RAV4 Design V Excel

[Giagia13]

Dear all, I am considering ordering a new RAV4 and my main choice is between the Excel and Design. Do people find the extra safety features and options on the Excel (BSM and PVM) useful and justifying the extra price tag over the Design? In my case it would probably also make me liable for the 40K tax once I add up the other options I would like installed..

I like the spare tyre with the Design but presumably from what I remember seeing the boot space for a spare is still there on the Excel and it is just a matter of buying one from a reputable company..

Many thanks in advance

[Rosgoe]

When I was looking to change my auris I did look at the rav4 awd in excel trim but I thought it to big for our needs I noticed that you don’t get the heated seats in the design trim nor the heated steering wheel which are good to have in the winter ( I may be corrected on this) 

when I got the final price it was a shade under £40,000 even with the panoramic roof.

[Flatcoat]

PVM is an option on Excel. However be aware the 2022MY spec will probably now apply to any new orders. 

[PAISLEY1903]

I have the rav4 excel and love all the extras. 

I was reversing with a huge white van beside me and as I was pulling back the sensors went off like crazy I wasn't sure what was going on and before I hit the brake pedal the car did it for me for a car to fly right past in rear window. 

The memory adjusted seats I like as do I like the heated steering wheel! 

[Yugguy1970]

I looked at this when choosing mine.

I went for Design over Icon as it was only a little more and gave me front sensors.

Excel was almost £3000 more and for me the only thing I wanted  would have been lumbar support and I've solved that with a £6 mesh support off eBay.

I also really wanted a spare tyre.

I would rather pay the extra for AWD as I have noticed that the front wheels can unstick in the damp even with gentle acceleration.

In both my Focus and the RAV I have found that setting the rear camera to widescreen shows me enough that I don't need the cross traffic alert.

[Giagia13]

Thank you all so much for the input - all very valid points .

I have just placed an order for the Excel online - the waiting times are shown as 18 weeks but I hope it will be worth the wait ! I think the added safety features are something I would want but I take Guy’s point regarding the widescreen camera settings . 

In the meantime if anyone has recommendations for spare tyres , please let me know !

[Rav Rob]

1 hour ago, Giagia13 said:

Thank you all so much for the input - all very valid points .

I have just placed an order for the Excel online - the waiting times are shown as 18 weeks but I hope it will be worth the wait ! I think the added safety features are something I would want but I take Guy’s point regarding the widescreen camera settings . 

In the meantime if anyone has recommendations for spare tyres , please let me know !

As an Excel owner I think you will be very happy, it does feel pretty luxury, the cross traffic is superbly effective in a hectic car park as its like an extra set of eye watching out for the loons. The heated steering wheel is bliss too. Lumbar support, for me vital, if nothing else, on a long trip it lets you tweak about with your driving position a bit more from time to time to give different muscles a rest. And that glow of the puddle lights just for walking near the car is cool.

Your friends with German cars who pay a fortune for options, you will be like yep mines got that, yup and that, and that too, yep its got one of them, yup that as well.. lol

[ColinB]

Ordering or new RAV4 the sales guy pushed us towards the Excel, but as the main reason for changing our C-HR is that after an accident I found it uncomfortable sitting still for too long and the extra adjustments (tilting the base) on the Excel help on this front. It's only a few pounds a month more..... 

[PAISLEY1903]

8 hours ago, Giagia13 said:

Dear all, I am considering ordering a new RAV4 and my main choice is between the Excel and Design. Do people find the extra safety features and options on the Excel (BSM and PVM) useful and justifying the extra price tag over the Design? In my case it would probably also make me liable for the 40K tax once I add up the other options I would like installed..

I like the spare tyre with the Design but presumably from what I remember seeing the boot space for a spare is still there on the Excel and it is just a matter of buying one from a reputable company..

Many thanks in advance

I ordered mine via carwow and saved a significant amount of money on mine if helps. 

[Shootgun]

12 hours ago, Giagia13 said:

In the meantime if anyone has recommendations for spare tyres , please let me know !

Just order one from your dealer, as i did.

[Flatcoat]

10 hours ago, PAISLEY1903 said:

I ordered mine via carwow and saved a significant amount of money on mine if helps. 

