Toyota Rav 4?

[Nathan Davies]

Hi, not strictly an arb truck question but I was just after a bit of advice. 

We're moving to a new house which is approached via a bumpy farm track so my girlfriend is looking at getting a 4wd. Budget is about  £4000. We were thinking about a Rav 4 but interested to know what people think of them or any other suggestions. 

Thanks in advance. 

Nathan 

[Steve Bullman]

I was looking at them a few years ago, unfortunately my budget at the time only stretched as far as the older shape which was just pig ugly, looked like a frog or something. The reviews on the newer models seemed pretty good though.

[HuntingHicap]

What will you be using it for? There's a bit of hate for Land Rover on here but you could get a niceish used discovery 2 or freelander 2 for around 2k, and still have 2k held back for the inevitable issues. I run a 52 plate defender, the missus drives it during the week and I use it at the weekends. In just over a years owning it has cost me about £300 in replacement parts, which isn't too bad for a 16 year old vehicle that spends every weekend towing a 3.5 ton trailer and does a fair bit of motorway work. Discovery 2's share all of the same components pretty much, but don't have the Defender cult following so are therefore cheaper to buy. Just watch out for chassis rust at the back.

[Jase hutch]

I've got a 54 plate Rav 4 and its spot on. Utterly reliable too , diesel squeezes out 40 to the gallon...

[Con]

I got one as a hire vehicle in USA about 15 yrs ago. Crashed it! Then got a landcruiser which I liked better. None of this is helpful really!

It came off better than the American car I crashed into!

[pie eater pete]

Shogun. Easy.

[Ratman]

Towing weights are not great if i remember rightly, early ones were shite only allowing something like 1300kg. You wanting it for work use or just recreational? Some good examples with low milage still out there if just for recreational.

[spuddog0507]

9 hours ago, Nathan Davies said:

Hi, not strictly an arb truck question but I was just after a bit of advice. 

We're moving to a new house which is approached via a bumpy farm track so my girlfriend is looking at getting a 4wd. Budget is about  £4000. We were thinking about a Rav 4 but interested to know what people think of them or any other suggestions. 

Thanks in advance. 

Nathan 

Hi my dad has one on a 04 plate he has had it 9 yrs now and it has cost him nothing to keep it on the road only tyres, brakes and recently he has put its first replacement exhaust on it, its been 100% reliable and lives outside all the time and body work is mint, its a 1.8 petrol and last time i drove it it was returning 37 mpg, if he was to sell it i would,nt think twice about it but i know he wont be selling it as it has been so good for him, i think its got about 80k on the clock so not mega miles on it.

[Baldbloke]

If it’s ok on buying and Japanese you probably won’t go too far wrong. I’d advise against an early Freelander 2 as the back axles and Haldex are usually ignored until they become expensive repairs. Just got rid of an early F 2 for a grand and thought I’d done well. The only decent LRs are older LRs IMO.
I did look at an 07 Rav 4 five years ago. Nearly bought what looked like an immaculate specimen until I looked underneath. The lady owner had boats and trailers and lived by the sea. The transverse seam under the front seats had swollen with rot. It was as good as scrap and yet at the time she was looking for 7 k.....

[Nathan Davies]

Thanks for all the advice. It's just for my girlfriend to use as a car really as the track up to the new house is pretty uneven.