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Test drove 2014 Rav4

28K views 114 replies 33 participants last post by  Leonard1818 
#1 ·
I was lucky to drive my friend's brand new XLE AWD for several hours, town and interstate. The positives:

1. Nice pep.
2. I enjoyed the instrument cluster and displays.
3. Roomy.
4. Sporting looking, inside and out.
5. Quiet ride.
6. iPod control and usb options.

Negatives (and these were huge, and may force me into a Subaru):

1. The worst stereo I've ever heard in a car. Flimsy, hollow sound with no soundstage. It sounds like Toyota engineers placed a cheap audiovox boombox inside the dash. The sound literally comes from the center of the dash. My base LE 2003 Camry sounds like an audiophile dream in comparison.

2. The driver's seat. Extremely stiff and narrow seat bolsters. It felt like I was getting squeezed by a python.

3. Harsh ride. The Rav4 seems to want to bound away on all fours like a whitetailed deer when it hits a pavement irregularity.

4. 6.3 inches of ground clearance. Huh? This is supposed to be a crossover, not a sedan. My Camry has this clearance.

I've always been a Toyota guy, but maybe that is going to change. Will I really buy a Subaru? The Forester and Outback are the remaining vehicles on my list. The Outback (2015) drove wonderfully and has 8.7 inches of clearance, but I wonder about reliability.

Sort of bummed. I expected the Rav4 to be a bit more rugged, and a bit more comfortable. The stereo quality is inexcusable, IMHO.

I guess I'm searching for a vehicle Toyota does not make. Something between the Rav4 and Tacoma. more clearance, 30mpg highway, and better seats. I guess that's the Outback.
 
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#2 ·
Have a closer look at and test drive the Jeep Cherokee. Very nice interior, excellent ride, very quiet and comfortable, yet still much more rugged and off-road capable. If you are looking for decent ground clearance AND comfort, the Forester, Outback or Cherokee are the only options. Mazda CX-5 and Ford Escape also have better ground clearance, but comfort and ride are about the same or worse than the RAV.

I'm pretty sure you will be nicely surprised by the Jeep.
 
#3 ·
Your friend did you a nice favor. I've had mine a little over a month now, and have to admit that I share your disappointment with the stereo. I was aware of complaints about ride quality and lack of ground clearance from reading reviews, but those things didn't turn out to be bothersome to me personally and still aren't. I can see how they would be to others though. Good luck with whatever you decide on.
 
#4 ·
I think the main reason the RAV is selling in pretty decent numbers is because of the "Toyota" badge. Most people who bought one did it because of the brand reputation, not because they found it superior to other competitive options. I bet most actually didn't even bother to compare.

If consumers did a "blind" comparison of the vehicles, based purely on specifications and test-drive experience, but with the brand names removed, I doubt many people would pick the RAV over clearly superior competitors. Professional reviews reflect that as well. Professional reviewers don't care about branding, and they rank vehicles based on their merits. In most professional reviews, the RAV has scored below average when confronted with other comparable vehicles. Toyota has become complacent, and it is showing in the sales results. Although the new RAV sales growth has been pretty decent, it is lagging behind some competitors that have been growing at a 50% annualized rate.
 
#5 ·
Here are my thoughts.

1. Knew the ride would be harsh and cannot figure out why people believe they would get a lux ride out of it. It does ride nice on a smooth road.
2. Hate the thud when you go over road imperfections. REALLY could be bettter.
3. Never thought about grnd clearance, since knew I was not taking it off road.
4. Bought cause of its a toyota, just like got accord before cause it was a honda. That o3 honda might be just the best car I ever had.
5.Do not like the looks of the forester, sat in it and thought it was a big green house. It looks a little better when the windows are tinted. But dont you think it should come that way I do?
6 Being here I find the forester ever though got very or best rating still has problems in past ones. So made me question that suv.
7 Never tested the outback but drove the xv and thought that needed more power. I do like the new outback 15 over the 14. And saw their new yr 15 sedan the legg. and like it too. Dont know why I did not drive the outback. I think I still like the more open feeling of the rav on inside.
8. In a way I wish I waited more and test drove the new cherokee. I probably would have gotten the 4 wd. And do like the way it looks. But some people said stay away from cause of reliability. I guess we will wait and see.
9. My final thought on realiability. Unless its a money PIT I believe if you take care of the any car it will take car of U. I have been lucky since I have owned some real clunkers but they lasted.
And I gave up buying a new 2015 gti vw to get this rav. I must be out of my mind LOL ha Ha. LOL Well see how it goes.
 
