Honda CRV or Toyota Rav 4 - Budget £5k
Honda CRV or Toyota Rav 4 - Budget £5k
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Discussion

maxwellwd

Original Poster:

293 posts

106 months

Thursday 1st November 2018
quotequote all
Hi all, I am in the position now looking to choose a pseudo 4x4 for my other half. Budget of £k maybe just over for the right car

Looking for Japanese reliability and I think I have narrowed it down to these two models, 2006/7 models onwards so the facelift. Cannot decide between the two so looking for opinions from the PH collective. Would be looking at petrol as mileage likely to be 5k a year tops.

Before you all ask yes it needs to be a 4x4 really as she works on a nature reserve and would be going off road a bit and the road that leads there is horrible and is killing her current zafira B. Would also need to be roomy as we have two cocker spaniels

any other suggestions welcome, main criteria is reliability and a car that doesn't look too crap. Looked at the outback's etc but what concerns me there there is parts costs of anything goes wrong and I am not sold on the look either to be honest.

300bhp/ton

41,030 posts

210 months

Thursday 1st November 2018
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You do realise Japanese cars can and do breakdown too.....

maxwellwd

Original Poster:

293 posts

106 months

Thursday 1st November 2018
quotequote all
300bhp/ton said:
You do realise Japanese cars can and do breakdown too.....
Oh I know, I am going by the stereotypes here that the Honda & Toyota sit firmly in the reliability camp

Certainly up for hearing about other marques which hail from other other parts of the world that are reliable

SCEtoAUX

4,119 posts

101 months

Thursday 1st November 2018
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RAV4 for no other reason than the Honda CR-V is what old people drive when they can't bend down low enough to get into a Honda Jazz.

gazza5

841 posts

125 months

Thursday 1st November 2018
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petrol or diesel?

My mother in laws x reg Rav4 is still going strong, yeah central locking no longer works, but everything else does - its used now to just transport the dog for walks, and take stuff to the dump, starts first time etc.

My money would go there personally - I know your one you are looking at is a lot newer than a 2000 x reg, but even so I do think the honda looks the better place to sit (better look of dash etc).

ninjag

1,878 posts

139 months

Thursday 1st November 2018
quotequote all
maxwellwd said:
Budget of £k maybe just over for the right car
You've missed out the budget?


maxwellwd said:
Before you all ask yes it needs to be a 4x4 really as she works on a nature reserve and would be going off road a bit and the road that leads there is horrible and is killing her current zafira B. Would also need to be roomy as we have two cocker spaniels
When you say off-road, are you talking about a very poor condition road or actually going off the tarmac? The CRV has a much nicer interior in my opinion and also more load carrying ability but if she is going off the tarmac then neither the CRV or RAV4 would be a wise choice. The RAV4 has a centre locking diff but it still has open diffs on the front and rear axle just like the CRV so you always need BOTH wheels on an axle to have traction otherwise you aren't going anywhere.

I got a 2001 Toyota Yaris for my wife many, many years ago and it was fantastically reliable, but post 2001 they moved production to France. Meh. I don't think new Toyota's are what they used to be, didn't some new big shot come on board and put all the focus on style and image which ultimately sacrificed quality and there was some big problem in America if I remember?

Anyway, I would worry too much about reliability if you are only doing small mileage and maintaining the car properly. A good local indie and pattern parts will keep costs down.

If it's just her and the dogs have you thought about the Suzuki Jimny? Fantastically capable off-road, cheap to buy, cheap to run, easy to park and with the back seats down there's plenty of boot space.



Just to through some others into the mix, if you do a thorough inspection then they may be contenders:

VW Touareg 3.2 V6 which will be a little more expensive to run but it has tons of space and is very capable off road - especially if you can find one with the optional rear diff locker. Older ones can be picked up for a few grand.

Also, and it may sound daft but there's the Porsche Cayanne 3.2 V6 which was based on the Touareg and equally capable off road, but it's obviously had the Porsche treatment. You can pick up older ones at £3,500.

