Starting to think it may need to be another R4P in 2024

[Nick72]

Love this largely bullet proof car. Alas I need to order a new company car in early 2024. I could buy the one I have at auction prices so that's an option but then I give up getting a third off what amounts to a lease on a new car, with all the insurance, maintenance, wear and tear, etc. all taken care off by my company.

I'm liking the updated R4P with the new displays but I'd definitely want to see...

A decent reversing camera not the long play VHS version we have where the tracking is also out 😂

Some of the American goodies like, kick sensor, digital rear view mirror, 360 pan cam, the laser disk player option with free Terminator 2 on 3 disks, and the 1.5kW or whatever it is power outlet in the boot. 

Improved lane following because we know that ain't the best.

And although it ain't going to happen, a slightly bigger capacity Battery (70 miles would be nice) and a 120hp motor at the rear.

 

What would you like to see on future R4Ps?

 

BTW I could still be tempted by a Polestar 3 or a RIVIAN. But there's just something much more solid about Toyota, the community here and on the US-Can forums is brilliant, and I'm still rocking back and forth on the range anxiety issue especially in winter on the motorway and the state of the charging infrastructure.

[ernieb]

I'd like to see some general improvements to the Head unit, heated steering whee, 360 camera, all LED lighting and a solid state traction Battery giving an EV range of around 75 miles. (this would give a solid 50 mile EV range in the winter months)

@Nick72, sounds like the purchase of  your current R4P could be a good deal but you'd loose to many other benefits so I'd get in the delivery queue for what would probably be a 2024 model. 

[spicyhotone]

I've not looked in detail at the Lexus equivalent, but does that have more toys or improved systems?

[nlee]

Wouldn't need to see much else. Agree with better MM system and display, and any extra range would be a bonus, possibly with the facility to allow rapid charging e.g. CCS (if only to give more public charging point options)

Main upgrade for me would be better connected services and reliability through the app.

[ernieb]

Agree about the connected services and reliability but extra features will mean a monthly fee for sure. Look what BMW are doing to give you remote seat heaters with their app.

[NASY]

The improvement I'd like to see is probably a bit retro but I like to operate the touch screen without touching it. So a wheel between the seats would be nice. I do find myself using voice commands too to get tunes from Spotify, sometimes it's worth a listen to the random misheard selections offered to broaden horizons.

[nlee]

3 hours ago, ernieb said:

Agree about the connected services and reliability but extra features will mean a monthly fee for sure. Look what BMW are doing to give you remote seat heaters with their app.

Yeah, I think you're right. There should always be essential functionality available FoC and additional functionality should be a choice. If it was better than it is, I'd pay a small subscription, I use to pay for additional features on my old Land Rover. But it would have to be a big improvement on what we get now.

[Nick72]

15 hours ago, ernieb said:

I'd like to see some general improvements to the Head unit, heated steering whee, 360 camera, all LED lighting and a solid state traction battery giving an EV range of around 75 miles. (this would give a solid 50 mile EV range in the winter months)

@Nick72, sounds like the purchase of  your current R4P could be a good deal but you'd loose to many other benefits so I'd get in the delivery queue for what would probably be a 2024 model. 

Good points Ernie. Heated steering wheel. Forgot about! That is handy in a freezing winter.

All LED lighting too.

[Nick72]

14 hours ago, spicyhotone said:

I've not looked in detail at the Lexus equivalent, but does that have more toys or improved systems?

Good question and worth a look. I did look at the last Lexus based on the Prime. It seemed a little less utilitarian, slightly slower, slightly less range. I think owing to the extra weight. And I just didn't like the look of it.

[Nick72]

On 7/27/2022 at 8:23 AM, nlee said:

Wouldn't need to see much else. Agree with better MM system and display, and any extra range would be a bonus, possibly with the facility to allow rapid charging e.g. CCS (if only to give more public charging point options)

Main upgrade for me would be better connected services and reliability through the app.

