RAV4 2020 pros & cons article on media
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I am admittedly biased, but I HATE online car reviews. There done by people with little to no credentials who's whole goal in the world is ad clicks, not unbiased reviews.
If your going to rely on online reviews at least rely on either a) amateur reviews by people here, who drive one every day, or b) credible places, like road and track or similar (if you can call them credible anymore).
If you want a RAV4, go drive one. There not that hard to find. Tell the dealer you want a long test drive, and you want to go where you want to go - not their pre determined route. If they won't let you - find another dealer.
If your going to rely on online reviews at least rely on either a) amateur reviews by people here, who drive one every day, or b) credible places, like road and track or similar (if you can call them credible anymore).
If you want a RAV4, go drive one. There not that hard to find. Tell the dealer you want a long test drive, and you want to go where you want to go - not their pre determined route. If they won't let you - find another dealer.
What a terrible article. It just links to other articles.
They quote the 2020 car and driver article as follows:
the transmission on our test vehicle seemed to stumble when called upon for a downshift.
The 2019 car and driver article is quoted as
An eight-speed automatic shifts smoothly and helps improve fuel economy
These paid magazines are total shills. They are inconsistent and untruthful. How can the same publication write the two statements above? Is it a joke?
They quote the 2020 car and driver article as follows:
the transmission on our test vehicle seemed to stumble when called upon for a downshift.
The 2019 car and driver article is quoted as
An eight-speed automatic shifts smoothly and helps improve fuel economy
These paid magazines are total shills. They are inconsistent and untruthful. How can the same publication write the two statements above? Is it a joke?
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If it doesn't compete, then why did it outsell all of the competition!
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The thing to keep in mind with car reviews is that they spend a relatively short amount of time with the vehicle. This means that they typically overlook reliability, which is something I value greatly. I don't care how great a vehicle is if it's not reliable. Honda CRVs consistently score very high, but not many reviews talk about the oil dilution issue. I've never owned a Toyota, but i'll soon be in the market, so I that's why I come here for feedback from owners.
Highlighting one part of the review linked it says: "Problem: Doesn’t Compete With Its Rivals....This may come as a surprise to some, considering all of the great things that the model has done, but the car industry is one that requires constant improvement"..... I find this to be a very odd statement. The car industry is one that requires constant improvement, and they noted all the great things that the model has done. Doesn't compete with Rivals? Personally the 2020 Rav4 is on the top of my list.
Highlighting one part of the review linked it says: "Problem: Doesn’t Compete With Its Rivals....This may come as a surprise to some, considering all of the great things that the model has done, but the car industry is one that requires constant improvement"..... I find this to be a very odd statement. The car industry is one that requires constant improvement, and they noted all the great things that the model has done. Doesn't compete with Rivals? Personally the 2020 Rav4 is on the top of my list.
I considered a Prius V when I bought a '16 Ltd HV, but the ground clearance killed that idea. Wife has an '18 Prius Prime, ground clearance is even less than the Prius. 
She does get fantastic highway fuel economy tho, last summer she and 2 of her lady friends took a 1200 miles trip that averaged just shy of 60mpg without plugging in.
She does get fantastic highway fuel economy tho, last summer she and 2 of her lady friends took a 1200 miles trip that averaged just shy of 60mpg without plugging in.
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I see so many people make comments like this. "95% of CUV owners never take their vehicle offroad". I'll speak for myself, but I imagine some other people are in the same boat. Having some ground clearance is nice for snow, and light offroading. I'm not talking rock crawling, but the Rav4 doesn't have THAT much clearance anyways. Some people also enjoy being a little higher off the ground. I also don't have to worry as much hitting my front bumper on steep driveways, or scraping curbs parking.
You might read those reasons, and that doesn't make sense to you, but everyone has different tastes. some people might not NEED the extra clearance, but it is convenient.
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From the same website:
“The Toyota RAV4 Hybrid is simply a great SUV. In fact, it was ranked #1 in Hybrid and Electric Vehicles by U.S. News. It has a massive cargo and great fuel economy, even for a hybrid SUV. It is a great alternative to the non-hybrid RAV4 thanks to its horsepower and fuel economy ratings.”
www.thethings.com
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“The Toyota RAV4 Hybrid is simply a great SUV. In fact, it was ranked #1 in Hybrid and Electric Vehicles by U.S. News. It has a massive cargo and great fuel economy, even for a hybrid SUV. It is a great alternative to the non-hybrid RAV4 thanks to its horsepower and fuel economy ratings.”
15 SUVs We Loved From This Past Decade (And 5 We Didn't)
The last decade has given some incredible SUVs that offered great fuel-efficiency and performance. Some models, however, leave a lot to be desired.
www.thethings.com
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I'm in the 5% that do drive offroad on primitive roads during hunting season, I scraped bottom in my '16 Ltd HV occasionally with 7" ground clearance.
I understand completely. I also understand that from an engineering standpoint that CUVs are inefficient and packaged poorly. Minivans offer far more space and packaging efficiency hands down. CUVs dont, period.
The style really impacts functionality. It's funny how people say how roomy and how much storage the rav4 has.
Try a Sienna which has a similar footprint. It kills the rav4 in every objective metric including passenger and cargo space.
And you can get awd which is great in the snow. I live near canada and really only need clearance a few days a year at most. A sedan with awd (subaru, Audi etc) is just as good.
Minivan has good clearance for curbs and elevated driving position too.
America's love affair with the CUV is totally irrational. Any engineer has to agree, the numbers don't lie.
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A CUV without ground clearance is called a sedan. Literally. The modern CUV is a fwd car with a bit of a lift, hence the came Crossover Utility vehicle. The whole point of paying more for a CUV is to get the height.
You obviously live where its flat and has perfect roads. Around here you need 8 inches to get through the pot holes.
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I sort of agree with some of the points you made, although we are a bit offtopic from ground clearance. We own a Honda Odyssey. I never thought we would own a van, but truth is they have the space of a larger SUV but more fuel efficient. The challenge with the Toyota Sienna is that it is the ONLY AWD minivan, so they sell quick here, and as a result sellers are less inclined to make deals. Can you elaborate what you mean in regards to CUVs are inefficient vs Minivans? the AWD Sienna gets 20MPG combined, while an AWD rav4 gets 29 MPG combined.
That is a relative statement. The Rav4 compared to most sedans, or the mazda cx-5 is pretty roomy. Most people know that the Rav4 compared to something like the Sienna isn't AS roomy.
What numbers are you comparing? A CUV vs Minivan, or AWD Sedans? You could also make the same claim about America's love for Trucks. How many people actually tow with their Truck? How many people go off road with their truck? Many women buy trucks, and don't intend on towing, off roading etc. You could say this is irrational, but buying a vehicle for many people isn't strictly "what is the most rational purchase."
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