New Rav Prices/models Announced

[firemac]

Jim, not aware of that. I wonder if this has changed in this way over the last say 6-7 years as I *used* to buy and enjoy that magazine but over time found less and less of interest in it and was getting repetitive.

Charlie, a fair sum up and pretty well why I like the RAV4. I do lke the high up seating and now also spend a lot of time in a Renault Master which is not far off an HGV in seat height position and is actually enjoyable to drive for that reason :)

Ref bad weather, the older 4.2 was amazing in the last 2 bad winters for me. Think I will find out what the 4.3 is like this time round!

David, it's been like that for the past 3 or 4 years that I know of. I don't buy it regularly now but occasionally pick it up just to see if they've found any objectivity - they haven't.

They recently brought a new Australia resident editor on board to write articles about the 4x4 scene in Oz and it was a bit strange that the guy kept writing stuff solely about LR's which is at odds with reality Down Under where they don't really rate the green oval very highly ("if you want to go into the Outback, take a Land Rover; if you want to come back, take a Toyota"). Turns out that this clown is the marketing director for LR Australia........

I agree with Charlie that tthe RAV isn't a hard core off-roader but it's at least as good as CR-V, X-Trail & probably still better than Sportage, Yeti, Kuga etc. I wouldn't even note any LR products simply because of their appalling reliability and consequent costs of ownership. All of the above form the mainstream reporting for the 4x4 press now (apart from LR World which still inhabits UK 1948).

[CharlieFarlie]

Have no fears about the capability of the 4.3 in very bad weather like snow.... Late last year I had to travel from Scotland across to Cambridgeshire in the only real heavy snow of the season.... Many many vehicles were stranded along the A14 !! Many of these were 4X4s but I feel its not that those cars were or had bad capabilities but maybe the owners thinking because they had a 4X4 they were bullet proof and drove like clowns ?

OK My car was on winter tyres but driven steadily with care it just ploughed through without a murmer..

If I decide to go offroading a Defender would likely be the weapon of choice.. But the car has to do thousands of miles on the motorway as most cars do so the lean towards making the car less of a 4X4 and more of a maybe luxury estate car with the capabilities of the current car may just be a bonus.. For those who like the chunky slightly hard image of the current car it wont quite hit the spot... As the saying goes.......... You cant please everyone.

[Paulus17]

The more we look at the new Rav the more we like it.

Mrs P likes the colour of the interior shown,but would prefer the darker colour on the doors, and agrees with you Charlie that the interior does look more feminine.

Who's gonna be the one of the first to get one then??

[bitman]

if you want to talk about a hard core off-roader it's a mk3 hilux every time.

this 'new' 4.4 rav looks better then the ugly 4.3 imho but time will tell

[Plutus]

As I said on another thread it looks like a kiaKuga.e

For me functionality is paramount. I agree with Charlie that many of us want something that will eat the miles but also cope with winter and light off road.

I'm an auto man and mpg and co2 disappoint. Well behind the competition.

Will be interested to see the 4x4 system. I assume it still has a diff lock button. Does it still start off in 4 wheel drive and then switch to 2 we'd at a certain speed (like the 4.3)?

Spare wheel availability is also important.

My 4.2 is still a great vehicle but the running costs are high. Also, I fancy a change, hence my interest.

[CharlieFarlie]

As I said on another thread it looks like a kiaKuga.e

For me functionality is paramount. I agree with Charlie that many of us want something that will eat the miles but also cope with winter and light off road.

I'm an auto man and mpg and co2 disappoint. Well behind the competition.

Will be interested to see the 4x4 system. I assume it still has a diff lock button. Does it still start off in 4 wheel drive and then switch to 2 we'd at a certain speed (like the 4.3)?

Spare wheel availability is also important.

My 4.2 is still a great vehicle but the running costs are high. Also, I fancy a change, hence my interest.

Good question on the diff lock button ... Does the current car have this button ?

Paul I meant the Outside if the car was a bit feminine. Inside is looking more luxury than functional in that its following cars like the Evoque with its stitched leather on the dash panel.

Perhaps feminine was a bad choice of words but what I mean is its lst the chunky hard looks of the current 4.3. This will suit some and not others as the car is loosing its identity in favour of the corporate look .

First information suggests the the 4WD version ( I cannot see why anyone would want a 2WD car ??) will as mentioned by Plutus above will be way behind the current opposition on MPG and the all important emissions..

[bitman]

agree, toyota isn't building good cars if it's about mpg & co2

our littile 2003 nrg 4.2 is still going strong and now almost on 130k miles and the best looking rav4 imho

[Paulus17]

As I said on another thread it looks like a kiaKuga.e

For me functionality is paramount. I agree with Charlie that many of us want something that will eat the miles but also cope with winter and light off road.

I'm an auto man and mpg and co2 disappoint. Well behind the competition.

Will be interested to see the 4x4 system. I assume it still has a diff lock button. Does it still start off in 4 wheel drive and then switch to 2 we'd at a certain speed (like the 4.3)?

Spare wheel availability is also important.

My 4.2 is still a great vehicle but the running costs are high. Also, I fancy a change, hence my interest.

Good question on the diff lock button ... Does the current car have this button ?

Paul I meant the Outside if the car was a bit feminine. Inside is looking more luxury than functional in that its following cars like the Evoque with its stitched leather on the dash panel.

Perhaps feminine was a bad choice of words but what I mean is its lst the chunky hard looks of the current 4.3. This will suit some and not others as the car is loosing its identity in favour of the corporate look .

First information suggests the the 4WD version ( I cannot see why anyone would want a 2WD car ??) will as mentioned by Plutus above will be way behind the current opposition on MPG and the all important emissions..

Charlie- I think that the outside looks more sporty but still has that rugged look to it but with more sleaker,smoother lines,as i say the more i look the more i see i like about it.

Perhaps its just the colours they have used on that particular model inside that makes it look to us,more feminine??

Is the one in my video clip a petrol engine do you know??

[CharlieFarlie]

As I said on another thread it looks like a kiaKuga.e

For me functionality is paramount. I agree with Charlie that many of us want something that will eat the miles but also cope with winter and light off road.

I'm an auto man and mpg and co2 disappoint. Well behind the competition.

Will be interested to see the 4x4 system. I assume it still has a diff lock button. Does it still start off in 4 wheel drive and then switch to 2 we'd at a certain speed (like the 4.3)?

Spare wheel availability is also important.

My 4.2 is still a great vehicle but the running costs are high. Also, I fancy a change, hence my interest.

Good question on the diff lock button ... Does the current car have this button ?

Paul I meant the Outside if the car was a bit feminine. Inside is looking more luxury than functional in that its following cars like the Evoque with its stitched leather on the dash panel.

Perhaps feminine was a bad choice of words but what I mean is its lst the chunky hard looks of the current 4.3. This will suit some and not others as the car is loosing its identity in favour of the corporate look .

First information suggests the the 4WD version ( I cannot see why anyone would want a 2WD car ??) will as mentioned by Plutus above will be way behind the current opposition on MPG and the all important emissions..

Charlie- I think that the outside looks more sporty but still has that rugged look to it but with more sleaker,smoother lines,as i say the more i look the more i see i like about it.

Perhaps its just the colours they have used on that particular model inside that makes it look to us,more feminine??

Is the one in my video clip a petrol engine do you know??

It is a sportier look ! The way the bonnet edges are raised says it nay be easier to place the front of the car ?

Interior looks classier than the 4.3 and am I mistaken in spotting a button on the dash for a heated front screen ?

Not sure if its petrol or a diesel Paul.. Cant make it out...