2006 Toyota RAV4

kdhspyder · May 2006

The end of the model year is in about 8-10 weeks. Toyota normally does a spectacular job of planning with its dealers so that the last 'old' model leaves just before the new one arrives.

From Toyota's pov, IMO, this Gen RAV is a ROARING success since they are selling over twice what they were selling in past years. In addition they are building a new plant in order to pump up sales to 3X what they were previously.

Roundabout way of saying from Toyota don't count on any incentives. It's all on the dealers now. If demand remains strong just shop.

jimd4 · May 2006

You need to do more homework. Go look at them and also go to a site that provides dimensions and comparisons. You will find it very competitive with many so called larger vehicles in terms of space such as the Grand Cherokeee which most people would not consider small.

In fact, compare the V6 Sport at $26500 loaded with 269 HP to the BMW X3 at $38000 in terms of power, space etc and you might see the RAV4 as a funtional bargin. I don't own a RAV4 or a BMW by the way.

sooperedd · May 2006

The RAV is very roomy, while not being a large vehicle. It has great MPG, it is not very big, but it is roomy. Plenty of front and rear, leg and head room with plenty of cargo space in the back. It is a great multi-purpose vehicle.

jimd4 · May 2006

When do you think Toyota will go public with specs and views of 2007 RAV4?

wizzobutter · May 2006

I was surprised to see my insurance go up from $689 a year to $835. I had a 1999 Camry before and get a 10% discount on insurance because I work for Allstate. Then again, the RAV4 is worth $28,000 and the Camry was worth $5,500 when I traded it in. The bulk of the increase was for colision coverage which went from $278.70 to $446.54. Automotive liability coverage actually DECREASED from $257.14 to $205.20, probably due to all the safety features on the RAV4. I think within 3 years, the colision and comphrehensive coverage will deacrease to a level lower than the Camry was. I am accident free for 26 years and ticket free for 14 years..

wizzobutter · May 2006

I read that last year, only about 70,000 RAV4's were sold, while over 130,000 Honda CRV's were sold. Now, I hear that the RAV4 sales for the first 3 months of 2006 were higher than the CRV. I think the RAV4 sales are on track for about 150,000 in 2006, while the Honda CRV sales will be around 120,000. Toyota originally expected sales of about 130,000 for 2006.

kdhspyder · May 2006

Very true. From Toyota's press website...April and YTD 2006 sales vs 2005 sales

RAV4... 13,854 .. 6,971 .. +106.4 ... 47,798 .. 22,631 .. +113.3

flo64 · May 2006

Hi guys! I am in the market of buying RAV4 but I am debating either to get the 4cyle or the V6. Can anyone advice me. Is 4cyl has enough power if this vehicle loaded with 4 passengers? I haven't test drive one yet. I have contacted a dealer through the internet their price is 20,555. plus tax and title this is the base model 4 cyl. please help! :confuse:

Thanks,
Flo

jimd4 · May 2006

Unless your in hilly country or haul lots of stuff the I4 should be adequate with 4. But if want some fun and power when you need it get the V6. About 80% of all RAVs are fours so most people can live with it.

For me it will be the V6! Plenty of posts on the subject so read the previous ones.

jimd4 · May 2006

Do you know how many dealers Toyota has in the USA? I wanted to divide those deliveries and see how many are sold per dealer in April.
I see the SE region sells 600-800 a month roughly and there must be more than 100 dealers in all those states.
It would seem the dealer average is selling a few a week because that is all they get on an average basis. If you watch Fitzmall they sell maybe 30 or so over a two week period and that is made up of at least two dealers who have prices and a network site to sell cars!

kdhspyder · May 2006

round number 1700.

Some however are mega stores like Longo (1) and Laurel/Carmax (2). These two are 10-20 times larger than an 'typical' store ( Longo sells more on a Saturday than many stores sell all month ). In toyota's system those that 'turn' 'earn'. The bigger stores get more which allows them to move more at discounted prices.

meesh1947 · May 2006

Last Thursday I picked up my New Sport V-6. Sied Airbags etc. I traded in a 2005 Nissan Pathfinder SE Off-Road.