Edited by ninjag on Thursday 1st November 15:20

300bhp/ton

41,030 posts

210 months

Thursday 1st November 2018
quotequote all
How many seats or doors?

If it's really going off the road a bit, then something like a Suzuki Jimny might be a better bet. The Mitsubishi Shogun is more proper 4x4, but for the Gen 3 onwards is independent suspension all round. And might be worth a look, the 3 door is still large enough to be very usable.

Freelanders are also worth a look. Capable but good all round on or off road. Cheap and available parts to and loads to choose from.

maxwellwd

Original Poster:

293 posts

106 months

Thursday 1st November 2018
quotequote all
ninjag said:
When you say off-road, are you talking about a very poor condition road or actually going off the tarmac? The CRV has a much nicer interior in my opinion and also more load carrying ability but if she is going off the tarmac then neither the CRV or RAV4 would be a wise choice. The RAV4 has a centre locking diff but it still has open diffs on the front and rear axle just like the CRV so you always need BOTH wheels on an axle to have traction otherwise you aren't going anywhere.

I got a 2001 Toyota Yaris for my wife many, many years ago and it was fantastically reliable, but post 2001 they moved production to France. Meh. I don't think new Toyota's are what they used to be, didn't some new big shot come on board and put all the focus on style and image which ultimately sacrificed quality and there was some big problem in America if I remember?

Anyway, I would worry too much about reliability if you are only doing small mileage and maintaining the car properly. A good local indie and pattern parts will keep costs down.

If it's just her and the dogs have you thought about the Suzuki Jimny? Fantastically capable off-road, cheap to buy, cheap to run, easy to park and with the back seats down there's plenty of boot space.



Just to through some others into the mix, if you do a thorough inspection then they may be contenders:

VW Touareg 3.2 V6 which will be a little more expensive to run but it has tons of space and is very capable off road - especially if you can find one with the optional rear diff locker. Older ones can be picked up for a few grand.

Also, and it may sound daft but there's the Porsche Cayanne 3.2 V6 which was based on the Touareg and equally capable off road, but it's obviously had the Porsche treatment. You can pick up older ones at £3,500.

Edited by ninjag on Thursday 1st November 15:20
Budget is £5 as per title.

But it is a terrible terrible potted road. Have driven down it myself many times and to ensure that your suspension is still alive at the end of it you would have to go at walking pace.

She uses jimnys at work as they are their farm vehicles, she has already said she doesnt want to go there

Will check out the VW

anonymous-user

74 months

Friday 2nd November 2018
quotequote all
300bhp/ton said:
How many seats or doors?

If it's really going off the road a bit, then something like a Suzuki Jimny might be a better bet. The Mitsubishi Shogun is more proper 4x4, but for the Gen 3 onwards is independent suspension all round. And might be worth a look, the 3 door is still large enough to be very usable.

Freelanders are also worth a look. Capable but good all round on or off road. Cheap and available parts to and loads to choose from.
Not sure about the newer ones but the old Freelanders were awful. Head gaskets are treated as consumables!

300bhp/ton

41,030 posts

210 months

Friday 2nd November 2018
quotequote all
ruprechtmonkeyboy said:
300bhp/ton said:
How many seats or doors?

If it's really going off the road a bit, then something like a Suzuki Jimny might be a better bet. The Mitsubishi Shogun is more proper 4x4, but for the Gen 3 onwards is independent suspension all round. And might be worth a look, the 3 door is still large enough to be very usable.

Freelanders are also worth a look. Capable but good all round on or off road. Cheap and available parts to and loads to choose from.
Not sure about the newer ones but the old Freelanders were awful. Head gaskets are treated as consumables!
Utter bks. do you have any first hand experience of them?

anonymous-user

74 months

Friday 2nd November 2018
quotequote all
300bhp/ton said:
ruprechtmonkeyboy said:
300bhp/ton said:
How many seats or doors?

If it's really going off the road a bit, then something like a Suzuki Jimny might be a better bet. The Mitsubishi Shogun is more proper 4x4, but for the Gen 3 onwards is independent suspension all round. And might be worth a look, the 3 door is still large enough to be very usable.

