MNers test-driving new Toyota RAV4: see which Route125 adventures they had and tell us which you’d like to try - £200 to be won NOW CLOSED

[KatieBMumsnet]

This thread is for the 8 Mumsnetters who are taking part in the extended test-drive of the new Toyota RAV4.
Four testers and their families will also be making a video of their test drive - so look out for these on Toyota's page on Mumsnet soon.

Below are some questions for you to answer over the course of the test drive - please don't worry about answering all of them straight away, some may be more relevant after you've had the car for a week or so.

We'd like you to post updates on this thread at least twice a week - more if you'd like! We'd love to know what you and your family thought about the Toyota RAV4 as well as your stories from the Route125 adventure (or your own family adventure) you're going on and any other comments you may have.

Test-drive questions
Which model of the RAV4 are you test-driving?
What were your/your partner's first impressions of the car?
What do the children think of it?
How did you find driving a 4x4? Is it a comfortable ride? How does it differ from your usual car?
What's the boot space and legroom for passengers like?
What do you think about the features of the car? E.g Power back door, rear-view camera, cruise control etc.
Were these features what you expected the RAV4 to have or have you found any unexpected extras?
Are there any other features you'd like the car to have?
Has testing this car made you more or less likely to buy a Toyota in future?
Has testing this car changed your perception of Toyota cars at all? If so, how?
What one thing do you like best about it?
What one thing would you change about it?

Route125 adventures
We'd also like to know which Route125 adventures you and your family went on (or are planning to go on).
What did your children think of the adventure?
Were you already aware of the place you went to or was it totally new to you?
Do you think you'll be likely to try any of the other Route125 adventures or not? If so, which ones?

For those of you not taking part in the extended test drive, please take a look at the Route125 website and let us know which adventures you and your family would like to try. Have you already been on any of the adventures mentioned? If so please share your experiences with us.
If you haven't yet managed to try a Route125 adventure, why not get your family involved in one this summer! Let us know which one(s) you're going to try and come back to this thread to tell us all about it. If there isn't a suggested adventure near you what places would you recommend adding to Route125?
Please share your adventure stories on this thread. We'd also love it if you could upload any pictures of you and your family enjoying an adventure with Route125 or your own family adventure.

Everyone who shares their comments on this thread will be entered into a prize draw to win a £200 Love2Shop voucher

Thanks and good luck,

MNHQ

[KatieBMumsnet]

Thanks for all your comments. The winner of the prize draw is...

manfalou

Congratulations, I'll PM you for your details.

[tinypumpkin]

Sorry, I did mean to delete the original comment. Brain ache tonight

[tinypumpkin]

et us know which adventures you and your family would like to try. Have you already been on any of the adventures mentioned? I

Non tester here. We have not yet been on any of the route 125 adventures but fancy the tunnel near Bath. That could be interesting! Digging for fossils and stone skimming sound fun too (and pretty inexpensive!)

[snala]

Well we are really missing the car now its gone
Anyhow here's the review!!

Which model of the RAV4 are you test-driving?
We tested the invincible manual 2wd.

What were your/your partner's first impressions of the car?
We were very impressed with how much 'kit' was in the car but disappointed that there was no sat nav and that it was only the 2 wheel drive version of the car.

What do the children think of it?
The children LOVED the car! they thought it was fantastic being so high up and being able to see so well. They loved how shiny it was!! (I must wash our car more!!)

How did you find driving a 4x4? Is it a comfortable ride? How does it differ from your usual car?
I cant comment on driving a 4x4 as we only had the 2wd version of the car! It was a very comfortable drive, very easy to manoeuver and steering was light as a feather. We drive a 7 seater normally so I'm used to driving a large car but not such a high comfortable car.

What's the boot space and legroom for passengers like?
The boot space is fantastic, I love that the floor can be lifted up to add another 'layer' of storage. Lots of leg room in the front and back.

What do you think about the features of the car? E.g Power back door, rear-view camera, cruise control etc.
The power back door has been a god send! It really made life that little bit easier with 3 young children, pushchair, sling, bags, potty etc in tow!! We have cruise control already so we are familiar with it. I cant decide about the rear view camera, I'm not sure the car was big enough to warrant it to be honest and found that I didn't use it.

Were these features what you expected the RAV4 to have or have you found any unexpected extras?
It had everything I expected as I looked up the model prior to testing.I liked that you can keep a close eye on the mpg and was very pleasantly surprised with how economical it was. I was however expecting 4wd/awd and sat nav!!!

Are there any other features you'd like the car to have?
See above!