I use the rear to carry my Radio Controlled airplanes. The rear area of my Patfinder measured 72" from the rear of the front seats to the inside of the tailgate. The Rav-4 is the same length. The Pathfinder averaged 16.5MPG. So farwith the Rav-4, first fill-up 28mpg, second fill-up 26.87. Can anyone see the smile on my face? :shades:

jimd4 · May 2006

Hey, that is exactly why I intend to get a RA4 Sport. Plenty of room for my RC airplanes along with a good price and gas mileage. But I have not figured out how to get a Great Plains PT-17 or P-6E ARF in there yet without taking the wings off which is pain.

What did you pay, what did you get on it and where are you located? I am in NY.

Good luck with your RAV4 and keep us posted on MPG etc. It seems your doing very well on gas so I assume you drive with a light foot and keep it below 70!

By the way, anyone looking for a RAV4 Sport V6 Flint Mica, Sunrise Toyota has one sitting there on Long Island for two weeks. Loaded but no side curtain bags...:( Also Fitzmall seems to have lowered the price on most of their RAV4s to $200 over invoice.

meesh1947 · May 2006

You'll have to take thos e big babies apart for sure!

My Sig Rascal 110 Fuse fits with the nose sticcking between the front seats. That's my biggest plane so far.

I live in Sandown, NH

garyweissberg · May 2006

Hi Guy, I have driven my Rav 4 for five months with a 3rd row, so now I can seat up 7. We used the 3rd row when we have 5 persons or more and yes indeed the 4 cyl version with 166hp does get 30MPG on the road. My 2 wheel drive version with side curtains , a must, scoots up any mountain road with the Japanese Tiptronic type auto trans in a jiffy,including Mamouth Mountain CA, where I ski regularly I used to own a FX 35 Infinity which was a super road SUV but ate gas at 16MPG in town. Concerning econmy and size, it was the best trade in I made in years.
RGDS G

andrelaplume · May 2006

My local shop (not Toyota) has the Vent-Visor (?) brand rain guards and reccomends the Lund brand hood protector. He says the Hood protector number did not change from 05 to 06, thought the Vent Visor numbers did. Is it possible the and 05 hood protector fits the 06 RAV?

quickdtoo · May 2006

The '05 and earlier window visors won't fit an '06, I tried! WeatherTech from MacNeil offers an in-channel for the '06.

WeatherTech

The hood protector from Benevento and FormFit are available for the '06, although the BeneVento is in short supply, a few members at Rav4World have received them. I don't think the pre-2006 models will fit, VentShade's model listing shows a different number for the 2006 if you call them.

BeneVento

The Canadian made FormFit is available from dealers, although not all of em know it!! I got mine from my dealer for less than $70, part number HD20K06S, have your dealer look for parts by Focus Auto Design in their aftermarket parts catalogs.

nagsp · May 2006

In April, I finalized a deal for a RAV4 Ltd with a dealer AWD, I4 with JBL and leather seats. They did not have any on the lot and promised to get one by the month end. That date passed and repeated phone calls and a trip to the dealer did not yield any results or an affirmative answer. I turned to this forum where one posting said about their success when they called TOYOTA directly.I did the same and hey presto the next day the dealer called me and confirmed one was coming the next week. Last Saturday they gave the VIN number and I will have it before Memorial day weekend

Thanks a lot for showing me the right directionwithout that call to Toyota, I would still be left hanging.

shredder2010 · May 2006

Hi there I have a 06 v6 rav4 limited.Anybody have the factory installed dvd screen,cant seem to locate the aux input for the dvd screen,my kids really want to play xbox,thanks

flo64 · May 2006

Hi all! Thanks for all the response about my question to either get 4 cyl or V6. Now my question is about the price. One dealer qouted me 22,449+ttl on a V6 base model, is this too high or just fair? I am ready to go and buy it. My husband said just wait for the 2007 but I am worried if the 2007 will cost more. :confuse:

Thanks,
Flo

hells_bells · May 2006

nagsp,
when you placed the order, did you put money down? What was the number you called? I've been waiting for 6 weeks for a V6 limited and see no end in site to the waiting....

jimd4 · May 2006

$200 to $500 over invoice is a good price.
Think about waiting for the 2007 unless you need a new car right away. There will be minor improvements I am sure and some of the small problems reported will probably be addressed. And yes it will probably cost $200-$500 more. But the buying frenzy is slowing and the selling prices are getting better as time goes by from what I can see. I think the date to place an "order" for 2006 is past so you will get what is in the pipeline now. Not that an order means anything with the RAV4 from what I can see.

