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Comments
Actually, that is incorrect. I just find it difficult for Consumer Reports to recommend a vehicle as some consumer take EVERYTHING the magazine states for granted although their reviews are inconsistent and conflict with one another.
CR reviews a car like it is an appliance and what it overlooks is usually more important than what they generally emphasize.
You can rely on the personal opinion of any magazine, but then there are the crash test and they are what they are.
Fact is if a consumer is driving a 2004 Toyota RAV4 without side airbags compared to a 2004 Honda CRV with side airbags, the occupants are going to suffer great injury. Side airbags save lives and obviously Toyota is not as concerned with safety as Honda; very disappointing.
Consumer Reports needs to retract it's recommendation of the Toyota RAV4.
I have noticed, with the window down, there is a squealing sound from the engine, at low speeds.I didnt notice this when test driving, But might have been distracted..
Is this a normal thing.. I love the car
But need to know , if this is something I should be concerned with, or do I just keep the windows up
Thanks if anyone has an answer.
Also the fan seems to turn on very frequently. Much more than my other Toyotas
Normal or Not
PS... It is a fun car
I wonder if CR is dipping it's hands at Toyotas deep really realy deep pockets to recommend a Toyota Rav4.
Wonder why the comparo didn't involve the CRV, is it because it will be a no contest with CRV garnering the top honors.CR, are you listening?CR / Toyota you may fool as once and shame on you, but if you can do it twice in a row shame on us.
CR do us a favor, how about a shootout between the CRV 2005 and a RAV 4 2005.You can also include the Sieena 2005and the Odyssey 2005. If your shootout will show the same results with Car and Driver magazine, as well as
Edmunds then I'll shut up my whining mouth.
Of numerous emails I have sent to them, I have yet to get a response, yet they present themselves as open to consumer feedback and so forth.
Unlike CR, the fact remains Car and Driver accepts money from manufacturers and includes more subjective criteria in evaluating vehicles (to arrive at the desired conclusion). Although not perfect I'll accept CR's method before the other car mags. Fortunately, intelligent people can and will think for themselves.
I'll allow you the last biased word, that's it for me on this topic. Oh and by the way, I never disputed the fact that side air bags were beneficial (they are only one of many safety features that should be considered as reported in CR).
Give me a break...they manipulated the actual test results as they always do to favor Toyota. Read the article and compare the terminology that they use...they are obviously bias and now recommend an unsafe vehicle...very disappointing.
Consumer Reports has lost all credibility.
I'm not out to descredit Toyota, am just a concerned consumer merely stating a about my suspicions of Toyota and CR in cahoots to sway customers to their not so safe top dollar products. I's a free country you know, if a potential car buyer doesn't believe what I say in this forum, or believe it, it's his/her choice.
It is my noble intentention as a health care worker who have seen a lot of missing/ mangled bodyparts that I may spare a person or two the pain of loosing someone, or see a loveone suffer just because he /she choose a vehicle which is less safer the RAV 4 than the many other options out their.
Maybe you should start your crusade with motorcycles?
Steve, Host
Can you direct me to a forum where I could crucify motorcycles for not having front or sideairbags.Who knows they might listen and not label me as anti-Harley, anti-Yamaha, pro-Honda and motorcycles will become as safe as cars. Far fetch idea? maybe, but one will never know till one tries.Laptops use to be as big as an average American house.
For the time being ( feel free to contest my opinion), it never occured to me that people who buy motorcycles have safety as the no.1 priority, rather, they ride motorcycles and I have my share of it when I was younger for that adrenaline rush of the wind hitting your skin and that feeling of freedom short of flying.With that kind of delight to your senses, who the heck cares about safety.
Most car buyers on the other hand may not put safety as their no. 1 priority but I bet safety is somewhere in their top 10 reasons for buying a pareticular car model.Limiting ones access to a safe vehicle because he/she can't afford a high end model like what Toyota does is a gross injustice to consumers.
