V6 RAV4: a rocket disguised as SUV

This is very strange to have so few reviews for 2006 RAV4 as the 2006 model has been around for a year and 2007 model (basically unchanged compared to 2006) has been around now for a few months.

Nevertheless, this is my take on the car. I bought 2006 RAV4 V6 base model with 3rd row seats after my wife's Subaru legacy has been totaled. We needed a little bit bigger replacement car that could seat 7 people, tow a boat, have AWD, and be reasonably frugal on gas. Subaru could do those things OK but could only seat 5 of course.

Initially I thought we would have to settle for a minivan or full size SUV to accomplish that. However, looking at specs and actual minivans made by Honda/Toyota I quickly realized that 1st we wont be able to fit it comfortably in our 2 car garage and 2nd that the towing hitch would be too low to navigate our steep driveway.

Then I looked at a few SUV and test drove Toyota Highlander, RAV4 and Subaru Tribeca. I really liked the Tribeca's feel and finish despite its ugly external styling. The poor MPG and premium fuel was the real reason to eliminate this choice.

The choice between Highlander and RAV4 is more difficult as they are in many ways similar in size, feel and function. However, RAV4 V6 is more powerful (269 HP) and yet more frugal on gas (21 MPG city and 29 MPG hwy IIRC).

Some people hate the RAV4's rear door opening to the right and gravitate toward Highlander with it's hatch opening up. I rarely parallel park, so don't mind the door opening on the "wrong" side. Similar with the spare tire. It's located outside the rear door and some people hate that. I don't mind even though it obstructs the view some. The benefit is a very spacious luggage compartment with low floor and room for 3rd row of seats folding in the floor.
The extra seats are not comfortable for adults but seat 2 children with ease. We used them a few times already on short trips.

The towing is extremely easy with the powerful V6. The towing package allows for 3000 lbs and my boat is somewhere there with its 2500+ weight. Yet, the car drives like there is nothing behind and I can easily overaccelerate ricers with their noisy Hondas at green lights while fully loaded and pulling a boat!

If one considers fully loading his/her RAV4 or towing, I strongly recommend not only V6 (the MPG penalty vs I4 is minimal) but also getting the 3rd row as it has firmer rear springs and allows for more payload (1250 lbs vs 850 lbs IIRC). Many people don't read the fine print and then are disappointed by the lower abilities of the 5-person version (such as sagging rear end).

The only problem is that V6 and 3rd rows are hard to find. I had to travel 1000 miles (not a typo!) to get one. But it's worth it. It's a fine car that can do a lot while relatively frugal on gas. The MPG I'm getting is almost identical to that in Subaru Legacy: 18-20 MPG city and 24-26 MPG hwy. The cost of maintenance is low.

The car is somewhat noisy on long hwy trips (noisy tires) but otherwise it's very fun to drive with its rocket like character and great handling for a SUV.

I didn't drive it in snow/ice yet but the reviews are phenomenal. I hope this will be a reliable and satisfying car for many years to come.