Review of Toyota RAV4 2.4 4WD (2008)
23.03.2010
Greetings to all car enthusiasts!
This car is in the maximum configuration (2.4 liters, leather, automatic transmission, start button, keyless access, light sensors, rain sensors, electric seat, and ONLY the driver’s seat - “maximum speed”, damn it, roof rails in body color, plastic a body kit on the wheel arches, tinted headlights, castings that are more expensive than on all other trim levels))) were purchased new from an official dealer. Before that, I owned a RAV-4 for about 3 months, but with a 2-liter automatic engine and without leather.
My experience of owning and driving is quite diverse, so I developed a certain “worldview” on cars a long time ago (since 1991), and I never got involved with the Japanese - I preferred more and more Germans, and the two indicated cars (RAV-4) In principle, it’s a random thing, more for sale than for yourself.
What can be noted right away is that the car was bought at a serious discount (for those who followed the prices, at that time Toyota had a serious promotion and, indeed, there was a significant discount) - the price was 1 million 25 thousand rubles. There was no such price before or after, and the cars were sold out in a week (not only RAVs, but also Camrys and Avensises).
I’ll start with the “cons” without indicating (yet) the “pros”))))
So, I remind you that the car costs more than 1 million, which for many in Russia is a fortune, but at the same time some absurdities, even absurdities, immediately caught the eye!!:
— open the glove compartment and... don’t wait for light, there is none in it!!!! I would like to immediately warn you against reviews like “okay, don’t pick on the little things”, I even had a backlight in the glove compartment in a 1985 “penny” and it (the backlight) is very necessary there!
- open the trunk door - not only does it (in a car for Europe!!!) open not to the left (covering you and the trunk itself from dirt from under the wheels of passing cars), but to the left (exposing you and the contents of the trunk to the “fresh” wind , especially when it’s fresh on our highways))), and the light also comes on not in the trunk, so you can see where everything is, but on the door itself!!! As a result, even if you don’t get thoroughly dirty from passing cars, you definitely won’t see anything in the trunk, because... The light on the door shines into your eyes, not into the trunk.
You will say: “little things”, but it seems to me that a car for that kind of money shouldn’t have such blatant mistakes, so what’s easier: to make lights in the trunk itself or to make a light in the glove compartment???
Further, I would like to note that the quality of finishing materials, as with all Toyota models, leaves much to be desired. The plastic on the dashboard is not quite wooden, but it is also very far from ideal; leather is, in my opinion, a good quality substitute, not leather. The paintwork on the body is weak, chips easily appear (even from small stones), scratches appear very easily and noticeably. Almost immediately a cricket appeared in the instrument panel - the transparent plastic covering the instruments creaked. I really didn’t like it and there was no way to fix it (((
There is no need to talk about the off-road capabilities of this car, this is understandable - that is not what it is intended for. Therefore, the “type” of inter-axle blocking is a funny thing, since it helps VERY weakly and only with minor difficulties, so storming even more or less decent snowy (not to mention unpaved) virgin soil must be done very carefully, and it’s better not to storm anything at all ))) I imagined that I had a car with a certain degree of cross-country ability and ended up getting stuck in a fairly harmless place in the snow, concluding that if I got into the snowdrifts, it would only be right away and with the lock already turned on (even if it was a “children’s lock”).
The ride is also rough. Hard. Especially the rear passengers. Noisy and again - especially from the rear.
In general, the gentlemen from the land of the rising sun (and RAVs for our market are produced only in Japan - and this is an undeniable plus after all) somehow do not really favor us, because for their market they produce much more richly equipped cars, and for us - a box of 4 steps!!!??? Many manufacturers already install seven-speed automatic transmissions, even on the “Kaluga” Tiguan - a 6-speed automatic!!!
So, 4 stages turn a 2-liter RAV into an absolute vegetable, believe me, and, strangely, a seemingly small increase in engine volume (2.4 liters) and power (+20 hp) still noticeably changes the character the “gearbox-engine” pairs are for the better - I experienced this fact personally and I still don’t understand why there is a 2-liter engine on the RAV at all. Consumption for both 2l and 2.4 is almost the same, unless of course you drive in the “retirement already” mode)))
The computer clearly suffers from optimism in terms of fuel consumption and when driving on the highway it underestimates the average consumption (relative to the actual mileage per tank) by 0.5 liters per hundred, and in the city it underestimates it by a liter! BUT!!! With this very optimism - with actually 12 liters of gasoline in the tank (i.e., at least with a power reserve of 100 kilometers), the computer suddenly turns into an inveterate pessimist and writes - CRANKING RESERVE = 0 km!!!, it beeps terribly and does not show already average consumption!