Freelanders are also worth a look. Capable but good all round on or off road. Cheap and available parts to and loads to choose from.
Not sure about the newer ones but the old Freelanders were awful. Head gaskets are treated as consumables!
Utter bks. do you have any first hand experience of them?
It's common knowledge in Land Rover circles. Check some of the forums out and you can see too.

300bhp/ton

41,030 posts

210 months

Friday 2nd November 2018
quotequote all
ruprechtmonkeyboy said:
300bhp/ton said:
ruprechtmonkeyboy said:
300bhp/ton said:
How many seats or doors?

If it's really going off the road a bit, then something like a Suzuki Jimny might be a better bet. The Mitsubishi Shogun is more proper 4x4, but for the Gen 3 onwards is independent suspension all round. And might be worth a look, the 3 door is still large enough to be very usable.

Freelanders are also worth a look. Capable but good all round on or off road. Cheap and available parts to and loads to choose from.
Not sure about the newer ones but the old Freelanders were awful. Head gaskets are treated as consumables!
Utter bks. do you have any first hand experience of them?
It's common knowledge in Land Rover circles. Check some of the forums out and you can see too.
No, it's common BS spouted by clueless people by and large, whom generally have little or no first hand experience. We have 3 Freelanders in the family and have had 5 in total.

They have mostly been extremely good.

Yes, we all know the K-Series will want a HG doing, although the same is true for other car makers too. And if you fix it correctly it is likely to be a one time thing and really not all that expensive in the realm of car ownership.

Plus there are 3 other engines available in the FL1. And of course the Freelander 2 uses a completely different Ford based platform and engines shared with PSA/Ford and Volvo.

anonymous-user

74 months

Friday 2nd November 2018
quotequote all
300bhp/ton said:
ruprechtmonkeyboy said:
300bhp/ton said:
ruprechtmonkeyboy said:
300bhp/ton said:
How many seats or doors?

If it's really going off the road a bit, then something like a Suzuki Jimny might be a better bet. The Mitsubishi Shogun is more proper 4x4, but for the Gen 3 onwards is independent suspension all round. And might be worth a look, the 3 door is still large enough to be very usable.

Freelanders are also worth a look. Capable but good all round on or off road. Cheap and available parts to and loads to choose from.
Not sure about the newer ones but the old Freelanders were awful. Head gaskets are treated as consumables!
Utter bks. do you have any first hand experience of them?
It's common knowledge in Land Rover circles. Check some of the forums out and you can see too.
Yes, we all know the K-Series will want a HG doing
Yep.

ninjag

1,878 posts

139 months

Friday 2nd November 2018
quotequote all
maxwellwd said:
Budget is £5 as per title.

But it is a terrible terrible potted road. Have driven down it myself many times and to ensure that your suspension is still alive at the end of it you would have to go at walking pace.

She uses jimnys at work as they are their farm vehicles, she has already said she doesnt want to go there

Will check out the VW
Sorry I completely missed it in the title. I think air suspension may be the way to go.

renmure

4,762 posts

244 months

Friday 2nd November 2018
quotequote all
Mrs R ran a petrol Rav4 for about 4 years as a means of getting about 8 miles to and from the train station. We're pretty rural so it needed to be reliable and unstoppable. It was both. Funnily enough it was also fairly nippy. She changed it for a Suzuki Grand Vitara which feels far less solid (although it's been equally reliable) but we both preferred the Rav4 and I'm sure will get another the next time she fancies a change.

Odhran

579 posts

203 months

Saturday 3rd November 2018
quotequote all
Be mindful of the extremely common RAV4 oil consumption / HG issues with the 2.2 D4D. It was such a problem that Toyota extended the warranty to 9 years on those engines. Total lemon of an engine.

maxwellwd

Original Poster:

293 posts

106 months

Sunday 4th November 2018
quotequote all
Thanks all for your comments, in the end I paid slightly more and got the RAV 4's uncle the Lexus RX400h. Always been a big fan of Lexus and I used to have an LS400 and my other half loved it