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No offense, Jill, but, while not perfect, I would not consider that a major quality lapse. Even at that magnification, it is only a few mms at the most (no pun intended), and, because vehicle interiors can heat up quite markedly in the summer sun, there should be at least a small amount of space for the materials to expand and contract a little in the heat without warping. That is why the old Saturn S-Series plastic body panels had such wide gaps in them. Some people took that as a sign of poor quality, but they were designed that way. Plastic expands more than steel or aluminum in the heat, and the gaps allowed the doors to close in the heat without binding.
The biggest problem I found inside, BTW, had nothing to do with the materals (though I agree with you that the Limited was much nicer than the LE), but in the over-complex video and Driver-Info systems. The amount of navigating through the screen, with buttons and switches, is just endless trying to find a number of things.
Last edited by mmarshall; Dec 22, 2018 at 03:09 PM.
With the exception of the small horizontal black plastic trim piece at the D-pillar that we needed to snap back into place, the Trail (Adventure) edition my colleague and I saw today was well built and put together. No issues with uneven gaps/fit. Really nice vehicle and the one I'd get (XSE Hybrid) in this segment. My colleague in fact loved it and signed on one today.
Last edited by corradoMR2; Dec 22, 2018 at 09:00 PM.
With the exception of the small horizontal black plastic trim piece at the D-pillar that we needed to snap back into place, the Trail (Adventure) edition my colleague and I saw today was well built and put together. No issues with uneven gaps/fit. Really nice vehicle and the one I'd get (XSE Hybrid) in this segment. My colleague in fact loved it and signed on one today.
Nice pics. Thanks for the response. Any idea if these were Canadian made vs Japan sourced?
With the exception of the small horizontal black plastic trim piece at the D-pillar that we needed to snap back into place, the Trail (Adventure) edition my colleague and I saw today was well built and put together. No issues with uneven gaps/fit. Really nice vehicle and the one I'd get (XSE Hybrid) in this segment. My colleague in fact loved it and signed on one today.
Congratulations to him (her?) . That version is not available in the U.S. yet...the Hybrids aren't being introduced until spring. I know I didn't see any at the Toyota shop I was at that had the orange-stripe interior.
Nice pics. Thanks for the response. Any idea if these were Canadian made vs Japan sourced?
Yep made sure to check. Plant a few km west of us
Originally Posted by mmarshall
Congratulations to him (her?) . That version is not available in the U.S. yet...the Hybrids aren't being introduced until spring. I know I didn't see any at the Toyota shop I was at that had the orange-stripe interior.
Thanks, Adventure trim not yet available in the US yet?
Same here for Hybrid (around end of April they said). As for my colleague, he is one who keeps cars until they die (literally) and steered him to the RAV4 as the safest bet! He's come from a 12 year old 2006 Mazda 3 that served him well (170k miles) though literally almost falling apart (rust, suspension, brakes, all shot) but tranny and engine still original and working well.
Thanks, Adventure trim not yet available in the US yet?
Same here for Hybrid (around end of April they said). As for my colleague, he is one who keeps cars until they die (literally) and steered him to the RAV4 as the safest bet! He's come from a 12 year old 2006 Mazda 3 that served him well (170k miles) though literally almost falling apart (rust, suspension, brakes, all shot) but tranny and engine still original and working well.
Sorry, I may have misunderstood you. Yes, the Adventure trim is available in the U.S. The Hybrid is not...and, from what I understand, it will not be released until Spring.
Wow the detail in that front seat and the colors, stitching, contrast, and design look nice
I had a similar (cloth) seat-pattern in the 1984 Mazda GLC I owned, but, here in the American market, haven't seen anything quite like it since. Mazda did that cloth pattern in two trim-patterns.....three-tone blue, and tan/orange/black. I owned the blue one.
Interesting pattern on the Mazda. I think this SofTex on the RAV4 looks far better, and seeing the tighter side bolsters and lumbar control would make me feel far more comfortable in the RAV4 than the GLC.
Interesting pattern on the Mazda. I think this SofTex on the RAV4 looks far better, and seeing the tighter side bolsters and lumbar control would make me feel far more comfortable in the RAV4 than the GLC.
Yes, I haven't seen the RAV-4's Adventure trim yet up close. I'll look at it next time I'm at the Toyota shop and one is there. Looks nice in images, though.
With the CVT recalls etc, and this being the first platform shift for Toyota in a while, I`d wager that if you intend on keeping it long term, wait till next MY or at least towards the end of this MY (later build units). No matter how amazing the brand, when you build something new your bound to have issues (yes even after the pre-production unit testing that most automakers do before the assembly line is fully up and running). However by the end of the first MY better vehicle then say the first one off the lot.
Personal opinion formulated on personal experiences.
With the CVT recalls etc, and this being the first platform shift for Toyota in a while, I`d wager that if you intend on keeping it long term, wait till next MY or at least towards the end of this MY (later build units). No matter how amazing the brand, when you build something new your bound to have issues (yes even after the pre-production unit testing that most automakers do before the assembly line is fully up and running). However by the end of the first MY better vehicle then say the first one off the lot.
Personal opinion formulated on personal experiences.
Generally you're probably right. My personal experience lately was with a Lexus NX in 2015 as a first adopter. The vehicle performed flawlessly for the 3 yrs I had it.
, and, because vehicle interiors can heat up quite markedly in the summer sun, there should be at least a small amount of space for the materials to expand and contract a little in the heat without warping. That is why the old Saturn S-Series plastic body panels had such wide gaps in them. Some people took that as a sign of poor quality, but they were designed that way. Plastic expands more than steel or aluminum in the heat, and the gaps allowed the doors to close in the heat without binding.
. That version is not available in the U.S. yet...the Hybrids aren't being introduced until spring. I know I didn't see any at the Toyota shop I was at that had the orange-stripe interior. 
