Spent the weekend in Bend, OR

"Tristan" (casselts) 02/25/2019 at 22:25 • Filed to: None

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Got 17" of snow last night and drove the RAV4 back though the aftermath.

Prior to this trip, I didn’t much like this car... After spending 9 hours battling sno w with it, I F***ING HATE THIS HATEFUL TIN CAN OF CHEAPNESS AND MISERY. How do people pay actual money for these horrible cars?

That is all.

Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo > Tristan 02/25/2019 at 22:34

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Your misery pleases me. My wife will take it off your hands, no money necessary on your part.

Wacko > Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo 02/25/2019 at 22:40

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Tristan > Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo 02/25/2019 at 22:43

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Issa company car. The one redeeming feature is that it's free.

Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo > Tristan 02/25/2019 at 22:45

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That's a pretty big feature, as far as features go.

CompactLuxuryFan > Tristan 02/25/2019 at 22:49

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I took a friend to test drive one of these once. “Ti n can of cheapness” is a perfect description. Except they’re not cheap! She ended up with a Crosstrek. I bet the new generation is 10 times better. 

Merfthemadmauler > Tristan 02/25/2019 at 22:50

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I like mine in the snow.

HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles > Tristan 02/25/2019 at 22:51

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The truely apauling thing is how expensive they are 

Tristan > Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo 02/25/2019 at 22:51

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I haven't kicked it out of the driveway yet. I've been meaning to do an Oppo review of it for the last 2 years to highlight why people should buy ANYTHING else. The medieval torture device front seats, the deafening road noise, the itty bitty teeny tiny gas tank, the numb driving experience... It's possibly the worst car I've ever driven. Stick with the Vibe!

jminer > Tristan 02/25/2019 at 22:56

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We bought one this summer for my Wife. It’s actually pretty nice in the higher specs. She got a Hybrid Limited model and it’s much more comfortable than the base. I drove a base 2wd and said I’m not recommending this shit and she went to the dealer and grabbed a hybrid model to drive and it’s a whole different beast. It handles snow well and gets 32 mpg  when I drive it like I stole it.

NKato > Tristan 02/25/2019 at 23:01

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You haven’t heard deafening road noise until you’ve ridden in my car. And I do invite you for a ride-along, if you so feel inclined.

*ominous background music*

Chariotoflove > Tristan 02/25/2019 at 23:11

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And don’t forget how bleh it looks. But it did get you home safely. So there’s that. 

Tristan > NKato 02/25/2019 at 23:21

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I’ve ridden in many Crown Vics. They're pretty smooth and quiet, like a body on frame car should be.

Tristan > CompactLuxuryFan 02/25/2019 at 23:22

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The Crosstrek is a way better car. The Toyota will probably last longer, but the Subaru will be more enjoyable to own.

Tristan > jminer 02/25/2019 at 23:23

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This one is a base AWD. I figured it must be Toyota’s way of punishing those who didn't pony up for the Limited.

Tristan > Chariotoflove 02/25/2019 at 23:24

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The seats certainly ruined my back, but we made it.  I said “I wish I had my Suburban” more times than I could count...

Tristan > HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles 02/25/2019 at 23:25

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Indeed. People who buy them must not shop around or go on test drives at all.

Tristan > Merfthemadmauler 02/25/2019 at 23:27

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Why? It has zero power, a numb, lazy-shifting transmission and the traction control is the most annoying I’ve ever experienced. It’ll do a sweet handbrake turn, at least.

NKato > Tristan 02/25/2019 at 23:27

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Hmm. :v being deaf, I have a hard time telling if my car is loud or quiet.

Tristan > NKato 02/25/2019 at 23:29

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The RAV transmits plenty of vibration and harshness to accompany the noise, so you'd have no trouble hating it!

Tristan > jminer 02/25/2019 at 23:30

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I should  also add this thing gets about 21-25 MPG and has a range of about 250-280 miles on a tank. Everything about it is mediocrity.

AestheticsInMotion > Tristan 02/25/2019 at 23:30

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While the outback is probably objectively better in all ways, that’s how it made me feel before I sold mine.

I AM glad you at least got to play in the snow a bit! Hopefully next time it will be in something a bit more fun

Tristan > AestheticsInMotion 02/25/2019 at 23:33

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The RAV does at least have a real hand brake and you can somewhat turn the traction control partially off below 15 mph, so there were a lot of low speed handbrake maneuvers!

The previous company car was a 2013?14? Outback. It was infinitely better.

AestheticsInMotion > Tristan 02/25/2019 at 23:37

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Hey! That’s something!

My Outback had the worst seat I've ever been subjected to. It's like the designers were given the task of making the most uncomfortable seat possible while still making it look normal on the outside. I couldn't drive that thing for more than twenty minutes at a time without back pain. The seats in the WRX of that year however were great. I remember many trips to the junkyard in hopes of finding a nice set

Tristan > AestheticsInMotion 02/25/2019 at 23:40

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That’s how I’d rate the seats in the RAV... ROCK hard with ZERO lumbar support. I keep one of those stupid lumbar pillows in it, but it sucks only slightly less. The Outback we had was super comfy- the seats fit me perfectly!  Subaru must have learned something since yours.

