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Comments
Regardless, thank you for all the info!
You have to baby the vehicle/ feather the throttle and accelerate very easily to achieve the epa highway estimates.
And, for what its worth, the "Lieu Tax" I inquired about above is simply the registration for the vehicle for the year in AZ. (Although I did like the person's humor above who noted it was a tax for using their bathroom!)
HOWEVER, in my opinion, you won't get to do that right now on the RAVs simply because, at least right now, there is very little stock of these cars around town--as a result, they won't be able to bid each other down and you can expect to pay a pretty penny for these for right now. If your not in a rush, my advice would be to wait a few months. For what it is worth, Big Two Toyota in Mesa called me just tonight and said they have "some V6's that just arrived on their lot." You can contact their internet fleet department as well. (But I think they are asking MSRP). Good luck.
2) A base model with a 3rd seat.
We are trying to determine if we should wait a few more months or buy now.
One dealer is $500 over invoice and another is $1600 under MSRP. Toyota only shows MSRP but when I use edmunds and pick the same options the Edmunds MSRP is less than Toyotas???
1. The specs say that the gas tank has a capacity of 15.9 gallons. But both times she filled up so far, it took only 12.8 gal. She filled the tank just when the indicator is touching the "E". I don't understand why there is such a big difference.
2. On the first two tanks, we got only about 17 mpg. This is with mostly city driving including in the snow, but still I was expecting something like 23mpg. Only 220 miles on a full tank? I was expecting something much better. What's going on?
Thanks
Matt
Dealer pricing differs from Edmunds.com
Steve, Host
I drive a 2005 Pontiac Montana SV6 and the estimates for it are 18 city, 25 highway. I drove from Tulsa to Houston during Xmas, 530 miles, on a single tank and got 29.9 mile/gallon according to the digital readout. When I filled up (I always top it off to get an accurate read) I actually got 28.5 mpg. I drove 70-75mph about 90% of the 8 hour trip. Stopped only twice to go to the bathroom. BUT, I accelerated slowly, tried not to use my brakes, etc. I also filled my tires to 38lbs before leaving Tulsa.
I was actually playing a game where I was trying to get the best possible mpg and watching the digital MPG readout go up and down accordingly.
So now I am sure that they don't use the best possible conditions and speed to get the estimated mpg.
But most young people (I am 49) accelerate and use their brakes way too often and this lowers your mileage more than you realize.
- Marty, 8 days from delivery!
It's quite possible that "E" = less than 3 gallons left in the tank on your RAV4 (maybe in general). I'm not sure if some small volume is typically lost due to the way the emission control system works but that could also be a minor factor (i.e., you don't want to "top off the tank" after the first time the pump automatically stops). Bottom line: you probably have more reserve capacity than the gauge implies.
Happy driving!
Usually on most cars there is a speed/rpm limit for the 1st
500 miles or so and directions to vary the speed, not driving at any one speed for very long.
For the first 1000 miles,
-Do not drive over 55 mph.
-Run the engine at moderate speed between 2000 and 4000 rpms.
-Avoid full-throttle starts.
-Try to avoid hard stops during the first 200 miles.
-Do not drive slowly with the manual transmission in high gear.
-Do not drive for a long time at any single speed either fast or slow.
-Do not tow a trailer during the first 500 miles.
Some believe that it isn't necessary to adhere to these recommended tips. I consider it to be short term pain for long term gain (it's actually a pain in the you-know-where). Heck, there not giving these things away. If there wasn't something to the tips, Toyota wouldn't suggest them. However, it is a personal decision (I've always followed them). Hope this information helps.
What about Sport vs Limited? No dual a/c, no leather wrapped steering wheel. Are bigger tires better? What about the "sport tuned suspension"? (I didn't really notice in the excitement of the moment.) The only other thing I can find are the power seats. MSRP's are virtually identical. What am I missing, or are there any other differences to check out?
Thanks for your thoughts.
jdr
Well, the $100 under invoice is only achieved with the help of the $400 rebate.
Do a search on the hybrid forums about fuel economy and the reasons why the driving public doesn't get the EPA numbers. It's quite an eye opener if you've never paid any attention to it.
The Prius and the rest of the hybrids have generated a wealth discussion and tremendously increased the base of knowledge of all consumers. If you want I can point you to some posts in other forums. It applies to all vehicles.
dont tow anything for a short time
dont do jackrabbit starts
try not to do panic stops - but be safe
That's it on all Toyota's for the first 1000 mi. Drive normally, dont baby it, dont push it too hard.
I have driven both the Sport and the Limited 4 and v6. Both are nice. The Sport handling is a little better but the ride is a little rougher. I think the bigger tires are 75% style and 25% performance. Some people here disagree. Before you buy a Sport you should drive it as you may not like the stiffer ride which is a little noiser on rough pavement. The handling is super but the Limited handling is fairly good also. The V6 is very powerful.
I am buying a Sport but that may not be the right choice for you. Drive both models with both engines.
Also, don't pay close to MSRP unless your deperate. You can get these things for $500-700 over invoice if your serious and patient. See www.fizmall.com for reasonable prices. Also, you dealer should be able to find or get you a red limited if your can wait a bit.
The new 2006 RAV4 interior is a major disappointment because the driver space seems smaller. The side walls curve more toward the interior and the plastic molding above the windows is larger. The space directly above my head ( six foot 2 inch body) is fine but it seems as if the side window frame is in the side of my head so that I can not lean when turning corners or for any other reason. Many cars are like this with the older Ford Taurus being the extreme example.
I can not sit in the back seat of the new RAV because my head hits the ceiling.
The front seat legroom is unchanged or slightly smaller.
I was looking forward to owning another RAV but "if the RAV don't fit I must git" (something else).
might bite the bullet if dealer comes down a bit, this is in NORCAL
Well, if you believe Click and Clack on Cartalk there is no chance of sucking up any residue from the bottom of the gas tanks in the vehicles of today because of the completely closed fuel systems (filter inside the tank). I guess, you could have someone vandalize your car and pour something nasty down the filler opening that could overcome the fuel filter. No one would vouch for any submerged fuel system like those on the vehicles coming from New Orleans and the Gulf Coast.
Gogiboy
But I often wait until my gauge is well below 1/4th (or even let the low fuel light come on) before filling up and I haven't had a fuel pump go out on me ... yet. :shades:
Steve, Host
Seems a little difficult to do this.
Any input?
Also when I click on consumer reviews from the 2006 forum it takes me to 2005 RAV4 reviews?
Meanwhile, if you go to the New Cars tab at Edmunds.com you can get there:
Consumer Ratings & Reviews
If you own a RAV4, please take a few minutes and fill out a review.
Steve, Host
As noted elsewhere in this thread, as long as you don't dog the engine and vary the speed and/or RPMs you should be ok. We'll see... my first 800 miles will include a fair amount of hilly terrain so I'm hopeful that'll help vary the load without overdoing it. I've even read that you should occasionally give it a little more oomph! to seat things properly. The same source suggested being *too* gentle during break-in can actually hinder the process long-term. Spare the rod and spoil the camshaft?
Yes, but they're mainly thru Canadian dealers .
After market moldings are available HERE also. '06 Rav4's aren't listed but they are available.
They're wider than the OEM moldings and more expensive.
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