I'd take that too I think. MM and faster charging to make it worthwhile plugging in somewhere you're at for only 30 minutes or an hour to get a full charge. Despite a 7.4kW charger it still takes mine about 2hr 45m to charge at the moment. The wall box is definitely delivering the wattage.

Apparently Toyota says that the updated R4P cones with new cloud connected services which I assume is similar to the reviews of that on the BZ4XYZ123 EV they just brought out. Looks like a half decent sat nav where the map is also shown on the big digital drivers display. It's hardly Google but it might be interesting. The one main thing I missed off the 3008 Hybrid4 300GT PHEV (horrific car) other than a completely fold flat front passenger seat was the integrated TomTom3D. Overview moving map on the infotainment display in 3D and close up view in 3D on the big icockpit display. Speed cams etc. Best sat nav I ever used. I stopped using Google maps and Waze.

[Nick72]

13 hours ago, ernieb said:

Agree about the connected services and reliability but extra features will mean a monthly fee for sure. Look what BMW are doing to give you remote seat heaters with their app.

Oh that's shocking. Paying 10 quid a month for a heated steering wheel or heated seats. Whatever next? Charging you each time you open the glove box. Ridiculous. That's going to do their brand harm. 

If there are things as standard on other makes and a company charges you for it as a service then that's asking for trouble. Subscribing to something above and beyond like self driving or an ECU boost is fair enough. But not being charged to use the fracking ash tray.

[Nick72]

12 hours ago, NASY said:

The improvement I'd like to see is probably a bit retro but I like to operate the touch screen without touching it. So a wheel between the seats would be nice. I do find myself using voice commands too to get tunes from Spotify, sometimes it's worth a listen to the random misheard selections offered to broaden horizons.

Definitely agree on that one. So long as they also keep touch screen capability. On my Merc there was a dial joystick in the centre. That was great. No gorilla arm problem and trying to press on something with a waggling hand and getting distracted. But, because that car's infotainment screen wasn't touch if you wanted to zoom in or out or go through menus it was a bit of a pain.

[Roger_N]

On 7/27/2022 at 8:08 AM, spicyhotone said:

I've not looked in detail at the Lexus equivalent, but does that have more toys or improved systems?

You could also look at the new Mazda CX-60 depending on your priorities, it’s larger in length than the Rav4, uses the same engine as the PHEV but has an 8 speed auto gear box, the fuel consumption is not as good and neither is the EV around 39 miles range but towing capacity is 2.500KG.

If you add Comfort pack and the Convenience pack you are very close to the Lexus NX 450h+ F sport Premium plus pack spec for around £9,000 less, this is for the middle of the range spec CX-60.

It is also AWD but the bias is towards the rear wheels with the front power changing as and when required.

[Flatcoat]

I do like the look and spec of the CX60, especially for towing, Otherwise I agree with Ernieb. I have more or less stopped relying on the reversing camera and gone back to using the mirrors when reversing. The satnav is also poor - the number of times it led me on ridiculous detours over the past 3 weeks holiday. Cannot be relied on to the point of a borderline safety issue. 

[Hayzee]

18 minutes ago, Flatcoat said:

The satnav is also poor - the number of times it led me on ridiculous detours over the past 3 weeks holiday. Cannot be relied on to the point of a borderline safety issue. 

Adrian....I fully agree, and I must say that I have felt the same dismay at probably every inbuilt satnav I have had over the past 15+ years. These days I use Android Auto or map my route on Google maps before I leave to  know 90% of the way and then, if necessary, refer to the car satnav for the last part of the trip.

[forkingabout]

11 hours ago, Nick72 said:

The one main thing I missed off the 3008 Hybrid4 300GT PHEV (horrific car) other than a completely fold flat front passenger seat was the integrated TomTom3D. Overview moving map on the infotainment display in 3D and close up view in 3D on the big icockpit display. Speed cams etc. Best sat nav I ever used. I stopped using Google maps and Waze.

IIRC that was the NAC WAVE 4 system.

The 308 I had I retrofitted an NAC WAVE 2 - apart from the TOM TOM routing ignoring whatever preferences you set to take you on a magical mystery tour & having to download, extract on to a USB stick then sit there wasting fuel to apply firmware or software updates - it was an ok system.

