Long-Term Test: 2006 Toyota RAV4

Why we bought it
Durability
Performance and fuel economy
Retained value
Summing up

Inside Line's long-term test of the 2006 Toyota RAV4 Limited is complete. Unlike many of the other SUVs in our fleet, it proved to be something of a challenge to rack up miles on the compact RAV4. It took 12 months to eclipse the 19,000-mile mark. Is this a personality thing, or is it just better suited to short-haul urban driving?

Why We Bought It
For 2006 the Toyota RAV4 was all-new and its dimensions were increased, as was power. For us, the optional 269-horsepower 3.5-liter V6 was a must-have because we've always been attracted to the dynamic of big engines in small cars. We would second-guess this choice later.

As the first-ever crossover compact utility vehicle, the RAV4 has made a name for itself over the last couple decades with affordable pricing and Toyota reliability. Our full test showed us that the RAV4 would be something we could live with on a daily basis. A long-term test was the next logical test of reliability. Since we had just enough cash left in our budget, we bought a front-wheel-drive RAV4 Limited, as we needed traction only for the urban jungle, not the real jungle.

Durability
From the exterior, our RAV4 looks like any other compact SUV. But under the surface there are some serious personality conflicts, all of which originate in its V6 engine.

During a weekend outing, Senior Content Editor Erin Riches realized the extent to which the V6 compromises the RAV4's driving dynamics. She wrote, "Even when you're cruising in a straight line on the freeway, the RAV4 is always fidgeting. You can feel the chassis wrestling with all that weight up front. Add in some extra throttle and steering input for a passing maneuver, wait for the delayed downshift from the five-speed automatic and you feel like you're on the edge of control."

Director of Vehicle Testing Dan Edmunds supported these conclusions. In the logbook he noted, "There's too much power and torque for this front-wheel-drive chassis to bear. Squeeze the throttle firmly to merge and it's time to arm-wrestle the steering wheel. It's the worst example of torque steer I've driven in a long time."

Further gripes with the RAV4 revolve around the wind. Not only does wind noise permeate the cabin more than some competitors, but the effect of crosswinds also tends to have its way with the high-profile SUV through mountain passes and tosses it about noticeably.

Yet the RAV4 is pleasant and practical to drive around town. The driving position offers clear sight lines in all directions. Electronically assisted steering and a narrow body take the challenge out of parking. Such ease of use may have contributed to a $550 lapse in judgment when one of us used the RAV4 to attack a concrete post in a local parking garage.

Toyota offered Bluetooth in the Prius at a time when few other cars did, so we were a little surprised to find our new RAV4 did not have this option for hands-free connection with one's mobile phone. We shopped numerous aftermarket models before buying a Parrot CK3100 based on its compatibility with numerous phone brands. Its LCD screen fit nicely into the dash area and was well worth the $322.12 we spent on parts and installation.

Interior control design was a point of contention on our RAV4 Limited. Edmunds Editor in Chief Karl Brauer was one of the first to point out Toyota's inefficient choice of HVAC controls on the long-term blog pages. Brauer commented, "Just like window controls belong on the door, radio controls should always include knobs for volume and station tuning. The RAV4 gets both of these right. But a car's climate controls should also be made up primarily of dials."

Senior Road Test Editor Josh Jacquot furthered this sentiment. He added, "Making a simple change to the interior temperature, like I do virtually every time I get into a vehicle after it's sat overnight, means indulging in a death spiral of button-punching misery. Here's the best part. The RAV4 Limited comes standard with this climate control layout and costs more than the RAV4 Sport, which does the same job with three knobs and three buttons. This is a case of technology getting in the way of efficient design. It's not worth the extra cost or hassle."

Seat comfort was our only other ergonomic hang-up with the RAV4. Shorter drivers found its seats quite supportive in all conditions. Those longer in the leg had trouble stuffing them into the driver's footwell without steering wheel interference, as if the driving position had been sized for drivers in Toyota's home market of Japan. The resulting position for taller drivers offers enough comfort for short-distance drives, but long trips require constant shifting to keep your lower extremities from going numb.

News Editor Kelly Toepke loaded up the RAV4 with all of the necessities prior to an 800-mile trek to Northern California and back. She noticed, "The 60/40-split flat-folding second-row seats are a breeze to change. In one effortless lever pull, the seat fell flat to easily accommodate the 6-foot long blow-up shark, dubbed Hammerhead Hannah, for transporting. And with one pull, the seat immediately snapped back into place."

