Jumping Ship

[druand]

In a way I will be sorry to leave Toyota but have ordered a new Honda CRV ES 2.2 CTDI. Part reason is I NEED cruise control and a T5 is expensive, pity new XTR is not same as old one and comes with cruise.

Have enjoyed forum and have added a few threads myself.

Enjoy your motoring.

P.S. The RAV had a last fling through the woods at Snowman Rally in Inverness at weekend covering some 20 miles off road.

[rav man]

Sorry your leaving, but i believe from the reports that the Honda is a top vehicle, good luck.

[Easy]

Good luck with the new Honda they do look like a great car, i also have left Rav 4, i had the XT5 with all the toys but the ride was so harsh, could not believe it was an off roader!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! my suspension was so bad i would not dare to venture off road in it. That said, the car was fantastic in every other respect, but i did not expect to loose 10k with less than 5000 on clock in 10 months, anyway as you can see i still check the site out now and again, bit of a nostalgia thing i suppose.

[jock1]

Good luck with the new Honda they do look like a great car, i also have left Rav 4, i had the XT5 with all the toys but the ride was so harsh, could not believe it was an off roader!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! my suspension was so bad i would not dare to venture off road in it. That said, the car was fantastic in every other respect, but i did not expect to loose 10k with less than 5000 on clock in 10 months, anyway as you can see i still check the site out now and again, bit of a nostalgia thing i suppose.

Surprised at the remarks about "Harsh ride" I read these pages for some months and read the occasional report about the Rav mk3 having a harsh ride.I have had an XT-r Diesel for a week now and am delighted at how comfortable the ride is.I am new to SUV's having driven Saabs for the last 15 years and VW GTI's before them.I am very surprised at how like a normal sized car the rav is to drive!

[NMaria]

Good luck with the new Honda they do look like a great car, i also have left Rav 4, i had the XT5 with all the toys but the ride was so harsh, could not believe it was an off roader!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Interesting you should say that about the suspension, Easy. I too find the ride quite firm but I thought that that was appropriate for an off-roader. Ever driven a LandRover Defender? That's the ultimate off-road vehicle and it's really firm!! I have driven a range of 4x4 vehicles and found all except the Disco (which is like a boat) to be jolly firm. I thought the RAV4 was relatively comfortable.

I agree totally with Druand that a vehicle in this price range should come with cruise as standard. The XT-R doesn't have it but the XT-4 on which it is based does. A strange and irritating omission. On the continent you can buy it as a dealer-installed accessory for about 200 euros - may get that done the next time I cross the North Sea.

[Steve@Aberdeen]

I agree totally with Druand that a vehicle in this price range should come with cruise as standard. The XT-R doesn't have it but the XT-4 on which it is based does. A strange and irritating omission. On the continent you can buy it as a dealer-installed accessory for about 200 euros - may get that done the next time I cross the North Sea.

XT4 doesn't have cruise control - ISTR that was part of the step up to the XT5. I would have liked it (and it was one of the extras in the CR-V that was the other car in my short-list last September).

I've had CC on rental cars in the USA and, driving on road with 45mph min/55mph max limits, and an auto-gearbox, it made for less stress. My wife disagreed on it's real value and I found I couldn't really defend a NEED for it - it wouldn't help me go faster, stop quicker or get to any extra places; neither would it make the car any more comfortable - in her words, just a few more buttons to play with and cause a distraction. I conceded it was nice to have, but not something to make a purchase decision on. She's quite right and I reckon in the 9000 miles to date in my Rav4, I might have been able to use it for, perhaps, 500 miles. The 6CD changer was a much better option.

Regarding the suspension, where we're onto important matters, I find the Rav4 a fine compromise between stiffness for stability and control, and softness for ride comfort. In recent SUV tests, the Rav4 often comes out best for handling, which how I like it. Only going to active systems do you really start to break the compromise - and that means a big price-hike (though I wish Citroen would come out with an SUV to prove it can be done in this sector).