#82 ·
Funny. I came from a 2006 VW GTI MkV into a 2013 RAV4. I do regret having this car instead of a coupe with all the handling i got used to. But I also think at the same time, I have a piece of mind. Having any kind of performance car requires a lot of time and dedication to the car (to take care of it). I just didn't want to have to deal with being at the dealership on saturday mornings way too often. Toyotas are just low maintenance. This RAV4 has so much space for me to do roadtrips with other people.

I remember seeing the look of the new 2015 GTIs and I thought, yuck. I don't like their new look. But they're also going to be made in Mexico instead of Germany.
 
#6 ·
I come on this forum to get some insight in my Rav. While i expect some complaints, as all of us do, it gets extremely annoying reading the constant bashing of the Rav4 that a few members here have. People come here to get some answers and all they get is "Don't buy the Rav, buy this one instead". "This car is so much better than the Rav" blah blah...Go ahead and get your Jeep. Make sure you buy the extended warranty tho cause you will need it....anyway to the OP:
I have some experience with subaru as my wife has the 2014 outback premium and i came into a Rav4 from an impreza.
First if you are complaing about the stereo in the Rav4 you will not be happy with the subaru. The Forester has the same setup as i had in my impreza. Complete garbage. My Rav4 stereo sounds alot better. The bluetooth was also terrible and constantly disconnected my calls and the sound was lousy. I also test drove the Forester before buying the Rav and the Forester has a very harsh ride imo. Even the so called reviewers say this about it. Plus the constant rattles will drive you crazy. Interior seems a little cheap unless you get the Limited or above
As for the Outback it has a little better sound, a nicer interior and drives smoother than the Forester. Still a crappy stereo, bluetooth and a little 4.3 inch screen. As for the 2015 Outback it seems they have addressed alot of those issues but who knows how it will be.
As for my Rav4 i have driven it through a foot of snow, ice and rutted camping roads. Never had an issue with it. In fact it is better in the snow than my impreza was and just as good as my Outback. Since i don't take it really off road the ground clearance isn't an issue.
I guess you have to look at what you plan on doing with the vehicle you want. If you go off road alot buy a 4runner. If you are looking for a vehicle that will get you through a foot of snow and some camping roads the Rav4 or Outback will do you fine. Just don't expect the subaru to have a great sounding stereo getting you there.
 
#7 ·
I come on this forum to get some insight in my Rav. While i expect some complaints, as all of us do, it gets extremely annoying reading the constant bashing of the Rav4 that a few members here have. People come here to get some answers and all they get is "Don't buy the Rav, buy this one instead". "This car is so much better than the Rav" blah blah...
Totally in agreement - I realize that no vehicle is perfect and 'one size doesn't fit all' but it does get tedious reading all the negative threads. I joined this forum years ago (when I had a 4.1 gen Rav4) and rejoined last year when I purchased my 4.4 Rav4. I have found this forum to be a wealth of knowledge and a great resource and I look forward to checking in each day to see what's new. I have noticed lately, however, a definite increase in negative threads slamming the Rav4 especially the 4.4 version. It's one thing to vent about problems and then try and find a solution for that problem from the collective wisdom of the forum but quite another to constantly be bombarded by people who tell us they are selling their 4.4 Rav4s for (insert vehicle name here) and everything else is better than the Rav4. Go ahead, by all means, sell your vehicle and buy something you perceive as better. Life's too short to drive a vehicle you dislike.

All I'm saying is this - everyone is entitled to their own personal opinion, just don't try and make me feel bad about my decision to own and drive a Rav4. Even a negative opinion can be expressed in a positive way.
 
#10 ·
I'd like to chime in here and echo the whole "stop complaining about the Rav and go buy something else" (you know who you are).

I'd also like to say that I have yet to read or watch a really good review on this segment. I don't care that a review places the Rav "middle of the pack" when comparing... but I discredit the review when the reviewer admits that they are 20-something without kids and typically daily drive a <insert sporty car here>.

Then they (shockingly....uh huh) pick the Mazda CX-5 as the best crossover in the class... Because, you know, it handles well.

Meanwhile, they miss most of the important and exclusive features of the Rav. Example: Sorry -- but if a review doesn't mention the ability to lock the AWD system in place (in the Rav), then it's hard to take the review very seriously as they obviously forgot to read the window sticker or any literature about the vehicle.

