http://www.caranddriver.com/article....&page_number=1



The Toyota with the weird name moves forcefully to dominate the segment with no name.


What is a RAV4 anyway? The name has been stumbling off tongues since Toyota’s wee sport-ute first hit in 1996. RAV4 sounds like Army code, or the season finale of the International Federation of Competitive Eating. As in: See our ravenous contestants suck down entire bowls of mayonnaise—at RAV4!

Toyota says it’s short for “Recreational Active Vehicle with 4-wheel drive.” Oh.

Pardon us if we can’t get misty over that ostentatious acronym, and while you’re at it, pardon us for failing to coin a universally accepted description of the RAV4’s genus. Is it a crossover, a sport wagon, a cute ute, or a soft-roader? Write your congressional representative—not us—if you have strong feelings either way. Future epigraphists, at least, will be watching to see how it all shakes out.

Continued: http://www.caranddriver.com/article....&page_number=1

yea its real quick for an suv, or even a car. I have to mod my solara to get to be that quick, makes me think its not worth it. Its much better looking this generation too. But wayyy too expensive. They are saying a price tag of 28k for a limited model with v6. If you ask me thats way to much for this class of car.

14.9!! That's pretty fast for a SUV!

~Josh

That is very fast for an SUV. Looks like low 15 seconds for the RX350 is about right. That is also good news for the GS350 which surely should be a little faster than the Rav4. I difinately can live with that

Amazing. Wish I could put that drive train in mine

This is sort of a repost but thanks for the heads up to an online version.
https://www.clublexus.com/forums/sho...d.php?t=190106

Too bad one can't option it with a nav in the US or it would be arguably THE car to get for people looking for a vehicle that does it all.

man ..... now theres a chance i can lose to rav4 i need to get a turbo soon

It sounds pathetic doesn't it?

Hmmm.

We were talking in another thread about the RX350 FWD doing 15.5 and the AWD 15.7, and I think this is a very good and conservative time out of Lexus. I still do not buy to this day that my 1999 RX300 AWD ever did 16.8 stock (as there is a 50 horsepower difference or so between an RX300 and an RX350) and most mags had it running in the 17s.

I think the weights differ slightly for the RX350 and the new RAV4 and that may account for the difference.

I don't doubt that you could get a stock brand new high hp version of the rav4 to do 14.9 or so. Get the right person driving it (less weight, good driver), low elevation, low humidity, high air pressure and low air temps.

I'll never get a chance to test or even face off against one at my track in Mexico as Toyota only imported the low hp version, much to the chagrin of several neighbors who left in disgust with me at the Toyota dealer when they found out it was not coming Shame on you Toyota. http://www.toyota.com.mx/interior_rav42.htm

LMAO at the competiton. This is ridiculous and the price is very right

For the U.S., the prices are great for something with this power. However, in Mexico they are charging nearly the same exact price for the 166 hp version and that is ridiculous.

that, of course has nothing to do with taxes and customs, right? ;-)

While no doubt not having the same reliability level - the 2006 Suzuki Grand Vitara V6 looks like a direct competitor, and I think it's better looking.

One other thing, why don't they offer navigation on this cool Rav4!?

saw a guy test drive the new rav4 and it was at a stop light, seriously not kidding, when the light turned green it had to floor it and the car took off and it had a nice sound to go along with it, i mean u can actually hear it accelerating. that rav4 was beautiful