Speed cameras was hit or miss, it knew about mobile cameras but warned you even if there on the opposite carriageway.

[TonyFR]

Heated steering wheel is honestly the only thing I miss (admittedly not right now....).

[Nick72]

16 hours ago, Roger_N said:

You could also look at the new Mazda CX-60 depending on your priorities, it’s larger in length than the Rav4, uses the same engine as the PHEV but has an 8 speed auto gear box, the fuel consumption is not as good and neither is the EV around 39 miles range but towing capacity is 2.500KG.

If you add Comfort pack and the Convenience pack you are very close to the Lexus NX 450h+ F sport Premium plus pack spec for around £9,000 less, this is for the middle of the range spec CX-60.

It is also AWD but the bias is towards the rear wheels with the front power changing as and when required.

Interesting option. I think as a teen Mazda's were terrible cars but I guess time has moved on?

[ernieb]

I test drove a Mazda CX-5 and found it shock my old bones to death on just a short test run. For me, on paper, a good car but could not get on with the car and found the dealer one of the most difficult people communicate with. He had a constant attitude that he might, if I was vey good, be prepared to sell me a car but probably not. Everything was just too much trouble.

[Mike2222]

My previous car was a modern mazda, and by and large it was a nice place to be. I had a top spec 2019 mazda6 estate in 'GT Sport' trim, with 'stone' leather interior (ie off white). It was a very premium feeling cabin, soft touch materials, comfy & supportive seats, and was packed to the rafters with all the gizmos I would want that would have cost me an arm & leg (that I didn't have) in a similar 'premium' brand (ie German). It had HUD, Adaptive led headlights (ie full beam and auto blocked out segments for oncoming/leading vehicles), radar cruise w/stop&go, heated&ventilated seats, heated steering wheel, memory seats, 360 camera, bose sound system. 

 

No adaptive suspension, and steel springs were tuned for a slightly "sporty" ride, which I quite enjoyed. Only major downsides was being a diesel and doing virtually no long distance driving over 2 pandemic years, and a rather sluggish autobox off the line (but once over 20-25mph had tonnes of torque and was a very linear&predictable power delivery), plus a fairly dated infotainment system with no android auto (later versions added it tho) however it did have a click wheel to operate on the move, which helped. 

 

Overall I was impressed with modern mazda interiors & tech. I perhaps would be a tiny bit wary of the cx-60 as its a completely new drivetrain, but AFAIK will only come with a standard mazda 3yr warranty, tho that may be less of a worry if this will be another company car, and thus give the option of coming back to the warm bosom of the next generation/face-lift rav4 I a few years time 😂! 

[Phil E]

I’m with Ernie, solid state Battery to give 75+ EV mile range, LED interior and exterior lighting, heated steering wheel etc. I would also like to have drivers seat memory function

The new driver information display looks less cluttered and will hopefully be easier to see in direct sunlight

I do find the lethargic power back door annoying

[Centaur]

Is the interior lighting not LED on the PHEV now anyway?  I did think that the filament bulbs of my test car were rather dull and very yellow.

[SimB]

A couple of items I’d like to see in addition to those  things previously mentioned  , electric adjustment on passenger seat.    Ability easily turn off seat belt indicators in rear for when loads are in the boot with the seats down and an electronic rear view mirror coupled with a better camera.

[Nick72]

On 7/29/2022 at 6:11 AM, ernieb said:

I test drove a Mazda CX-5 and found it shock my old bones to death on just a short test run. For me, on paper, a good car but could not get on with the car and found the dealer one of the most difficult people communicate with. He had a constant attitude that he might, if I was vey good, be prepared to sell me a car but probably not. Everything was just too much trouble.

What an ****. Lol

[Nick72]

On 7/30/2022 at 5:43 AM, Centaur said:

Is the interior lighting not LED on the PHEV now anyway?  I did think that the filament bulbs of my test car were rather dull and very yellow.

Swapped them out for LEDs. 10 minute job in the end.