I personally think (and I've said this before on here) that this is because all of the vehicles in the segment are SO CLOSE.... meaning, they're so close in terms of ride, comfort, looks, cargo capacity, seating, etc, etc, etc.... it's within fractions of an inch, ounces of weight, point-something-of something.... when comparing these vehicles. I can imagine it is probably hard to adequately review these vehicles when they are so close in stats.

Bottom line: Don't base your decision off of reviews. Be aware of them, and tune into them, but don't solely base the purchase off of what X Y Z reviews said.
 
#12 ·
I find the stereo to actually be pretty good (2014 Limited without JBL). If you were disappointed in the RAV4's, you'll be even more disappointed by the Forester's. I've never been in a Subaru that had a decent sound system, although these were probably the more basic sound packages, so you will definitely want to opt for an upgraded one! Funny that you mention a 2003 Camry LE, because I've driven one extensively (years) and found the RAV4's to be better. I've also driven a Volkswagen Tiguan for years, which came with the upgraded DynAudio sound system, and it sounded awful compared to the one in the RAV4.

Note that satellite radio will not sound great in any vehicle as it's very compressed. Bluetooth Audio, USB, CDs, and HD Radio are audio sources that will usually sound noticeably better.

1. The worst stereo I've ever heard in a car. Flimsy, hollow sound with no soundstage. It sounds like Toyota engineers placed a cheap audiovox boombox inside the dash. The sound literally comes from the center of the dash. My base LE 2003 Camry sounds like an audiophile dream in comparison.
 
#13 ·
I totally agree i have an le with the upgraded 6 speakers and when tuned properly it sounds so much better than a 2003 camry le. There is a night and day difference when playing songs off the radio and playing off a cd or usb. The highs mids are clear and the lows, though not powerful have good reverb. I also have a 2003 acura tl with the bose speaker system and the rav4s highs are so much better.

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#14 ·
Have to agree on the sound system. Also have the 6 speaker in my xle and it's better than any other car I've had for a mid trim level. I've since added a sub but was impressed with the stock system. Not because it's amazing, just pretty damn good for stock mid trim level car.

Op, did you happen to play with any of the settings on the system?
 
#19 ·
Still really surprised you find the stereo THAT bad. I have never heard mine distort. I did find the highs a bit harsh early on but adjusting treble and a slight bias to the rear helped a lot. I am somewhat of an audiophile in my home theater. I still found the rav to sound way better than any other comparable system. I think it sounds better than the jbl system. But sound is subjective. Hope you can get a good aftermarket solution. For me, just adding a sub was enough( for now anyway, heehee).

I found the seat kind of narrow too but I got used to it and the bolstering has loosened up some as well. Now other seats feel "loose" to me, for lack of a better term.
 
#21 ·
Glad I ddn't buy the Rav4 for it's stereo. I wouldn't call it substandard, and it's adequate for my purposes but I rarely use it unless I'm by myself. At least it's better than my 2003 Matrix. I, too, don't consider myself an audiophile but having played in bands for many years and having been an elementary and High school music teacher for over 30 years I prefer to do my music listening in my living room. There are enough distractions while driving without having to turn my car stereo up really loud to enjoy the music. I'll wait til I get home thanks and crank up my choice of tunes and sit back and enjoy!
 
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#25 ·
Chrysler has such stellar reliability you know....
Based on number of quality, reliability and safety complaints, the Jeep is actually doing better than Toyota:

Number of cars sold as first model year:
- MY 2013 RAV4: 193310
- MY 2014 Cherokee: 106218 (to date)

Number of quality / reliability complaints on carcomplaints.com:
- MY 2013 RAV4: 33 (17.1 per 100,000)
- MY 2014 Cherokee: 15 (14.1 per 100,000)

Number of safety complaints to NHTSA:
- MY 2013 RAV4: 105 (54.3 per 100,000)
- MY 2014 Cherokee: 24 (12.4 per 100,000)

Based on this DATA, RAV had more issues per car with the first year model than Cherokee.
 
#26 ·
We've seen issues with the RAV but I think that this shows that the issues with the Cherokee are more of concern and more frequent:. I know the numbers are not so great to show a definite trend but it does give an idea.
2014 Jeep Cherokee Repair Histories
2013 Toyota RAV4 Repair Histories

Has anyone heard of a member getting transmission replaced on the new RAV4? Yikes!
 
#30 ·
Well you got me good. Although I've never heard of carcomplaints.com and can't imagine what kind of safety complaints the NTSA gets. If it's people upset about the offset crash thing....oh well. I can probably fish around for data that shows the opposite.

