2012 Rav 4

[Captm]

Unfortunately my brother had his car stolen this week. The up side is that he can now purchase a new one. He is considering the Rav 4 V6 Sport 4x4. It would be a DD, used 2x a month towing a teardrop on fireroads and desert trips. The pros would be 20-24mpg, 3500lb tow capacity, plenty of room to carry stuff in the back and we get the "family rate" on Toyotas (thus other brands are out). Cons-limited aftermarket parts, unknown history on offroad use. We would appreciate any info on the Rav 4. Thanks, Captm

 

[Jay H]

I own a 4.2 generation 2004 Rav4 and my parents have a Venza and a 1st gen Tundra and my brother has a Avalon so I have certainly driven a few toyota models. Previous ones in the family include 4 runner and camry.

This is probably the fastest car toyota has produced in a long while and really a sleeper. The V6 is a monster even the bloated 4runner sized third generation rav. Really fun to drive, so much so you will never see good mileage since its so hard to stay off the skinny pedal. Seriously this thing hauls. The emphasis on this car is certainly more on road than the two previous generation RAV4s. Its really not at all like the 4.1 or 4.2 generation since its so much bigger and the drive train is quite different. These 4.3 V6 RAVs are not as problem free as other toyotas. There have been widely reported problems with transmission failues oil consumption ect. While it uses the same engine, the Venza is seriously worth looking at. The venza has a real full time all wheel drive massive interior space and a super fun transmission. However if towing a lot and really off roading the 4 runner is king.

All the Rav info you could ever want.
www.rav4world.com

 

[Repo503]

I drove a friends 2011 V6 Rav4 the other night after she had a few too many drinks at my house. I was shocked by just how smooth and well put together it felt. Good, smooth power, transmission shifts were as smooth as my E class', Zero driveline snags or hiccups (nearly ever car I've ever driven, especially awd cars I always notice driveline drag when letting off the gas and coasting...nothing here, smooth as can be). Very quiet and comfortable as well and the stereo sounded pretty good as well. Honestly felt like it drove like a much more expensive car...I'd probably opt for it over the Merc GLK and BMW X3. I cannot however speak to offroad prowess...but ground clearance looks decent so I'd imagine with a more aggressive tire it would be just fine for things like unmaintained forest service and fire roads.

 

[Nomad_K]

My Dad picked up a 2011 after he and I looked at a few different cars that fit his bill - towing ~ 2000 lbs, AWD for snow or the occasional muddy road on a farm/garden complex where he volunteers, and good mileage (25+ on the highway as opposed to praying for 20 mpg with most of the other things we looked at). The only downside - lack of parts for the later RAV4s - when we checked last year, they were still not getting any love from OME, Ironman, etc. You could go with a larger tire and or custom spacers for a little extra clearance.

 

[BigSwede]

My DD is a 2008 RAV4 V6. I like it a lot for what I use it for. It has a lot of room inside, more than you would think - heck, I can even fit in it. I am 6'3" and long torso, so I am often headroom challenged. I get 26-28 mpg highway, low 20s around town, and yet if I want to put my foot down it is a little stealth rocket ship. 269 hp, wheeeeee! And it can easily tow as much as I need to. Back in 08 when I was shopping cars there was nothing that combined that much power and mpg (dunno if there is anything that competes now - I would take my RAV4 over the 2012 Equinox I have driven for work). In C&D comparison tests it got the same gas mileage as the 4 cylinder CRV, and nearly 100 hp more! And while the AWD system is nothing fancy, it works great in the snow.

As for an overlanding vehicle, I would say light duty only. Clearance is OK but not great, and there are zero skid plates, no low range. But for the OPs stated purpose, I think it would work well.

There are some OME springs available, but from what I have heard they are a modest lift, a half inch maybe.

 

[bartheil]

My wife owned a 99 Rav 4 (2.0 Stick) when we lived in the Emirates. It did 80% of what a Landcruiser could do in the desert and we loved it. Didn't do any rock crawling, but a lot of mountain roads and Empty Quarter miles. We loved this little car. What surprises me most is that the Rav4 takes quite a bit more payload than the XTerra. Our next truck was a 2001 Troop and that was even more awesome.

 

[montypower]

Rav4 is great commuter and highway vehicle. But...it's not made for rough terrain. There is no frame and the suspension parts are weak in comparison to a truck based SUV. The 4runner gets excellent mileage (22mpg hwy) for it's size and it's capable off road. You'll be pushing the towing limits with the Rav4 which essentially has a car transmission vs the 4runner which has much higher tow limits. Is gaining 2-4 mpg that important?

 

[Captm]

Thanks for all the replies. If my brother was looking for a real offroad vehical I'd point him to the 4Runner. However for his needs towing a 1000-1200 lb teardrop (rav4 w/towing pkg rated @3500) 2 weekends a month on fire roads and the rest city/hwy (w/o trailer) it seems like the Rav fits the bill. I searched the 4Runner forums and came to the conclusion that, "realistic city would be 15-18 and solidly over 20mpg on the hwy but alot depends on the driver". A reply that caught my eye was "Towing is where the MPG really suck!" :Wow1:
The only time he would get the Rav into offraod trouble is if his big brother shamed him into it just so he could pull him out with his Tacoma.

 

[winkosmosis]

One thing to keep in mind with these crossovers is that the combination of low clearance and lack of skidplates means components will get damaged much more easily than on a real truck

 

[BigSwede]

Definitely. The gas tank on the RAV4 is right down there, level with the lowest stuff underneath, with no protection at all.

 

[IdaSHO]

The 4runner gets excellent mileage (22mpg hwy)

"4-runner" and "excellent mileage" simply doesnt compute.

They never get even decent mileage. To say that they get EXCELLENT mileage is pretty silly.

My 7000lb ford truck gets 20mpg on the highway. 22mpg in a 4000lb sport-ute is far from excellent. Even the powerhouse new Ravs claim 28mpg highway.