I had a Toyota Matrix & loved it, but decided to grow up a little, got the RAV 4, 4cyl 4WD Limited model...like the auto climate control it is easy to use. The reclining rear seats & rear legroom are a plus. The car failed my expectations in the following ways... The headlights are not fully automatic, and they will stay on as long as any door is open on the car...could run the battery flat...NO PHOTOCELL/DRL feature. The radio does not show the song titles. The front cupholders in the console allow bottles to flop around & fall over & interfere with the power point plug-in. The rear storage area needs better ability to keep things from rolling all over, maybe a organizer that is shaped to fit the floor? The rear door is awkward,The large barn door sounds like its going to fall off when closed, as the plastic spare tire cover is a rattlebox....Should consider the liftgate design, with the seperate glass gate like the Matrix (great design)! Shifter is clogged feeling, again a simple fix for Toyota...This car has more sample defects than any other Toyota I have had...The right rear seat rattles, the left front door speaker rattles & buzzes with the music, the cigarette lighter socket pulls out socket & all, the shifter & adjoining bezel rattles & the shifter is rubbery in the gate (may have a TSB out on this?) The engine holds shifts out of OD until up to operating temp, causing engine to race when cold (annoying). The nuts & bolts are solid, acceleration is decent, transmission will guess shift & bump, or not downshift when accelerating & leave you in a "OH BOY LETS GO NOW PLEASE!!!" spot in tight traffic... Overall, its a decent ride, but it seems to lack the Toyota polish & some nicer features that you would expect on a "Limited" model in this price range.
Amount Paid (US$): 24,000
Condition: Used
Model Year: 2006