By the way, how many cars were there (and there were a lot of them to drive), and the most accurate one was the computer (attention) on the Priora!!! The consumption showed one to one, as real! Even on the “fat” German all-wheel drive Audi A6, the computer underestimated the consumption, and the more actively you drove, the greater the error.
It’s inconvenient to use the on-board computer: to switch the type of information displayed, you have to press the “stick” on the device. What kind of heresy? If you want to find out the average speed on the road, climb over the steering wheel onto the dashboard! What about security?? And where is the convenience??? Narrow-eyed people, damn it))) Here on Audi - all this was implemented on the steering column switch - and without changing your body position, and without looking at this very switch, you can calmly see everything...
Heated seats - no adjustment, either on or off. Is this even normal??? The passenger window buttons are not backlit - is this also normal???
The view back into the interior mirror is frankly poor and the situation is aggravated by the spare wheel cover on the door, which covers the already small field of view, and in winter so much snow and ice accumulates there that it is impossible to clean it, while the rear wiper gets completely clogged there and no longer cleans anything, it's a pity)))
The fixed “maximum speed” contains an electric drive ONLY for the driver’s seat!!! The seats are traditionally amorphous, with weak lateral support in the front and none at all in the rear.
THAT. - after 10,000 km - nonsense, it should be at least 15 thousand.
Gasoline consumption is quite high, although for me this is not very important and there have been more voracious cars: city in winter with warm-ups - 18 liters, highway in winter (130-140 km/h) - 13 liters, summer (140 km/h) - 12 liters. I’m writing real consumption and I like to drown it, so phrases like “I should have gone to the service, this shouldn’t happen” are nonsense.
A rather toy and delicate body, not at all for off-roading, and not for overcoming any serious obstacles, but the car (to be fair) is still not for that.
Something is poorly thought out at medium and high speeds when driving through water, all this water flies onto the windshield from under the front wheels.
There is a VERY high probability of theft and, as an inevitable consequence, the high cost of CASCO insurance. According to our provincial minimum, they calculated me (albeit with installments by quarter, which increases the cost somewhat) about 85 thousand a year when the car is valued at a million.
In general, the RAV-4 is a traditional Japanese car with all the “Japanese” disadvantages, for some these disadvantages are covered by the reliability of the brand, for others they are annoying and repelled from this very brand. I am from the second group)))
Now about the advantages:
The MOST important thing is the notorious reliability of the brand and it (reliability) is most likely present in RAV (for my 20 thousand - everything is smooth, without even minor breakdowns, nothing at all, but 20 thousand is not an indicator), although the former unpretentiousness, of course, is no longer there.
The trunk may be small, but it is easily transformable - the seats can be folded out directly from the trunk, the rear seats have adjustments both for the tilt of the backrests and for the longitudinal position, i.e. You can increase the volume of the trunk, albeit a little, but once it was useful and enough just by moving the rear row forward - and the required box fit in!
The instruments are easy to read, their backlight is adjustable, and when the lights are turned on, it darkens, but if you wish, you can turn it on at the brightest level even with low beam. The computer is completely in Russian, even greets (in writing) - “Welcome. RAV4")))
Still, the car has a reserve of ground clearance, which undoubtedly makes you happy in winter and spring, and also allows you to go out into nature. He and I climbed on the White Sea and traveled to the Khibiny Mountains (in the summer, of course).
With an average load of the trunk, a certain softness of the ride appears, or rather, completely pronounced rigidity disappears. In general, of course, miracles don’t happen, so the RAV is, yes, tough, BUT it is at least somehow controlled, and does not wobble (albeit softly), like, for example, the same Prado or Camry!!! And it’s still ridiculous to expect passenger softness from a crossover - since you bought a crossover and not a sedan, that means you needed it)))
It’s VERY easy to sell, and at any time, and what’s more, the longer you drive, the less you’ll get upset when selling, after a year, of course, if you buy it new at a dealership, it’s not very profitable to sell, but nevertheless you won’t get as excited as on ANY other brand.
The generally attractive appearance and a small detail at first glance in the form of a plastic body kit (only for 2.4 liters) give the car a decent appearance. For example, I don’t see any femininity there; these are all inventions and stereotypes of past models who have already passed away.