Also, look at the www.fitzmall.com site and you can see what reasonable prices are. The have V6 base models for you to comapre prices to with your local offer.
Good luck

kdhspyder · May 2006

jimd4.. you asked a question before to which I didn't have the answer at the time.... the new '07's

2007 Initial Order Acceptance Month:6-12-06
2007 Initial Production Month: 08-06
2007 Initial Delivery Month: 10-06
All dates subject to change

Source: http://www.donlen.com/buildstart_toyota.asp

jimd4 · May 2006

Well I was really trying to get an idea as to when we would know what the 2007 RAV$ is all about even if the changes are small. If they take orders in June do you think a brochure will be out then etc?

madiganlabrat · May 2006

We've had our RAV4 for three months. We live in Tacoma, Washington, so we didn't think we would have any problems with chips/cracks or paint chipping because they don't have to sand/salt the roads. Boy, were we wrong!

The first time we washed our car we noticed lots of dings in the paint on the front bumper, and NOW we have a crack that we thought appeared from nowhere, but after closer examination was caused by a pock that is smaller than the head of a pin! It is at the verrrrry top of the windshield (less than .5" from the frame!), in the middle, and the crack runs around the edge of the dots around our rear-view mirror. It's more than a foot long!

Does anyone else have this problem? AAArgh! We don't want to replace our windshield already! We had to replace the windshield on our Echo last year (and the rock that caused that crack was so big it's lucky it didn't go through our windshield!). Very disappointing! I've never had this happen on any other car!

lmac5 · May 2006

I'm looking to buy a smaller SUV and still deciding on make, model and year. I really like the 2006 RAV4 more than the earlier models and more than the Honda CRV, but I'm curious/concerned that it didn't get a Recommended Buy Rating from Consumer reports for 2006, but did for 2005. Anyone know why?

jimd4 · May 2006

I think because they have never tested the 2006. The first trucks just went on sale late Dec/Jan.

stm378 · May 2006

The reason that the '06 didn't get a recommended buy rating from CR is that it was a new model. CR generally won't give the recommended buy to a new generation of a model due to the fact that they have nothing to refer to with respect to that particular model (i.e. at the time when they write up their initial review on it, they had no experience with that generation to make a recommendation). Basically the best way to get a judgement on the car without CR is to look at forums like this one and see what people are saying.

-S-

sushilover · May 2006

They had not tested the 2006 model yet.

They will have a review in the July Issue (June on their web site).

They also had a first look here:

http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/cars/new-cars/first-look-2006-toyota-rav4-306- /index.htm?resultPageIndex=1&resultIndex=3&searchTerm=rav4

nagsp · May 2006

I made a deal on 24th Aprilthe dealer promised me to have it by the month-end. Guess he forgot to mention which month-end (:- So I waited until 10th May and finally called Toyota at 800-331-4331. The told me that a Toyota representative from the dealer will contact me within 3 business days. What do you know? Next morning they called me and sounded like they cared for me a lot.of course I was pissed, as they had not returned my phone calls.
That same day he called me and confirmed one coming to the port..I am in New Jersey, although it is not the color I originally wanted, but I am not crazy about the choice of colors anyway. Got a call on the 20th and they gave me the VIN number and I should have it sometime before the month-endHoping I will get it before the long weekend.

The one I am getting is a V4, leather seats, and JBL, side air bags, etc and I did put $800 down..they wanted me to put 10% down, but I said no way!

meesh1947 · May 2006

You'll be disappointed if you think you're getting a V-4. The 4 cylinder is an In-line 4.

Bob

dce33 · May 2006

Yes, i had the same problem. My wife was driving it when this happened. She was in an ATM drive thru when it occurred. While she was withdrawing from the ATM, she heard a loud noise and didnt know what it was. When she tried to check it she saw like a very small dot in the middle of the windshield but in our case it is near the bottom and it cracked almost a foot too. My wife thought that it could be the pointed ice from the roof of the drive thru that fell but she did not see the ice anywhere near the area where it could have landed. I was really disappointed when i knew this since i only had this car
for 2 months.
Anyways, i brought it to dealearship to see if they can do something about it. I spoke to one of the service managers and told me that this could have cause by stone hitting our windshield because he saw that small dot or chip and this is not covered by the warranty.
Thank God i had glass coverage for it and the insurance covered for it. Since the car just came out from the market, my auto shop can only get an original part from Toyota which i preferred. Some insurance companies usually dont allow you to use the genuine manufacturer part but i guess they dont have a choice on this one.

ateixeira · May 2006

Check if your insurance covers it. In MD it is covered by your comprehensive, minus a deductible.

