Buying advice - '21 Black Edition

[HEXME]

Hi guys,

I had a quick look and couldn't really see any "buyer's guide" post on this forum.

My parents are looking to buy a 2021 RAV4 Black Edition. (Normal hybrid, not Plug in)

Is there anything to look out for before buying when it comes to these? My parents had a Lexus before, so did I, so Toyota is not new to the family. I still have a Toyota, albeit an import. I know they're reliable etc. Just wondering if there are some small things worth checking that might help me negotiate on the pricing. Obviously I will carry out the basic car check, service history, 2 keys etc. Just want to know if there's something RAV4 specific I should look out for. 

Thanks in advance!

 

[philip42h]

The 4.5 hybrid is very sound and reliable - there's nothing specific to look for beyond the obvious basic stuff.

Unfortunately, a 2021 car will be vulnerable to the CANbus attack: 

That's not something that bothers me much (mine is too) but if your parents will be parking the car overnight in a more vulnerable area - i.e. in an inner-city location - you may want to check whether it has already had protection plates fitted and/or persuade the supplying dealer to add those into the deal.

 

[forkingabout]

RAV4 hybrid specific - theft risk, see the separate thread on here.

Get an insurance quote first as some companies won't cover them while others insist on a secondary approved immobiliser to be fitted first 

Toyota do offer theft protection plates for the RAV4 so if you go ahead with the purchase make sure the plates are fitted.

A Toyota dealer offers the plates FOC but there's a £70 labour change to fit them - if purchasing a RAV4 hybrid from a Toyota dealer get it in writing on the order form / invoice that the plates have been fitted.

 

[Flatcoat]

Is it 2wd or AWD? There is a difference in economy and towing ability (if the latter matters). 

[HEXME]

49 minutes ago, philip42h said:

The 4.5 hybrid is very sound and reliable - there's nothing specific to look for beyond the obvious basic stuff.

Unfortunately, a 2021 car will be vulnerable to the CANbus attack: 

That's not something that bothers me much (mine is too) but if your parents will be parking the car overnight in a more vulnerable area - i.e. in an inner-city location - you may want to check whether it has already had protection plates fitted and/or persuade the supplying dealer to add those into the deal.

 

@forkingabout @Flatcoat Thanks for the response guys. I am well aware of the canbus theft from the Lexus forum where I am quite active. I will check that / get Toyota to fit it.

Insurance quote has been made, it's not too bad considering it's a "higher risk" vehicle. 

It's a 2WD model, no towing. Didn't want/need the 4WD model as it's just extra weight and gives you almost no benefit as it's not a proper 4WD system anyway.

Anyway, glad to hear there is nothing model specific to look out for. Thanks a lot!

[Flatcoat]

The RAV4.5 is used extensively in North America as a taxi (New York yellow cabs) which suggests they are pretty reliable and robust. Tells you all you need to know! 

[philip42h]

1 hour ago, HEXME said:

Didn't want/need the 4WD model as it's just extra weight and gives you almost no benefit as it's not a proper 4WD system anyway.

It's a perfectly proper AWD system and very effective ... but if you don't want one, you don't want one ... 😉

[Flatcoat]

15 minutes ago, philip42h said:

It's a perfectly proper AWD system and very effective ... but if you don't want one, you don't want one ... 😉

It is, I have had to use it….. 

[HEXME]

1 hour ago, philip42h said:

It's a perfectly proper AWD system and very effective ... but if you don't want one, you don't want one ... 😉

It isn't, because this "E-Four" would have an electric motor powering the rear wheels. Proper AWD/4WD system is mechanical.. i.e. 2 or 3 differentials and both axles connected via prop shafts and it works all the time.

Look how much it struggles to get off the rollers in the below video. It didn't do it all until it was in the Trail mode. You can't argue that this is a "proper" AWD system when it blatantly isn't. Sure, in certain scenarios it might help you, but you can't drive in the trail mode at a regular pace when the roads are covered in snow. It's for low speed use only. I.E. crawling up/down a slippery hill etc. And I seriously doubt anybody would use this car to go off roading. 

Either way, we get naff all snow down here and the couple of times we did I managed to get to work just fine in a RWD car, so this is 99.9% of time useless, carries extra weight which hurts economy and still isn't as capable as proper AWD systems you'd get from Audis, Subaru, Land Cruisers and so on.. Horses for courses.

 

[Flatcoat]

^^^^ you need to look at what North American owners do with their RAV’s off road…... 

[HEXME]

8 minutes ago, Flatcoat said:

^^^^ you need to look at what North American owners do with their RAV’s off road…... 

I have watched a good few videos before just out of curiosity. They're all pretty much the same. It looks painful, the front is spinning for its life and the rears are just not doing enough. BUT that's expected, it's not an off roader. I didn't mean to offend anyone, just saying this isn't a proper 4WD system and one can't argue the opposite... like i said above, it can help you in certain scenarios, but you can't compare it to proper off roaders. It's not a fair comparison. 

Off roading in a RAV4 is like running without running shoes, can be done (to some extent), but it would help having them..

[philip42h]

So, Lucas, if you know so much about the RAV4, why are you asking for buying advice? 😉

[Flatcoat]

5 hours ago, philip42h said:

So, Lucas, if you know so much about the RAV4, why are you asking for buying advice? 😉

Exactly, you obviously know more than those who own and drive them. If you don’t like the answers don’t ask the questions.