Your dismissal of my opinion about Toyota and CR as an unfounded conspiracy theory, is tantamount to your putting down of the opinion of others who feel the same way too. Whatever happened to the freedom of expression. I thought it was just in my country that you got shot because of being vocal. Right now I am masaccred in a smaller scale because I am putting the influence of the net against the powers Toyota and CR.It is not just me who feel that Toyota and CR is tying the knot of deception. Forum member "revit" and a few others feel the same way too.CR / Toyota has lost it's credibility to him, to me and among a few others. Don't crucify me for my beliefs.
CR use to be gospel to me, Car and Driver, Motortrend, Automobilemag and Edmunds are cheap tabloid like source of car gossip only.Now that I know better, I put them on equal footing with each other.
Till then.
PS.
Can't seem to find a motorcycle forum and airbags, anyone who can bring me their? Seriously.Am dying to ride a fastbike a safe fastbike since I was a poor kid who walk 7 miles RT to school.
Nevertheless, the topic of discussion in here is the RAV4.
Steve, Host
RAV 4's then. They are unsafe compared to other small SUV's and CR for whatever reason, maybe money, typographical error praised the RAV 4 like crazy.
The unfair comparison didn't include the CRV and even the ugly Element (it's got sideairbags across all models though). It's like winning a gold medal in the olympics because the judges made sure that your closest competitor is absent in the playing field.Toyota no thanks to CR garner top honors coz the competition is lousy.
PS.
I doubt if any canoe company has the billions that Toyota has in it's marketing arsenal.CR burned you with a canoe?How about imagining this CR burned you with a mini SUV out of the door price of about $22,000-23,000. 16.5% APR. It's got no ABS, no SAB, FWD,(wonder why I got stuck only 2x in heavy Maryland snow).Talk about getiing burned by the hundreds, I guess you could at least have a feel what it means being burned by the thousands.
They make too many assumptions and always conclude that if a particular model WAS excellent or unreliable, that it naturally stays that way.
Consumer Reports has become comparable to Mad Magazine; a lot of information, but a lot more laughs.
So far it has needed a new charcoal canister, vent hose from the gas tank to the canister, catalytic converter, fuel air ratio sensor and dashboard rattle kit. It's not the Toyota quality I expected.
I used to be a member of the contented even happy RAV 4 owners. The chances you are ever gonna need sideairbags are maybe one in a hundred thousandth maybe a millionth.Why am I then so fixated about sideairbags. It's because It saves lives, and am not letting that millionth chance of a tragedy creep on me or a love one.
You have a good day.
You have too options, refer to Consumer Reports recent issue and they would have you belive that it is the best SUV in it's class with Excellent crash test if you get the side airbags, or get the accurate view and refer to Insurance Institute for Highway Safety for the truth.
Sure would like to see how many RAVs sold last year had side airbags and then compare that to the opinions of Consumer Reports.
Consumer Reports states that the RAV, when equiped with optional side air bags, is the first vehicle to earn the IIHS's "Best Pick" status for its good results in both frontal-offset and side-crash tests. Please note that CR is only quoting from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety's test results. Again, you can access this information on their web site. The information will be the same. This IIHS information is unbiased reguarless where it's accessed.
Again, you are failing to miss the point here, the problem is that Consumer Reports also did not indicate the crash test of non-side airbag RAVs which is what most people have to go with if they purchase a RAV4. Point is often what they don't tell you is more important than what they do tell which is the case here.
"Failing to miss" must mean he gets the point! Don't misunderestimate your fellow debaters! ;-)
tidester, host
Again, you are failing to see the point (or you are missing the point) here, the problem is that Consumer Reports also did not indicate the crash test of non-side airbag RAVs which is what most people have to go with if they purchase a RAV4. Point is often what they don't tell you is more important than what they do tell which is the case here.
This forum is open to everyone but is oriented toward helping owners and prospective buyers as well for the enjoyment of afficionados. We have a number of dealers and salespeople participating in the discussions whose input is valuable as long as it doesn't digress into shilling and spreading false information. Members do a really fine job of shining the light onto those who cross the line.
