To date, there have been no major problems with my RAV 4.
However, the tires do seem to slip a bit when on wet pavement.
There is a little noise in the cabin from the engine when I shift gears.
Also, it is not the best when it comes to snowy weather. I have a 4x2 (not a 4x4) and there were several times this past winter that I almost slid into oncoming traffic on my way to work.
In the SUV's defense, the weather this past winter was especially brutal.
Overall, I really have loved my RAV4 from the moment I saw it at the dealership.
It is a very stylish vehicle, inside and out.
It has excellent acceleration and handles very well.
The fuel economy is great for an SUV.
The vehicle is also very reliable. It has never left me stranded and always gets me where I need to be without any major malfunctions.
I recommend purchasing a 4x4 to get you through any grueling weather conditions. I would also recommend that you have a sunroof - it makes driving this wonderful vehicle even more enjoyable!!!
One should not expect 4WD to help in icy situations - you have 4 wheels spinning instead of 2. Also, on-demand 4WD is bad news, as the car's handling characteristics remain stable 99% of the time, but when you get into a sticky situation the handling of the car drastically changes, making it even more difficult to handle safely.
4WD is more effective than FWD only in limited situations.
If it snows where you live, you should have bought a 4wd RAV4!
When it snows, you need to drive slower!
You people are forgetting the biggest factor...
How does your car connect with the ground and turn, accelerate...?
The tires. During the winter you should have all season, winter, or studded tires for snow driving. Even with 4wd, it won't matter if you had summer tires with a very shallow tread. The tires wouldn't grab traction and you won't go anywhere.
What is the first commentor on about?
Having four wheels spinning is worse than two? Sigh...
How uninformed you are. It's tires, and well it won't matter on ice. You're gonna slide if you try to turn or do a direction change on ice. The only way to start on ice or snow and maintain traction is to have winter/all season tires and give the tires a little bit of gas and start slow to keep spinning to a minimum. Having four wheels spinning has no effect on handling, its your ABS and tires that matter.
Four wheel drive just allows you to have another set of tires moving the car.
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