Thoughts On Changing Cars.

[flyboyprowler]

I would appreciate members thoughts as I am thinking of changing my RAV in Spain, either for a new RAV or maybe a Skoda YETI. Our current car, a 2003 petrol auto has given fantastic service, but is now a little long in the tooth. Here in Spain, it pays to buy new, and second hand prices are really high. We need the 4WD capability as we live deep in the country, and I have been impressed by reviews of the YETI, whereas the RAV is now hailed as a little "dated". I will be back in UK for a few weeks soon, and hope to test drive both cars, as there are no demonstrators available here, different selling psychy completely! If any members have had experience of the YETI, I would love to hear their views, and as for the RAV, would you choose petrol or diesel, I understand from much reading on the site, that the new diesels in the RAV are problem free, and diesel is cheaper than petrol here! Many thanks, Ainsley.

[Hoovie]

I had a Honda HR-V at the time the Yeti Concept Car was revealed and I thought it looked great and was waiting (and waiting and waiting) for it to come out.

By the time it did come out, I was looking to replace my RAV4.2 after 4 years of driving it and one of the cars on my short list was the Yeti as I thought it still looked good.

Well, you know when you get in a car, and it just 'feels right'? Well, the Yeti had NONE of that for me. The Salesman at the dealership I went to was a plonker as well, which didn't help the cause either. I ended up getting a Nissan Qashqai which DID feel right and it was a competent car in its own right, but in reality no comparison to the RAV4.2 (with its 10 year old design) I traded in for it, and no comparison to the RAV4.3 I then moved on to from the Qashqai 18 months later.

RAv4 Diesel v Petrol - depends on what Toyota Espana do, but in the UK, if you want manual, you HAVE to have Diesel. And if the diesel is cheaper then petrol, makes sense to stay diesel anyway (much more torquey engine) as you will get the money back on running as well as resale.

In reviews, the Yeti seems to be the darling of the SUVs and the Qashqai the hero of the Crossover, with the RAV4 now the ginger-haired stepchild, but with experience of all three, give me the carrot-top any day

[Joylove]

As a leftfield ball, the latest Jeep Cherokee is supposed to be superb; and prices may be low due to the previously terrible efforts and the poor brand image.

EDIT: Just checked the prices, it's not even close at double the top Yeti price.

[jedi134]

I`ve just been looking at the BMW X5 3.0/V6 diesel 281 BHP 34mpg not bad MPG figures for a big 4x4 with that amount of power. :D

[CharlieFarlie]

I`ve just been looking at the BMW X5 3.0/V6 diesel 281 BHP 34mpg not bad MPG figures for a big 4x4 with that amount of power. :D

X5 is a very good car with an absolute load of space and decent economy.. A sluggish car though despite its 3.0 engine,, Thing that puts Me off is the image......................

[bitman]

I`ve just been looking at the BMW X5 3.0/V6 diesel 281 BHP 34mpg not bad MPG figures for a big 4x4 with that amount of power. :D

X5 is a very good car with an absolute load of space and decent economy.. A sluggish car though despite its 3.0 engine,, Thing that puts Me off is the image......................

I would appreciate members thoughts as I am thinking of changing my RAV in Spain, either for a new RAV or maybe a Skoda YETI. Many thanks, Ainsley.

not sure what a X5 has to do with the question of the OP

anyway, having now driven a couple 100 miles in a newish rav 4 (plate EJ61 GSO) i can't see me buying one for that money toyota ask for it...

[IanXT4]

"We need the 4WD capability as we live deep in the country"

If I was in your shoes I would want a 4WD with a proper full size spare wheel. A lot of cars now come with just a can of guck and the alternative is to fill your boot with an extra wheel.

[Gods_gift]

How many miles a year do you do? Id recomend the Rav over Yeti for off road design imho. I see and have used mine in anger bit of off road an a lot of towing an it has been fairly faultless. I do 25k miles a year and think it's been a brilliant car so far. On the other hand a mate has a toureg an that has been a dog (VW/Skoda same parts bin). But saying that years ago i had a vw polo that was brilliant an went on to do 220k miles from new. All about how it feels on your initial drive, what you want it for, how easy to get parts and service and the economics. As my father inlaw said all cars are rusting **** heaps depending how you look at them.

[flyboyprowler]

"We need the 4WD capability as we live deep in the country" If I was in your shoes I would want a 4WD with a proper full size spare wheel. A lot of cars now come with just a can of guck and the alternative is to fill your boot with an extra wheel.

