About the Toyota RAV4
Bob purchased this Toyota RAV4 new for $123,456 (including all on-road costs). Bob would buy this car again because: “Yes, although as you have probably worked out this is my ‘company’ car. The views in this article are mine and not ‘the company’.
The Toyota follows a long line of company cars which started out with an XF Falcon and a VK Commodore.
The Falcon was the basic taxi pack three speed column shift auto with plastic seats no air conditioning, no power steering and even the radio was removed. The Commodore was a V8 and obviously much more fun to drive but equally as luxurious appointed.
These were followed, after the change to unleaded fuel by the VL Commodore turbo, this one was a five speed manual boy did we enjoy that one. On the Falcon side we stayed with the XF but the move to unload petrol resulted in a significant loss of performance .
Next came the Commodore VN V8 aside from the enjoyment of getting the fuel injected V8. We also got cruise control, power, steering cloth, seats, and wait for it air conditioning.. we also had a few XR6 Falcons.
The earlier ones were naturally aspirated and the later XR6 turbo models
After some incremental improvements over the years, the next big step, was the VT 2 with the Gen 3V8, whilst it had a lot more performance it didn’t sound as good as the old Holden V8. After more incremental improvement, the last of the line was the VF 2 with the most amazing sounding V8 with a bimodal exhaust. Please excuse my trip down memory lane.
Back to the RAV 4 I would be very happy to get another one but having said that I would equally consider a Toyota Camry hybrid slightly nicer to drive but not as easy to get into or out of especially when wearing. A tactical vest with a radio and handcuffs and a few other things on the front, It would really depend on how often and how much I had to carry in the vehicle because obviously there is more boot space and it is easier to unload and load the RAV4.
It is taken as a given that it will get a good resale.”
How reliable has your car been? Tell us about any issues.
It has proved to be very reliable. A lot of workmates get to drive it and they certainly don’t treat it with kid gloves.
My sister-in-law also has one. Hers is the Cruiser spec, she’s had no problems with hers. The materials in the seats, carpets, doorhandles, all the touch points have a solid feeling indicating that the car will stay together well.
The drive train has been around for a while and it’s in taxis that cover hundreds of thousands of kilometres.
What do you think of the ownership experience with your car?
I’ve been lucky enough to try quite a few full electric vehicles and, whilst obviously eventually we’re going to end up there at this stage I think the hybrid is the best step in that direction.
One thing that does concern me a little is the warranty on the hybrid battery i is five years unless you get an annual hybrid health check during routine maintenance when it will be extended to 10 years.
My sister-in-law’s car includes very reasonable fixed-price servicing.
How has the purchase and aftercare experience been with your car?
Really good. I was driving around one day and I got a phone call, obviously answered through the hands-free, to say my new car was there.
I just drove in with my old car and I get a brand-new one. How good is that. I did shed a tear or two as I said goodbye to the Sonata
Are you happy with the price and features of your car?
Compared to what else is on the market I think it is a fair price. You are certainly not paying over the odds to have a more upmarket badge to impress your friends at the golf club. It is well equipped for the price.
The only thing missing is whilst it has push-button start it is a bit disappointing that you have to push a button on the remote to lock and unlock the car.
This does make it difficult if your hands are full of things or people.
What do you think of the performance and economy of your car?
Well this is without doubt the best part of the car. The performance is perfectly adequate And the economy, well if you have OCD this is the car for you. Every trip can become a challenge to see how low you can get the fuel economy.
Even making no attempt to drive economically results in a fuel consumption figure of around 5-6L/100km.
What do you think of the technology in your car?
It is amazing to think how far we have come recently and how quickly features that wants the realm of ridiculously high priced European cars are now filtering down to mainstream cars. Obviously seven Airbags, electronic stability control autonomous emergency braking , adaptive cruise control, and lane keeping assist.
It also has speed sign recognition I was Initially dismissive of this feature until I started driving in different areas on roads I do not normally drive on.
The controls are well laid out and easy to operate… No fiddly touchscreens here to try and operate things like the air conditioning controls when you are concentrating on other things. It has Apple CarPlay and plenty of USB charge points
What do you think of the ride comfort and handling of your car?
The ride comfort works well across a range of roads from smooth freeways to less well-maintained rural roads.
wish the steering had a little bit more feel but this seems to be a consequence of a lot of modern cars that have moved to electrically powered steering to lower fuel consumption. Obviously there was always going to be a compromise and having a raised SUV over a conventional sedan such as the Camry however the trade off is not significant unless the speeds are higher.
This is a vehicle in which it is comfortable to spend a long day. The seats are comfortable and provide plenty of support.
Do you have any additional comments about your car?
Well some people question the wisdom of a SUV over a conventional station wagon.
It is quite satisfying to drive over a raised traffic island to get to the front of the queue when you don’t want to wait in a line of traffic