The Rav4: A Toyota Classic

Toyota's been selling the Rav4 since 1996 in the United States and has sold over 4 million of these vehicles so far. There are many reasons for this, but the main reason is here under the hood. This particular one has a venerable 2.5 liter four-cylinder engine and in this case, it's the redesign AR engine. It's not like the earlier one, which burned oil from worn piston rings and worn pistons. These newer engines haven't seen any problems as long as you change the oil.

This particular one is made into a six-speed automatic transmission, perhaps the best transmission Toyota ever made. The early four-speed on max was fine, but these six speeds get much better gas mileage and have much better power characteristics. Today's Rav4s come in various configurations, including two-wheel drive, four-wheel drive, and even a hybrid version. They're really one of the most popular semi-compact SUVs you could call them compact, but they got a lot of room inside.

Just check it out; there's a nice sporty interior in the front with lots of room in the back, all kinds of room to carry dogs around. They didn't have that ugly spare hiding on the back like they used to. They got the spare in an abnormal place it's hiding under here where it belongs. The stylistic looks a lot better than those old ones at that ugly tire on the back. The nice and turret-yo told sorry but it's got everything you need; air conditioning, digital readout, steering wheel control for phone, and for stereo, and for what mode you can have displayed on a dash.

This is a normal stock Rav4; they also make them with third-row seating. Yeah, they can fit third-row seating in someone's thinks it's amazing but the engineers figured out how to do it. These newer ones handle a lot better than the old ones that got disc brakes in the front also disc brake on the back. They stop a lot better; no SUVs are generally pretty much gas-guzzlers because they're up in here their size, their speed. But for an SUV, this is pretty good.

For what it's worth, the CVT and Rav4s that's only available in the hybrid version so that's CVT transmission. It's pretty close to the Toyota Prius because when you have the hybrid, you got to have a CVT transmission with the Toyota design because the engine has an input to run it so does the electric motor, and the CVT transmissions can transfer easily that way. So if you're buying a Rav4 for the CVT, it's gonna be a hybrid now.

The Rav4s have evolved; they're much bigger vehicles than they used to be. If you look at the early ones from 1996, they were a lot smaller, stubbier inside, and they did ride slower than these. They've really evolved quite well with the whole line of Ramp Force aside from somewhat weak 8-speed automatic transmissions that they use now. They have a pretty reputable history of not having problems going high mileage. I've got customers who regularly bring in these things for 350, 400 thousand miles and compare this front end with a '96 don't even look like the same vehicle; they got a lot of style now.

I like it that they have it in 2015 put that horrible scowling grille they kept a classic grille on it, and I agree with it now. They have put a somewhat bigger grille on a 2019 but nothing like that big scowling insane one they put on the Lexus and some of the Corollas. The stylists still kept it relatively conservatively to make the look stay and not just copy what everybody else is doing.

So, really, it's reliability that's kept these things being sold; people want an SUV they want one that doesn't break down that lasts a long time has a nice ride isn't rageously bumping like all the old ones were getting. A '96 you can find one, they're real bumpy rides but these have a decent smooth ride to them plenty enough pickup pretty good gas mileage for an SUV.

Now, you know why Toyotas sold millions of these things give people what you want as times change it changed the Rav4 to make it bigger more powerful but still getting decent gas mileage and one like this 2015 Rav4. Of course, nothing lasts forever but this 2015 they can last about as close to ever as any car made these days so if you never want to miss another one of my new car repair videos remember to ring that Bell

