think.
But agreed, wheelz4, it is a dumb way to have the back of both the RAV and the CRV open on the side. Very short sighted.
Oh yes, thanks for the bumper guard and the photo - that is something I would never have known about!
I'm not sure if it was on this thread or not - but someone mentioned something about insurance "shock"...and I'm wondering what the differences might be between say the RAV and the Forrester? Naturally, I realize our costs will be different down here in the USA vs Canada...
Appreciate your post! Thanks!
I think I have the go-ahead to make the push to buy over the next two weeks. We are supposed to get 15 cm of snow tonight (that's 10 feet for you Americans!) (no, it's actually only about 4 inches), so I may be quite motivated come 6:30 AM tomorrow morning!
The XT is a turbo, likes Premium gas and enjoys long walks on the beach... because of the added cost of premium gas, and the lower MPG (you lose 5-8 MPG going from the XS to the XT) I have given up on the XT. I knew nothing about the Forester until the past year, and I believe it comes out on top in the small SUV category when looking at a balance of safety, reliability, resale, practicality and dorky good-looks. I have never owned a Subaru, none of my friends own Subarus, and I would buy a Nissan yesterday if there was a model with the features I wanted at the price I am willing to spend. I like to think of Subaru now as, "The other Nissan"!
Insurance-wise, I know the Forester is a bit more than the CRV (not much) here in Canada, so I would think the RAV4 would be in the same ballpark... er, hockey rink!
I also like the Murano, but my price cutoff is the low 30s, and I'm a five-speed person anyway, so that simplifies things a lot.
Insurance-wise, I got some quotes for a year's insurance on several small SUVs, including the Forester, RAV4, Escape/Tribute and Freelander. The RAV4 was the most expensive of them all, and the Forester was the cheapest, almost $600 less than the RAV4. Could be you're paying for that rear 'bumper' design on the RAV4 on your insurance bill.
Have yourself a nice cold one on me, fryingbologna... I figured it was going to be more of a gas guzzler so I will indeed pass on the XT.
My latest brain storm was along the lines of researching a "higher" quality of car - but a certified used or, as they euphemistically call them, "pre-owned".
I should probably just hang on to my current vehicle a bit longer - but it's interesting to research and try to take all the info. in.
Many thanks all, again!
link
Steve, Host
What exactly is this navigation system?
~alpha
By the way, is the only way to get an insurance quote or ball park figure to have the VIN number?