[sywy]

I too find the ride of the RAV4 a bit firm. However, i'm used to it now, but over really bad roads (there's a few around here), you really feel it.

Re:CC. It's standard in the T180, and i would not have had it otherwise. I think i've used it 2 or 3 times, and always find it a waste of time, as there is always someone else going slower, or pulling out on you a lot of the time, causing you to disengage it.

[Sussex_Paul]

She's quite right and I reckon in the 9000 miles to date in my Rav4, I might have been able to use it for, perhaps, 500 miles. The 6CD changer was a much better option.

Regarding the suspension, where we're onto important matters, I find the Rav4 a fine compromise between stiffness for stability and control, and softness for ride comfort. In recent SUV tests, the Rav4 often comes out best for handling, which how I like it. Only going to active systems do you really start to break the compromise - and that means a big price-hike (though I wish Citroen would come out with an SUV to prove it can be done in this sector).

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Totally agree on the CC, unless you are likely to drive huge distances on deserted motorways all the time. Everytime I put mine on I can guarantee that I'll have to brake or slow down within a few minutes and in the end it's easier to just drive without using it. :ffs:

I'm amazed that the decision to purchase a car has been based on something so potentially small.

As for the ride, well I think the T180 is as close to a SUV/GTI as you can get and thats fine as far as I'm concerned. I wouldn't have bought it if it had wallowed all over the road!!

I test drove the new CRV before buying my current Rav, and there was no contest in my opinion. Sure it's a fine car, but I wasn't convinced by the front end looks for starters.

I have to say that for not too dissimilar money, even the BMW X3 2.0D Sport didn't make a strong enough case to change my decision against buying the T180 in the end.

[anchorman]

I confound the day I chose an XT4 over an XT5. I suppose it was all down to cost and each time you move up to the next model the one above doesn't seem so far away - when do you stop!

I would have liked CC because it so high geared that it creeps up to 90/95 as easy as anything and one day it is going to cost me £60 and three points. I had an american rental with an auto box which would even maintain the set speed down a bank by changing down - nice.

I would also have liked the auto lights because as previous threads have shown, it easy to set off with no lights on thanks to optitron dials.

[druand]

Have enjoyed reading the varied replies. Cruise control is NOT a SMALL item for me!!! I often drive long motorway journeys and have athritis in right hip, even a few minutes on cruise every now and then allows me to exercise and remain pain free and comfortable.

I also live on A77 which is covered by 32 continuous miles of average speed cameras (19 gantries) with most of the limit 60mph.

[sywy]

I use to have auto lights on all the time.

However, travelling to work in the morning, at the end of last year, the lights came on whilst I went under a bridge, on a dual carraigeway, and back off when i can out the other side. So lights were on for about 0.5s. I was behind a car at the time, and he was looking in his mirror a lot for the next couple of minutes, wondering why I had flashed him!!

[Uncle Bob]

In a way I will be sorry to leave Toyota but have ordered a new Honda CRV ES 2.2 CTDI. Part reason is I NEED cruise control and a T5 is expensive, pity new XTR is not same as old one and comes with cruise.

Have enjoyed forum and have added a few threads myself.

Enjoy your motoring.

P.S. The RAV had a last fling through the woods at Snowman Rally in Inverness at weekend covering some 20 miles off road.

Sorry to hear you're having a change in vehicle direction.....but, the new Honda CRV looks a cracking vehicle so it should put a smile on your face :) ..downside is its a brand new model so fingers crossed they have no teething problems :( .

Keep us updated on how you get on, including the odd photo if you get time....all the best for now,

Bob .

[druand]

Thanks Bob,

Yes will keep my eye on forum I enjoy reading most posts and if my limited knowlege can help someone I add the odd reply.

Photographs!! As a licenced MSA National B scrutineer I was priveledged to be part of the team for 2006 Grand Prix at Silverstone and was in Toyota Garage for 4 days with Ralph Schumacher's car. Will post some photos soon when I find out how. Also scrutineered Alister McCrae's new Toyota rally car at Wales round of WRC.