Hey there. I have a 2002 corolla and I'm thinking of getting a Rav in a year or so....never thought much about the SUV family but after thinking about it I decided it would be a good choice since I'm a ski enthuiast so it would be perfect for the AWD and V6...currently don't have it, lol.

So.....after reading several car mags and reviews I found the Rav4 to be the best buy for the money in SUV's!

Can anyone tell me what they like, don't like, tips or things to look out for. Accident situations?
Any help appreciated. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/s10.gif)

Hi Back -

I just got a 2008 Rav4 V6 - the engineering is a delight - and I'm an engineer...

I drove a bunch of the mini SUV's but the Rav sold me before I got out of the dealer's parking lot. I follow the forums, and people will alwasy find something to complain about, but do yourself a favor and get this buggy. I have the Limited, which has a nicer ride than the base model, and I have the V6, which gets the same gas mileage as the V4, but gives you an extra margin of safety when you have to pass, or if you're on the highway.

It costs a bit more, but worth every penny. I also talked the dealer into a package without the moon roof (worthless in my opinion - it's either closed or it's night time) and without the heated leather seats, which make me sweat (my Benz has them). I did get the JBL sound system - awesome! That brought down the price to a comparably equipped V4.

I have 1200 miles on it, and just switched to synthetic oil. Gas mileage is a rock solid 26 mpg, but I do a lot of highway driving. It's not perfect, but you will go a long way to find it's equal.

Hi,

Can't recommend my 08 Rav4 limited enough! I have the 4cyl, and find it more than adequate in power. I would have bought the 6cyl, save for this one fact- the 4cyl. was much cheaper to insure than the 6cyl. I'm sure everyone doesn't have the same driving record I have (ahem) but it's something to consider

Good luck!

I have the 08 Limited 4X2 V-6. I wouldn't have anything less. I drove the I4 but it lacked the power that im used to in the cars I have owned. The V-6 however surpassed what I expected dramatically.

I have the 08 Rav4 Limited with the premium (JBL) package. I really like the car except for a few things which may or may not apply to you.

1) The seating surface is rather short. The seats do not provide much support for the upper legs. Shorter people will not have an issue with this.

2) Leg room could be better. When I want to stretch my legs out there is room for only one foot at a time. There is a space under the left side of the brake pedal where one foot can fit to stretch that leg out. Again, shorter people will not be affected. I've looked under the hood to see if there was some reason that they did not provide more room for feet. It appears to me there is no reason they could not have created a slightly larger foot well and hopefully they will do so in future versions of the model.

3) I live where there is a significant amount of snowfall and it can be a nuisance and time consuming to clear ice and snow away from the rear window wiper mechanism which resides in a valley between the rear window and the spare tire cover. Snow and ice become trapped there and interfere with the wiper.

4) The fenders do not seem to fend very well. The tires are free to throw dirt up onto the lower portion of the car despite the splash guards. I like a clean car and I have to wash mine quite frequently due to the short reach of the fenders.

These are pet peeves and are not sufficient to make me sorry I bought the car which is otherwise outstanding.