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RAV4 Limited or Forester XT Limited?

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vanrocco

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Discussion starter · #1 ·
Okay, I know most of you will be a little biased here - which is okay - but I'm looking for some feedback. I'm trying to decide between a 2008 Subaru Forester XT Limited and a 2008 RAV4 Limited. Both have under 30K miles on them and I plan on keeping and really driving the **** out of it over the next 5-6 years. Both cars are really similar in a lot of ways, price, mileage, reliability, re-sale, ...etc. My biggest concern about the Forester is the fact that it's a 4 cylinder engine and I have doubts about a 4 cylinder holding up long term. Here are the pro's and con's I have found so far for each ..

Subaru
Pro's:
Nicer interior
Better off-road and in snow
Constant AWD

Con's:
smaller engine
4-speed transmission
Seats not very comfortable

Standard Engine Turbo Gas 4-Cyl 2.5L/150
Horsepower 224 HP @ 5600 RPM
Torque 226 @ 3600 RPM
AWD

Toyota:
Pro's
6-cylinder engine
lots of room and storage
Better exterior styling (in my opinion)

Con's:
Goofy spare tire on outside of vehicle
Tail gate opens sideways
No satellite radio
No Power seats


Standard Engine 3.5L 269 hp V6
Horsepower 269 @ 6200 RPM
Torque (lb-ft) 246 @ 4700 RPM
5-Speed automatic overdrive
4WD

.. As I said, I'm just looking for some feedback on what you experiences on either or both would be.
 
#2 ·
I compared the Forester with the RAV4 last year when I was shopping for a new car. I've owned my RAV4 V6 Limited AWD for a year now and I'm so happy with her!!

I love the V6 because she takes off at warp speed when I put my foot on the gas pedal. She handles well, and is quiet and comfy on long road trips (3-4 hours).

My deciding factor was the V6. Had the Forester had a V6 version, I might have given it more consideration.
 
#4 ·
We shopped a Forester before buying our Rav and the vehicles are considerably different, so the decision seems like it should be easier than even deciding between four and six cylinder versions of the Rav.

I recall the Forester being noticeably narrower and tippier feeling than the Rav, with suspension that crashed through on sharp pavement breaks, causing a lot of the interior pieces to feel as if they weren't well attached. That and that the V6 in the Rav was a noticeably better motor sealed the deal.

By the way, last winter I got a set of dedicated traditional snow tires without studs and even with that, the Rav was like a tank. Even the lightweight AWD system can easily take advantage of winter tires, and we went places with no qualms that other vehicles wouldn't even think of trying. Even my wife, a traditionally timid driver in snow, needlessly took our Rav out in pretty horrid conditions because it provided that level of snow capability.
 
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#5 ·
You may want to also check the Subaru forums for problems with the turbo motor. I've heard stories about their motors not being built as well lately. The blocks seem to fail on the turbo motors if pushed too hard or with a lot of milage. You won't have those issue with the V6.
 
#6 ·
The Subie is down on interior room, rear seats are uncomfortable with little legroom, and it requires premium fuel. Wind and road noise is excessive according to many articles I have read. Fuel mileage (again, on premium) is about the same as the V-6 RAV. Not crapping on the Subie just stating some reviews I read. You also need to consider service.....do both brands have multiple dealers nearby to choose from?
 
#7 ·
RTexasF said:
The Subie is down on interior room, rear seats are uncomfortable with little legroom, and it requires premium fuel. Wind and road noise is excessive according to many articles I have read. Fuel mileage (again, on premium) is about the same as the V-6 RAV. Not crapping on the Subie just stating some reviews I read. You also need to consider service.....do both brands have multiple dealers nearby to choose from?
Click to expand...
Agreed with the question about Subaru's dealer network. My wife had a Forester which developed lots of problems - leak in radiator, clutch malfunctioned, a recall, and she complained about the brakes. Subaru removed the only dealership which had competent mechanics from its authorized list, leaving us with only two dealers, and both had totally incompetent service departments. Toyota by contrast had about a dozen dealerships in the same area. After 18 months of Subaru incompetence she traded the Forester in for a Honda CR-V.
 
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#8 ·
Consumer Reports shows older Subaru turbo engines having a lot of turbo related issues. A former boss of mine had an 08/09ish WRX that randomly lost all oil when it was practically new and had to get a new engine. They [the Suby dealer techs] had no idea how it happened, but the fact that Consumer Reports is seeing that also shows it wasn't an isolated incident. Older naturally aspirated 4-cylinders still seem to be having head gasket failures. No clue if any of this has been resolved on newer cars or not, but if you'd probably be better off with the RAV4 if you don't want to have to sink a ton of money into the car while you own it. Number of cylinders has nothing to do with long-term reliability. Being designed properly with good quality control in the first place regardless of number of cylinders matters a lot more.
 
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#10 ·
my father had a legacy with the pretty common boxer engine knock, but when it got very severe, they didn't want to replace it on warranty saying it was not a problem... so he wanted to trade it in for a newer legacy, they didn't want the car as a trade in, since it had a piston slap problem... lol... let's just say after that, I stay away from subarus, since they seems to take a long time before fixing problems!
 
