[Beaumont67]

We just bought our first RAV4, three months ago...a mint 2008 Limited v6, with 55,000 miles (89,000 Km).
- I found a 7 year old gem, and most enjoyable vehicle we have owned & driven, in 40 years
- wife's work SUV and family ride on weekends...averaging 25,000 miles/year (40,000 Km/year)
In 4.5 years from now, will be time to sell private...with 168,000 miles or 271,000 Km on the clock.
- already have a buyer lined up for it, after a few weeks of ownership

^^ Won't even look at a newer 4 cylinder RAV4.4 / already been spoiled with 269 HP.
Next time, either a mint 2012 Limited, with low miles again / or a used Highlander...either with v6.
- the 5,000 lb. tow capacity on the Highlander, may be the ticket
- for future retirement / may be pulling a shorter camper trailer, with tandem axles

I like what I have read on the Subaru 4x4 system, but a few engine horror stories from friends of a friend...makes the next Highlander purchase, look rather good.
- while over the top pleased, probably a first and last time 4x4-v6-RAV4 owner here / just don't like the brand new ones enough, over my used SUV...lower ground clearance & 1500 # tow capacity ...no thanks

Future 4x4 buys - will be a Toyota or Lexus v6 SUV here (family' vehicle) & CHEV/GM or Toyota v8 truck, for me (to replace my 1998 Silverado 4x4).
- all other BIg3 vehicles, have ZERO interest

 

[Azjeff]

Glad you like your '08 but what does buying a 7 yr old used car have to do with trading out of a new car that didn't meet your expectations? Apples and tomatoes..

 

[Beaumont67]

^^^ Guess I never bought a new car I didn't liked & never would.
- buying a new vehicle, should be like buying a house...biggest investments or negative equity decisions, in ones life...one is an apple & one is a tomato, but still related, in scope
- buying a new vehicle, should not be like buying off Amazon...should take time, and research, test drive, etc...not treated like a quick entitlement purchase, and be sorry later

If someone buys the wrong new vehicle...I say: "suck it up buttercup"...unless one has money to burn.
- sometimes its better to live through a mistake (learning experience), than to make a second or third one / seen that to
- as the debt snowball, $$ rolls down a hill, gaining in size and momentum

That's all...I figure out my next vehicle purchase, like a chess player...way in advance.

 

[Azjeff]

These people aren't buying cars they don't like, who would do that (?), they're finding things like the seat being uncomfortable on long trips, or a harsh ride that they didn't discover on the test ride and the problem is intolerable to them. My question in simple terms is how does a person find 2nd choice to be good enough after the trade? The Outback may be a good example by going out of the category.

Gotta respectfully disagree with "suck it up buttercup", a car is a big expense for sure but to live with a car for years that you just don't like or worse is a bad deal every day. Why punish yourself for a mistake? (if you can afford to fix it?)

 

[Nodnerb]

Well, I have a response from the other side of the coin. I originally had a 2013 cx-5 GT. It was a great vehicle and I chose it over the rav. It was a fantastic vehicle in almost every way and I still like it better than the rav in most ways, just not the MOST important way. Looks, cabin materials, ride, handling etc. were awesome. However, it was a lemon and had a rare issue(from many of my posts on the mazda forums) of periodically stalling on start up and then was very difficult to get going. Mazda was no help. That, coupled with the underpowered 2.0L engine and the non existent throttle response prompted me to trade it in with 18,000 kms on the most reliable affordable small suv I could. That turned out to be the rav. And I don't regret it. What good is a great looking car you like almost everything about that doesn't start? The rav has been 100% mechanically sound in every way and my dealer has been fantastic thus far. Hopefully I won't have to find out if they are as reluctant to diagnose bigger issues as mazda was.

Test driving a car is one thing, but actually living with it can sometimes bring out some demons impossible to recognize in a even a lengthy test drive.

Interestingly, there are about 4 other people here who have traded in their cx-5 on a rav. And, when I was on the mazda forums, some had traded in a rav(or whatever other new vehicle) for the cx-5, or traded the cx-5 for something else.

 

[twinn]

There is no vehicle that will satisfy every buyer. I see complaints about the Rav4 that really blow my mind. I had a Sub Forrester. Reliable but the noisest vehicle i have ever owned.
Poor radio?? Get real. If this why you chose the Rav4??
Rough Ride?? You bought a small, short wheel base SUV> What did you expect??
I guess we would all like to own an AWD SUV with 250 horsepower, 1000 watt radio, 35 MPG, genuine Corinthian leather, ride like a Mercedes, handling like a Ferrari, the reliability of an Acura and lifetime warranty all for under 30K. That vehicle does not exist, if it does then I will gladly trade my Rav in.
Check ouy the other manufacturer's website and you will see similar complaints.

