Best 3Gen Model Year

[4cyturbowrx]

I came from a jeep wrangler, that I built for off roading... These rav might be able told there own on your normal snowy rds and wet grass... But they are not built for the intention to be taken off road...

[Max]

Originally Posted by ROLLTIDE

@Max

...if it weren't for my tightly wound purse strings and a vault in my insurance, I would have / should have gone for a V6.

Thanks for the reply. Good point, I didn't think about insurance cost. I will check with State Farm before I buy to see what the insurance cost difference is between the 4 and 6.

[Max]

Originally Posted by NickRav4

do some research on the jeep compass and the jeep patriot, if i remember correctly, they get some decent milage and have decent ground clearance and 4x4.

Originally Posted by 4cyturbowrx

I came from a jeep wrangler, that I built for off roading... These rav might be able told there own on your normal snowy rds and wet grass... But they are not built for the intention to be taken off road...

Thanks for suggesting I look at Jeeps. Jeeps, Hummers, and tanks are the ultimate in off-road vehicles. Hummers and military vehicles are way over the top for my daughter’s needs so I will just research Jeeps. Looking at the Jeep web site, I was like a kid in a candy store, and the Wrangler had me drooling. I really wanted to like them. I agree Jeeps are for serious off-road and RAV4 is for tame camp roads.

Summary: From researching Consumer Reports, you can either get a “Serious off-road vehicle” or a “reliable city/highway/light off-road vehicle”, but not both.

September 2012 Consumers Report page 47 has an article called “Five Popular cars to Avoid.” Number 2 is Jeep Liberty. “You might be drawn to this SUV’s rugged looks. But that style comes with an equally rugged and unrefined driving experience. The Liberty can tackle tough off-road terrain. But on pavement its ride is unsettled and handling is clumsy. The interior is cramped and cheap feeling. And the engine is noisy and thirsty, getting only 16 mpg overall. All of this has earned it one of the lowest road-test scores of any vehicle we’ve recently tested: 27 points out of 100. You’ll give up some off-road prowess, but the Toyota RAV4 and Subaru Forester are much nicer SUVs over-all, with notably better gas mileage.”

[Max]

Consumer Reports Buying Guide 2013 page 187, Used Cars to Avoid.

Toyota Sequoia ’11; Sienna (AWD) ’07, ’11; Tacoma (V6) ‘11

Jeep Commander ’06, ’08; Compass ’07; Grand Cherokee (V6) ’02-06; Grand Cherokee (V8) ’02-05, ’08, ’10; Liberty ’02, ’06-07, ’10; Wrangler (4-door) ’07-10.

[Max]

Consumer Reports Buying Guide 2013, Reviews of 2012-2013 Models
Page 168
Jeep Compass, Predicted Reliability: N/A (not enough sold and reported to tell). The Compass comes up short. Handling is not agile at its limits, but the low-speed ride is composed. The guttural-sounding 2.4-liter four-cylinder got just 22 mpg overall. The front seats are uncomfortable and the cabin is cramped. The controls are straight-forward. Rear visibility is poor. Aug. 2011 (dates listed are the latest CR mag to have a written review.)

Jeep Grand Cherokee, Predicted Reliability Average. The Grand Cherokee has a supple ride and responsive handling. The smooth 3.6-liter V6 is refined but needs revs to move this heavy SUV. The stronger 5.7-liter V8 only gets 14 mpg. Off-road ability is good. The cabin is well-trimmed, but the touch screen radio is awkward to use. A 6.4-liter V8 is in the SRT8. Dec 2010.

Jeep Liberty, Predicted Reliability Average. The Liberty has clumsy handling but overall is secure. The noisy 3.7-liter V6 feels lethargic and returned just 16 mpg overall in our tests. We found the cabin rather narrow and access awkward. The Liberty is suitable for off-road duty. Aug 2008.