By the way, it's best not to characterize the individuals sharing their knowledge and offering opinions. Feel free to challenge positions and statements but let's not make it personal. Thanks!
tidester, host
I have a new 2005 Rav4.
The car drives great, looks great. But one major problem . It is extremely uncomfortable to sit in. I cant make the seats comfortable even with the seat adjusters. The arm rest sits too far back for me, to utilize it ..
Does anyone have any thoughts. Can I trade the seats out for Leather.. and would this help. If anyone has leather seats are they comfortable
thanks. I dont know what to do about this. Its only 6 days old, and I dont even want to drive it
thank for help
For my fairly standard size:5'10", 152 lbs, quite a few car seats can be adjusted to fit me well with respect to position, but I still get back pain on long trips in all three cars that we own (Rav4, Toyota MR2 and Honda Civic). I have taken to using some of the various aftermarket lower back wedges to make travel more tolerable.
I'm sure many folks take a short test drive, fall in love with a car only to discover a week or month later that they are miserable driving it.
We have aftermarket leather seats in our 02 Rav. The original owners had them put in. Having driven other 02 and 04 Ravs before purchasing ours I can't see a substantial difference in the way they feel. My preference is actually cloth because it's easier to keep clean looking, doesn't show distress as readily and is much less expensive, but that's me.
Besides the arm rest you don't specify why the seats are so uncomfortable. Shape? Back support? height adjustment? Something about the material?
The seat backs are very hard. The seat have adequate padding, but not the backs. It feels like leaning against wood. Maybe , it a question of getting used to them or wearing them in. I have never had that problem with any toyota. They all have been comfortable from the get go.
Do the leather seats seem to have more padding on the back.. I think this is the only problem. They dealer has offered to change them (for a small Price)
The armrest is ridiculous. It seats too low to be any use to anyone, any size
thanks again
By the way I am 5-3 115lbs. Maybe I am too short
for the car????
As a RAV 4 owner for 2 years, I had the same problem.Seat backs are very hard and and I can't seem to position my neck in a comfortable place especially in long drives, thus I end up having a stiffneck 90% 0f the time. If it were an hour of travel it's ok.Im 5'10". On the other hand my wife at 5'6" finds the Rav very comfy.Toyota must have a particular height preference factored in the making of those seats.One thing we agree thought is that the armrest if theirs any is a joke.
In general, I have to be careful about my back, but I've never had any problems with comfort in the RAV, including when I've driven it for 12 hours straight.
One thing I would like - a telescoping steering column. Then I could get the perfect fit.
Can we expect a bigger engine ?
More cargo room ?
Yes, the seatback is pretty damn hard. And the seat itself doesn't give good thigh support - it's too short. To open the power windows is awkward too. Not only is it very LOW on the door panel, but you have to squeeze your arm between your body and the door to reach it. Also, the way the seat is set up, you can't get a comfortable footing on the gad pedal. Its as if your foot wants to go through it. As for resting your right leg, forget about it. Your leg has nowhere to rest and just dangles as you accelerate. A couple of hours of driving and you leg is numb.
It's such a shame because these problems detract from an otherwise GREAT little and SAFE SUV (I have the side air curtains). It's got to the point that I don't enjoy driving the Rav because it's too uncomfortable and awkward the way it seats. I enjoy driving my Sante Fe A LOT better and my wife uses the Rav which she doesn't mind, but she's not as picky with cars as I.
Does anybody agree with the problems I have and how did you overcome them? Changed seats? Of just live with it?
Yet you blame Toyota for your own foolish decisions. Even the finance rate. What, you couldn't shop for a lower one yourself??? I don't get it. I suggest instead of blaming Toyota for everything wrong in your life, that you start talking responsibility for your mistakes and actions.
Thanks
You can use the "reply" link which will provide a subject line pointing to the post to which you are responding or you can simply pay attention to context and thread.
Also, let's try to tone down our disagreements with others. Raising questions or disagreeing is one thing but confrontation is a turnoff.
Thanks.
tidester, host
My sincerest apologies to you, the member I replied to and the entire board. I will give it more thought before I type away with my respone in the future and I'll be more subtle and cordial.
