Opinions? I'm thinking of getting one, and I want to hear some firsthand experience. I used the rav-4 when I was exploring in northern/central cal and I liked it a lot. What do you guys think? Anyone looking to sell one in the near future?? Perhaps within the year?
my sister just got one...its real nice...has a ton of room in the back seat (im 6'4" and i have plenty of room)....toyotas last long too. go for it
Go with.. A toyota tacoma, best trucks out there and they run forever. Plus you can throw all your gear in the back and not worry about messing up a pretty interior ps. fj cruisers get about 8 mpg!
this is a funny thread..i've got a toyota tacoma 4x4 and my wife has a RAV 4. The Tacoma has a harsh ride, is noisy on the highway but drives great in sand. As was said they go forever..I've got 190K miles on mine and fully expect it will have 300k before it even starts of fall apart. The RAV 4 is smooth and quiet on the highway but too small to load surfboards inside...board over 6'4" are gonna be on the roof if you have a pasenger. Wifey has 150,000 miles on the RAV and it is going strong.
Had a RAV 4 for 12 years and it was incredibly reliable - sold it with 190,000 miles on it. Great on gas, and if you fold the seats down, you can get a longboard inside. The all wheel drive model is great in snow and you can actually drive it on the beach. Get over the "chick car mentality" - there's nothing cool about spending $60 to fill up your tank every other day.
Toyota is the way to go. Used to have 1986 FJ60 Landcruiser - it was gas guzzler but pleasure to drive. It had over 200k miles on it when I sold it in Santa Fe, and wouldn't be surprised if it hits 300,000 with proper care. If you're tight with money - I'd go with RAV4. If not, go with four runner, or even better, find Toyota Hilux Surf from Canada - they're same as four runner, but diesel and lasts forever. One glitch, we have to wait 25 years after their first distribution in Canada before they can be imported into USA
AMEN!! I have a rodeo right now, just bought an old vw gti for beach trips to save me on gas. I can fit anything 7'6" and under in the car with the passenger seat down.... but it gets a helluva lot better mileage than my suv.
Tacoma's aren't bad on gas, they are small pickups. But they'll be in the gas mileage range of a Ranger or Chevy S10
Off-roading? If you plan to get something you can drive on the sand, I would recommend the 4runner or Tacoma (I've had both and they work great) over the Rav4. The Rav4 just doesn't have enough power for off-road use. Sure you may be able to take it to a few spots in the sand, however, for example, if you are somewhere in cape hatteras (like RAMP 38 which is treacherous this year) you have an increased chance of getting stuck. It can be a difficult decision, sacrificing power for fuel efficiency, when you are driving on a highway, but when you are stuck in the sand, its probably the easiest decision one could ever make.
VW Tiguan. We bought one this year. Split fold down seats in the rear, plenty of room for three people and the boards inside (short boards). Great ride, low maint. cost (they pay it), great price, good gas mil., & the best part about it is the tiptronic (sp?) transmission and the 2.0 Turbo Audi engine that's in it. Honestly, it turns heads everywhere I go and the thing is a speed demon. We looked at the Rav, the FJ, the Honda, etc. We fell in love with this one. Hope this helps.
Thanks everyone. I might be inheriting a 2001 acura mdx (family car) but i will probably want a hybrid in the future (or maybe an even cleaner technology that gives off no harmful emissions).
Thats also really expensive compared to a Rav4. Can't find one under 20 grand right now, considering they're new. And personally tiptronic is the dumbest transmission ever. Especially VW's and Audi's tiptronic. Its their "lifetime" transmission, so they say it'll last longer than you'll own the car. And you're not supposed to change the tranny fluid, hence why its a completely sealed transmission. Can't put much more power than the stock engine can handle. You're better off just getting a full auto. If you rip it up to change the fluid it'll be about a grand in a shop. And its a 2.0T VW engine. Audi is owned by VW...
Well, I guess I stand corrected on the manfuacturer of the engine, lol. Thanks! yeah, they just came out in 2009 in the US which means you can only get new and they start at $24K. Oh, regarding the tiptronic trans.. I drive through the canyons in Malibu when ever my wife lets me steal the car from her on the weekends. I dig it. It's fun. Its got a lot of grab coming out of the corners. It's leased. I will have a new one in a couple years. No big deal regarding the life of the car to me.
I don't know if I want/need a pick-up as my first car. I'm also thinking about something on the inexpensive side.