I agree that a full sized spare is needed, and here in Spain, the RAV is still available with wheel on rear door, and I can have a sun roof. Not sure if that is an option on the YETI. Also, being golfers ( in mind anyway!) the RAV is great for space. However, the YETI is more economical on paper, cheaper to buy, and a more modern design. I hope to drive the two cars back to back, so will report on my thoughts. Thanks so much for the feedback, Ainsley

[flyboyprowler]

"We need the 4WD capability as we live deep in the country" If I was in your shoes I would want a 4WD with a proper full size spare wheel. A lot of cars now come with just a can of guck and the alternative is to fill your boot with an extra wheel.

I agree that a full sized spare is needed, and here in Spain, the RAV is still available with wheel on rear door, and I can have a sun roof. Not sure if that is an option on the YETI. Also, being golfers ( in mind anyway!) the RAV is great for space. However, the YETI is more economical on paper, cheaper to buy, and a more modern design. I hope to drive the two cars back to back, so will report on my thoughts. Thanks so much for the feedback, Ainsley

How many miles a year do you do? Id recomend the Rav over Yeti for off road design imho. I see and have used mine in anger bit of off road an a lot of towing an it has been fairly faultless. I do 25k miles a year and think it's been a brilliant car so far. On the other hand a mate has a toureg an that has been a dog (VW/Skoda same parts bin). But saying that years ago i had a vw polo that was brilliant an went on to do 220k miles from new. All about how it feels on your initial drive, what you want it for, how easy to get parts and service and the economics. As my father inlaw said all cars are rusting **** heaps depending how you look at them.

How many miles a year do you do? Id recomend the Rav over Yeti for off road design imho. I see and have used mine in anger bit of off road an a lot of towing an it has been fairly faultless. I do 25k miles a year and think it's been a brilliant car so far. On the other hand a mate has a toureg an that has been a dog (VW/Skoda same parts bin). But saying that years ago i had a vw polo that was brilliant an went on to do 220k miles from new. All about how it feels on your initial drive, what you want it for, how easy to get parts and service and the economics. As my father inlaw said all cars are rusting **** heaps depending how you look at them.

We do around 8 to 10,000 a year, of mixed motoring. Our house is in the hills near to our local village, and there is a lot of hilly type roads, of mixed surface. No towing, but a small dog and golf clubs as regular passengers! I looked at a Toureg some time ago, and not too impressed, a little too clinical. However, the Skoda could be serviced locally, whereas the Toyota service is 80 miles away, but not sure if the local dealer here in Spain offers a delivery service.

[Hoovie]

Talking sunroofs, I am not sure if you want one for light, or for ventilation, but one thing which I liked about the Yeti was the option of a Panoramic Roof (at £1,000 mind). I don't think it opened but was just a large fixed glass plate. The Qashqai (I know you have not mentioned that car!) also had a massive fixed glass roof which was fantastic when touring around the mountains in Europe and I so wish the RAV4 had that (I would be more then happy with a glass top that doesn't open )

[bitman]

a sunroof in spain? why do you want that?

better a white coloured car with no sunroof (and a windscreen shield when not driving to keep the head out and keeping the dash cool / cracking / discolouring / etc) imho.

i think i do know a bit of the sun as i did life & work for over 5 years in the algarve back in the 90s...

toyota or skoda? make sure to have a good supporting garage is may be more important?

[jedi134]

So like a transit van then

[flyboyprowler]

a sunroof in spain? why do you want that? better a white coloured car with no sunroof (and a windscreen shield when not driving to keep the head out and keeping the dash cool / cracking / discolouring / etc) imho. i think i do know a bit of the sun as i did life & work for over 5 years in the algarve back in the 90s... toyota or skoda? make sure to have a good supporting garage is may be more important?

A sunroof is just a foible of mine. All my cars have had it, and the current RAV's gets used all the time. I found that the panoramic roofs make the greenhouse even warmer, unless of course they have a pull under cover. I have not looked at a qashqai, and we do have a local dealer here, so I will add that to the list. As to garages, Skoda have shown NO interest in selling me a car, Toyota were a lot better, and parts are so expensive for my RAV here that I bring them over from UK. However local labour rates are better at around 35€ an hour hour, but not sure of main dealer prices.

[Hoovie]

Ainsley, For me, the Dealer is a major part of car ownership, and if Skoda do not want to sell you a car, will they care about you if you have a problem? or need parts?? To me, that would be a big turn off.

