Long-Term Road Tests

With our long-term RAV4 about to go visit the big dealership in the sky, I just had to try out something that has puzzled me every time I drove this great little Toyota SUV.

Just what in the heck does the "Auto LSD" button do? Sounds groovy, so I decided to press it to find out what it does...

Continue reading 2006 Toyota RAV4: Auto LSD.

Categories: 2006 Toyota RAV4

I'm surprised no one has mentioned this on the blog posts for the RAV4 yet but that tire cover mounted on the rear door sure makes a lot of noise when you drive over road imperfections or even minor rough patches. Its rattling can be heard throughout the cabin, making you wonder if something is loose in the cargo area or if the stowed third row is acting up.

Other than that the cabin is quiet but I just wonder why that cover wasn't made to be more secure, or why have a cover at all? Even when you slam that door shut the cover clatters...

Continue reading 2006 Toyota RAV4: Shake, Rattle and Aarrgh!.

Categories: 2006 Toyota RAV4

I have a romantic way of looking at car stereo systems. I like to think that each car manufacturer has a diligent army of stereo-building elves who live in a charming little elf village somewhere, one with cobbled streets and miniature pointy-roofed houses. These industrious elves work their tiny elf hands until they bleed, all in the name of creating audio systems with the type of amazing sonics that sate the selfish desires of listeners like myself.

Anyone who's ever spent time in a Scion knows that Toyota has some A-list elf talent on its team...

Continue reading Toyota RAV4: Sound off.

Categories: 2006 Toyota RAV4

This thing is a blast to drive if for only one reason: The Engine!

Its has so much low-end torque that it bolts from the starting gate like a thoroughbred. I actually have to be careful with my throttle input when exiting parking garages, at green lights and around town lest I chirp and squeal all over the place. However, getting onto the freeway or passing its like hitting the switch into light speed. Well, not really, but it does smile like you're in 100mph gale...

Continue reading 2006 Toyota RAV4 - Stampede.

Categories: 2006 Toyota RAV4

Our '06 Toyota RAV4 V6 looks like a nice, normal compact SUV, but there's serious conflict going on beneath its placid exterior. Pretty much all of it can be traced to its 3.5-liter V6. As you've read many times on this blog, acceleration is brisk and exciting in our RAV. But over the weekend I realized the extent to which the V6 ruins its dynamics...

Continue reading Toyota RAV4 V6: Only in America.

Categories: 2006 Toyota RAV4

Last night I was lucky enough to get the key to the RAV4, for the first time in a few weeks. There's nothing like a little time away to underscore how much you appreciate something. The thing I like most about the RAV4 is its ability to offer versatility without compromises. This is an SUV tailor-made for city dwellers who need something roomy enough for the occasional trip to Home Depot, but accommodating enough to effortlessly ease into a "Compact Vehicles Only" parking space at the grocery store...

Continue reading 2006 Toyota RAV4: Key to a good time.

Categories: 2006 Toyota RAV4

The Toyota RAV4 served as this weekend's transport for the 900-plus mile roundtrip north to Sacramento for a 13-year-old's birthday gathering. Along the way, slower vehicles were no match for the RAV4's torque-filled V6 engine, it lurched forward eagerly every time the throttle was goosed.

Fuel mileage fell slightly short of the RAV4's EPA ratings of 22 city/29 highway. This trip came in at 26.3 mpg on the highway alone, and 24.3 mpg during highway and city driving combined...

Continue reading 2006 Toyota RAV4: Riding CA's Interstate 5.

Categories: 2006 Toyota RAV4

Our RAV4 went in for regularly scheduled maintenance this morning at Toyota of Santa Monica. The visit included the basics: tire rotation, engine oil and filter replacement, a new air filter, visual (and audible) inspections and a safety road test.

Our bill came to $189.29. Oddly enough the cost of labor was $136.98, nearly the same as our last Honda Fit service...

