V6 Rav4 experiences?

[Skrilla]

Hey guys, my girlfriend is looking at getting rid of her Yaris and she likes the 2005-12 Rav4's and also the latest gen CRV. We found a super low mileage '12 Rav4 limited that she likes. Anyone have any experience with the V6 in these years? Is there a reason they dumped this as an option when they face-lifted them? Are there any things to look out for? She keeps her vehicles for quite a while (5+ years)

I did a bit of reading last night, and from the reviews this motor was not a huge seller, but was by far superior to the 4cyl. And the fuel consumption between the two was negligible. Just looking for some real world experience. We are also going to look at a 2015 CRV this weekend, more basic model but newer. She is not a fan of the new Rav4's/.

Also anything else she should look at? Small fuel efficient CUV? She is looking around that $25k marker, just buying it outright.

[Mostwanted]

I have a 2007 Rav4 Limited V6, and completely love it, power is there when you want/need it I think its rated 300 hp. Fuel economy I think it last about 6-700 km in a single 48L tank depends on how you use it.
theres a center diff liff lock that I never use, but good to have.

Maintenance is just normal maintenance, nothing major has broken down yet. I do routine maintenance on it through Toyota dealership though. Has 150,xxx on it. Been a great car. Sucks they took v6 out in the updated versions. ( never drove the 4cyl )

Gf owns i think an 08 or 09 CRV and she and I completely hates it, seats are un-comfy for longer drives, there's no power, KIND of hard to overtake on the highways.
AWD sucks, we got stuck at a small snow bank during a blizzard and she had new studded winter tires. We couldn't figure out how she got stuck in such a small patch of snow. its really small inside.

[killramos]

I have an '08 FJ cruiser V6 with the SR5 which should be exactly the same engine and it definitely does not have 300 HP. Your '07 likely has the same ~240 HP V6 that mine does.

Come ~2010 depending on the car they added dual cam valve timing which bumped the engine to 285. So i imagine the 2012 OP is looking for has that. This engine apparently came with much better fuel economy as well though i think runs on premium in that trim. Which is something OP should consider. Toyota is tricky about this as they do a lot of advertising that the engine takes 87 albeit with far less power than sticker rated.

Mine doesn't really get good fuel economy but it is an FJ cruiser so the shape and weight likely have alot to do with that.

As for other cars the Ford Escape is the obvious one that comes to mind. Always had a soft spot for those. would be cheaper to maintain than a Toyota though balance that against reliability and its a toss up really.

[Lex350]

I've had two of these. The first is my ex wife's 2007 v6 sport model. (bought new)Not a single problem with it. Towed a tent trailer back and forth to BC many times.

The one I have now, my 17 year old daughter drives. 2009 v6 Limited(bought used) I did have to replace the water pump on this one. I put snow tires on this thing and it goes anywhere. (247 hp)Mileage averages 12.8 litres/100kms Very easy vehicle for her to drive. It also has a lock button and the dash that locks all the wheels up to 40kms. Nice if you end up in deep snow. The gas tank is a bit on the small side (runs regular fuel)but overall it has been a great vehicle.

[mikey008]

My wife owns 2006 Rav4 V6 (first year introduced with v6) and to this day still owns it. Awesome awesome car! Gas mileage was nothing to complain about, about 50 bucks to fill up with these current gas prices.
I'm a Honda fan, but wasn't a fan of the CRV because of the 4 cyl. I also use to sell Hondas back in the day, and i lost a lot of potential buyers to the RAV4 due to the V6 engine.

Main reason the V6 motor wasn't a huge seller is because for the price point consumers thought it would be more worth it to lean towards the Toyota Venza! (much bigger car)

[Projek01]

Originally posted by killramos
I have an '08 FJ cruiser V6 with the SR5 which should be exactly the same engine and it definitely does not have 300 HP. Your '07 likely has the same ~240 HP V6 that mine does.

Come ~2010 depending on the car they added dual cam valve timing which bumped the engine to 285. So i imagine the 2012 OP is looking for has that. This engine apparently came with much better fuel economy as well though i think runs on premium in that trim. Which is something OP should consider. Toyota is tricky about this as they do a lot of advertising that the engine takes 87 albeit with far less power than sticker rated.

Mine doesn't really get good fuel economy but it is an FJ cruiser so the shape and weight likely have alot to do with that.

As for other cars the Ford Escape is the obvious one that comes to mind. Always had a soft spot for those. would be cheaper to maintain than a Toyota though balance that against reliability and its a toss up really.

Different motor. The V6 in the Rav4 is the 2GR-FE which is in the Camry, Avalon, Highlander, 2016 Tacoma, Lexus ES. It is a very reliable motor. You just need to make sure that the VVTi oil line has been replaced if its an older model.

[Kloubek]

Didn't the motors have oil consumption issues? Or was that just the 4 cylinder?

I have particular interest, since I just sold my CX9 and am looking for a small 7 seater for my wife to dd. (Rare to find for the RAV4, but we'll see)

I'm strongly considering the Mitsubishi Outlander, actually.

[Mostwanted]

Originally posted by Projek01


Different motor. The V6 in the Rav4 is the 2GR-FE which is in the Camry, Avalon, Highlander, 2016 Tacoma, Lexus ES. It is a very reliable motor. You just need to make sure that the VVTi oil line has been replaced if its an older model.

Yeah thought so... i guess not 300hp but the pedal is very finnicky, itll snap your head back during off the line acceleration if your not smooth with it, I thought it was me but other reviews on the car also experienced that.

