2003 Toyota Rav4 - Registering before/after July & tax effects?

[Bluebean]

Hello,

My head is addled trying to decide between the two.

On the one hand, I'd like to drive something a tiny bit different (Rav4), and am looking at maybe importing a 2003, 3 door, 1.8NV Rav4.
What I'm worried about is (a) are they really, really small in the back? I rarely have any passengers, but the 3-door version only has 2 seats in the rear and I'm concerned about resale value. (b) how economical or not are they on petrol? Am getting around 39 mpg from current car.

If I go with the corolla, I may get up to a 2004, 5 door hatchback.

Looking at reviews on parkers, the Rav gets 3.5 out of 5 for safety, 5 out of 5 for reliability. The corolla gets 3.5 and 4.5 respectively.

What other pros and cons should I consider to try & narrow it down?

 

[tosullivan]

Re: Toyota corolla or Toyota Rav4 - help!

the only pro I can see the Rav4 having over the Corolla is the higher up driving position....

 

[Bluebean]

Re: Toyota corolla or Toyota Rav4 - help!

have heard that the Rav4 is a very comfortable drive with good visibility, plus it does get a 1/2 star more in the reliability score!

has anyone owned/driven both? Which would you prefer and why?

 

[NHG]

Re: Toyota corolla or Toyota Rav4 - help!

I drive a rav4 at the moment, but it is the new model '07 sol d4d, I love it and dread to think of ever having to go back to driving a car full time. The driving position is high up and the jeep itself is nice and compact, it is very comfortable on both short & long journeys. I find the boot space great and the back seat moves forward and back to increase/decrease the legroom in the back seat my dad drives a ML270 and I find it much bigger and cumbersum and not as comfortable on the road.

My sister is learning to drive and has an 01 corolla hatch back which I drive quiet regularly, the corolla is a lovely car but she has low-profile tyres & alloys on it and it makes the car harder on the road. I also feel as if I am sitting on the ground in her car.

If I ever decide to go back to a car it will be a toyota auris/corolla hatchback.

 

[Bluebean]

Re: Toyota corolla or Toyota Rav4 - help!

thanks NHG. I guess the best thing would be for me to drive both the Rav & the corolla a few more times each & see which I feel most comfortable with.

 

[seantheman]

Re: Toyota corolla or Toyota Rav4 - help!

trouble with the flywheel seems to have been a problem with rav4 5dr.cost me €1800 to have it replaced in 02 model. think they modified it in later models, check it out

 

[Bluebean]

Re: Toyota corolla or Toyota Rav4 - help!

I wonder is it only a problem with the 5 door model? a friend of mine also mentioned last night that Irish dealers stopped bringing in the 3 door models to sell a few years ago, its only 5 door version that's available now.

Obviously I'd hope not to ever have to replace door etc. but would other parts for a 3-door be tricky to source?

I'm looking at a 2001/2002 model.

 

[Bluebean]

Re: Toyota corolla or Toyota Rav4 - help!

A dealer I spoke to mentioned that he thinks after the changes in motor tax and VRT in July, that Rav 4's will go down in price and be harder to sell as few people will want to buy a car that will cost almost 1,000 to tax each year - anyone care to share their opinions on this?

(He was trying to sell me a corolla, so trying to decide if his opinion has some merit or if he just wanted to sell the corolla!).

Thanks.

 

[soy]

Re: Toyota corolla or Toyota Rav4 - help!

A dealer I spoke to mentioned that he thinks after the changes in motor tax and VRT in July, that Rav 4's will go down in price and be harder to sell as few people will want to buy a car that will cost almost 1,000 to tax each year - anyone care to share their opinions on this?

(He was trying to sell me a corolla, so trying to decide if his opinion has some merit or if he just wanted to sell the corolla!).

Thanks.

I doubt they will go down in price. The petrol ones will probably be withdrawn from the market as no one will want them. The diesel ones will become slightly cheaper to tax so their popularity will not be effected.

 

[mathepac]

Re: Toyota corolla or Toyota Rav4 - help!

I dont think it was a case of the Irish dealers stopped selling the 3 door models, I'm nearly sure Toyota don't make a 3 door model of the current version of Rav 4

Yes this seems to be the case - you cannot "build your own" RHD 3-door Rav4 from the Toyota web-sites.

 

[Bluebean]

Re: Toyota corolla or Toyota Rav4 - help!

So there is a good chance that if I buy say a 2002 petrol Rav4, that once the tax goes to 1,000 or more a year, I will have trouble in selling it? The last thing I want is to end up with a car that I can't sell!

 

[mathepac]

Re: Toyota corolla or Toyota Rav4 - help!

So there is a good chance that if I buy say a 2002 petrol Rav4, that once the tax goes to 1,000 or more a year, I will have trouble in selling it? The last thing I want is to end up with a car that I can't sell!

Surely in the short term (2 - 3 years) the important thing is that you have an inexpensive car you enjoy and feel comfortable driving?

If you are considering resale value as part of the equation, then my advice would be to buy a newer diesel version.

 

[bacchus]

Re: Toyota corolla or Toyota Rav4 - help!

A dealer I spoke to mentioned that he thinks after the changes in motor tax and VRT in July, that Rav 4's will go down in price and be harder to sell as few people will want to buy a car that will cost almost 1,000 to tax each year - anyone care to share their opinions on this?

The new VRT and tax rules coming into effect on 1st July 2008 are only for vehicles registered from 01st July (new and imported). So zero impact on second hand car registered before that date.

 

[Bluebean]

Re: Toyota corolla or Toyota Rav4 - help!

So if I imported the car and registered it before July, then the tax would remain the same as it is now?

I would be taking the resale value in to account also, as I don't want to spend a lot of money and then find I'm stuck with it in 3 years time if I wanted to change again. One of Toyotas main pros is that they have good resale value, but with the rules changing will this still be the case with petrol Ravs?

 

[Bluebean]

Re: Toyota corolla or Toyota Rav4 - Registering after July?

If I buy a petrol rav4 and register it here in say, April, will the changes to the system in July have any effect on my motor tax when I go to renew in April 2009?

 

[bacchus]

Re: Toyota corolla or Toyota Rav4 - Registering after July?

If I buy a petrol rav4 and register it here in say, April, will the changes to the system in July have any effect on my motor tax when I go to renew in April 2009?

no