Pitfalls

[v800jrs]

Hi

I will come clean, I don't yet own a Rav4 but I am very interested in getting one. I have read a bunch of reviews on the car and most seem quite good. Are there any propblems I should be looking out for? I currently own an ampera but it is getting old and Battery range is now poor after 10 years. Can any one help?

Thanks

Joe

[Hybrid21]

Can't see your post for some reason Joe 🤔

[Flatcoat]

Hi, I did eventually find your post first off you need to look at how you are setting up your posts. Otherwise what model RAV? Mk 4, mk 5, hybrid, plug in hybrid? New, used, what features do you consider essential? 

[v800jrs]

Apologies for the post and thank you for your response. I am looking to buy a new rav 4 plugin hybrid prime.

 

[FROSTYBALLS]

Original post edited to remove the extreme amount of blank space.

[mobi]

I joined this forum as a precursor to figure out how owners find their RAV4 before owning one.

Few things I discovered so far:

1. It is very easy to steal RAV4 - under 5 mins. Currently only way to prevent is to use some physical deterrent like steering lock etc.
2. The 12V Battery may drain out rendering the car a non runner. It is due to a DCM fault which can be fixed by Toyota dealer.
3. Unless you go for Excel or Dynamic trims, you can't get electric seat/lumbar adjustment.
 

[Flatcoat]

5 hours ago, v800jrs said:

Apologies for the post and thank you for your response. I am looking to buy a new rav 4 plugin hybrid prime.

 

Hope you are geared up for a long wait! 

[v800jrs]

Yes I am. County Durham.

 

 

 

 

 

[FROSTYBALLS]

5 hours ago, mobi said:

It is very easy to steal RAV4 - under 5 mins. Currently only way to prevent is to use some physical deterrent like steering lock etc.

The use of a steering wheel lock is standard police advice re preventing theft of vehicles, regardless of marque.

DVLA recently released details of the ten most stolen vehicles in the UK for 2022. No Toyota is featured in this list, which included cars like the Land Rover Range Rover and Discovery.

[Strangely Brown]

5 hours ago, mobi said:

2. The 12V battery may drain out rendering the car a non runner. It is due to a DCM fault which can be fixed by Toyota dealer.

The DCM fault was a problem on early cars and was addressed by a software update. AFAIK, later cars and those that have had the update applied are not affected. Unless someone knows differently, this is a non-issue.

[IanML]

2 hours ago, FROSTYBALLS said:

...DVLA recently released details of the ten most stolen vehicles in the UK for 2022. No Toyota is featured in this list, which included cars like the Land Rover Range Rover and Discovery.

That probably reflects the demand for those models in the Gulf States.  I believe they are stolen to order and shipped overseas in containers.

[FROSTYBALLS]

The DVLA list had the Ford Fiesta as the no.1.

[IanML]

51 minutes ago, FROSTYBALLS said:

The DVLA list had the Ford Fiesta as the no.1.

Well, those seem unlikely to be wanted for export to the Middle East.  Probably "joy riders", and there are so many of them, they are almost bound to be in the majority.

I suppose my main point is that the list will not reflect ease of theft so much as demand and availability.

[FROSTYBALLS]

In the case of Land Rover, probably ease of theft. Last year and for the previous three years (where the Range Rover took the no.1 slots) key signal grabbing was said to be responsible for 95% of thefts of these models.

[nlee]

17 hours ago, mobi said:

It is very easy to steal RAV4 - under 5 mins. Currently only way to prevent is to use some physical deterrent like steering lock etc.

It's probably a bit unrepresentative to say it is "very easy" to steal. It can be stolen (as can every other car) but it needs some special equipment, software and knowledge, not something the average thieving !Removed! has to hand. Agree it sounds like there is a more vulnerable area to gain entry to the car and bypass the alarm, but once inside the car, all cars have the same vulnerability via the OBD port.

[v800jrs]

Hi all

Thank you for all your helpful comments. I presume other than these niggles it is still a good car to have.

[philip42h]

14 minutes ago, v800jrs said:

Hi all

Thank you for all your helpful comments. I presume other than these niggles it is still a good car to have.

Correct - the are no real 'pitfalls' to buying a new RAV4 (HEV or PHEV):

• All Toyota hybrids have a 12v auxiliary Battery to keep the car 'alive' while the engine is off. This is of relatively low capacity and will run flat in a matter of weeks of no use. If the car is used regularly the driver need never be concerned about this but it is something to be aware of if you are a very light / infrequent user.
• As with many manufacturers there are currently component supply issues so certain grades of RAV4 are on rather (unacceptably?) long lead times.