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#11 ·
vanrocco said:
Con's:
Goofy spare tire on outside of vehicle
Tail gate opens sideways
No satellite radio
No Power seats

Pros:
Standard Engine 3.5L 269 hp V6
Horsepower 269 @ 6200 RPM
Torque (lb-ft) 246 @ 4700 RPM
5-Speed automatic overdrive
4WD
Click to expand...
don't buy what you don't want. you'll not be happy with the cons you listed.
the spare tire on the back was the biggest reason i bought the sport package. power seats to me are, another motor to fail. the manual seats work very well, again for me. satelite radio, 60 days left on the free trial , jury is still out.
the pros listed sold me over the other manufactures offerings.

cadman
 
#12 ·
interesting dilemma.. the forester is the only car i drove that i have some occasional second guessing over when compared to my rav v6 sport. i drove a beautiful steel silver x touring during my car hunt. it had a much better driving position, center console arm rest, steering wheel position, foot well room and no annoying center console intrusion into leg space vs. my rav4. however subaru reliability issues (brand new engine design in 2011 models) plus weak performance, cheap dash and gauges and spongy handling tipped the nod into the rav4's favor.
i must point out that i wanted a long term car - e.g. 200K miles.
although the turbo sounds sexy, i never even considered it- it is really a means to achieve more performance from a smaller engine. the added complexity- the intercooler with its coolant circuit and high pressure engine air hoses and connections, the turbo with its engine oil circuit and more frequent oil change interval, the exhaust gas connections that feed the turbo, etc are all added complexity and expensive components to repair / replace. plus the performance is still not as exciting as the rav4 with the V6 and there is no fuel economy difference. So why? what is the payoff for buying a turbo? if i had intended to trade it in after the warranty expired it may have given more temptation. however, i am happy with the rav except for minor issues like the center console cutting down on leg room and cloth seat cushion wear.
 
#13 ·
RAV versus Forrester

The Forrester is now Consumer's report top choice. I have a 2008 RAV4 Limited V6 (admitting my biase). I have heard the Subaru rides nicer. With a Turbo and premium fuel as others have noted you wont save a dime on fuel, and when I push my RAV, its a rocket, I routinely blow away 3 series BMW's. If I dont push it, fuel is ok and I have 4WD when I need it, dont pay fuel penalty full time.
 
#14 ·
You like the additional space, but don't like the external spare or side-hinge. However, moving the tire outside is what creates a lot of the extra space, and it's what drives the requirement for side-hinging.

If capacity is your priority, get the RAV4. If foul-weather performance is your priority, get the Forrester.

I think the Forrester is slightly more crashworthy, too.
 
#15 ·
jchaput said:
The Forrester is now Consumer's report top choice. I have a 2008 RAV4 Limited V6 (admitting my biase). I have heard the Subaru rides nicer. With a Turbo and premium fuel as others have noted you wont save a dime on fuel, and when I push my RAV, its a rocket, I routinely blow away 3 series BMW's. If I dont push it, fuel is ok and I have 4WD when I need it, dont pay fuel penalty full time.
Click to expand...
:lol:

Newly annointed BMW fanboy here.

There are soooooooo many ways in which the RAV4 is lacking compared to a 3-series BMW, but yes the V6 RAV4 is quite quick, flat out, in a straight line, I'll give it that. :cool: A well-driven 328i 6MT (0-60 in 6.2s) will give a RAV4 a very good run for its money though, and we're not even talking about the 335 yet.
 
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#16 · (Edited)
SteVTEC said:
:lol:

Newly annointed BMW fanboy here.

There are soooooooo many ways in which the RAV4 is lacking compared to a 3-series BMW, but yes the V6 RAV4 is quite quick, flat out, in a straight line, I'll give it that. :cool: A well-driven 328i 6MT (0-60 in 6.2s) will give a RAV4 a very good run for its money though, and we're not even talking about the 335 yet.
Click to expand...
Some people don't care much about turning radius and ground clearance. I am not one of them.

I like the RAV4's honest good-diameter single exhaust vs the Forester's semi-fake dual exhaust.
 
#17 ·
I just recently purchased a 2011 RAV4 Limited after significant research on small SUV's. I had narrowed my top choices to the Forester, RAV4 and Kia Sportage. I finally rejected the Subaru due to a dated 4 speed tranny, the need for a turbo to generate power competitive with other small SUV's, and the need to use premium fuel. Pros for me for selecting the RAV were V6 power and fuel economy comparable to other small SUV's with 4 bangers, interior room and comfort, handling and ride. While I am not wild about the spare tire on the door, I do like the exceptional cargo room and the low load floor.

Bottom line, this is my first Toyota (always been a Ford guy), and I am very satisfied with the RAV. It does everything I need to do very well.
 
#18 · (Edited)
jchaput said:
The Forrester is now Consumer's report top choice. I have a 2008 RAV4 Limited V6 (admitting my biase). I have heard the Subaru rides nicer. With a Turbo and premium fuel as others have noted you wont save a dime on fuel, and when I push my RAV, its a rocket, I routinely blow away 3 series BMW's. If I dont push it, fuel is ok and I have 4WD when I need it, dont pay fuel penalty full time.
Click to expand...

About the first sentence, Consumer Reports appears to be inconsistent - that wouldn't be the first time - in the April 2011 issue (their annual auto edition). On page 7 they list the Toyota RAV4 as Top Pick in the small SUV category, but on p. 35 regarding their Ratings of small SUVs the Subaru Forester is listed at the top.
 
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#19 ·
Didn't Consumer Reports drop the Rav as a top pick because of the mat entrapment controversy and all that followed it?
 
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#20 ·
Other cons on the rav4 to consider is:

1. Sharp edge on interior door that hurts your leg if you rest up against it.
2. Seat doesn't go back far enough for comfortable leg room if you're on the taller side.
3. Head rest that pushes your head too far forward and causes neck pain.

There is solutions for the above if they become bothersome.
 
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