Jeep Patriot, Predicted Reliability Average. This small SUV has a compliant ride and mostly simple controls, but handling lacks agility and the course 2.4-liter four-cylinder get just 21 mpg overall. The spongy front seats offer little lateral support. The narrow cabin, wide center console, and small windows give the car a closed-in feeling. Aug. 2011.

Jeep Wrangler, Predicted Reliability Average. The Wrangler may be as good as it’s ever been but is seriously outdated. The 3.6-liter V6 and five-speed automatic deliver more power and refinement, and better fuel economy. IIHS side-crash test results without the optional side airbags are poor. Mar 2012

Page 177, Toyota RAV4, Predicted Reliability Much Better Than Average. The RAV4 has a flexible, well-designed interior. Handling is agile and secure. The rear seat is roomy. A tiny third-row seat is optional. The optional 3.5-liter V6 is quick and returns 22 mpg. The four-cylinder gets 23 mpg overall. Front side- and curtain air bags are standard. May 2009.

Page 175, Subaru Forester (thrown in for good measure), Predicted Reliability Much Better Than Average. The Forester handles well, is spacious, and has straightforward controls. The 2.5-liter four-cylinder does little for acceleration or fuel economy. The optional turbocharged engine is stronger but shaves off about 2 mpg. The four-speed automatic is dated. The front seats in the base model lack lumbar support. Mar 2012.

[Max]

Consumer Reports Buying Guide 2013, Rating the 2012-2013 Models
Page 153-155
Overall Road Test Score/Make and Model/Price As Tested/PR Predicted Reliability/OS Owner Satisfaction/OC Owner Cost/Fuel Economy mpg.
Small SUVs
87/Subaru Forester 2.5XT Premium/$28,860/ PR 4/ OS 4/ OC 3/20 mpg
83/Toyota RAV4 Limited (V6)/$30,328/ PR 5/ OS 4/ OC 4/22 mpg
82/Toyota RAV4 Base 4-cyl/$25,405/ PR 5/ OS 3/ OC 4/23 mpg
80/Subaru Forester 2.5X Premium/$25,720/ PR 5/ OS 4/ OC 4/22 mpg
…
52/Jeep Patriot Lattitude/$24,440/ PR 3/ OS 2/ OC 4/21 mpg
49/Jeep Compass Lattitude/$24,985/ PR NA/ OS NA/ OC 4/22 mpg
27/Jeep Liberty Sport/$26,060/ PR 3/ OS 2/ OC 3/16 mpg

Midsized SUVs
71/Jeep Grand Cherokee Laredo V6/$39,010/ PR 3/ OS 4/ OC 2/18 mpg
20/Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Sahara/$36,340/ PR 3/ OS 4/ OC 3/17 mpg

Luxury SUVs
69/Jeep Grand Cherokee Limited V8/$42,765/ PR 3/ OS 4/ OC 1/14 mpg

1=much worse than average 2=below average, 3=average, 4=better than average, 5=much better than average

[SuperT]

I had a feeling you'd dig up the poor Jeep scores. I didn't want to say it before when someone suggested the Patriot, but they're no Toyota. Again, for what your daughter will use it for, the Rav4 is perfectly capable. Camp trails are really just unpaved roads, not true off roading. I think others are over looking that fact and just assuming she needs an off road vehicle.

[MrPulldown]

I still think the RAV is best suited for your girl. Sure it is not a serious off road vehicle, but out of the box nor are the jeeps. It would be easy to go down the moddify road, which is limited on the RAV.

The primary purpose of the vehicles is still reliable transportation.

Chyrstler vheciles are hit or miss on reliabilty. My dad has a jeep liberty that has a spotless relaibilty record. The sebring not so much.

[pico]

Jeep is Latin for Poseur.

[Max]

Thanks again for everyone's help. It will be a couple of months, but I feel pretty confident we will be getting a used Blue RAV4. I will continue to look at RAV4World to pick up other tips. Thanks so much!