24th Jul 2010, 17:21

I got a new 2010 Rav4 last week, and I love it. I am 5 feet tall and I can see everything in this car. The seat puts me up high enough to be comfortable, and I can see the road so much better.

I also like the way the back door opens to the right, and it is so easy to put my groceries in.

We have a Rottweiler puppy that weighs 75 pounds, and it is so easy to get her in and out of the car.

29th Aug 2010, 11:33

Just goes to show that things like seat comfort and interior noise are highly subjective, and you should always take a good lengthy test drive (or rent one, if possible) before buying.

I have a RAV4 of this generation, and find the ride comfort to be just fine. Also, this is one of the quietest cars I've ever owned. I guess it depends on what you are used to.

And to the poster from "24th Jul 2010, 15:49". Your description sounds odd. I regularly get 26+ MPG when doing mostly highway miles, and I have the V6 and AWD in my RAV4.

12th Sep 2010, 16:09

Just browsing thru the reviews, and even though I don't have or have ever driven a RAV4, felt like making a point about the noise. Apart from other things, noise can also be attributed to the tires the vehicle has, and I am sure it is something most know. I bought a Camry with Bridgestone's and driving on the highway's was really bad; unbearable humming noise. Replaced them with Michelin's and it feels like I am in a sound proof cabin. Tires do make a difference.

13th Sep 2010, 18:37

I think you need a new phone there... I made a call on the interstate with three out of the four windows down AND the sunroof open at 70 mph in my RAV 4 Sport, and the call was perfect like I was sitting home in the living room. I had no problem hearing them, and they made no comments about background noise. Also, when you repeat posts on different threads, reread your previous post. You quoted the receiver of the phone call asking you if you were in a factory in your other post, not a laundromat!

When the windows are up my RAV4 is "whisper quiet" too. Of course the GM SUV I traded in for it was not really any quieter, so I am not sure what you are driving that is "whisper quiet" that is built by GM. Please enlighten me. Of course it could be whisper quiet because it doesn't run very often. That was the case with my GM SUV.

14th Sep 2010, 08:28

This is true. I have Bridgestone runflats on my RAV 4 Sport, and for now they are pretty quiet, but I have read reviews on them, and they seem to get loud when they start wearing down. May go with standard tires and an inflator can next time.

14th Sep 2010, 10:22

Yeah, that other poster just doesn't like Toyotas. I have a V6 RAV too and it gets easily into the mid 20s for mixed driving. It is also super quiet and smooth. Some people just post negative reviews for cars they don't like I guess.

14th Sep 2010, 13:32

"What planet did you buy it on? The ones made on Earth are harsh, noisy and very poorly built. I went on a trip in a friend's RAV 4 recently and received a phone call on my cell phone. The person calling me said "Are you in some kind of factory or something? I can't hear you for all the noise?" I just replied "No, I'm in a friend's Toyota". Being a car-savvy person he just said "oh". He immediately understood."

"I recently went on a trip with a friend in his RAV 4. While driving on the interstate, I got a call on my cell phone. The person on the other end asked "Are you in a laundramat or something? It's awfully NOISY!!" And it WAS noisy. It was far noisier than any small domestic SUV I've ridden in. In addition, when we filled up it was getting only 19 miles per gallon on the highway. And that's with a 4 cylinder. Our large GM SUV gets better than that on the road, and is whisper quiet."

Here are the two separate posts by the cell phone guy. Notice the similarities along with the differences that make it obvious this was a made up story... I really wish people would stop slamming cars they don't like when they have no real experience with them.

Seriously, just drive what you like and get over it. RAV 4s are awesome. They ride quiet and smooth and have more power than anything else in their size. They also get close to 30 MPG with the V6 on the highway (actual experience) so I can only imagine a 4 cylinder would get even better.

They simply are the best all around small SUV there is right now. That is from actual experience by an actual owner and not some contrived story.

14th Sep 2010, 23:52

I read through all my recent car magazines looking for comments on RAV4 noise. All I see are comments about how quiet the RAV4 is. In a comparison of 8 mini SUVs Car and Driver (Feb 2010), the RAV4 comes out #1 overall (beating Volkswagen, Honda, Subaru, Mitsubishi, GMC, Suzuki and Mercury). In fact, C&D gave the RAV4 the best NVH score for these SUVs.

15th Sep 2010, 13:26

And I can tell you, as an actual owner, that they are truly very quiet and smooth engine wise. They are short on the wheel base, so yes there is a bit of truck like handling to them, but nothing unexpected in a small SUV. I have done some longer drives with mine, and I can tell you I am much less fatigued than I ever was in my Trailblazer after a few hours.

Plus the V6 has unbelievable power and performance. Passing and entering busy freeways is not even an issue with my RAV4. I surprise many people with it when I hit the gas, and it is gone before they can pass me. I get in the mid to upper 20's for mileage too, which is a nice bonus out of a 269 HP engine... in an SUV!

I looked at the Ford Escape when I bought my RAV4. The Escape was very nice, and I think Fords are really nice vehicles overall. I just thought the RAV 4 was a better all around vehicle for what I need. It was also much more fun to drive for obvious reasons of the power advantage. It also handles more like a car, which is nice.

Try and look for reviews from actual owners, and not stories from people who dislike imports and have obviously never been in the car they are bashing, never mind owning one. It is funny when they can't even get their stories straight on different posts.