-juice

jimd4 · May 2006

I would be very scheptical that these cracks are caused by a tiny pit mark. I have had deep stone chips the diameter of a pencil eraser gone for years without a crack or with a crack developing very slowly over months.

I just hope Toyota has not saved 20 pounds by making the windshield thinner or of a lite weight glass.

Time will tell I guess.

wizzobutter · May 2006

I noticed my paint has it's first chip in it from a rock, just above the grill. I plan to buy a hood deflector shortly. That would have prevented it. I haven't had the windshield hit yet, but recently, my Camry got hit by a sizable rock at 60 MPH. It left a very small chip in the paint but no crack. I would assume the RAV 4's windshield would be just as strong, but the RAV4 has a much higher windshield, so it will probably get hit by more rocks than a typical sedan.

laura8 · May 2006

We want the third row seat for carpooling teens around town. (Although salespeople seem to keep steering us away from it -- "you know, there's really no room back there"). We test drove a 4cyl and V6 without the extra seat. Does the third row seat affect the handling?

I think the 4cyl would probably be fine, and I don't like the "touchy" accelerator on the V6. But, we have been told a 4cyl with the third row seat is not available in our region (we're in Virginia). Anyone else have trouble locating a Base, 4cyl with third row seat? Around here, most RAV4's seem to be V6, and very, very few have the third row seat.

My best offer so far (other than CarMax) is $23,659 for a Base, 2WD, V6 with third row seat, curtain and side airbags, running lights, alloy wheels, and roof rack. Seems high to me, but we don't seem to have much bargaining power as what we want (the third row seat) are in short supply.

Anyone have any experience with Laurel Toyota in Md. (CarMax)?

jimd4 · May 2006

Well I have seen RAV4 3rd row I4 in NY, Sunrise Toytoa has or had one recently, blue I think. Handling, well several hundred pounds extra at the end of the car so it will not help. Some one here bought from CarMax, do not remember seeing anything bad. The prices are good from what I can see. I watch there and www.fitzmall.com for prices.

stm378 · May 2006

I recently went with my brother-in-law when he went to get a new Corolla from Laurel Toyota. Generally I enjoy the negotiating and trying to get as low of a price as possible, but I've gotta say, the process at Laurel Toyota was pretty painless. You probably end up paying about a hundred to maybe three or four hundred more. But the overall ease of the process is just so much better there. When I went to buy my wife's Camry at Toyota of Bowie, the process took like 6 hours and was very taxing. We wound up paying about 160 less than Laurel Toyota would have been, but when my brother-in-law got his new car at Laurel it took around an hour and a half. Overall, in my case, the extra few hours that you get to enjoy rather than spending at a dealership and the lack of additional stress is well worth paying a few hundred extra. Overall, it's really a time vs. money thing as to which you would prefer.

-S-

jimd4 · May 2006

I agree on the buying process. I am in NY and have not bought a RAV4 yet, but spoke with Fitzmall in Md. since in NY you cannot get the RAV4 Sport with side curtain bags. It took about 10 min to get an agreed to price and understanding about pickup, delivery etc. (They bring it to BWI airport for you). I was able to get about the same price after two trips and 2+ hours of nononsense with my local dealer. But only then because they had the model I almost wanted in stock that day. Some people seem to love the haggle part of buying down to the last $50 but for me, once I get in the ball park, the rest is time wasting nonsense. I have not found that many car salespersons that are that charming to spend my day with. Even the lady who told me the RAV4 is built in Ky. so I can get any model in two weeks with a $2000 deposit!

cone9 · May 2006

Anyone else experiencing "Static" on Radio stations?

Bringing back to service this weekend.

2006 RAV4 Sport

Thank you,

Cone9

garyweissberg · May 2006

Hi
I have one (4CYL and 3 row Version) Travel daily in Hilly Mountain Terrain in CA. The robust 4 banger does just fine loaded with 6 Adults. The back row is great for the kids or slimmer Adults Plus the stability is like a rock around corners if you have the 17" wheel option. Also I strongly advise side curtain option its a must!!
Gary

martymacgyver · May 2006

Do those hood deflectors really help that much? Just curious as I've been thinking about adding one (dealer suggested they'd deflect rocks up and away from the windshield... whihc I agree with for *certain* trajectories).

