2006 Toyota RAV4

Yea this isn't as cute as the prior years...I don't want cute. I wanted to go back to a Toyota PU with a club cab, but this is better if you don't need an open bed. I drove the 4 cyl in January and found it very nice. Then I drove the 6 cyl last week...I'm still grinning.

I grined so much, I bought one. I picked up my 06 RAV4 6 cylinder Limited today. If you want a heavy luxury car feel, look elsewhere. If you want to plow or do serious off road, don't go there. If you want fuel economy, style, comfort in a truck relative realm, this will meet your needs.

The visibility is good. I didn't find the spare to be in the way at all. The controls are easy to reach. This model has some radio controls on the wheel, which helps. It has a 12 volt outlet and auxilary plug in for an mp3 player in the armrest console.

I went with the limited because I wanted side airbags and a remote starter. The bonus is the electric seats. I wasn't looking for all the bells and whistles, but having a seat that is so adjustable, including lumbar support, is kinda nice.

The RAV is a little bouncy, but in a good and smooth way. Its quite and handles easily. It rides well on the highway and is nimble around town. I'm trying to be good, but when I can't resist it anymore, that 6 has more kick than most 8 cyl I've driven.

Having stability control is probably a good thing given the way this vehicle can move. Although it has a wide stance, it does sit high enough to be riskier than the average car. Makes sense to me.

I haven't tried to load anything huge in the back yet but opening the rear door shows a space almost big enough to take a 4x8. Without the rear seat option, it has a large storage space under and some smaller ones on the side. Mine came with a cargo cover and cargo bar/netting. Both store in the under floor storage area.

Both the 4 and 6 can tow, but the 4 can only tow 1500 lbs while the 6 with the towing package can tow 3500 lbs. If I want to haul something really big, thats more important to me than the 2" width I loose with the side opening rear door.

The rear doors have bottle holders molded in. The center console for the rear can't be used if you have more than 2 in the rear as its a center unit. The front arm rest/console has a split top. The upper part is a small space that can hold a wallet, etc. The under area is fairly deep and large with the auxilary plugs I mentioned above. A small coin holder space is right in front of that. Another is on the left side of the dash.

The slotted shifter does take a little a few minutes to get used to but I like it better than my straight shifter.

I went with the 4 wheel drive because I live in New England. I've survived years without it, but have gotten tired of getting stuck in the mud or waiting for the plow guy to show up. This vehicle runs on the front wheels all the time, but when they start to slip, it automatically kicks in the rear wheels. It has a lock to make it full time 4 wheel drive. Its not the same type of mechanical mechanism as traditional 4x4 so its better on gas but may not be good for serious off road use.

I'm still grinning.

Update 4.5.06

ave mpg so far is 24. I haven't taken any long highway drives yet so can't report of that yet. I'm still
grinning.

12/20/06

Still grinning. No change in my mpg, even after putting snow tires on. I averaged 27 on a trip to Vt this fall before putting the snows on. My 92 year old mother has riden in the back a few times now. She remarked on how comfortable it is. She was able to get in and out of the RAV easier than my nephews Durango.

I had a chance to drive it in some recent snow, not enough for 4x4, but enough to spin the tires. The ESP kicked in just as my winter experienced foot came off the gas. It sounded an alarm and the dash light up. The fishtailing stopped quickly, but I couldn't tell if it was me or the car doing its thing. No more fun in snow covered parking lots I guess.