Has testing this car made you more or less likely to buy a Toyota in future?
More likely, we are in fact looking into the hilux! ( we would love to test one Toyota

Has testing this car changed your perception of Toyota cars at all? If so, how?
We have always liked the reliability of Japenese cars but have favoured Honda, we would now however look at Toyota first.

What one thing do you like best about it?
How nice it is to drive.

What one thing would you change about it?
I would change the full leather seats to part leather as the children's car seats moved around on the leather.

[chrismse]

I love Wales so I `d like to try route 71, which takes in castles and railways as well fabulous views.

[Bubbles85]

Not taking part in the extended test drive but I would like to try no 104, collect 60 shades of green, mainly because I used to live near these woods and would like to go back.

[Primrose123]

Well, it's our last day with the Rav as it has to go back tomorrow. We have really enjoyed having it, it's very comfortable and I love driving it. The only downside really, is that the fuel consumption is not great.

We went on our route 125 adventure on Wednesday. I found something on the website about segways. We saw these a few years ago while on holiday, and had a quick go on them, but the children were too young to do it. We decided to do the taster course at Makin Tracks near Tenby. I phoned the day before and booked.

We set off in the morning, and got there at lunchtime. We signed disclaimers and were kitted out with helmets, and my 12 year old daughter had to wear knee and ankle pads too. We were given a demo of the segway, and each had some instruction, and then we were taken up on a hill! There were gravel tracks, and we had to follow them. Basically you stand on the segway, and lean forward to make it go, and lean backwards to make it stop, or go backwards. It was quite easy on the flat, but we really had to concentrate on the hill.

We all enjoyed it and had a fantastic time. It was just under £10 each for the taster course, which lasted about half an hour. There are other longer courses, which cost about £20, which we all want to go back and do one day.

After our segway experience, we saw that they had paintball targets. I have never fancied getting hit with a paintball (too much of a wimp!) but this looked fun. We were each given a paintball gun with a different colour paint, and had to aim at targets. The person who lost had the forfeit of cleaning the targets! My younger daughter lost, and started cleaning, but was let off after she cleaned the first one! This cost £3.50 each.

We left Makin Tracks, and drove down the road to Heatherton. This is an activity centre, but you don't pay to go in, just to do the activities you choose. My DDs only wanted to go on the walk on water balls, which was about £3 each, so they did that.

We then drove to Tenby, but struggled to find anywhere to park. DDs and I didn't feel like walking around Tenby anyway, so we set off for home. We drove through Saundersfoot, which was nice, because my parents used to have a caravan there, and I spent many weekends there as a child. Again, though, there didn't seem to be much parking available, so we carried on.

We all felt quite hungry and drove to Carmarthen. We had a quick look around the shops and then had a lovely meal in Franky and Benny's.

All in all, it was a fun day out. It's getting more difficult to find activities for teenagers that don't cost a fortune, but we all enjoyed it together. I would recommend segways at Makin Tracks to anyone in the Tenby area.

[prettyfly1]

Sigh - last twenty four hours of RAV before we get the stinky old car back. Its been really good fun - DH has been taking it to work for the last couple of days and he is gutted it has to go back now :). Because we are nearly done I thought I would do my survey questions, answers below!

Which model of the RAV4 are you test-driving?

The Invincible Auto *(yay!)

What were your/your partner's first impressions of the car?

Very pretty, clean and impressive. DH was super excited, I was a little nervous about how big it was.

What do the children think of it?

LOVED it. All the space and gadgets made them really smile and they love the smell funnily enough.

How did you find driving a 4x4? Is it a comfortable ride? How does it differ from your usual car?

It is a comfortable car, it gets respect from other users and it handles like an absolute dream. My only struggle was the jump from a very small car to a big one - my driving being the issue, not the car.

What's the boot space and legroom for passengers like?

Fantastic. One day I even got both the boys bikes in for a trip to the park and still had room for the picnic basket etc. Really spacious.

What do you think about the features of the car? E.g Power back door, rear-view camera, cruise control etc.

I love the rear-view camera, cruise control, blue tooth and satnav. They make the car so fun and a real joy. DH loves the sports mode. My only dislike was the boot - its slow and not very responsive and I just ended up wanting to open it myself.

Were these features what you expected the RAV4 to have or have you found any unexpected extras?

Everything was pretty standard but really well done, so it felt very luxurious.

Are there any other features you'd like the car to have?

Brad Pitt as a chauffeur? Honestly it is seriously loaded up and there is nothing we thought 'oooh wouldnt it be good with this'.

Has testing this car made you more or less likely to buy a Toyota in future?

Considerably more.

Has testing this car changed your perception of Toyota cars at all? If so, how?

