[OCInsomniac]

Anyone see the the CR annual auto issue - just came out. Appears they didn't do full test on '06 RAV yet, all they said in effect was new version is much more substantial than predecessor which is one of their highest rated compact SUV's. They still understandably like the Subie Forester and Honda CRV. Didn't mention anything about RAV4 in section "What's New For '06 - 07", although they had write up on new Tundra.

OC

 

[flyingn]

ya know.. I find it odd that most of the magazines are kinda sorta ignoring the rav. I seen preliminary tests and one or 2 full tests but nothing else. No comparison tests which the rav is begging to doninate.

 

[MoonRav4]

Consumer Reports

The Consumer Reports ratings is what steered me towards the RAV4. I bought their SUV comparison book on the newstand and poured through all the different SUV's They had articles on "real world" gas mileage, reliability, and "would you buy again", etc. They rated the RAV4 extremely high. What nailed it for me is the styling, the roominess, the power, the reliability, and that it doesn't require premium gas..... The book was well worth the $6

 

[karrock]

Yeah... I was very disapointed when CR came out with their "Top Picks" list earlier this week and the RAV was nowhere to be found in their "SUV Less Than $30k" category... And this is for their annual car issue, which gets more media exposure than their monthly testings.

I guess without a full blown test, they can't recommend it or even put in a blurb about it in the article. Online, they don't even show the RAV as having a Road Test on the main list anymore! Just ratings and archived tests. As a result, it is no longer "CR Recommended", though the '04 was just tested for the Oct '04 issue.

So, the top rated Forester (which stole the crown from the RAV a couple years ago by a few pixels on their scale) and the lower rated CR-V (again by a few pixels) get top nods... :evil:

 

[Derek]

I too pick up the CR auto magazines each year to keep up with their user ratings.

I am very certain that the reason you do not see the '06 being ranked or even recommended by CR "Yet" is because they do not have any user feedback for this newest RAV4. Their recommendations and ratings are basely partly on this owner feedback; and because the RAV4 only recently hit the showrooms, there was no time to collect enough surveys before the mags. went to press.

I am sure that if you check next years CR ratings, the RAV4 will be high on their ratings list and will definitely be highly recommended; just as is almost all of the Toyotas listed.

 

[joecarnut]

Also they don't have any crash test rating which CR puts much stock into their reviews.
It will be quite interesting to see what they do say when they have their full report on the RAV4.