- Marty

martymacgyver · May 2006

Is it possible or reasonable to remove the rear bumper applique (that clear plastic laminate option)? I got it with the Rav4 originally but I recently got the black "gulf region" rear bumper protector and I can see already that the protector will not completely cover the applique (plus I wonder how well it'll bond to the applique). But if removing the original is too troublesome I'll just install over it.

- Marty

quickdtoo · May 2006

If it's the 3M product, here's 3M's FAQs...

3M FAQs

Q. How is Scotchgard Paint Protection Film removed?

A. If desired, film can be removed at any time by picking up a corner of the film and pulling the film off the vehicle surface at a 90-degree angle. If the film has been present a long time, or if the film and vehicle are cold, a heat gun or hair dryer may be used to soften the adhesive, allowing easier removal. If any adhesive remains on the vehicle after removal of the film, it can be removed by using 3M General Purpose Adhesive Cleaner (3M Part #08984), according to the package directions.

mark19 · May 2006

another thing to keep in mind, is the angle the windshield is.. i think the camry might be raked more, which helps it resist "glancing blows" of rocks.. where the rav4 might be more "upright" and more susceptible to direct hits

ateixeira · May 2006

WD40 and an easy hand.

-juice

mlot51 · May 2006

YES! 2006 4x4 sport here.I thought I was the only one. I posted in another forum and got no replies. I have an intermittent "static" or "popping" when listening to the radio. It is subtle, but noticeable. It does this on every station. On stations that are further away it is worse.It does not happen when playing CD's.

I took it back to the dealer and sat in the car with their stero guy. He noticed it right away and said something is definately wrong. He messed around with the antenna and determined it wasnt that. He decided not to take any action at this point, and suggested I drive the car some more. If the static gets worse, then they will assume its a loose connection and try to find and fix it. If the problem persists as is, they will have to replace the radio. He documented the problem so it will be easier for him to get a new radio from Toyota under warranty.

Its been two weeks since then and the problem is the same. Im going to make an appointment again and see if I can get the radio replaced.

Let us know how you make out at your dealer, Im curious as to what the problem is.Good luck!

jimd4 · May 2006

Seem to be more RAV4s around in NY lately. Atlantic Toyoto on LI had about 20 today. Mostly Base but several Limited and Sport with V6.

monobo · May 2006

I know that a lot of you can get better deals around the Fitzmall.com region but for around California with these options I think I am getting a great deal.
Model Description: 5-DOOR 4X4 SUV
Year ............: 2006
Number of Cyl ...: 6
Factory Installed Accessories: FE CD DJ DR AW GY RL TO
Port Installed Accessories ..: CF EF

It is a Pacific Blue MSRP on the vehicle is $26479 price including the wiring harness is $25065.68, Your tax is $2030.32, title $30 and Doc Fee is $369. With your $500 deposit, you're O.T.D at $27,000.I will get another 216 off this price and will pick it up on Sunday in Arizona. For those of you that do not know the options are as follows.
Cargo Area Tonneau Cover with Multipurpose Cargo Net with Support Poles .. 140.00
AM/FM 6-Disc In-Dash CD Changer w/ 6 Speakers,
and MP3 / WMA Playback Capability ........... 200.00
Black Roof Rails & Crossbars ............... 220.00
17" 5-Spoke Aluminum Alloy Wheels ..........
w/P225/65R17 Tires and Full Size Spare .....
Tire on 17" Steel Wheel .................... 440.00
Driver & Front Passenger Front .............
Seat-Mounted Side Airbags and Front-and ....
Second-Row Roll- Sensing Side Curtain ......
Airbags (RSCA) ............................. 650.00
Daytime Running Lights ..................... 40.00
Towing Prep Package - V6 3,500lb. Towing ...
Capacity - Includes Upgrade Radiator, Fan ..
Coupling, Alternator, and Pre-Wiring ...... 160.00
Carpet Floor Mats/Cargo Mat ................ 214.00
Rear Bumper Applique ....................... 75.00
Total Accessories ...........................: $ 2139.00

monobo · May 2006

I tried to put down the phone number of a dealer in Vegas that had RAV4s with the option packages that are hard to get in Cali and it never posted. I guess it does not allow phone numbers

2006 Toyota RAV4

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