Now dont get me wrong i also have a corolla and a lifted 4runner, my "fast" might not be the same fast to you guys LOL :rofl:

[Aleks]

So much confusion in here.

Rav4 V6 only ever came with one engine 3.5L V6 that was rated at 269hp. It ran on regular gas. At that time it was the fastest CUV in the segment (XT Forester being up there too). My friend bought one 5-6 years ago, still has it and it has had 0 issues. Real world mileage is around 10-12L/100kms. Not sure what that is in Kms per tank

[Skrilla]

Thanks for the responses. We are going to look at noon today, hoping this one is as clean as it looks online.

[ZeroGravity]

We have a 2009 V6 Sport since new. 60 L gas tank, but I've never (not sure about my wife though) ran it until dry. We haven't reset the fuel mileage calculation much, but it sits at around 9.6 L / 100 km. Regular fuel, lots of power if needed.

No oil consumption issue. A co-worker has a 2006 four cylinder limited. He's going through some oil consumption test during the past few months.

(Dealership rant - start)
We did change the water pump once (almost twice). The dealership said there was coolant leak and recommended a water pump change. So we did. Next regular service (6 months later), they said there is a coolant leak and recommended a water pump change. Told them about changing the water pump during last service and confirmed with them about the part / labor warranty. Then they said they'll wipe the residue off and observe some more. Come next service (just oil change and check coolant leak) just before the warranty runs out, they somehow managed to not be able to complete everything until end of day (6 pm) and said no coolant leak. Maybe all the stars aligned to make it look really bad for them, but I'm not sure if I trust them enough to continue with them. Losing me as a customer is probably non-issue for them.
(Dealership rant - end)

Numerous recalls (good / bad, you decide). 2009 model year was the year where RAV4 in Canada is switching over to the plant in Ontario. I read somewhere that the same plant makes the RX350 at the time. Mine was one of the last ones from Japan. They use a more environmental friendly paint for the plant in Canada. The Sport Edition (one without the spare wheel on the back) might still be made in Japan.

[ExtremeSi]

Originally posted by mikey008
My wife owns 2006 Rav4 V6 (first year introduced with v6) and to this day still owns it. Awesome awesome car! Gas mileage was nothing to complain about, about 50 bucks to fill up with these current gas prices.
I'm a Honda fan, but wasn't a fan of the CRV because of the 4 cyl. I also use to sell Hondas back in the day, and i lost a lot of potential buyers to the RAV4 due to the V6 engine.

Main reason the V6 motor wasn't a huge seller is because for the price point consumers thought it would be more worth it to lean towards the Toyota Venza! (much bigger car)

Hey Mikey, I didn't know you guys had the V6 Rav4. I'll have to check it out sometime as my wife is looking at getting one of those too!

[EK 2.0]

Originally posted by Kloubek


Didn't the motors have oil consumption issues? Or was that just the 4 cylinder?




That is just on the 4 cylinder models...

[Redlyne_mr2]

I get them on the lot from time to time and they sell almost immediately. The V6 makes the vehicle very quick and super smooth. Toyota got rid of the V6 to keep the Rav priced competitively with the other makes.

[Kloubek]

Originally posted by EK 2.0



That is just on the 4 cylinder models...

Thank you sir. As I will be the one driving it occasionally (and always on road trips) I'm not at all interested in the 4 cylinder anyway.

[bspot]

They were shockingly fun to drive considering they are a RAV. Front passenger room was brutal though, the dash was in my knees constantly in my friends.

But it did have the perpetual motion machine glove compartment... loved that thing.

[Skrilla]

Well sounds like we are buying it. For once it was nicer in person than the pics. She loved the way it drove, surprisingly quick, I had a good laugh. The top glove box thing is the cats ass :D

Thanks for the all insight :thumbsup:

[drtoohotty1]

Originally posted by Skrilla
The top glove box thing is the cats ass :D


Now im curious what this is....

[bjstare]

Glad this thread came up. I'll be shopping for a used little SUV for my wife in the relatively near future and the Rav4 and CRV were two we were thinking about, in addition to the Fozzy XT. The Subaru drives great, but the seats are shit for long trips, it sounds like the Rav4 V6 might be next in line.

[Kloubek]

Originally posted by drtoohotty1


Now im curious what this is....

It's a top glove box, as stated. And yes, it's nifty.

[drtoohotty1]

Originally posted by Kloubek


It's a top glove box, as stated. And yes, it's nifty.

Well that's rather anti climactic when its called a "perpetual motion machine glove compartment" lol

[Skrilla]

Originally posted by drtoohotty1


Well that's rather anti climactic when its called a "perpetual motion machine glove compartment" lol ]

Haha when I pushed the button this was not what came to mind, but it is quite fitting.

[dirtsniffer]

https://www.google.ca/search?q=rav4+top+glove+box&espv=2&biw=1366&bih=667&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiZ-vSDxbvJAhVDymMKHdejBFEQ_AUIBigB#imgrc=euXyOb1kqX2dxM%3A

:nut: some glove box.

[syb65]

I too was in the market for a little 4wd vehicle for the lady. Drove from Edmonton to Calgary on contacting with seller and bought the vehicle. Sport with v6. It's really fast and nimble and has more usable storage then my 4Runner. Put winter tires on, and I can say it will get through any Alberta winter. When we do swap cars, I kinda enjoy driving it a lot. Just can't keep the lead foot driving the RAV4 in the 4Runner, probably put a hole in my wallet. But fun little car.