The Toyota Dealers in the UK are on the whole excellent and better IMO then any other brands dealers I have dealt with (I am not a Luxury car buyer so cannot comment about Jaguar, Aston Marton, etc).

Re the Qashqai - the panoramic glass extended the length of the passenger cabin and had an electric full length blind to expose or cover as much as you wanted, from 0% to 100%.

It may seem odd that I keep mentioning the Qashwai as I got rid of mine after just 18 months, as the car itself was faultless and the specification great. It just turned out the car didn't 'push my buttons' in actual ownership, but as they say , YMMV. (The QQ petrol 2.0 4x4 is mega thirsty btw!)

[flyboyprowler]

I agree with the dealer argument. Our car in UK is a BMW 3 series, and the dealer has been really attentive. Also with my parts dealings with UK Toyota dealers, they have been really helpful. As mentioned previously, we are back for 3 weeks soon, so I will try the cars back to back, and come to some decision. Much appreciate your input.

[bluetvrs1]

Throwing in a curve ball but have you looked at the Jeep Patriot? We have 3 cars (Patriot 2.4litre, Rav4 3dr and Rav4 5dr both 2.0litre ....all cars are petrol/auto) and the Jeep returns the best mileage. Boxey shape makes best use of space and it's very good to drive. Lockable 4wd and full size spare wheel. In the 4 years we've had ours the only problem has been one of the door lock pins unscrewed itself and fell into the door easily fixed with a screw driver and locktite.

We were a bit apprehensive about Jeep as some of their previous offferings have been a bit ropey but nowadays they seem to have caught up with the other runners in terms of reliability (some others seem to have gone backwards - friends new Audi Q5 blew its transmission after 3 months, another friend's VW Golf blew its engine with a year).

Saying that we've had Rav4s for the last 15 years and have only ever had to replace batteries and CV boots...long live Toyota

[flyboyprowler]

Throwing in a curve ball but have you looked at the Jeep Patriot? We have 3 cars (Patriot 2.4litre, Rav4 3dr and Rav4 5dr both 2.0litre ....all cars are petrol/auto) and the Jeep returns the best mileage. Boxey shape makes best use of space and it's very good to drive. Lockable 4wd and full size spare wheel. In the 4 years we've had ours the only problem has been one of the door lock pins unscrewed itself and fell into the door easily fixed with a screw driver and locktite.

We were a bit apprehensive about Jeep as some of their previous offferings have been a bit ropey but nowadays they seem to have caught up with the other runners in terms of reliability (some others seem to have gone backwards - friends new Audi Q5 blew its transmission after 3 months, another friend's VW Golf blew its engine with a year).

Saying that we've had Rav4s for the last 15 years and have only ever had to replace batteries and CV boots...long live Toyota

In the back of my mind I have thought Jeep. A pal of mine was the main dealer in Dublin and always spoke highly of them. I drove a Cherokee some years ago, and was impressed, apart from the fact that the depreciation was huge. We have a dealer near to us in Spain, and it may well be worth another look. Still, I am really fond of my RAV, I just wonder if there is a new model in the near pipeline. Normally I wouldn't buy new, but in Spain the psychy is different, and this will be the last car I buy, so I want to get the best value for the money!

[Molnboman]

BTW The X3 diesel engines 2lt and 3lt are brilliant and highly tuneable from what I understand!....I have been doing my homework too for another car to replace the Rav.....and it's not easy....I am scared off buying another diesel.....sounds like the Toyota diesel engines aren't immune from issuses....Big issues either!.......I guess mileage is a factor between petrol v diesel.....anything less that 15k km's a year I wouldn't go diesel....however, with the price of fuel right now....I might have to think again!......not tried the Yeti....just a bit of an 'ugg looker for me personally!...I do miss the torque of an oil burner.....gotta rev the !Removed! of the petrol Rav to get it going....only good thing is that recently due it's lack of oomphh it saved me getting a speeding ticket!....every cloud.....hahaha Good Luck with your car choice either way! My only wish was that the 4.2 petrol was a little bit more refined, better MPG....quieter cabin...less notchy gearchange etc....but that apart.. I really enjoy driving the wee thing...and it has been living up to it's reliable reputation thus far!

