A quick RAV4 Rental Test Drive Report...

[coolmazda5]

I got a RAV4 as rental for about 4 days so I wanted to share a quick review on it.

After the 4-day drive, IMO, comparing the RAV4 to the Mazda5 is NOT an apples to apples case but FWIW:

Upside

• Sport Version, 18in good looking wheels
• 4 cylinder fuel economy is great
• Got a nice blue color (Pacific Blue maybe?), not too dark, not too light, just ideal
• Auto Tranny maintains low revs at high speeds (i.e. eventual 85-90MPH, ~3000+RPM)
• The new gauge luminescent colors at night look nice
• Smooth ride in the highway (very SUV-like bumpy on back roads however)
• Good legroom in the front and 2nd row seats. Front seats have more legroom than the MAZDA5 for sure
• MP3/WMA capable CD Player (Wife likes the 6-in-dash CD Player from the MAZDA5 however, she is not too concerned about MP3/WMA capabilities)... And yes, Mazda5 also has it as an option

Downside

• The 4 cylinder engine may be bigger than the Mazda5 one, but the Mazda one feels peppier and more responsive (plus, although is a silly 4cyl, the Mazda engine sounds better)
• The Auto Tranny in the RAV4 felt very sluggish. It takes very long to engage the OD even with the pedal to the metal (now, I drive a manual tranny Mazda5 so it may contribute to the feeling)
• Dashboard lighting color (amber, yellowish) looks terrible. Reminded me to some taxis I rode in South America sometime back
• Yes, 2nd row seat can seat 3 people, but at a high price. The middle one is for kids only. The Mazda5 2 captain seats in the 2nd row are much better IMO
• No standard steering wheel mounted Radio and CD Player controls. The OEM radio/CD Player knobs are not easy to reach while driving
• The spare tire location (back door). IMO it looks so 80s
• Mazda5 general driving/handling feels much better/precise, but again, the RAV4 IS an SUV.
• Negligible cargo space with the 3rd row seat expanded. With the MAZDA5 I can at least still fit a large stroller (fully retracted obviously).

Still, very happy to have chosen a Mazda5. Fun to drive plus covers all my family needs.

 

[raspykart]

nice review man... we had a 2001 RAV4 for a few years, at first I really liked its versatility n all, but then the little things started setting in.... like uncomfortable seats, a pointless awd design, and not real stellar mileage on the hwy.