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Getting a new Outlander, CR-V or RAV4

121 messages,  Last post on Aug 26, 2009 at 8:49 PM

You are in the Honda CR-V Forum.

What is this discussion about? Toyota RAV4, Honda CR-V, Mitsubishi Outlander

Messages Page 9 of 13

#73 of 121 Re: Got it [thegraduate] by tireguy

Jun 30, 2008 (6:10 am)

Replying to: thegraduate (Jun 27, 2008 7:52 am)
RAV4s are definitely feminine, but I'd imagine those girly lines would blur when pulling a 3500 lb bowrider up a slippery ramp in 4wd, or romping through a foot of snow on the way to your hunting cabin on a road with no county service.
Cute or not, it's got the capability I was looking for. And my wife likes it, so that's good enough.
Incidentally, I found some videos on the net of people doing things in RAV4s that I might have hesitated to do in my previous Wrangler. It's amazing what you can do when you couple 4wd with traction control and a little ground clearance, even in a soccer-mom grocery getter!

#74 of 121 Re: Got it [tireguy] by sdc2

Jun 30, 2008 (1:08 pm)

Replying to: tireguy (Jun 30, 2008 6:10 am)
You can make it a little less "girly" by taking the spare tire cover off...
Certainly the latest generation is less feminine-looking than previous ones...I don't have a problem with it anyway.
 
I got 28.2 mpg on my last trip, with 3 passengers and luggage. The V6 RAV4 is the only vehicle I am aware of with that combination of towing capacity and gas mileage (though not simultaneously).

#75 of 121 Re: Got it [sdc2] by comem47

Jun 30, 2008 (4:02 pm)

Replying to: sdc2 (Jun 30, 2008 1:08 pm)
I've gotten 27 mpg in my V6 Outlander and it too can tow 3500 lbs. I seriously considered the RAV-4 when I was looking but the swing door doesn't do it for me.
(they also were dealing good $ on Outlanders with a great warranty.) Otherwise the RAV was in the running.

#76 of 121 Re: Got it [comem47] by sdc2

Jul 01, 2008 (8:09 am)

Replying to: comem47 (Jun 30, 2008 4:02 pm)
OK, you are right, but I neglected to mention my 3rd criteria since it is unique to me: whether I can fit in it. I am 6'3" and long torso, so I am headroom challenged in most vehicles, but the RAV with its height-adjustable seat all the way down and telescoping steering wheel all the way up and out fits me nicely, plus I still have good upward visibility to stoplights and such. There are some other vehicles I can fit into, but my head is so near the ceiling that I have to hunch over just to see if the stoplight has changed...unacceptable.

#77 of 121 Re: getting a new car: RAV, CRV or Oulander? [brown99] by jondubus

Jul 01, 2008 (9:03 am)

Replying to: brown99 (Jun 10, 2007 11:01 pm)
Please read my post nearby on MY '07 RAV4 defective airbag experience and my current Toyota customer
 (dis)service experience. You should drop Toyota from your list like a hot potato. Just my .02. Good Luck.

#78 of 121 by tireguy

Jul 03, 2008 (2:33 pm)

I didn't see your post, but sorry to hear about it. Too late to drop it; it's in my garage. Every model has its tales of lemons, and I have pretty low expectations when it comes to dealer / manufacturer customer service.
 
So far so good. Wife loves it. And it's actually very quick--as you'd expect from a miniature vehicle with more horsepower than a 2000 Mustang GT. Splash guards and the trailer hitch make it look a little less svelte, but it's still girly. The JBL stereo rattles your teeth with its abundant bass, but it doesn't have the depth of the Bose system in my Yukon.
 
The right-swinging gate actually works out pretty well for us. The 18 month-old sits behind the driver, and the 3-year old sits in the right side of the third row (with the left seat stowed) so my wife doesn't even have to walk around the vehicle to secure them in their carseats.

#79 of 121 Re: [tireguy] by grahamster

Dec 28, 2008 (1:14 pm)

Replying to: tireguy (Jul 03, 2008 2:33 pm)
Does your RAV4 have leather seats or cloth seats? does it have Yokohama Geolandar tires? Where do you take it for service? How do you wash it? How does the 4WD system work? Would you suggest the Base model with the V6 engine with steel wheels?

#80 of 121 Re: getting a new car: RAV, CRV or Oulander? [jondubus] by sataei

Apr 11, 2009 (12:03 pm)

Replying to: jondubus (Jul 01, 2008 9:03 am)
I have the same issue choosing between a 2009 Rav4 V6 sport and 2009 Outlander V6 XLS; I live in Canada and can get much better deal on outlander than Rav4 and personally like the outlander features more.
 
I was going to get the outlander until I did a test drive and realized some kind of high engine sound when trying to accelerate with outlander , I and my wife both notice this, It looked to me the engine does not have the enough power for the body to kick it so has to work hard! This never happened when we test the Rav4(very smooth and powerful engine), outlander dealer blame to engine not warm enough? But I did not buy it.
 
Has anyone notice this? Is this normal? If I did not have this experience I had the outlander now!

#81 of 121 Re: getting a new car: RAV, CRV or Oulander? [sataei] by comem47

Apr 12, 2009 (7:31 am)

Replying to: sataei (Apr 11, 2009 12:03 pm)
I have an '07 Outlander LS V6 and find the engine just fine when I punch it. Something must be very wrong with the XLS you drove. I briefly considered the RAV-4, but really got turned off by the swinging door with the tire on it. (parking in the city with a car behind you one could have a job getting stuff out of the back with the door in the way, as opposed to the low height fold down tailgate of the Outlander). For me, the lower price, super sound system and superior warranty of the Outlander had me drop the RAV off of my shopping list. The Hyundai Santa Fe was also on my list and might be worth looking at (it's a bit larger, weighs more and consumes a little more in gas, but also has a great warranty)

#82 of 121 Re: getting a new car: RAV, CRV or Oulander? [comem47] by piast

Apr 13, 2009 (7:14 am)

Replying to: comem47 (Apr 12, 2009 7:31 am)
+1 for Outlander. XLS V6, no problems and plenty of power. Engine doesn't sound as refined as Honda V6 (our other car), but the whole package is much better than any other small to medium CUV on the market. Our other choice was Santa Fe as well.

Messages Page 9 of 13

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