Continue reading 2006 Toyota RAV4: 15,000-mile Service.

Categories: 2006 Toyota RAV4

I'm working on a road test of the 2008 Saturn Vue so I've been hopping in and out of other compact SUVs to gain some comparison. Driving impressions on the Vue are embargoed to May 25, so I can't mention them here. But I can share my thoughts on the Outlander and RAV4 which I drove back to back.

Outlander
Our part-time 4WD Outlander XLS is equipped with a 6-speed automatic transmission with manual mode...

Continue reading Mitsubishi Outlander vs. Toyota RAV4.

Categories: 2006 Toyota RAV4,2007 Mitsubishi Outlander XLS 4WD

"I'm sorry Scott, I'm afraid I can't do that."

Continue reading 2006 Toyota RAV4 - Ghost In The Machine.

Categories: 2006 Toyota RAV4

Of the seven SUVs in our long-term fleet (nine if you count the R500 and Compass), the RAV4 is clearly the one I'd want the keys to every night. It has the Goldilocks "just right" size, reasonably communicative steering and despite the RAV's historical mom image, I think it looks sleekly muscular. Best of all, the RAV's V6 offers one of the best power to fuel-economy  trade-offs out there. It's the type of engine that appeases both the Devil and Angel perched upon my shoulder, whispering into my ear to keep me centered between power-hungry car guy and mpg-hungry green guy.

It's easy enough when puttering along in the city to forget that there's 269 horses stabled under the hood -- at least until it comes time to pass a dawdling minivan...

Continue reading 2006 Toyota RAV4: Making My Devil and Angel Happy.

Categories: 2006 Toyota RAV4

I started up the RAV4 this afternoon. The radio was playing some awful 80s medley (can't trust that JACK FM) so I reached over to change the station before my ears started bleeding. To my surprise the screen was blurred, but all controls and presets still functioned properly.

I snapped a quick photo with the camera phone, hence the poor quality. After shutting down the car and re-starting it the problem was gone...

Continue reading 2006 Toyota RAV4: Radio Glitch.

Categories: 2006 Toyota RAV4

Look what I found! There's this little cubbyhole between the gearshifter and the center console that looks too small to fit really anything. And since the auxiliary input is in the center console I just stuck my iPod in this cubby to see if it would fit and it did! Wedging it keeps it in place and within easy reach...

Continue reading Toyota RAV4's Handy-Dandy iPod Holder.

Categories: 2006 Toyota RAV4

I just came across a recent posting on our Toyota Rav4 long-term test car written by Senior Copy Editor Doug Lloyd. While Doug wrote an extremely favorable review of the Rav4's driving capability he noted his irritation at the constant “beeps and whistles” that remind you of an open door, unfastened seatbelt etc.

I've noticed these sounds, but had not been bothered by them until what seems to be a minor malfunction in the beep and whistle system. On more than one occasion this week I've been driving the Rav4 with my seatbelt tightly fastened when the driver seatbelt warning light began beeping to indicate that I was not in fact securely driving the vehicle. At first, I assumed that I may have mis-fastened the buckle in some way or ticked off the sensor, but as the beeping turned incessant and I was certain that my buckle was completely secure I began to resent the insistent high pitched beep. Unfortunately, talking back to such technology got me nowhere and my 2 year old (who has the capability to sound like an ongoing beeping reminder on occasion) repeating “What happened Mommy?” from the back seat was no great help. 

On the bright side, the beeping stops after about two full minutes at which point the unfastened seatbelt light remains illuminated as a constant silent reminder until the car is parked. This happened on 3-4 separate occasions, have no doubt, my seatbelt was securely fastened in each. But it can sure be annoying!

Alison Steinlauf Anziska, Marketing Coordinator

Continue reading Toyota Rav 4: Hand and Legs Must Remain Safely Inside the Vehicle.

Categories: 2006 Toyota RAV4

Categories: 2006 Toyota RAV4