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!)