Well, I got the Rav4 on Thursday. The dealership called me at 4 to say it had arrived and I was there by 5 to pick it up. The paperwork went very smoothly and fast - a nice surprise. Another nice surprise was that even though the vehicle arrived with the remote start and towing prep options (which I did not request), the sales guy didn’t make me pay for them. He stuck to the original price we agreed on. I have to say I had a great buing experience with Toyota of Plano. Now we’ll see what I think of their service department.
But enough about the dealership, everyone wants to know about the car. Well, I love it! It drives so smoothly, it almost seems to glide on the road. And it has some great pick-up in it……..so glad I went with the V6. I’m really enjoying the dual zone automatic climate control. Bobby and I each get to set our own temperature (something that has always been a constant battle for us). The storage in the car is also amazing. There are two storage spaces under the floor in the rear area. One is enough room to fit carry on luggage and the other can fit smaller items like umbrellas or tools. Bobby and I took full use of these when we went camping (more on that later) and were able to put the tent, sleeping pads, stove, propane fuel, and other miscellaneous items in the larger compartment.
The sound system is also great. A big step over what I had in the Escape. And I actually had purchased the upgraded Escape sound system when I got it. The bass in the car is amazing, considering there is not subwoofer. It is also wonderful at the treble as well (which is what I really enjoy). I hear pieces of songs now that I never heard in my Escape. The mp3 player connector is also great. You connect a wire from the headphone jack of your mp3 player to a port in the car. You can then listen to the mp3 player through the speakers. I like that the port in the car is generic and not made for a specific player. My iPod works great. I’ll need to get a longer cord so that the iPod can be more accessible when it is hooked into the car. Oh, also discovered that I have a 6-disc cd changer in the dash. I rarely listen to cds, but it is a nice addition. I can use it as backup for when I forget the iPod.
I could go on and on about the Rav4. I’m extremely happy with it. Much happier than I thought I would be. Let’s hope this love affair is able to last for 5 or 6 years.