Cheers

A

[flyboyprowler]

Hi Allan, I tried the X3 when the new model came out, and was sadly not too impressed, and when you add the boys toys, it becomes pricey! We are back un UK now, and it's warmer here than Spain, so I am going to be a happy Easter bunny trying cars, while the wife gets used to the shops again. Petrol prices are significantly more expensive now in Spain, we topped up with petrol on the way to Alicante, at a price of € 1.51, and here now it's £ 1.39. We used to be 30% cheaper out there! How times change. I am not a diesel fan, but there is now an 8 cent difference in the price, in Spain with diesel being cheaper---- it makes the choices even harder.

[Molnboman]

Hi Allan, I tried the X3 when the new model came out, and was sadly not too impressed, and when you add the boys toys, it becomes pricey! We are back un UK now, and it's warmer here than Spain, so I am going to be a happy Easter bunny trying cars, while the wife gets used to the shops again. Petrol prices are significantly more expensive now in Spain, we topped up with petrol on the way to Alicante, at a price of € 1.51, and here now it's £ 1.39. We used to be 30% cheaper out there! How times change. I am not a diesel fan, but there is now an 8 cent difference in the price, in Spain with diesel being cheaper---- it makes the choices even harder.

Do you mind telling me what you didn't like about the X3? Was it the ride or general quality......it's on my shortlist but not had a shot of one yet!....I hear the ride is rock hard, but liveable'ish......the engines are great though from people who know what they are talking about...not me! hahaha I have been driving diesels for nearly 10years and only went back to petrol recently when I bought my Rav to get through the Winter......it's been great to have a reliable car for a change, however, I do miss the low down torque of an oil burner and feedng it juice twice as much as my diesels, hurts my wallet too!....and am limited to car choice due to my Mrs insisting on a high seat position ( surprise, surprise ) .....'ad have a Scooby do in a hearbeat! hahaha...but I do like the wee Rav and have become very fond of it!......4x4 wise I am considering the Santa Fe 2.2, Quashqai or the X3.......I can't stretch to buying new right now or I would consider the IX35 or the Mitsi ASX........non 4x4 it has to be front wheel drive cause of the weather up here so that limits me to an Audi A4 am afraid.....I need to get out and do a bit of garage trawling myself....but I need to drag the whole Team Harvey with me...so everyone's happy!...The joys of having 2 teenage kids!....My son will have any car as long as it has a skyroof! hahahaha

[flyboyprowler]

I tested an X3, SE,the old version some time ago. 3 liter petrol with all the bits and in very nice condition from a BM dealer. The ride was firm, but the quality of ride was only average. Interior, I felt was ordinary. I have a 330i coupe with M sport suspension and that on 19" run flats is firm but pliable, the X3 was worse, and a little wallowy! The X1 was nice but the cabin finish lets it down, it may now be improved, X5, cheap now to buy, but very expensive to run.

We are selling our coupe, and going to try renting when we are in UK, BUT, if that doesn't work then I will be looking very seriosly at a Lexus RX400. Seriosly nice to drive, and quick and relatively economical, and reliability appears bulletproof. The only problem I have with it is the torque steer under acceleration, but as its mainly frontwheel drive, till it needs 4 WD, then you get used to it. A friend of mine has a Santa fe, to plastic! The mitsi, bad write ups! I drove the i35, and found that quite firm, but well finished.

[Gods_gift]

What about Merc ML or GL? Ive been looking at GL because of full size 7 seats. 2nd had prices are pretty good think you can get the fuel economy up with a chip.

[Molnboman]

What about Merc ML or GL? Ive been looking at GL because of full size 7 seats. 2nd had prices are pretty good think you can get the fuel economy up with a chip.

Thanks for the heads up on the X3....funny, you read the reviews In AutCoar, What Car....get into the nitty gritty via the Honest John website....then you come away scratching yer nut!......X5 as you say, is too expensive to run...up here anyway.

I had a ML270 on for a week working in Holland last year.....really enjoyed it but maybe too big for me and the Mrs!.....must admit had fun with that thing....arrrggghhh it is just so annoying...doesn't help that second hand pricing up here are bonkers right now cause no one is buying new!

Am not going to rush into buying something.....am just gong to kep saving the pennies until the right car comes my way....there is plenty of km'sleft in the wee Rav for the time being!

[anchorman]

My mate has just bought an X1. Its more sumptuously finished than the RAV and seems to go very nice. The auto box seems very smooth. Not sure I like the white eyebrows but otherwise it seems quite nice. I think I would prefer a RAV long term just based on niggly faults on several mates varoius BMWs.