[Rosebud]

Just went through a winter for my 2015 Rav4,AWD LE. Excellent performance all around, and even impressive at times. Maybe rough ride in the back seats, but thats nothing.

This is my 3rd rental, the other were Echo and Corolla, both top notch.

As anyone noticed that the front brakes on the RAV are very noisy. Even a squeal when just starting out. The rest of the day it's reasonably quiet. I've got 21K on it now. But it occured to me that the other cars did the same, the Corolla less so. The echo I needed a pad change at 15K miles and I had an argument with the mech at that time. I said that was impossible, that no pads would wear out that fast, and I'm a light braker. Methinks Toyota is installing sub-standard pads on the first factory roll out, and hoping no one would notice so that they can collect early on pre-mature repairs.

The other thing is the rental says that 20-25K is normal for a yearly accumulation of normal driving. I'm just wondering what mileage you people in the praries like LyodWesminster,Edmonton and Montana are getting for your first year? My BIL says he can clock hundreds of miles in the first two weeks. This is nothing like what I get in the mileage in East Ontario with close towns. Therefore Toyota should change the formula and do an average across all provinces to determine the proper standard.

Thanks.

 

[neggy]

As for the mileage.... it is regional, where I am from 15K miles a year is normal, but a rental vehicle makes its money by being used every day, so they tend to run up miles quickly, and they are beat to death

P.J. O'Rourke has the best opinion piece ever written on what car is the best car, and the answer is a rental. Take the damage waiver, beat the crap out of it, break it and get another.


As to the front brakes, it has been my experience that when it is humid, the rotors get a thin surface rust overnight, and the first application or two of the day cleans the rotors.

Ceramic pads do not do the job as well as semi's and I have cars ( and my own truck) that have come into the shop that need rotors because the car sits for long periods of time and the rotors really rust, and the ceramic pads are not able to get the heavy rust off

 

[Rosebud]

Thanks a lot, will keep that in mind.

 

[vanib]

By "rental", do you mean a leased vehicle?

 

[WTTNWA]

By "rental", do you mean a leased vehicle?

I was wondering the same thing.