"WEBVTTKind: captionsLanguage: enrev up your engines now Toyota's beenselling the rav4 since 1996 in the UnitedStates and so far they've sold over 4million of these things there's a lot ofreasons for that but the main reasonit's here under the hood this particularone has a venerable 2.5 literfour-cylinder engine and in this caseit's the redesign 2 AR engine it's notlike the earlier one the burn oil fromworn piston rings and worn Pistons theseI haven't seen any problems in as longas you change the oil and thisparticular one is made in to a six-speedautomatic transmission perhaps the besttransmission Toyota ever made sure theearly four-speed on max they were finethese six speeds get much better gasmileage and have much better powercharacteristics and today the rav4scome in various configurations two-wheeldrive four-wheel drive even have ahybrid version they're really one of themost popular semi compact us you reallymight call them compact but got a lot ofroom inside just check it out nicesporty interior in the front lots ofroom in the back all kinds of room inthis case they put the back seatsforward so there's all kinds of roomthey carry their dogs around to herelots of room for the dogs didn't havethat ugly spare hiding on the back likethey used to they got the spare in anormal place it's hiding under here whereit belongs the stylistic looks a lotbetter than those old ones at that uglytire on the back the nice and turret youtold sorry but it's got everything youneed air conditioning digital readoutsteering wheel control for phone and forstereo and for what mode you can havedisplayed on a dash and this is a normalstock rav4 they also make them withthird row seating yeah they can fitthird row seating in somebody's thinksit's amazing but the engineers figured out how to do itthese newer ones you handle a lot betterthan the old the ones that got discbrake in the front also disc brake onthe back they stop a lot betterno SUVs are generally pretty much gashockey because they're up in here theirsize their speed but for an SUV acustomer gets 30 miles a gallonon a highway in this thing it's about 24in town pretty good for an SUV and ofcourse if you don't mind the complexityand expense of a hybrid the hybriddrivers are even better you take a 2019rav4 hybrid that thing gets 41 miles agallon in the city because it's gotregenerative braking which is reallygood gas mileage for an SUV and sinceit's a Toyota and other hybrid stuff ispretty much all based on the Priushybrids a pretty reliable and I don'tadvise somebody to buy one that's got ahundred and fifty thousand miles orsomething some 10 years old when itcomes to hybrids but if you buy a newone you're not generally gonna have problemstill you get higher mileage like that onany Toyota now as you can see with this2.5 liter four-cylinder engine light ofworking room now it is a Toyota sogenerally you don't have to do much workbut whenever you do hey it's easychanging the oil for instance it's highenough you don't have to jack it up youcan reach the oil pan drain it out it'sgot one of those dumb filters where yougot to take the plastic container offand change the inside filter but thattoo can be done without jacking it up aslong as you have the special wrench thatfits on it now I do have to say honestlythe newer ones that have CVTtransmissions or the eight-speedautomatics not a big fan of yet becausethe eight-speed automatics have hadproblems and I don't really trust CVT'sof any sort yet now that said my sonrecently brought a new one last year sowe'll see how it goes over the years ifhis CVT holds up he loves it so farhe says it's got plenty of accelerationand gets better gas much then even therating is but I don't trust that stuff untilit's been out for five six years or morebecause when they put two eight speedsin these the eight-speed automatics wereokay for the first year or two but thenthey showed they had problems as theyaged so I'd wait on that this six-speedpretty much bulletproof they're greatautomatic transmissions so somebodyasked me what would you have a 2015rav4 like this with a 6-speed automaticor 2019 with an 8-speed automatic I takethe older car an 8-speed automaticproblematical this thing if you had noproblems whatsoever I rarely ever see aproblem in the 6-speed automatic but Isee eight speeds all the time they'llslip they won't shift right they justdidn't and for what it's worth the CVT and therav4s that's only available in thehybrid version so that's CVTtransmission it's pretty close for theToyota Prius because when you have thehybrid you got to have a CVTtransmission with the Toyota designbecause the engine has an input to runit so does the electric motor and theCVT transmissions can transfer easilythat way so if you're buying a rare forthe CVT it's gonna be a hybrid now it'stime is gone by the rav4s haveevolved they're much bigger vehiclesthan it used to be if you look at theearly ones from 1996 they were a lotsmaller stubbier inside they did ride aswell there were a lot slower than thesethey've really evolved quite well withthe whole line of ramp force and asidefrom somewhat weak 8-speed automatictransmissions that they use now theyhave a pretty reputable history of nothaving problems going high mileage I'vegot customers these things350 400 thousand miles regularly andcompare this front end with a 96 don'teven look like the same vehicle they gota lot of style now I like it that theyhave it in 2015 put that horriblescowling grille they kept a classicgrille on it and I agree with it nowthey have put a somewhat bigger grilleon a 2019 but nothing like that bigscowling insane one they put on theLexus and on some of the Corollas theystill kept it relatively conservativelyto make the look stay and not just copywhat everybody else is doingso really it's reliability that's keptthese things being sold people want anSUV they want one that doesn't breakdown that lasts a long time has a niceride is not rageous ly bumping all theold ones were getting a 96 you can findone they a real bumpy rides but these ifa decent smooth ride to them plentyenough pickup pretty good gas mileagefor an SUV so now you know why Toyotasold millions of these things givepeople what you want as times changeit changed the rav4 to make it biggermore powerful but still getting decentgas mileage and one like this 2015 rav4of course nothing lastsforever but this 2015 they can lastabout as close to ever as any car madethese days, so if you never want to missanother one of my new car repair videosremember to ring that Bell\n"