Also worth trying autoebid however I got a slightly better deal than either by simply playing hardball with the deal. It was 3 days before end of quarter so guessed they might need to meet bonus targets…. 

[Yugguy1970]

I genuinely don't get why they think that the more expensive luxury trim doesn't need a spare tyre?

Do they think the buyers are far too posh to change their own wheels?  😂

[ernieb]

I think the obvious reason is weight and therefor economy the repair kit weighs significantly less than the tyre kit.  Sometimes the higher spec cars have pano roofs etc., which are heavy so it’s a trade off.  As for me I’d want a spare tyre every time. I’ve posted else where that my dealer would not order or sell one for the PHEV, not on the spares system, which is why I opted for a 3rd party kit.

[PAISLEY1903]

3 hours ago, Flatcoat said:

Also worth trying autoebid however I got a slightly better deal than either by simply playing hardball with the deal. It was 3 days before end of quarter so guessed they might need to meet bonus targets…. 

My local Toyota dealer (who I dont use) - had a Design 2019 with 29k on the clock and wanted more for that than I got a September plate Excel for on carwow - crazy times. 

[Firecycle]

Crazy times indeed, the long wait begins for me as I'm told mine won't turn up until March 

[FROSTYBALLS]

It is also to do with emissions - the extra weight of the spare supposedly bumps up the emissions and puts the car into the next category. Important not just for road tax but also keeping Toyota's corporate CO2 lower.

[Giagia13]

Thank you all. I had used Carwow for my wife’s car purchase a few months ago and got a good discount for her beautiful new Yaris. This time the dealers were less forthcoming, most likely due to the high demand and relative shortage of new cars. So I ordered the Excel online; on the plus side, the Toyota online platform gave me a good deal for my 2013 RAV4 - about £3500 more than I was offered back in April by the dealer which I found remarkable .

And I got to avoid the usual routine of giving my details again, declining the coffee , having to watch the videos on SMART GAP PROTECT, asking them to remove the SMART GAP PROTECT, asking them about the compliance fee etc .. So much more pleasant but probably costlier .. 

[Flatcoat]

So did online give you a decent discount? 

[Giagia13]

No , no discount but much better price for the part exchange . 

[Flatcoat]

Against what benchmark? My cars trade value went up £4500 from July to September - still got £2000 discount on top of the September £4750 price drop. Hope you were on top of the market. I have noted trade values have dropped since last month. First time this has happened since April. 

[Lawnmowerman]

2 plus weeks ago We Buy Any Car valued my 2018 25k miles Design AWD Hybrid @ £23.5K.

They have come back to me 3 times and on Monday they had valued it at £24,750. Crazy times indeed - and I know they wouldn't have paid that because of a paint chip on the leading edge of the bonnet about the size of a pin-head.

You would think they wouldn't spot that - they spot EVERYTHING so that they can offer less.

However, my dealer did pay effectively £24,750 - 1 year ago its value was £19k.

I don't think we will ever see the like again - just nice to for once come out on top (relatively speaking).

[Flatcoat]

Values are still going to remain strong though. Some manufacturers are quoting 12-15 month delivery times so with demand outstripping supply it will be well into 2022 if not 2023 before the market normalises. Inflation will also affect used values so on paper losses will appear less. On balance we seem to have picked the optimum time for buying new (just for once) but doubt we will see such market conditions again anytime soon. 

[Yugguy1970]

You had to watch videos?

Our dealer just said "do you want gap protection", we said "no" and that was that.

[Firecycle]

They never even asked me re Gap protection and just emailed me some info, but at £450 I will be declining if asked and will source elsewhere for less money. Its funny how these strange times have ended, I sold my previous car and have only lost £1800 in 3 years or so after selling to my local main dealer. WBAC offered me the same but I knew they would knock at least  £500 off for a couple of stone chips, so I consider myself a winner. Plus a big discount through Carwow for the Rav.....when it arrives.

[Flatcoat]

I lost £1500 in 15 months - could have possibly done a bit better too but wanted a no hassle sale and it was getting close to a service next month saving £400. My wife’s car has dropped less than £4000 from brand new in 4 years, nearly 80% retained value at 4 years is unheard of. I used Carwow and Drivethedeal to benchmark against with my new car and managed to get a deal fairly local that slightly bettered Carwow but not quite upto DTD - the latter are no longer sourcing Toyota.