I Almost Bought the Wrong 2024 RAV4

Here’s an important consideration I almost missed when buying a new 2024 RAV4 Hybrid this past week while trying to save money.

The RAV4 Has Slipped

In an earlier article we learned about how the 2024 RAV4 got the thumbs down from Consumer Reports based on their findings that based on road tests and their Annual Auto Surveys, it had slipped on what was until recently…considered a very popular model.

In fact, car experts at Consumer Reports stated quite frankly:

“The original Toyota RAV4 pioneered the small, car-based SUV segment in the mid-1990s, and it has continued to set a high standard for the class with each subsequent generation—until now. Today, the RAV4 is no longer among the best in class in our road tests…the recent move to a lower, wider appearance has compromised interior space. Plus, its bland cabin, droning engine noise, and ride comfort that trails the competition have resulted in below-average owner satisfaction in our Annual Auto Surveys.”

More specifically, complaints of the 2024 RAV4 included:

• Noisy acceleration with a constant irritating engine drone-like noise---a major downside to its redesign.
• The multi-trans terrain system although nice is “too taut,” making for a stiff ride.
• Higher ground clearance with a wider and shorter body makes the RAV4 difficult to get into and significantly decreases the interior space---especially headroom in the rear passenger seating.
• Thick rear pillars blocks driver viewing.
• Bland, plasticky interior trim.
• Blind Spot Warning (BSW) and Rear Cross-Traffic Warning (RCTW) are optional.
• Lane keeping feature requires constant fighting of the steering wheel on country roads.

But the Wife WANTS a RAV4

Our last vehicle was a 2018 KIA Sorento we bought in 2017 after returning to the US from overseas. A "tweener," in size between small crossovers such as the Honda CR-V and midsized vehicles like the Toyota Highlander. Fortunately, it was not the 2017 model that had wonky turn signal problems and other issues that involved fire risks.

Although my wife had her sights set on a Toyota RAV4 at the time, I was not ready to go small yet because we travel extensively…and I hated the feel of the RAV4 the moment I sat down in one. An important consideration because I do all of the driving on extended road trips while my spouse navigates.

If there is a wrong turn to make or misdirection opportunity, I’m the guy who takes it. When I was a kid, my old man nicknamed me “Wrong Way” because of difficulties I had making the distinction between right and left. My predilection also drove him nuts because he said I always twisted the bread bag tie the opposite direction from what any normal person would choose.

My endearing childhood quirks have carried over into adulthood, but my significant other has compensated for it in biological terms best described as “Mutualism.”

According to the Encyclopedia Britannica: Mutualism, an association between organisms of two different species in which each benefit. Mutualistic arrangements are most likely to develop between organisms with widely different living requirements.

Yep…that’s us in a nutshell.

But I am digressing once again.

Last week, life events necessitated giving up the Sorento and the immediate need for a replacement car. My wife insisted this time on a RAV4.

Last Week’s Car Shopping Trip

Long story short (Kind of), fortunately my spouse also wanted it to be a hybrid. This was a fortuitous addendum to her original car desires because I knew that the 2024 RAV4 Hybrid had fared better in car reviews over the non-hybrid version. Its predicted reliability score was 66, which is lower than the 80+ score I generally gravitate toward, but there is limited customer survey data to comfortably support a higher score by Consumer Reports.

Armed with the latest information on this model and other comparable makes and models with the added dealer negotiations advice and warnings, I prepared myself for the expected 4 to 6-hour long car shopping marathon.

As it turned out…I overstudied and got too hung up with the focus that we (maybe “I”) wanted the LE and not the XLE trim with its price-inflating features. So hung up, that I almost forgot my biggest deal killer from 2018 when we bought the Sorento over the RAV4―back pain!

Call it muscle pain memory if you will, but after test driving the RAV4 LE model I started to feel a nagging old twinge from the past that was trying to get my attention. Focused on not agreeing to any “weather” or “comfort” packages, sun roofing, or other features save for the blind spot warning necessity I count on, I was not listening to what my body was trying to tell me. Until…until I test drove the XLE trim model and felt the pain drift away like magic.

The comparison between the LE trim driver seat with the XLE is respectively like comparing one of those old curved colorful plastic chairs from a public library to a high-end ergonomic office chair with lumbar support in your home office. It was an LE deal-breaker for me as common sense began to kick in and I questioned my money-saving foci. Heck, I even tried to get an LE with special ordered power seats making my sales service guy cross-eyed.

BTW, the salesperson was actually great and a nice change from my previous car dealership encounters. Yea Toyota!

By the end of the day we drove home in the 2024 XLE Hybrid in magnetic-grey metallic finish with lumbar support power seat, AWD, most of the safety features, and little else except for the sunroof because almost all of the twenty-something RAV models available on the lot had sun roofing anyway.

Final Thoughts

The point to all of this is as I’ve said in the past (but not always followed) is that sometimes you have to look past the reviews, past the money-saving best laid plans of mice and men, past the salesperson paranoia and trepidation, and literally fly by the seat of your pants knowing that the real test is with your own personal driving test.

A Must-Watch 2024 RAV4 Hybrid Video Review

For a more detailed review of all of the 2024 Hybrid trim models, here is a must-watch video from the Toyota Jeff Reviews YouTube channel (and contributing Torque News writer) that goes over all of the trims to help you decide which is the right one for you.

Comparing ALL 2024 RAV4 Hybrid Trims! How to Pick the Best One for You

For additional articles related to recent new and used car recommendations, here are three for your consideration:

• 10 Most Reliable 2024 Car Models and What They Will Cost You
• Consumer Reports Best Used SUVs, Sedans, Small Cars, and Trucks Guide for Shoppers
• Consumer Reports Recommends These 10 Cheap Cars

Timothy Boyer is an automotive reporter based in Cincinnati. Experienced with early car restorations, he regularly restores older vehicles with engine modifications for improved performance. Follow Tim on  “Zen and the Art of DIY Car Repair” website, the Zen Mechanic blog and on Twitter at @TimBoyerWrites  and Facebook for daily news and topics related to new and used cars and trucks.

COMING UP NEXT: Car Oil Change Maintenance Disaster

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