I understand that hitting the reply link will direct me to that specific post I'm replying to. What if I wanted to see what someone else is replying to? Are you saying the only way to do this is to backtrack and follow prior posts to see the context? I'm a little confused and wonder if I have my preferences set wrong. Thanks again, and I promise to be a good soldier. Some great info is given here and I'd like to contribute whatever I can.
Rob
I read some good advice here concerning the 3M tape to prevent the rattle. In case that doesn't seem to be working well, I did locate the exact position where the rattle comes from. On the cowl there is a 1/2 black strip on the very top that snaps on. If you go to the drivers side and lift it (I put a wedge there) you will probably eliminate the rattle. Now you can be better prepared to show your Toyota service person the spot that is causing the rattle. If they don't know, they might not pay attention to that specific location and apply a thin strip across the entire cowl. If they focus on that one area and put something there to give it some lift, you might rid yourself of the rattle as I did. I just used a wet paper towel to wedge in there for testing purposes. This Thursday I have an appointment and I'll explain it to the service tech so he'll know what material to put in that location that won't be visible and not come off. Hope this helps.
Currently, we don't have threaded discussions but that may change in the future. :-(
tidester, host
Anyway, Im still paying for that mortal sin of buying a RAV 4 by making myself available to friends and co-workers (who I can't sway away from Toyotas)even if it's a great inconvenience by haggling with a Toyota salesman in their behalf for the best price.Every time I do it, I'm getting frightingly better. It is addictive and the high I get after nailing a really good deal, is so sweet to savor.
Finally, congratulations on your getting a RAV4 2004 with sideairbags, getting hold of one is like winning the lotto, they are so rare, ALMOST NONEXISTENT (try visiting Toyota delearships here in Maryland, ben to six, and nothing)it would be a collectors item a few years from now.
Secondly, I was not aware that they were difficult to get with side airbags. Luckily for me it was on the lot, and the fact that it was equipped with the side airbags and curtain sold me on it. Maybe I was lucky, because I don't know if they are hard to get in the NY/Conn area.
I don't know if you read my comments on the Rav4, but I will tell you that my 2003 Hyundai Sante Fe LX is a better value. That SUV came with side airbags as well and it's standard! Not only that, but for about the same price it came with a powerful V6, leather seats, moonroof and is much more roomy, bigger and comfortable. It has a quieter ride as well. gas mileage is about the same even though the Rav has a smaller V4. The handling is good, but I have to say the Rav handles slightly better. That's the only plus I give the Rav. There are no curtain bags available on the Sante Fe, but I now see your point as to why Toyota is endangering lives by having them available but making them scarce. Now that I understand the whole story, I'm with you. It's a shame...it really is.
I wish you the best of luck and keep up the good fight. You certainly have my ear!
I'm glad though that my RAV COFFIN is out of my system. After considering the Element, Colorado/Canyon CRV, Frontier and RX8, I traded in my RAV4 for a Mazda RX8 red,mt,demo model sold way below invoice, price was so sweet, one to difficult to pass though I wanted blue. It's bad on gas though,it's greedier than my wifes Pilot and needs babying.However it's got the features I priced most sideairbags and even curtains.Crash test were impressive too.The heck with reliability, thats what I got my AAA membership for anyways, besides this car rides and handles like a fantasy dream.
I just hope my winter wheels from tirerack would keep this baby running when MD snow starts falling.It's a sin to keep this car in the garage.
You have a good day.
However if the Rav 4 appeals to you, I suggest you sell the stock tires at ebay, and change it with an oustanding set of tires. Maybe a set of Goodyear Fortera HL if it comes in RAV4 size wheels.The next best option are Dunlops Radial Rover AT, am sure it's tailored for the RAV4. My co-workers owning RAVs swear this solved the tirespin problems, but you have to be faithful to the tire rotation sched, otherwise get a 4wd RAV. For more detailed info on whats the best tire to match the car of your choice, check www.tirerack.com.
Hope this helps, you have a good day.