I am about to settle the paper work & pick up my 2008 Toyota Rav4 (4cyl Ltd) in a couple of days. My question is this: Are extended warranties and car protection packages (rust proofing, paint protection etc.) etc. worth getting? From what I have read, most books say no, - but I wanted to ask all of you directly.

Yeah! This warranty will pay for your vehicle's covered repairs after the manufacturer's warranty has expired. If you want more about extended warranty then I would like to prefer a site called http://www.extendedwarrantyshopper.com/ you can get all about extended warranty. Hope this will help you.
All the best!

Well, all things have their own advantages and disadvantages. If you really want to get it, go for it.

If you can talk them down on the price of it, then definitely! I just bought my '08 corolla s, and i kept saying "no" to the extended warranty until they would give it to me for 25% of what they said initially, this came down to about 500 bucks over 6 years of coverage, and this includes roadside assistance. The cost is pretty much what AAA would have cost, and now i have the warranty coverage as well.

Though, if my family's experience with toyotas continues, i will not need the warranty coverage :)