But assuming that you are in the market for a medium to large practical SUV style car then the RAV4 is a pretty good bet ... 🙂

(but then I'm on my third RAV4, and this is a RAV4 owners forum, so I/we might be a little biased in the car's favour) 😁

[ernieb]

Faced with a choice of buying a new car and assuming I wanted something the size of the RAV4, I’d certainly buy another one. The long term reliability, flex warranty of 10 years, ease of ownership, comfort and frankly the car puts a smile on my face whenever I engage in a long drive, what’s not to like?

[Flatcoat]

This is my first Toyota (ignoring a very short tenure with a Camry estate eons ago) and generally delighted with it. Gripes? For the money some aspects are cheap, such as some interior plastic trim which marks and scratches far, far too easily and simply isn’t good enough, reverse camera is very grainy by current standards, even when clean and settings adjusted. The language of interior/dashboard Ergonomics design needs adding to the Toyota designers manual and the pre 2023 infotainment is poor and simply not intuitive. Surprising omission is lack of bonnet gas struts and headlamp washers (at least on the PHEV). However there are many good points and the interior is solid, I love having traditional heater controls that are not hidden in a menu, seats are very good and supportive on long journeys, economy is diesel beating. If I was buying now I couldn't ignore the Mazda CX60 PHEV as an option which has a far superior interior and much better towing credentials. However its EV range is much less and I read the ride can be poor. If mine were written off tomorrow I would probably buy another albeit the current long wait might be an issue. Might look at a highlander if they are more readily available. 

[Strangely Brown]

1 hour ago, Flatcoat said:

The language of interior/dashboard Ergonomics design needs adding to the Toyota designers manual and the pre 2023 infotainment is poor and simply not intuitive.

I cannot agree with that. I find the ergonomics of the cabin and dashboard really rather good. Everything I need falls pretty much to hand and the fact that there are buttons rather than touch screens for all of the major controls is nothing  short of marvellous these days.

The infotainment system is slated far more than it deserves. It does everything that I want it to, does it remarkably well and is intuitive enough that you can use it without the manual. If you must have Apple CarPlay or Android Auto then plug your phone in and you have it (on all but the early base models?).

Based on the derogatory comments about the infotainment system copied between most reviews of the car I was almost put off looking at them seriously. Fortunately I took the time to look at them and see for myself. The test drive showed the system to not look as bad as described and since buying one I have found that it is nothing at all like the reviewers say.

Other opinions are available. Have a look at it in the flesh (so to speak) and decide for yourself.

[ColinB]

I have a 21 plate Excel and agree that although the infotainment system is certainly not up to the latest standard it is certainly functional and easy to use. Why some manufacturers hide heating controls etc in sub menus is beyond me, drive they drive the cats that they design. Methinks money saving is involved.....

[Cyker]

It's funny as touchscreens have been one of the biggest cons of the car industry - They're seen and sold as high-end luxury equipment, commanding a price premium, but they're actually much cheaper to put in than a load of physical switches and buttons as it's less discreet parts and a lot less wiring!

 

[ernieb]

3 minutes ago, Cyker said:

It's funny as touchscreens have been one of the biggest cons of the car industry - They're seen and sold as high-end luxury equipment, commanding a price premium, but they're actually much cheaper to put in than a load of physical switches and buttons as it's less discreet parts and a lot less wiring!

 

As well as a screen covered in mucky finger prints.

[Flatcoat]

My comment about the infotainment screen is not about the functions it incorporates (I also like my heating controls separate). It is the poor graphic quality, inconsistent type face/font, poor resolution and just generally looks more ZX spectrum than iPhone 14 design quality and intuitiveness. And how anyone can say the ergonomics are great has never owned a recent Audi or Volvo or even a SAAB. I agree everything seems made to last and one gets used to where everything is but it could be so much better for no additional cost. 

[Roy124]

I suspect the Yaris Cross Smart Connect is as good.  I find the night display better than daylight.  The daylight is pastel and it is hard to pick out country roads against open country. 

Icons are too small. 

I miss the railway lines.  They are there but near invisible.  In poor vi's we need as many map to ground clues as possible.  Suddenly a railway arch looms out of the mist, where is it on the map?