We had one recurring electronic concern with the RAV4. The JBL speakers received some flak for unimpressive performance and an unfinished appearance in the front door panels. We learned to live with this over time. What we couldn't excuse were the gremlins in the radio display.

Automotive Editor John DiPietro was the first to feed Gizmo after midnight. DiPietro wrote, "Gremlins are in the radio. It started when my radio presets were forgotten. Then dot-matrix squares replaced the station number display. Next time it happened my presets remained, but the dot matrix was back."

These radio gremlins came to life infrequently, but several of us were introduced to them. Each time we took the RAV4 to the dealer to address the issue, the symptoms ceased. We were unable to re-create the issue enough to remedy it prior to our sale of the vehicle.

Service intervals arrive every 5,000 miles for the RAV4, and Toyota of Santa Monica performed all maintenance on the vehicle. Minor service occurred during the 5- and 10,000-mile visits, costing just over $70 each. We spent roughly $190 on the most comprehensive service, which came at 15,000 miles. We sold the vehicle prior to its 20,000-mile appointment.

Total Body Repair Costs: $550
Total Routine Maintenance Costs (over 12 months): $334.93
Additional Maintenance Costs: None
Warranty Repairs: None
Non-Warranty Repairs: None
Scheduled Dealer Visits: 3
Unscheduled Dealer Visits: None
Days Out of Service: 4 days due to repair body damage
Breakdowns Stranding Driver: None

Performance and Fuel Economy
Fuel economy varied widely in the Toyota due to its powerful V6 engine. On the highway with cruise control set to 65 mph, we achieved fuel economy of roughly 29 mpg. This impressive performance was not common, as our cumulative average over 19,000 miles was merely 21 mpg.

The RAV4 performed well during its freshman test at 1,000 miles, and then all its performance figures improved once it was broken in. After 19,000 miles, the RAV4 accelerated to 60 mph in 6.8 seconds. The quarter-mile arrived in 15.2 seconds at 92.3 mph, a solid 0.2 second quicker than its first trial.

The RAV4's braking performance from 60 mph improved to a stop of 126 feet, an 8-foot improvement. Chief Road Test Editor Chris Walton made mention of the brakes following their first test. He wrote, "The pedal is a bit soft, but each stop was identical to the previous one. Predictable, repeatable, Toyota." He drove the RAV4 in its final test as well and noted, "The pedal feel is now more firm, almost hard. There is also quite a lot of shudder and noise."

A slalom pass at 64.0 mph and skid pad rating of 0.74g were also improvements from preliminary tests. Dynamic tests were predictably limited by an intrusive stability control system, while the RAV4's 225/65R17 Yokohama Geolander all-season tires aren't really meant for cornering grip either.

Best Fuel Economy: 29.7 mpg
Worst Fuel Economy: 17.1 mpg
Average Fuel Economy: 21.3 mpg

Retained Value
We originally purchased the vehicle from Carson Toyota at a $1,139 discount from MSRP, which amounted to $26,685. At the conclusion of our test we consulted the Edmunds.com TMV^® calculator and determined that its trade-in value was $19,941.

We decided to try something new, and sold the vehicle to our local CarMax outlet. They offered us $19,500 for the RAV4, which was on par with its trade-in value. Had we more time to advertise, it's possible we'd have sold for a price closer to its estimated $21,261 private-party value, but it was time to get it off the books. Our experience with CarMax was straightforward and their employees were polite. We are likely to use them again in the future.

True Market Value at service end: $21,261
What it sold for: $19,500
Depreciation: $7,185 or 27 percent of original paid price
Final Odometer Reading: 19,457

Summing Up
Outside of an unresolved radio glitch, the reliability of our RAV4 was up to Toyota standards. Not once did the car break down or leave us stranded. Nor did it require any mechanical service beyond normal prescribed maintenance.

Due largely to its driving dynamics, the SUV was not popular with everyone. Its optional V6 offers more power and torque than all competitors, but also more than its chassis can comfortably handle. The ensuing torque steer is awkward and obvious during even moderate acceleration, so it's not the carlike performance package we secretly hoped for at the beginning of our test.

This left us scratching our heads. We are advocates of horsepower. More is always better. But in the case of the 2006 Toyota RAV4, we may have been more satisfied with the four-cylinder. The RAV4 is a practical package, not a sporty one, and less is more in situations like this.

Edmunds purchased this vehicle for the purposes of evaluation.