I kinda doubt that this is the Jeep model that exhibits long term reliability better than Toyota and coincidentally the RAV4 is the Toyota model that ends up with below Chrylser reliability.
 
#31 ·
Ok.... aside that I chose a Cherokee over a RAV4 (reason was clearance and as well the v6)... when I am here, people put down other brands but you can see this on every forum. I guess it is a way to vent for some. I won’t even defend a Jeep over here… but it has its plus and minus like anything else.

Anyway, the most important thing when you buy a vehicle it is not that it will fit your need?????? The worst purchase for me is choosing something that will not meet your needs. The RAV4 was not meeting my needs for various but I will not put down the RAV4. It is a good vehicle IMO.

Be happy with what you have and let others be happy ! and all is good !
 
#32 ·
I agree Einstein. I appreciate your input. I had a cx5 for 2 years and posted a very comprehensive and unbiased opinion on the two vehicles on the mazda website after trading it on the rav. Posted not a bad word about the cx5. I got a lot of flak for that and a lot of insults on how ugly the rav is etc etc. no one was happy that the cx5 wasn't my perfect vehicle. I never put down the cx5 even though mine had serious issues.
I appreciate anyone who finds the right vehicle for them and doesn't bash others who chose another. I hope your jeep is everything you've wanted and totally respect your choice. There are even rav4 owners here who hate their rav so much they don't have respect for other rav4 owners and bash it constantly. Even some moderators. Pretty immature.
 
#33 ·
For the record I like Jeeps, had 2 before this RAV so nobody needs to get butthurt. I won't buy the first model year of any brand period. All one has to do is look at reliability trends back 5 years to see a Toyota is a safer bet than a Jeep. Pretty much can't be argued.

Point was an unhappy owner of a Toyota saying he's going to probably trade into Lexus but recommending a Jeep. Just doesn't compute.

We put a lot of research into this car purchase and the short list was RAV4 and Forester. Back to back test drives knocked the Forester out of the running. I was really hoping to like the Forester and here we are with a RAV in the garage.
 
#35 ·
I am not bashing jeep. But wonder how that 9 speed transmission will work out after the 1styr. I see someone mention that they saw a transmission had to be replaced well that can happen with any car.

And maybe it could be the wave of the future for all car makers where instead of 6 spd. they go to 8 and 9. I wonder if some of those gears have to be close in rations to not make too much of a difference. And in any event I hope they never put a 9 speed in a rav4. Gosh there are enough people complaining about the current 6spd. You know I just get in the dam thing and drive. And if the wheel falls off i will get it fix. I am not one to micro manage every like click and noise I hear on any car. I dont have time either. But reading about the stuff is interesting.
 
#36 ·
Not trying to say that the 9-speed is better than Toyota's 6-speed, just sharing a few facts about the Jeep / Chrysler transmission:

- The Chrysler 9-speed transmission was designed and prototyped by ZF - the largest German transmission / drivetrain manufacturer. Their main customers are Mercedes and BMW, as well as commercial truck companies, and many ZF transmission have stellar reputation, both in terms of performance and reliability. The 8-speed "older brother" of the Chrysler 9-speed has been used by Mercedes for several years and has been recognized as one of the best transmissions ever.

- The transmission is built by Chrysler, though, so time will tell if Chrysler can maintain the same high quality standards that ZF has been traditionally known for.

- Initial "batches" of the 9-speed transmissions had software problems, and several software updates have been performed to early release vehicles. But the general consensus is that the last "patch" implemented around March/April this year has been successful and vehicles built after that date have been trouble-free.

- There were also some quality issues with early transmissions, and about 0.4% of the transmissions from the initial (6 months) "batch" had to be replaced. This is higher than typical numbers for first 6 months production, but not terrible. The issue got some exposure because Chrysler was not able to supply enough replacement transmissions resulting in delays, leaving owners with "loaner" cars for days. Again, starting March/April this year, this has been resolved. All these numbers can be found on allpar.com, which is tracks "anything Chrysler / Dodge / Jeep / RAM / Mopar" but is not commercially associated with FCA.

