Hi Scotty! I have been learning a lot from your channel into to take care of the car and which car brand is the most reliable. I am looking into buying a certified used 2019-2020 Toyota RAV4 XLE AWD as my first vehicle for me and my future wife. What are your opinions on the 8 automatic transmission and 203 horsepower four cylinder engine plus the braking and steering handling? You have influenced me into buying a Toyota for a life long reliability on the road both local and the highway. Thanks in advance!
Well, my son has 2019 RAV4. About 32,000 km on it since new.
Transmission: not so great. Shifts a lot. Hunts for gears. Too many gears to choose from. Confused computer? Most annoying. Also, no transmission fluid dipstick, so you never know if fluid level is correct.
Engine: enough power to move this rather porky SUV, but quite loud and trashy under brisk acceleration. Again, annoying. Steering is numb. Not much connection to the road. Not much directional stability.
Overall handling: very bad in crosswinds. Floaty suspension. Maytag on wheels best describes it.
Overall fit and finish: great! Very nice car, … reasonable value vis-a-vis competition, … especially if you drive hard bargain and negotiate price substantially down.
Anyway, my son likes his car very much, though, … likes technology his RAV offers, … but he also has a hard time finding his car’s gas cap. But, … but it gets him most reliably to and from work everyday! And his dad looks after it, …
Bt, … I’m comparing it with my ‘10 Honda CRV AWD, so, just perhaps, this is not a fair comparison? Still, I rather drive my Honda, … when I’m not driving my Miata, that is, … but I digress.
After almost 11 years of driving (180,000 km), CRV still feels more secure, … more directly connected to the road. More reassuring, more controllable. But that’s just me, …
Finally, … regarding “certified” 2019-2020 RAV4: … certified by whom? I would not trust anyone who sells me a“certified” car! Period. As a minimum, however, have it independently checked through and through by good, independent mechanic. Nothing can be a worst nightmare than nearly new - and perhaps grossly mistreated? - certified car!
Best,
F.S.
test drive it. I found the engine unacceptably loud. I also the think dash design is stupid. Other than that good cars.
