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The standard 10-disc CD
changer is tucked under the driver’s seat.
Not bad, until
you begin to realize that you can read War and Peace while it
switches discs. The silence
while it changes discs is drowned out with the irritatingly loud whine from the
CD changer mechanism. The
controller is quite illogical too in the way it handles the changer
operation—and no cassette deck? Where
will I play my collection of songs on tape then? Starting up the engine reveals that all VVTi's, whether
1.3-liter or 2.0-liter, behave the same way.
They have the same cranking sound, starter noise…its similar
to starting up an enlarged Echo engine. A positive aspect of the RAV4 is that that the cabin is ultra quiet. Although still not at par with the Nissan Cefiro, it is considerably quieter than the Honda CR-V or even the Accord. Toyota has done a good job of insulating the RAV4 from the sounds of the outside world. Tire noise is considerably low, too, despite the fat, low profile 235 / 60 HR 16 tires. Spin the engine past 3000 rpm and it no longer booms like other Toyota powerplants. Either that, or the noise insulation is doing its job too well. The engine, though quiet, is a disappointment of sorts. The RAV4, having the same weight has as the Honda Accord, should have been zipping along with the grunt from the 2.0-liter inline-4's 148 bhp. However, this is not the case. The automatic transmission saps some of the acceleration, particularly on steep uphills climbs. It stays in second gear even if you floor the gas pedal--requiring a shift to ‘L’. On a good note, the RAV4’s fuel
efficiency is excellent. Our
automatic test unit easily beat the manual
two-wheel drive Honda Accord and manual Nissan Cefiro in mileage.
The RAV4 averages 7.2 kilometers a liter, topping the Honda CR-V’s 6.0 kilometers a liter. |
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