Not really - we feel that Toyota is synonymous with luxury and engineering and the car proved that.
What one thing do you like best about it?

The lightness of the steering and the computer in the dash.

What one thing would you change about it?

The automated boot.

[goldenretriever]

We took the RAV to Blackpool (around 100 miles away) It was a joy to fly up steep banks at 70 mph (no more than that, natch) with very little effort. It is a really smooth drive, we don't want to give it back. We also took it to a roman fort yesterday. It handles beautifully and my kids love it. Thoughthe 2yo calls it 'the man's car'. It is absolutely a great car (? 4x4?!) Love it. Have attached a picture of my good self perched in it - we have been all over in it and am very impressed with it.

[DoubleMum]

Am not a tester and this adventure isn't anywhere near me but my DS would love the dig for fossils one in the SW. We did go to Lyme Regis for a fossil course a few years ago and he still talks about it. Quite a long way to go for a test drive though.

[Hopezibah]

just had a look at the route 125 site. We are near to no. 99 potter in the wild and that looks like a good one to do! One of the other suggestions close to that was visit pooh bridge / play pooh sticks and we have had great fun doing that lots in the past!

I love that there are lots of actitivities all over the uk listed so theres bound to be one that everyone can try.

[GetKnitted]

Not a tester, I can't really seem to get the map to give any details of the adventures. We've done a lot similar, particularly looking for odd details of old buildings and walking in wild places.

[RubySparks]

Not testing but have done part of the nearest adventure to us - 106 Arthur's Seat in Edinburgh! The ponds are great for ducks and geese and wildlife in general and there are good walks and interesting ruins. The only bit we haven't done is the climb but now we have a dog I'm looking forward to going with her one weekend.

[prettyfly1]

Ravmore - I hadnt noticed that about the aircon (apologies for the delay in replying, busy old week!) maybe they cleaned it? And there is NOTHING wrong with that radio station, nothing at all :)

So quick update before I do the big questionnaire - so far so good.

I bloomin love the sat nav and blue tooth - seriously going to miss that although does anyone else find the boot a bit annoying? I would really rather just open it myself. That said it is massive - I got both the boys bikes in and took them to the country which they loved.

We spent yesterday hacking through country lanes which to be fair it handles really well - no issues with giant puddles here, then we hit the motorways today and that was good too. DP's only real complaint is not being able to get it above 40 mpg. I dont actually know what that is but apparently a manual may be better.

Re: the slidey seat thing, I kind of like it - the kids seats seem fairly stable so safety wise it is fine. All in all all good.

[Primrose123]

Now that I've been driving the car for a while I will answer the test drive questions.


Which model of the RAV4 are you test-driving?

It's the icon automatic.


What were your/your partner's first impressions of the car?

Very smart, quite big, comfortable and plenty of space on the inside, with lots of gadgets.


What do the children think of it?

Love it. They particularly like linking their iPods, phones etc. to the bluetooth.


How did you find driving a 4x4? Is it a comfortable ride? How does it differ from your usual car?

I'm used to driving a 4x4 anyway. My own car is a large ten year old 4x4. The rav is smaller and lower than mine. It has more modern gadgets, but is not quite as comfortable as mine. The rav is better on fuel than mine - which is why mine needs to be changed!


What's the boot space and legroom for passengers like?

Legroom for passengers is great although DH, who is 6' 4" bashes his right knee a bit on the curved dashboard. There is plenty of legroom in the back of the car. I had three tall teenagers in the back the other day and they were all comfortable, although it took them a while to work out how to use the middle seat belt!

The boot is huge. There is plenty of room for shopping, luggage, sports equipment and things like that. I'm not sure it's so good for dogs. We have three dogs, two of them quite large, and although we haven't put them in the car, I feel the boot is quite high and they would struggle to get in. There is a platform that you can put things on, with a compartment underneath. It's great for storage but not really suitable for the dogs.


What do you think about the features of the car? E.g Power back door, rear-view camera, cruise control etc.

I love the power back door. I struggle to shut the boot on my car as it is very high and heavy, and I always end up with dirty hands.

I actually don't like the rear-view camera. I though I would, but it doesn't give an accurate idea of where you are or how far you are from anything. It's good to check there are no cats walking behind as I reverse, but I don't trust it for reversing. I prefer to turn around and look. I would much rather have bleeping parking sensors. That way I can reverse by watching and know that I won't hit a wall or another car. We parked in a car park the other day and there was a metal barrier at waist height behind the car. It looked fine on the camera, but DH was driving and he felt uneasy so I got out to check as he reversed. I had to stop him as he would have touched it.