 

[bicepeak]

There is no vehicle that will satisfy every buyer. I see complaints about the Rav4 that really blow my mind. I had a Sub Forrester. Reliable but the noisest vehicle i have ever owned.
Poor radio?? Get real. If this why you chose the Rav4??
Rough Ride?? You bought a small, short wheel base SUV> What did you expect??
I guess we would all like to own an AWD SUV with 250 horsepower, 1000 watt radio, 35 MPG, genuine Corinthian leather, ride like a Mercedes, handling like a Ferrari, the reliability of an Acura and lifetime warranty all for under 30K. That vehicle does not exist, if it does then I will gladly trade my Rav in.
Check ouy the other manufacturer's website and you will see similar complaints.

Just to tag onto your post a bit. Since the popularity of these forums on all models, I think a person wouldn't buy anything because I see objections on all of them. (And probably go insane in the process of sorting through all their issues!)


For me,one of the biggest drawbacks of the RAV4 is not so much the harshness of the ride, but the way it bounds over uneven surfaces. I had rented a RAV4 for a couple of days a couple of months ago so I was aware of the problem. I kept looking for alternatives in the meantime but the RAV4 had so much of what I wanted and I love it in so many ways, I took the plunge last week. I will admit after driving it a couple of days, I had some sinking remorse, "What have I done?", regarding the ride. But I think again why I rejected the others,and I am back here again. I never did find the perfect car in my last two years of looking.


It also struck me yesterday when I was reading many threads, is there is not flood of issues with this car. Always something, but not a flood.


So I am going to stay right here and if something happens to improve the ride, I will take advantage of it.

 

[Nodnerb]

Just to tag onto your post a bit. Since the popularity of these forums on all models, I think a person wouldn't buy anything because I see objections on all of them. (And probably go insane in the process of sorting through all their issues!)


For me,one of the biggest drawbacks of the RAV4 is not so much the harshness of the ride, but the way it bounds over uneven surfaces. I had rented a RAV4 for a couple of days a couple of months ago so I was aware of the problem. I kept looking for alternatives in the meantime but the RAV4 had so much of what I wanted and I love it in so many ways, I took the plunge last week. I will admit after driving it a couple of days, I had some sinking remorse, "What have I done?", regarding the ride. But I think again why I rejected the others,and I am back here again. I never did find the perfect car in my last two years of looking.


It also struck me yesterday when I was reading many threads, is there is not flood of issues with this car. Always something, but not a flood.


So I am going to stay right here and if something happens to improve the ride, I will take advantage of it.

Exactly. Most forums for other vehicles have multitudes of threads of major mechanical issues. Here they are few and far between. This forums lack of those threads helped lead me toward the rav4. Of course I wish it had the same ride of some of the others, but I wouldn't trade it for oil burning issues etc. that others in the class have.

Simply putting some extra weight in the back and keeping a full tank helps with the ride quite a bit.

 

[j92184]

i keep hearing that the ride is stiff.. i guess these people have never owned a truck.. lol i think the Rav4.4 rides great. sure the rav is a little loud.. ( geolanders suck after 25k) but its been very reliable and and gets good mpgs and i like the 6speed.. no CVT rubber bands. sure the rav4.3 v6 has great power... but the 2.5 in the 4.4 in sport mode is pretty good , no issues going 75 on the hwy..

 

[bicepeak]

Exactly. Most forums for other vehicles have multitudes of threads of major mechanical issues. Here they are few and far between. This forums lack of those threads helped lead me toward the rav4. Of course I wish it had the same ride of some of the others, but I wouldn't trade it for oil burning issues etc. that others in the class have.

Simply putting some extra weight in the back and keeping a full tank helps with the ride quite a bit.

i keep hearing that the ride is stiff.. i guess these people have never owned a truck.. lol i think the Rav4.4 rides great. sure the rav is a little loud.. ( geolanders suck after 25k) but its been very reliable and and gets good mpgs and i like the 6speed.. no CVT rubber bands. sure the rav4.3 v6 has great power... but the 2.5 in the 4.4 in sport mode is pretty good , no issues going 75 on the hwy..

I know what you mean. I hear the ride is a "design flaw", but I think it is designed to carry cargo not be a boulevard cruiser. That is why everything is smoother when you put something in the back or have 3 passengers.


Yes, I also think of it as a truck-like ride. When a pickup bed is empty, they don't ride very well.


Lack of rubber bands were also a big factor in my choosing the RAV4.


Also it does really "haul" when I need rapid acceleration.....never felt short on power to me.

 

[JuneBug]

Test driving a car is one thing, but actually living with it can sometimes bring out some demons impossible to recognize in a even a lengthy test drive.

Everyone who is about to buy a new car should read this over and over again!

 

[internalaudit]

Everyone who is about to buy a new car should read this over and over again!

