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I've found a 2011 Toyota RAV4 with only 33,000 miles on it. The interior looks practically brand new, the paint is in good shape (and the color we want), it has a V6, new brake pads, a luggage rack, some kind of "hill descent control" and some kind of hill parking transmission thing...all of which is good as we do love to go to Arkansas and hike and float and drive back roads. It's a one-owner, and the Carfax is good.
The thing I'm most concerned about is...well, two things:
1. The 33,000 miles seems too good to be true. Seems like it would have to have belonged to some older people who mostly drove in town, and I've heard city driving is harder on an engine than highway driving. Is this true? The thing runs smoothly and drives great, especially in traffic with that V6.
2. The V6 concerns me because I really wanted something with better gas mileage than even the 4-cylinder would give, but spousy wants higher ground clearance for back roads and crossing low-water bridges, etc. I know what the "official" mileage is supposed to be, but I've read those are usually wrong. I've read many a review that said they weren't getting what they were supposed to be getting. A few say they are getting better, but not many, it seems. The readout, after we got back from driving it it town said 18, but I don't know how those work...like, how far back they measure.
We'll be stretching things to get it bought and make the payments, so the lower gas mileage is a big concern. I want a Prius, actually, and spousy did too until we drove the RAV4.
So....thoughts? We put a deposit down and they will hold it until Wednesday. Do my concerns amount to a hill of beans?
Also...anyone have any idea how we can find out the previous owner's name? I'd like to know why they got rid of it, and see if they have any idea what kind of gas mileage they were getting.
I went from a 6 cylinder used Corolla to a 4 cylinder used Nissan small pickup. The difference in power is really noticeable. If I could afford 6 cylinders over 4, I'd always go for the 6, even if it got worse gas mileage. It's just so nice to have that power when you want to get up a hill, or pass someone, or merge, etc.
I've been driving old, high-mileage Toyotas mainly for the last 15 years. I wouldn't worry at all about it being driven mostly in city vs highway. It's a Toyota. It will treat you right, from my experience.
I'm probably just old and skeptical, but I wonder about the hybrids costing more for maintenance. It seems like a system that has to switch back and forth between gas and electricity, is just something with more parts that need maintenance and more parts that can break down and leave you stranded.
So, I guess you'd have to figure in the cost of maintenance vs any gas savings you might have.
Plus, have you ever driven a Prius or gone on a trip in one as a passenger? I have. Boooorrrrrrriiiiiinnnnnnnggggg! LOL.
I have a lady friend that buys RAV4s about every 3 years, maybe. She's had several. The previous one was a 4 banger and it was buzzy. She didn't have it long as the 4 banger drove her nutz. The current one is the V6 and she gets 28-30 mpgs hiway at 70-75 mph. According to her, the 4 banger didn't get much better gas mileage at those hiway speeds. The only down side I've seen with the RAV 4 is cost to fix it. The 4 banger needed brakes and it wasn't a cheap date. She also had a guy hit the front bumper and knocked it loose- no body damage, just replace the parts. It was nearly 2 grand for that junky plastic crap Toyota hung on the front. You can't just replace the plastic, you have to replace the entire assembly which amazingly is styrofoam. It's no wonder Toyota is under Federal investigation for porking folks to death on parts. Otherwise, the RAV 4s she has had have been great rides.
In regards to the previous owner. If you have the vin, you might put it in a google search and see what shows up. My wife's car comes up listing her as the owner but my trucks don't come up at all. Worth a shot anyway.
I'm probably just old and skeptical, but I wonder about the hybrids costing more for maintenance. My hubby is worried about that also...he likes to do as much as he can do himself (with the help of YouTube...you know, you can find out how to fix anything in the world on YT!! LOL) and he says it's a big deal just to change the spark plugs on a Prius.
Plus, have you ever driven a Prius or gone on a trip in one as a passenger? I have. Boooorrrrrrriiiiiinnnnnnnggggg! LOL. I'm not the type to be into the "driving experience"....I just want something that is going to get me down the road, not going to break down, and doesn't cost a fortune to put gas in. But you did make a good point about the maintenance.
In regards to the previous owner. If you have the vin, you might put it in a google search and see what shows up. My wife's car comes up listing her as the owner but my trucks don't come up at all. Worth a shot anyway.
My wife 2010 Rav4 V6 does around 20-30 MPG on the highway. Combined is around 21 or so, which is not bad at all for a V6 that produces around 270 HP. It's a rocket, too.
You should pass on this. You should not buy anything when you are "stretching" to make the payments. It sounds like you need to find something more affordable and not risk being put in a bind.
IMO, you can do better finding out about real-world fuel economy by doing more research yourself than trying to contact the previous owner. If they lost it to repossession or other less-than-ideal circumstances you might not get a pleasant reaction. Plus some people just don't want to be bothered by strangers about something they may deem as insignificant.
Is the vehicle in question an AWD or FWD? Supposedly, it's only a 1MPG difference but your results may differ.
People with the 4WD RAV4 are reporting 23.1 MPG, and with the 2WD only 19.7 MPG. Granted, there isn't a large sample size but it makes the point. It all depends on the driving style and type of use.
I'm averaging 27 MPG in my 2014 Avalon whereas most people with the same vehicle are averaging 25 MPG or less from what I've seen.
If you have a vehicle that is getting about 5 miles per gallon less than your desired target, the annual increased cost is about $225/year. Obviously, you can adjust the math based on a comparison of vehicles. If you are in a situation where either the monthly payment or the gas mileage is going to stretch your budget, you need to look at a much less expensive car.
We have a 2010 Rav4 with a 4 cylinder. It is AWD, but the rear wheels rarely engage-only if there is slippage. It is great on snow packed roads. It is averaging about 25 mpg, combined city and highway. The best mileage it ever did was about 34 mpg and the speed was consistent at about 55-60 mph and it was mountain driving. It is a great vehicle for city driving and especially for Saturday shopping because it sits up a bit higher (easy to see) and it turns on a dime. It absolutely has the tightest turning radius of any vehicle I have ever driven, so getting into any parking space is a breeze.
If I had it to do over again, I would have purchased a 6 cylinder only because, on the interstate, to me, the 4 cyl is under powered. Cruising at 75-78 MPH, the 4 cyl uses a lot of gas. I think the 6 would do better on gas cruising. We do not drive in the city daily. It is not the most aerodynamic vehicle on the road, so the wind will push it around. The tank only holds 10 gallons, so you have to stop fairly frequently for gas.
Great, dependable vehicle, however, it has had several recalls for things like the seat belts and the light switch. They even replaced something in the rear differential. It has not had any other mechanical issues and it has approximately 130,000 miles. The vehicle has very few issues in reliability reports. Should last a long time.
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