Ok, first I should probably start out by saying that I am obsessed with the Toyota RAV4. I saw my first RAV in 96' when I was 13 and knew right then and there that it was the car for me. Initially, I was attracted to the RAV4 because of its looks...I honestly think it's the cutest car in the world...but, after doing extensive research I also became impressed with the number of satisfied buyers as well as the reliability the car seemed to possess.

Although I fell in love with the RAV right away, convincing my dad to feel the same way took a lot of work. My parents had already told me I was going to get a car when I turned 16 (so I could take over the responsibility of driving my brother, sister, and myself to school) however they were thinking of a car with a price tag of around $9,000...not $19,000.

In order to convince my dad that the RAV was worth the price, I put together a binder filled with every single review and statistic about the RAV4 that I could find. He soon learned everything there was to know about the RAV...from finding out that it was Automobile Magazine's Car of the Year for 1997 to learning that the RAV comes highly recommended from such magazines as Consumer Reports and Car & Driver, I made sure my dad understood what a great car the RAV4 is. The binder also included a counter to every single argument my dad had against me getting the RAV4. For example, he wanted me to get a Ford Mustang, because he thought it would be more fun (not to mention cheaper), so I showed him this quote from Ken Zeno, a writer from Forbes Magazine: "[The RAV4] is the Mustang of the 1990's."

In the end, my hard work paid off. I successfully convinced my dad that the RAV4 was the perfect first car for a 16 year old. I've had my RAV for over a year now and I couldn't happier. It's big enough to fit all of my friends; has a huge trunk to put school projects, my backpack, and tons of other junk; gets pretty good gas mileage for an SUV (about 22 miles per gallon); is really fun to drive; and perhaps most importantly, looks awesome. In addition, I haven't had any problems with my RAV(which I should probably mention is a 99' Deep Jewel Green Pearl 4 door), which is very nice considering I don't really have any time to take it to the dealer. Anyway, buy this car! You won't regret it! (Or, you can wait until the 2001 model comes out....it's supposed to look a bit different from the current model)

Oh yeah, one more thing...if you're deciding between the RAV4 and the Honda CRV or the Kia Sportage, pick the RAV4! From what I've read, the Kias are awful, and considering Kia just went bankrupt...well...I just would not buy one. As for the CRV, I personally think the RAV4 is a million times better. My friend has a CRV, and it drives horribly...you can feel every single bump in the road...and the RAV4 looks so much better. Also, Consumer Reports recommends the RAV over the CRV, and they've done tons of crash tests and research...so I trust them.