I haven't tried the cruise control yet, sorry, so I will soon! I don't like cruise control anyway, but I will give it a try this week.

I was very impressed with the radio, sat nav and bluetooth.


Were these features what you expected the RAV4 to have or have you found any unexpected extras?

I didn't expect the camera or the power back door. I have also found electric wing mirrors with a button that makes them fold in.


Are there any other features you'd like the car to have?

As I mentioned above I would like parking sensors. I would love heated seats. We have this at the moment in our own cars, and really love it. Also, I would like electrically operated seats with memory. I have this in my own car. My husband is a foot taller than me, so when we change driver we have to adjust the height, seat back, and seat position and it's a real fiddle! In my own car, I press a button and it takes me back to where I previously set it.


Has testing this car made you more or less likely to buy a Toyota in future?

More, I would say.


Has testing this car changed your perception of Toyota cars at all? If so, how?

I had never driven a Toyota before, but my view of them from friends and colleagues was that they were very well made, very reliable, but a bit boring to drive (sorry!). However, having driven the rav, it's not boring at all, and I love driving it.

What one thing do you like best about it?

Excellent visibility at the front. That may not sound like much, but I am not very tall, and in some cars I feel that I can hardly see over the steering wheel. I love to sit in a car and feel confident that I can see all around.


What one thing would you change about it?

I would add parking sensors, both at the back and at the front. Although the general visibility is good, I can't say that for the bottom of the car, and it's not easy to see exactly where the 'corners' are. It's much better to stop when you hear a beep rather than a bump. (I haven't done this by the way!)

[snala]

Im loving the car! I'm really going to miss the hands free phone and the Bluetooth connection.
Does anyone else struggle with the car sears slipping around in the leather seats? They would be better if they were part suede.

[Primrose123]

The dealer says he is aware that the handbrake position is very high. I wasn't really bothered, as a handbrake isn't very important in an automatic.

Apart from that I'm loving the car on the whole.

[chrismse]

Non tester here - I think it is important to have a car you feel safe in. The RAV4 seems safe and having read the reviews I would love to test drive one for a weekend.

[MmeGuillotine]

Primrose, it did that to us too and really freaked us out a couple of times. The guy at the Bristol Toyota place warned us about it beforehand though and said that it was normal.

[Primrose123]

I noticed it on the driveway. I put it in park, put the hand brake on and took my foot off the brake and it rolled back a few inches. It just didn't feel right, so I put it in drive with the handbrake on and it moved forward. It didn't seem to be any different with the handbrake off.

I have emailed the dealer to let them know, but haven't heard from them yet.

[Lilyloo]

Primrose does it feel like it rolls forward a bit when you cut the engine ?

[WowOoo]

I'm a non tester but would love to try Route no.9.

Will soon be going to Pembrokeshire to stay with friends so actually may be able to do it.
Haven't ridden horses for years but I know that there are loads of farms near where we will be staying.

may have done a lot of the routes near where I live.
Will have another look later and come back.

[Primrose123]

Has anybody had any problems with the handbrake? I'm not sure if ours has a fault, or if is just very different to the one in my own car.

[RavMore]

Prettyfly, you have got the car we had! (See my pic above) You may have noticed I have preset a radio station to BBC Radio London, due to my embarrassing Vanessa Feltz addiction.

I miss the car, I really do.

PS have you noticed the air conditioning pongs? Like a dishcloth that has gone off..

[prettyfly1]

Finally got a chance to do a review!

We have had the RAV4 invincible since Saturday and it's lovely! Big,spacious and packed with Gadgets. We have been for a shop, to the woods for a hike and dragged some bits to the skip and it easily handles everything.

I had fun yesterday - we had my stepson for the day and couldnt find the lap belt - there isnt one - its a proper belt that pulls down from the roof .

DH loves the fact you can guage how well you are driving and the rear parking camera is pretty ace. I am struggling slightly with it, I have a KA normally so although it is easy to manouvre it is a big jump - a suicidal cyclist caused some fun yesterday when I wasnt sure about overtaking and he veered into the middle of a country road (definitely hoping that the kids dont repeat the word I used then!) but that is my driving - the car itself handles like an absolute dream and I can see that for school runs, although it is big, it isnt silly so could probably do it quite sensibly - it is certainly very economical!

My absolute favourite thing - mad cyclists aside, is that unlike in the KA people GIVE ME MY RIGHT OF WAY. Normally I get a look of "yeah, in that car you will wait, whether its your right or not", in the RAV not even buses cut me up - LUSH!

We are planning a getaway at the weekend so will put another update with packing plans and how it goes!