- The 9-speed transmission actually shifts LESS than the Toyota's 6-speed. The reason is more sophisticated software which is "predictive" in nature. Toyota uses a much more primitive algorithm which relies on simple speed-throttle mapping to pick a gear and than "adjust" the gear to optimize fuel efficiency by "trail-and-error". This is why many owners of vehicles equipped with the Toyota 6-speed transmission (Camry, Venza, etc., not only RAV4) report that many times the transmission "overshoots" and shifts to too high gear, just to downshift few seconds later. Overall, Toyota's 6-speed transmission shifts back-and-forth a lot. The long-term impact on longevity is still to be determined, but a few automatic transmission repair mechanics I have talked with don't think highly of the Toyota / Aisin 6-speed transmission and consider it very "light duty". They don't expect it do be particularly durable based on how much it shifts and how "light duty" most internal components are. The Toyota / Aisin also uses a Ravigneaux planetary gear set, which helps to keep the transmission compact, but is known for having gear alignment issues and not very good longevity. Some manufacturers that have been using Ravigneaux planetary gear set in the 1980's and 1990's have abandoned it due to poor longevity. Some of the most notorious Ford transmission used Ravigneaux planetary gear set design.

- The ZF-designed transmission uses a much more sophisticated software which takes into account many more factors than just speed and throttle position to determine optimum gear selection. It actually has internal torque sensors which work in conjunction with other inputs to "predict" gears most suited for speed, load conditions and driving habits. Under normal driving conditions it does not shift gears sequentially, but may do something like this: 1-2-4-6. Or 1-2-3-5-8. The result is that it shifts less than the 6-speed overall. The shifting "patterns" change depending on car's load or road grade. ZF has been very successful with their "smart" transmission "brains" and most people who have driven a ZF-equipped Mercedes or BMW have expressed very positive opinion about the transmission's behavior.

- Net, the ZF transmission used by Chrysler / Jeep is much more advanced than the Toyota / Aisin one. The Toyota / Aisin transmission is basically an "old" electronically controlled automatic transmission (EAT) like the ones that most manufacturers have been using since early 2000's, just with more gears (thanks to the implementation of Ravigneaux planetary gear set). The ZF transmission is a new generation transmission that takes computer capabilities to a new level, with much more "intelligence". In a way, it mimics what a human driver would do by taking into account more inputs that are normally not "visible" to the transmission.

Chrysler has invested a lot to develop the new generation of 8- and 9-speed transmission with ZF and if they manage to keep manufacturing quality, I have no doubt that these will be one of the best transmissions ever.
 
#37 ·
The Jeep Grand Cherokee that we traded for the RAV had a Mercedes tranny. Good stuff right? It failed with under 20K and was replaced.

The curious thing about these 8&9 spd trannys is everything has to be smaller to fit in the space right? It's going to be interesting to see how they're doing after 5 years in the hands of consumers.
 
#38 ·
I dont know if its just or is the rav4 and grand cherokee even in the same class? We are comaring a sub compact suv to a real suv. I think the highlander would be a more suitable match to the cherokee and you got to remember most of the cuv in the raV4 class have a cvt transmission so we got to thank toyota for not going that root. Yes the 6 speed hunts for gears alot but in sport mode, i find the transmission shifts just fine.

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#40 ·
Personally, I prefer a non-CVT transmission.
 
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#46 ·
We can only dream of a 6 speed manual or diesel in North America. Maybe the next gen or the one after that, who knows.
 
#50 ·
I would have jumped on a manual tranny if Toyota has offered one! My previous car, an 06 Civic EX w/Nav had the 5 speed manual tranny. What surprised me about the car when I bought it was, by my experience anyway, it's very unusual to see a manual transmission on an upper trim level. The fact that the manual tranny was sitting on a nav equipped car is what drew me to the car in the first place. These days, Honda only offers the manual on the lowest trim level Civic. If you go one step up, you're stuck with the CVT.


The 2015 CR-V went to a CVT transmission and I believe the next gen Pilot may have one added at some point. I don't think I'll be able to escape them much longer. I've heard the CVT in the Accord is really nice so the expectation is that the 2015 CR-V with the CVT will also be nice. I will go test drive one.
Really? I hadn't heard that yet. My previous car, mentioned above, was totaled unexpectedly. Since the Rav4 was my intended next vehicle anyway, that's what I bought as a replacement but I did test drive a CR-V which I liked but preferred the redesign on the Rav4. I also test drove a new Civic because it had the CVT tranny and I was curious about that and I considered sticking with the fuel mileage I was used to with my old Civic. The CVT was Ok but different. Would I get used to it? I'm not sure at this point. Oddly enough, my biggest complaint about the car (how's this for picking nits!) was the fact that Honda removed the aux audio input from the radio system. I have no idea why they took that route but that aux input is something I use all the time so that one "little" detail actually became a deal breaker as far as the new Civic is concerned. Who knew?


Drive Safe,
Steve R.
 
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