Toyota Rav4 3-Door
Discussion
I hope this is the right place to put this one...
I found myself contemplating a Toyota Rav4 2.0 3-door 2003-2006 model. Not really for off-road, but I do like the chunky looks, reliability (from reviews it seems pretty solid) and as there's only really Mrs.T66 and I that will use it the small rear seats won't be an issue. Any owners who can advise on what to look for/running costs, etc?
TYIA!
I found myself contemplating a Toyota Rav4 2.0 3-door 2003-2006 model. Not really for off-road, but I do like the chunky looks, reliability (from reviews it seems pretty solid) and as there's only really Mrs.T66 and I that will use it the small rear seats won't be an issue. Any owners who can advise on what to look for/running costs, etc?
TYIA!
I had a 2004 D4D 3-door RAV4 from new. OK for pulling boats up slipways, nothing at all wrong with it, but it was utterly boring to drive and own.
OK on the motorways, a bit rolly around the bends. Not thrilling. It was the driving equivalent of a beige cardigan. Traded for a Suzuki Grand Vit which was sporty by comparison.
Neighbour has a 2005 top-spec RAV4 four door diesel. Still looks in good shape at 90,000 miles. He never lifts the bonnet up, so maybe its not leaking anything. Leather interior.
Hefty annual VED (£300) on some models, check first. Suspension and emissions failures, says his MOT history. He gets black smoke on start-up. :-)
Diesel/emission taxes/bans for Euro IV engine may annoy if they appear where you live.
So, practical, unexciting, sooty, 42 MPG (my D4D). They're reasonably cheap now. Tyres (Bridgestone Dueler [sic]) proved a bit pricey as they contained nail and screw magnets. £140 a corner.
3 door model looks like a shoe. You can't see it from the inside. :-)
OK on the motorways, a bit rolly around the bends. Not thrilling. It was the driving equivalent of a beige cardigan. Traded for a Suzuki Grand Vit which was sporty by comparison.
Neighbour has a 2005 top-spec RAV4 four door diesel. Still looks in good shape at 90,000 miles. He never lifts the bonnet up, so maybe its not leaking anything. Leather interior.
Hefty annual VED (£300) on some models, check first. Suspension and emissions failures, says his MOT history. He gets black smoke on start-up. :-)
Diesel/emission taxes/bans for Euro IV engine may annoy if they appear where you live.
So, practical, unexciting, sooty, 42 MPG (my D4D). They're reasonably cheap now. Tyres (Bridgestone Dueler [sic]) proved a bit pricey as they contained nail and screw magnets. £140 a corner.
3 door model looks like a shoe. You can't see it from the inside. :-)
Edited by Slushbox on Friday 21st September 11:34
Slushbox said:
3 door model looks like a shoe. You can't see it from the inside. :-)
I sort of see what you mean - but I quite like how it looks. Maybe I have a strange and secret penchant for orthopaedic shoes. Your comments mirror a few I've seen - it reads basically as a completely competent car in everything it does, but few thrills. Quite a change then, probably, from my current car - a Ford Puma. It's a little more thirsty than the Puma, and higher VED, too, but lack of parts for the Puma has made me think it may be soon time to change... though I'm in no hurry.
However, knowing my luck, I'll move the Puma on just before the prices start to shift upwards!
Thanks for the advice, though - I'll certainly bear it in mind when I make a choice.
Wife had a MK 1 Rav4 3 door for 8 years and i loved driving it but it was getting tired so sold it to a neighbor for £250 and went and bought a Mk2 3 door which we have now owned for 5 years.
Yesterday it went through the MOT with 2 advisories, headlamps cloudy(1/2 an hour with a polisher will sort that out and a slight leak on the gearbox.
Wife loves it as easy to park and is quite nippy and i loved driving it in the snow this year as it had full winter tyres on it.
It went into deep snow and only nearly got stuck when i tried going over a 4'foot drift. it made me realise how good winter tyres are over my Audi A6 quattro with top quality rain tyres on it.
Our Rav seems quite juicy but i think if i drove it it would see better mph but it is a great car although we had a new clutch fitted this year which came out at £800 as you have to strip a lot down on it being 4 wheel drive
Yesterday it went through the MOT with 2 advisories, headlamps cloudy(1/2 an hour with a polisher will sort that out and a slight leak on the gearbox.
Wife loves it as easy to park and is quite nippy and i loved driving it in the snow this year as it had full winter tyres on it.
It went into deep snow and only nearly got stuck when i tried going over a 4'foot drift. it made me realise how good winter tyres are over my Audi A6 quattro with top quality rain tyres on it.
Our Rav seems quite juicy but i think if i drove it it would see better mph but it is a great car although we had a new clutch fitted this year which came out at £800 as you have to strip a lot down on it being 4 wheel drive
My Mum - who no longer drives - had 2 Rav 4's in succession as her last two cars. Both 5 door 2 litre petrols.
One was a JDM import - the original model - bought at 3 yrs old. Electric everything. The other a 2005 UK market car.
She kept them both for 10yrs each and both did over 120,000 miles without missing a beat. Utterly reliable. As the family mate who serviced them both said 'These things hardly ever go wrong.'
The only things apart from oil brakes and tyres that needed doing was a clutch on the first one at about 80k I think, and some front suspension bushes on both of them.
They are a dull but competent drive. Even OK on the motorway. Quite heavy on fuel - 25-35mpg - and pricey VED. Ok off road - no Land Cruiser but handy in mud and snow. The later one did not have a centre diff lock.
In summary, they are devoid of excitement but amongst the most reliable and practical vehicles around.
One minor thing - the keys tend to come apart - blade separates from the plipper bit.
Just watch out for abused and neglected specimens - they are so forgiving that the temptation not to maintain them must be strong, and some lead a surprisingly hard life.
One was a JDM import - the original model - bought at 3 yrs old. Electric everything. The other a 2005 UK market car.
She kept them both for 10yrs each and both did over 120,000 miles without missing a beat. Utterly reliable. As the family mate who serviced them both said 'These things hardly ever go wrong.'
The only things apart from oil brakes and tyres that needed doing was a clutch on the first one at about 80k I think, and some front suspension bushes on both of them.
They are a dull but competent drive. Even OK on the motorway. Quite heavy on fuel - 25-35mpg - and pricey VED. Ok off road - no Land Cruiser but handy in mud and snow. The later one did not have a centre diff lock.
In summary, they are devoid of excitement but amongst the most reliable and practical vehicles around.
One minor thing - the keys tend to come apart - blade separates from the plipper bit.
Just watch out for abused and neglected specimens - they are so forgiving that the temptation not to maintain them must be strong, and some lead a surprisingly hard life.
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