Baffled by how bad the RAV4 is

So they fixed issues like this?

To be fair, the whole rav4 looks like that

Why do people not like the Equinox? I rented one a couple of weeks ago to drive to MD to pick up my 4xe and liked it a lot. So much that I started looking at the lease offers on them.

I’m also used to pretty decent cars, my last few cars included things like MB E300, GLE350, Acura TLX, Infiniti Q50, BMW Z4. I enjoyed the Equinox just as much as any of those, even more than some. I was surprised about how good it drove for the price.

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The new TNGA platform (at least in the Camry I test drove a few yrs ago) is impressive. I think Toyota cheapened out on all the stuff “outside” (or I guess inside) the chassis.

I imagine the new NX (which presumably has all the sound deadening, suspension tuning, and interior niceties that the RAV4 lacks) might actually be pretty nice.

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Toyota interiors do look dated, and kinda crappy, but they seem pretty durable…rental highlander I had with 70k miles on it still looked just like new.

A few weeks ago someone posted on twitter a 96K quote for rav4. It had a 40K market adjustment and about 7K of dealer addons.

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Compared to the old K platform, which ironically is still found on the current RX, the new TGNA-K is impressive FWD, stiffer then before. The NX is on a whole another level of refinement, it just wont win anything in terms of performance.

Sir those are blessings not addons!

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You have to protect that beast

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I had driven like a 2017 model, not the most current. But it was garbage with the interior being as cheap as possible, had absolutely zero power, drove very mediocrely.

Regardless, I’ve yet to see a GM where I say “wow” with the interior. Plastic, cheap, and most just have poor design. It doesn’t matter if we’re talking about a Chevy Equinox or a GMC 2500 Denali. Everything is very OK.

General Motors hasn’t had any passion for their cars since 1969. It really is an embarrassment to American industry. The boardroom filled with 62 year olds wearing business casual lost their souls decades ago. Watching Mary Barra speak during the Silverado EV keynote made me physically ill.

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I had a 4Runner for a rental. It’s TRD off road trim. It was a terrible vehicle. I only took it because it was snowing a lot in Chicago.

It does what it’s meant to do. Be reliable and a great off road car. But it’s beyond my comprehension how people pay ADMs to be use a 4Runner as a mall crawler. Because there are definitely better cars for that job

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just saw this article about it:
https://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/Oakland-Toyota-RAV4-Prime-double-MSRP-16649490.php

Stellantis is one of very few, of our own, who has actually stepped up to the plate. What is being done with the Jeep’s and the TRX, for example, deserves an applause.

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Honestly, it’s because Sergio Marchionne and Carlos Tavares were in the drivers seat (pun intended). Portuguese and Italian businessmen look at the world MUCH differently than American businessmen. Our cultures are different. They understand that passion and a little bit of insanity spices things up and makes them more money.

Americans think that instead of making a product more exciting and desirable, just make it cheaper to squeeze more profit. “People will probably buy it anyways.” mantra has gotten them to where they are now. Look at Chrysler corporation in 2008 vs Stellantis today.

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I think @Ursus shared this here few months ago…

It’s funny in the article it says that when someone checked the rav4 was no longer listed. If someone paid that price I’m sure they considered getting a loaded Cayenne but decided to get the rav4 because of the better gas mileage.

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I agree, which is why Stellantis was mentioned and not FCA. FCA seemed to have a good thing going for quite some time, but they let things become stale. Has anyone looked at a '22 Challenger vs an MY08? That is just one of many examples.

We also have those consumers who are dead set on buying the latest and greatest, even if its not the actual case. I.e. Joe will purchase a MY22 sh*box, over a MY18, if it the '18 is a much better vehicle (and “deal”). This partly describes GM’s model to a T. They “refresh” vehicles about every year, save a penny whenever they can, and solely look at the dollar.

Fwiw - My wife cross shopped the rav4 and similar vehicles in this class in 2018, and Mazda’s CX-5 proved to be best value, driving dynamic, options, etc. - to us anyway.

Driving a RAV4 is the best way to tell the world that you’ve given up on all of your dreams.

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