Can't we figure out seat ergonomics and hardness of the ride within half an hour? These two seem to be the biggest complaints.

Is it true that if the sales person thinks that the prospective buyer is almost certain to make the purchase, they will have him/her demo the actual car they will sell him/her?

I was told this by a friend who used to work for a Hyundai dealership in Canada for about a year that this was a practice but just imagine how many countless tire kickers would have turn around and left the dealership saddled with high mileage new cars?

 

[Azjeff]

I've bought 2 cars that later found the seats terrible after more than an hour, they felt fine test driving. Never would have guessed.

Not sure what you mean by demo, you mean take the car home overnight?

Nodnerb, how do you feel about the RAV? Since you did the trade I'm curious about, does the RAV feel like first loser to you compared to the CX-5? Was your problem apparent immediately? My daughter is coming up on a year with her 15 CX-5 Touring with zero problems, she loves it.

 

[Tara525]

I've bought 2 cars that later found the seats terrible after more than an hour, they felt fine test driving. Never would have guessed.

Not sure what you mean by demo, you mean take the car home overnight?

Nodnerb, how do you feel about the RAV? Since you did the trade I'm curious about, does the RAV feel like first loser to you compared to the CX-5? Was your problem apparent immediately? My daughter is coming up on a year with her 15 CX-5 Touring with zero problems, she loves it.

I'm one of the other CX5 haters. I absolutely LOVE my Rav! It's definitely not a loser compared to the Mazda. Here's a C&P of one of my previous posts about it.

What didn't I hate about it, lol? I had a 2013 Touring that I got May 2012.

Transmission freaked out at 4,000 and 17,000 miles to the point it wouldn't accelerate or go past first gear. Dealership kept it for days each time and had to contact Mazda to figure out what to do.

Side mirror and hood constantly vibrating to the point I couldn't use the mirror.

Random rattles and squeaks all the time. Felt like a very cheaply made unstable vehicle.

Poor headlights on dark hilly windy back roads. Made it scary to drive because they didn't illuminate the whole area.

Ridiculously horrible acceleration. There was no "zoom zoom". It was a 2.0 but it was horrible going up even very slight hills. I had to floor the pedal many times.

It didn't like to start when it was cold outside, even though it was kept in an insulated garage. Living in Ohio, having a brand new car that won't start in the cold is completely unacceptable.

I could go on and on, Lol.

 

[Nodnerb]

I've bought 2 cars that later found the seats terrible after more than an hour, they felt fine test driving. Never would have guessed.

Not sure what you mean by demo, you mean take the car home overnight?

Nodnerb, how do you feel about the RAV? Since you did the trade I'm curious about, does the RAV feel like first loser to you compared to the CX-5? Was your problem apparent immediately? My daughter is coming up on a year with her 15 CX-5 Touring with zero problems, she loves it.

I love my rav. I wouldn't even say the rav was second place. Just different. Ive also always loved the sportage and considered it both times. After having a dud first year Mazda my priorities changed slightly and I wanted something with proven reliability. I'm sure 99% of cx5s are fantastic, but, mine wasn't. The problem only showed up in the +5C to -20C temp range. I bought mine in june so i had the mazda for 3 months before the probblem showed up. I was soured by the stalling issue, then the dealers response to it, and even when the 14 came out with the 2.5l engine. I felt pretty scammedby Mazda.
Really though, any car I own or have ever owned is best in my books. I love my cars, maintain them well and take pride in them right from my first $1500 rust bucket when i was 18.

So no, over all I don't feel the rav is second best at all. But there are compromises just like any car from any manufacturer no matter the price or class. It's better than the Mazda in some ways and also worse than the mazda in some ways. Starting and staying running is kinda top of the list for me. Lol

 

[Azjeff]

So do you guys who had serious mechanical problems with your CX-5s feel compelled to go on a Mazda forum long after you traded it and trash it again and again?

 

[Nodnerb]

Nope. Lol. Made a few posts there after just explaining why I traded it in but everyone knew of the issues I was having already. Then posted an unbiased review comparing the two vehicles. Pros and cons of both. Etc., not including the obvious stalling issue. A few of the brighter members thanked me for the comparison and said it would help others in their car buying decisions having someone who has owned and lived with both compare them. But most people flamed me and said how ugly the rav is and how amazing the Mazda is etc. I much prefer my rav which runs though. Haven't been there since. I'm not that petty and bitter to rain on other people's parades because I got the lemon. I have a rav so I enthusiastically post here instead of being a miserable person trying to bring others down on there. What kind of pathetic sociopath would do that? :laugh

 

[Tara525]

So do you guys who had serious mechanical problems with your CX-5s feel compelled to go on a Mazda forum long after you traded it and trash it again and again?

LOL! Nope. I haven't been to the mazdas247 forums since I got rid of it.