Which model of the RAV4 are you test-driving?
We test drove the Rav 4 Icon automatic.
What were your/your partner's first impressions of the car?
I thought it looked huge compared to our usual car (a Honda Civic) and that it sounded like a taxi! My husband also thought it looked big and was wary about how it would handle as he was used to smaller cars. He was also struck by how noisy it is.
What do the children think of it?
The children fell in love with it and were very sad when we had to give it back again! They looked really comfortable in the back and had loads of space - they also liked being able to climb up into it.
How did you find driving a 4x4? Is it a comfortable ride? How does it differ from your usual car?
I thought the driver's seat could have had more lumber support as my back ached during the longer drives. Other than that the driving position was good and I liked being able to see up and over other vehicles. It felt very safe, even when tackling slippery mountain roads! Compared to my usual car it was much higher up so had better visibility but was as quick and not at all as sluggish as I was expecting.
What's the boot space and legroom for passengers like?
There was great boot space with plenty of room for everything you could possibly need to take anywhere and more besides. There was also brilliant legroom for passengers with plenty to spare.
What do you think about the features of the car? E.g Power back door, rear-view camera, cruise control etc.
I loved the power back door and found it really handy, which surprised me as I originally thought that it would be a bit superfluous and gimmicky. It was great though. The rear view camera turned out to be absolutely essential and I will REALLY miss it now. The cruise control was much the same as usual and not massively exciting. I also really liked the bluetooth link up to our phones so we could sync our music.
Were these features what you expected the RAV4 to have or have you found any unexpected extras?
I wasn't expecting the power back door as I thought this was a higher spec feature but I was anticipating the other features as we were already considering buying a Rav4 and had read up about it beforehand!
Are there any other features you'd like the car to have?
I'd really like front parking sensors as well! Otherwise it had pretty much everything we could want.
Has testing this car made you more or less likely to buy a Toyota in future?
Definitely more likely. We'd actually ruled it out while car hunting but it's now on our short list of three along with the Honda and Hyundai equivalents so that's quite a result. Unfortunately the other two manufacturers probably won't let us borrow cars for a fortnight as well so we can properly compare but it's definitely confirmed that it's about time we upgraded to something of this type as we clearly need the extra room and swanky features that it offers.
Has testing this car changed your perception of Toyota cars at all? If so, how?
I always knew that they were good cars so it really just confirmed me in that opinion.
What one thing do you like best about it?
I think the most impressive thing was the amount of space inside and how comfortable it was even when fully loaded with everything but the kitchen sink on the way back from holiday!
What one thing would you change about it?
I would change the sat-nav to make it less clunky as it had a habit of resetting itself when I turned the engine on. I would also move the Eco and Sport buttons to make them easier to locate while driving and I thought the multi drive gear box was a bit gimmicky. Oh and the reflection of light hitting the chrome trim on top of the glovebox occasionally blinded me while driving! Otherwise it was brilliant. :)
Thanks so much Toyota and Mumsnet for the opportunity to give it a whirl! We had so much fun! :)
(Compiled by my husband and me!)