A Good Around Town People Mover

Toyota has established itself as reputable car manufacturer for two simple reasons. These would include its overall reliability levels and resale values, which are second to none. It has many different models in all vehicle categories, and a top notch approach to high quality control for all of them. That is why I usually recommend a Toyota or Honda at my dealership, because I want my customers to be happy with their investment. I have not yet had one customer complain about their Toyota's reliability, so this also saves a lot of "post sale headaches."

I have had the pleasure of driving the 2005 RAV 4 for the last four days, to and from work. I have driven earlier year RAV 4 models, and this continues the legacy of this fine vehicle. My model that I drove is the 2 wheel drive RAV 4(4 wheel is available for a higher price), and it sells at our dealership for $21,485. The red paint shimmers brightly on this vehicle, and its so bright that you feel hypnotized as if seeing a mirage in the far distant desert.(The vehicle is offered with 9 color choices)Here is the included equipment/features:4 speed automatic with overdrive, A/C, ABS brakes(front and rear disc), power steering, cloth seats, AM/FM Cassette CD player, power windows, power locks, alloy wheels(205/60/15 tire size w/full spare), rear defroster, rear wiper, roof rack, cruise control, two power outlets, traction control, and four cupholders.(The rear ones are in the back middle, in between the bucket front seats. The rear seat is a bench.)

The fit and finish in the 2005 is outstanding, and an improvement on earlier models. The older models had a minor cheap plastic feel around the sides and dash, but the 2005 has knocked this out. The dashboard is very attractive as well as utilitarian, with gauges that are easy to read. The gauges have white faces with orange numbers, which illuminate well at night with no glare issues. The interior cloth is soft and of good quality, and I like the materials used for the interior doors. It has a rugged, durable feel to it that brings the word "quality" to your mind immediately. The controls are laid out perfectly, and on the left side of the drivers door is the master controls for the power windows.(4 knobs-1 for each window) The steering wheel is black with the silver Toyota emblem on it, and adjusts well for people of all heights and reaches. The controls are outstanding, and the A/C and heating systems work fast and continuously push out the temperature of air you desire.(The knobs are in the middle, right under the stereo controls.) The stereo is above average-nothing that will blow you away, but quite decent. I am very impressed with how easy it is to preset stations and manipulate the CD player/cassette to play your desired music. The engineers at Toyota worked very hard to produce such wonderful results in the ease of use for the controls in this vehicle.

The engine in the RAV 4 is a 2.4 liter 4 cylinder Dual Overhead Cam powerplant. It produces 161 horsepower, and 165 lbs of torque. Overall gas efficiency as listed by the Environmental Protection Agency, is 24 mpg in the city and 29 on the highway.(I would venture to say its a bit less-around 22 mpg and 27mpg-however still respectable in the mid sized SUV market) Gasoline type is unleaded, and the tank holds 14.8 gallons of fuel. The engine is fairly quiet during normal use, and it has adequate acceleration in most situations. However, driving up hills the engine has a loud and almost disturbing whine to it. It sounds like an old train straining to get up a mountain, and it bothers me. However, in city and highway driving the engine is fairly peppy(nothing Earth shattering). It will provide you with enough power for highway passing and merging, but don't expect to win any races. However, during these high priced gas times, that is not a negative necessarily. Shifting is very smooth, and its almost impossible to feel it moving up the gears.

Overall visibility is excellent, and the power mirrors are very easy to adjust. There are no major blind spots, and I really like how you "sit up" in this vehicle. Driving it is a breeze, as you can see the highway and traffic in front of you without any problems or obstructions. Steering is very simple, as even elderly or less muscular developed individuals will be able to turn and move in all conditions. Parallel parking in the RAV 4 is very easy, in fact, this SUV drives more like a car. Braking is excellent as well, as the brakes are confident in stopping on dry and wet pavement. My only real complaint in driving this car is that it sways a bit on the highway, but its not as bad as other SUV's in this regard.

The front seats(bucket style) are very comfortable, and have the perfect amount of support. There is plenty of legroom around the whole vehicle, and it will seat 4 people fine.(5 is possible, but you will have some uncomfortable passengers in the back seat.) The back seat is the problem with the RAV4, as I have experienced a sore back from riding around in it. The back seat(bench) is way too firm, and Toyota should add some softness to it for the 2006. This has been a problem even in earlier models too, so hopefully next year will be the year!) There are two headrests on the back bench. One neat feature about the rear bench is that you can fold it down, so your vehicle can hold more items.(ie.moving, carrying items around,etc.)

Toyota offers a 3 year/36,000 bumper to bumper warranty on the RAV 4. The vehicle also has a 5 year/60,000 mile powertrain coverage warranty which includes the following items: engine, transmission, transaxle, front and rear wheel drive, seatbelts, and airbags. Toyota also offers a Federal Emissions warranty, which gives you protection for 8 years/80,000 miles. This is a plus in a"environmentally stringent" state like California. Some consumers may say, "this warranty is not as good as some other car manufacturers." They are right to a point, however Toyota's often don't break down until their odometers read "really high mileage". The simple fact is Toyota's are reliable, and a warranty for them is usually just for "peace of mind." As long as you provide service and drive in a reasonable manner, a Toyota will last a long time.

The other item that is an added bonus, is the high resale value for Toyota's. This is especially true in the RAV 4, which holds it value extraordinarily well. Many RAV 4's at our dealership have over 100,000 miles on them and still sell for $10,000+. There are few vehicles on the road that can hold value so well. These are great vehicles, and the RAV 4 continues Toyota's legacy of providing fine people movers.