| What do people think about Toyota RAV4 ? |
| Nice to drive, but underpowered. Good seating position for any driver. Good in snow. Lack of space in the back.... |
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 Toyota RAV4 |
The past behind us, not all that much has changed with the 2006 RAV4. Its target customer has aged a little, now has a family and tends to carry around more stuff than ever before, but what theyre looking for in a vehicle is much the same... only larger. So, that in mind, when youre looking into your rearview mirror as an all-new RAV pulls up behind you, and it wont take very long for it to do so, you could be forgiven for not immediately noticing that its new at all. When redesigning it, Toyota realized that its customers liked the old RAV4, one of the most attractive in its segment, so why mess with success? The SUV keeps a similar grille to the outgoing model, what always looked to me like a really close cousin to the grille on the old Lexus IS 300, and its vertically stacked headlamp clusters arent that different from the 2005 RAV at first glance. Even the lower front fascia looks more or less the same.
Again, when pulling up behind one, the 2006 model features the same basic layout as the outgoing RAV4. The door handle on the left, hinges on the right, blacked out rear glass partially covered by an outboard full-size spare tire, and under the door handle, even the Toyota logo, "RAV4" insignia, and license plate cutout are more or less identically placed. Only the rear door handle has been changed from a flush-mounted pull-up handle to a more conventional oval grip thats easier to grasp, but only owners of the old model or particularly detail oriented journalists will notice it, so to most everyone else, the overall design looks the same.
But when pulling up beside one to pass, or more likely being passed by one on the highway, its an altogether different animal. Gone are the European-inspired lines that paid homage to BMWs X5 in scaled down form, replaced by an all-new, quite original shape. And as its going by, youll probably notice how much longer it is than the old one. You might even catch sight of two rows of kids waving at you as they pass by, although the windows are rather deeply tinted and the RAV will probably be going at such a speedy clip that youll be lucky to make out its exterior color, let alone anything going on inside.
That RAV4 passing you, of course, probably wouldnt be a base 2.4-liter four-cylinder model. Sure it offers more power than the previous RAV, but at 166-horsepower compared to 161, not that much, and given that the new model weighs significantly more, by about 550 pounds in base trim, and features the same 165 lb-ft of torque as the old RAV, plus is no longer available with a five-speed manual transmission, it doesnt break out into a gallop with quite the same enthusiasm. Rather it has been designated the fuel friendly family hauler, where its V6 sibling is an out and out hotrod.
Thats no joke. Equipped with the most powerful engine in the "compact" SUV class, the RAV4 V6 sprints to 60 mph in about seven seconds. The engine, which is basically a retuned version of the 280-hp 3.5-liter V6 in the Avalon, also found in the upcoming 2007 Camry featuring 268-horsepower and the all-new 2006 Lexus IS 350 boasting a class-leading 306-horsepower, makes a significant 269 in the RAV. Torque is top-of-segment too, at 245 lb-ft, easily enough to launch it from standstill with a surprising jolt.
During the launch, held in Woodstock, Ontario, Canada, on and around the grounds of a new assembly plant that will soon be pumping these SUVs out by the thousands, the RAV4 was an impressive hauler; and Im not just talking about its zero to 60 sprint time. Theres so much room in this ute, which to be clear is more of a crossover or CUV than an SUV, that most wont see the need to move up to a full-size model unless towing more than the V6 models 3,500 lbs or carrying greater than its 1,155 lb maximum payload. Headroom is more than ample, even for the taller journalists present at the launch, while shoulder and hip room appeared to be sufficient too. Legroom is only compromised if riding in the very back, which, while much roomier than I expected, is better suited to children.
And why feature seven-occupant capability in a compact CUV? I, for one, wouldnt even consider buying a primary vehicle without that revered third row, and like most family guys, dont judge it on how well it fits adults. The kids love it back there, just like I did while parked in the reverse-facing third row of my parents Olds Vista Cruiser wagon; or even better, crammed into the cargo hold under the rear window of my Dads 66 VW Beetle. And now being a parent, as much as I love having the kids along for the ride, I also appreciate a reasonably sized buffer between their shrill voices and my overworked, occasionally throbbing head.
Like usual in Toyotas, I found the driver and front passenger seats to be well designed. Theyre supportive in all the right places, at least for my five-foot-eight frame, and ideally suited to the RAVs tallish ride height. Second-row seats are also comfortable, with an identical 38.3 inches of legroom whether in a five- or seven-occupant vehicle. That third row, by the way, metes out 30.0 inches of legroom, which again is pretty good for this class.
For smaller families who opt for the five-occupant RAV4, which will also save them a few dollars as only the Limited V6 offers the extra rear row, the rear cargo area is voluminous compared to the outgoing model, upping behind second row stowage from a meager 23.9 cu-ft behind the rear seats to an impressive 35.9 cu-ft. Drop the rear row and Home Depot runs become all the more efficient, with a total of 73.2 cu-ft of cargo space compared to 67.4 cu-ft in the old RAV. Oh, you want a 7-passenger RAV, do you? Well, in that case theres only 11.9 cu-ft available behind the third row, a number that grows to 36.7 cu-ft when that rearmost row is folded flat. Folding both rear rows flat results in the same cargo volume as with the 5-seat RAV.
Automobile.com