The driver's seat has lumbar support.
Forward and side visibility from the driver's seat is quite good.
In custody:
For me, this car is a car of nothing, without a soul. I’m ready to forgive a lot of things to the car you like, even some breakdowns, but I’m not ready to forgive the RAV for annoying little things, for the manufacturer’s savings on my comfort. BUT it seems to me that if you just want a reliable delivery from A to B, without adrenaline, this is your option, but then don’t be sad about the lack of pleasure from this very “delivery”)))
24.10.2010
Being carried away by my opus, yesterday I didn’t tell you about another undoubted “plus” of the RAV (though only in the last two trim levels). The function is as follows: you do not have a key in its classic form, it is replaced by an electronic key in the form of a thin (about 1cm) rectangle measuring approximately 5cm x 2.5cm. It has buttons for closing and opening doors, but you don’t have to use them at all. There is also a key hidden in this case that can be used to mechanically open the driver’s door and glove compartment.
So, you get out of the car, the key is somewhere in your pocket, press a small button (there are three such buttons on the door handles, one is on the driver’s handle, the second is on the handle of the front passenger door, the third is on the handle of the trunk door) - the car is closed. Then go up to the car (the key, of course, is somewhere with you) - just grab the handle (of one of these three doors) - the car is open! Once behind the wheel, we press the brake pedal (we don’t even take the key out of our pocket), press the engine start button - it starts!
Theoretically, this function did not seem very necessary to me, BUT!!! As soon as I started using it, I really liked it, I don’t have to constantly look for the key in my pockets, I don’t have to insert anything anywhere)))
Review of Toyota Rav 4 (2008 onwards, 81,000 km)
Reviews of Toyota Reviews of Toyota RAV4 October 08, 2012
The Rav 4 is far from the first Toyota car that I have driven, so I can safely generalize that this manufacturer produces high-quality, reliable cars with excellent performance and an attractive appearance. I have been using Rav 4 since 2008, I would like to immediately note that I am very pleased with the car.
Firstly, the appearance immediately catches the eye thanks to the rapid and somewhat aggressive body shapes, clear but smooth lines. Secondly, the interior is designed at the highest level, it is pleasant and comfortable to be in, all the details are thought out and absolutely appropriate. Thirdly, a high level of controllability; the car does not give any surprises while driving. I would also like to note the excellent cross-country ability - off-road even in snow and rain is not a problem for the Rav 4. The security system is at a good level. The optics are wonderful.
Now about the disadvantages, which, unfortunately, were also noticed. The suspension is somewhat harsh - sometimes bumps on the roads make themselves felt too much. Still, I would like to see a little less plastic. And the last thing is the battery. This, of course, is not a problem with the Rav 4 itself, but, as they say, a residue remains.
To summarize the opinion, the car is good, reliable, fast, excellent both for the city and for complete off-road use. And by adhering to the most basic operating rules and undergoing mandatory maintenance, the Rav 4 will delight you for a very long time.
Popov Sergey
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Comments
0 Seryoga 11/25/2012 10:20 pm I think there can be no talk of any complete off-road conditions.
This is a crossover. Okay, I’ll give you a prototype: my neighbor has a Raf-4, in winter the block is covered with snow - there’s no one to clean it - and even with 20 cm of snow it starts to slip, even one year I had to go out and help (I sprained my leg somewhere - and then there’s the car stuck). Conclusion (for those who are planning to buy this car): do not expect that it will pass any ford. If you have problems with the roads, then take a closer look at something more serious. Comment | Reply with quote | Quote | Complain
0 Natalya 12/28/2012 17:07 The Toyota brand speaks for itself. Their cars are really beautiful. To say the least. I really like the salon itself, everything is done very thoughtfully. No need to reach for any button. There are always spare parts for Toyota.
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0 Alexander 08/24/2019 16:14 I own the same one, 2007. I would like to add. There is no button to turn off the esp, and off-road the all-terrain vehicle turns into a vegetable; to turn off the esp you need to dance with the handbrake and blade brake, and anyway, when slipping for a long time, the clutch overheats, so there is no need to go into the wilds. The suspension is a little harsh, but not critical, it goes along the highway confidently, without rolls, the plastic is not explosive, the rack taps, but they say nothing strange. Otherwise, a good-quality, strong, LIQUID CROSSOVER.
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