I have a decent trade-in appraisal to buy a Prime at MSRP and leaning toward going through with it next week. Judging by the MMR a new Rav4 Prime at MSRP is still a good buy, even potentially a small flip but I wanted to ask the Hackrs if anyone had a recent Rav4 Prime buying/selling experience. Anything I am missing/should be aware of?
I think it’s still a good buy. The local toyota dealer (freeman toyota) doesn’t have markups on anything except Rav4 Prime and 4runner TRD PRO, even siennas at MSRP.
I mean, if you’re trying to do a flip on a purchased car (very difficult w/taxes) just sell your trade in private party and bank the extra ~15%.
RAV4 Prime is gonna have great cost of ownership @ MSRP so if you like it great buy.
@penntoyota.ny is doing msrp on them if you live close by 
Sounds like OP already has a deal at MSRP at his local dealer, their profile shows Colorado as their residence.
2 Likes
Good buy? It’s a Toyota. It’s overpriced but will have good resale. Is it a good value for the money? Not to me unless gas rises to $5/gallon nationally.
As a flip? No, you are a year late. Availability has increased.
1 Like
have you driven or spent any time in a RAV4
my girlfriend has one
very few new cars I’ve been in that I hated more
3 Likes
Is it her driving or actually the car? 
I’ve had the RAV4’s as rentals. I didn’t flat out hate them, but I definitely wouldn’t buy one either. Chevy Equinox is one that comes to mind for hate. I haven’t driven a bigger POS. I could say similarly for much of GM’s economy lines.
Literally everything about the car. The infotainment that looks like an RCA TV from 2003. Hard fisher-price plastics on every single surface. Unsupportive ikea fabric seats with flimsy seat cushioning. Nasty anemic econobox 4 cylinder wailing to be put out of its misery.
And it’s gray.
3 Likes
They’re horrible, I have one. You feel and hear every bump. Everything is plastic.
3 Likes
I guess none of that is terribly off. I guess we do have to take the price into consideration; they are a fairly cheap vehicle. I think I just get lost in comparing it with cheap domestic models (again i.e. GM) and I would take the RAV4 over most of those. But again, I would personally purchase any of them so… 
The problem is the RAV4 Prime is nearly $50K. You are buying a $27K gas RAV4 with a $15K drivetrain slapped on.
Jeep 4xEs are luxurious compared to the Toyota PHEVs.
2 Likes
Adding to that, the transmission is awful. Maybe the prime and hybrids are better, but the gas version is really lurchy
Prime is smooth at most power levels. I’d say it is one step above the Wrangler 4xE powertrain in power/smoothness and I like the 4xE powertrain.
The gas RAV4s I test drove - I hated. Janky transmission and underpowered.
It is an absolutely brutal car to drive - definitely no joy there.
Would be doubly good if you found a non-captive lender who will pass on the $7,500 Section 45W money on a lease, or if you are purchasing it as a business and can claim the Section 45W tax credit. Sadly neither TFS nor SETF offer $7,500 lease cash on their Primes.
1 Like
Isn’t this car losing the tax incentive after April 18
No. Not built in North America so it lost the tax credit last August.
The lease loophole still applies but no financing company is passing through the $7500 tax credit.
1 Like
Rav4 should be fully redesigned next year
They are using the Prius and b4x design language all over the place
So the new redesigned rav4 should be a lot better