AestheticsInMotion > Tristan 02/25/2019 at 23:42

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Maybe you could swap in some nice, heavily padded fixed back bucket seats without anyone noticing....

gogmorgo - rowing gears in a Grand Cherokee > Tristan 02/25/2019 at 23:45

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Isn't that all Toyota drivers though?

Tristan > AestheticsInMotion 02/25/2019 at 23:46

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The most I’ve ever been willing to spend of my own money  on this thing was the $4 for a gallon of Rain X de-icer fluid earlier today. Otherwise, it all goes on the fleet card. My wife drives it mostly, and we take it on trips because we just pay taxes on personal use miles at the end of the year and it keeps miles off my personal cars. I'm hoping with the next go round her company switches back to Subarus.

Tristan > gogmorgo - rowing gears in a Grand Cherokee 02/25/2019 at 23:47

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*walks into Toyota dealer:

“...just give me a beige one.”

HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles > Tristan 02/25/2019 at 23:52

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There are plenty of real Toyota Loyalists out there, or people who have just heard that Toyota’s are better. And it sure beats that 02  Ford Taurus they’ve been driving for the last 17 years 

gogmorgo - rowing gears in a Grand Cherokee > Tristan 02/25/2019 at 23:53

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There's something to be said for ground clearance. Six inches below the bumpers isn't the same as eight inches below the pumpkin and fourteen everywhere else. 

Merfthemadmauler > Tristan 02/26/2019 at 00:02

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I have a 2009 limited. I has served me well for the 60 thousand miles I’ve had it.

gogmorgo - rowing gears in a Grand Cherokee > Tristan 02/26/2019 at 00:10

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This is actually hilarious. One of my coworkers did just get a RAV4. It is in fact  beige. He says he likes it but also he's been walking to work pretty much every day since getting it. 

jminer > Tristan 02/26/2019 at 00:15

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The tank is pretty small on these guys, but with the hybrid we get like 380 miles per tank.

My TDI Sportwagen gets ~500 mi per tank though which is awesome!

Wrong Wheel Drive (41%) > Tristan 02/26/2019 at 00:31

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That sounds terrible. I get that mileage and range in my STi but at least that car is infinitely fun!

Tristan > HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles 02/26/2019 at 00:48

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There have been plenty of great Toyotas in the history of Toyota. This isn’t one of them.

Tristan > gogmorgo - rowing gears in a Grand Cherokee 02/26/2019 at 00:49

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Toyota RAV4: It’s (not actually) better than walking!

Tristan > gogmorgo - rowing gears in a Grand Cherokee 02/26/2019 at 00:55

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Spending 8 hours battling snow in this thing made me long for my Suburban. I contemplated driving it this weekend, but didn’t because gas mileage.

Tristan > Merfthemadmauler 02/26/2019 at 00:56

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It’s a Toyota. I have no doubth this one will drag on miserably for at least 300,000 miles with only a modicum of maintenance.

CompactLuxuryFan > Tristan 02/26/2019 at 02:14

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She’s already selling the Crosstrek after 2 years and 13k miles. Doesn’t need a car anymore. She’ll only lose like $4,000 tops  all-in so I think it was actually a great buy. 

Tristan > CompactLuxuryFan 02/26/2019 at 02:38

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I’ve got a coworker who’s on his second Crosstrek. Both were purchased new. He had the first one for about 3 years/30k miles and sold it quickly with shockingly little depreciation. They’re up there with Tacomas and Wranglers in value-holding ability.

gogmorgo - rowing gears in a Grand Cherokee > Tristan 02/26/2019 at 11:55

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Especially w ith the winter-rated  31's on it now, this thing doesn’t cease to impress me.

Tristan > gogmorgo - rowing gears in a Grand Cherokee 02/26/2019 at 12:06

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This is one of my favorite Oppo cars. I  need to do some work to my XJ. I’d love to take it on some family trips one day, and it’s a blast in the snow!

gogmorgo - rowing gears in a Grand Cherokee > Tristan 02/26/2019 at 14:33

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I need new springs in the back, and I ’d like to change out the stiff-as-hell skyjunker shocks that are on it as well. I wouldn’t be driving it as much if I couldn’t get away with 4x4 on the street because the d35 is singing the song of its people , so there’s a Truetrac and bearing set waiting to go in, just waiting until I can do a major spring cleaning of my driveway and garage (i.e. finish stripping my XJ so I can scrap it) so I have some room to move around. Step one was getting my little MJ out of the driveway, but after the engine swap in the dark and  snow at 0°F I'm a bit over evening driveway wrenching. 

Tristan > gogmorgo - rowing gears in a Grand Cherokee 02/26/2019 at 20:53

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After installing Bilsteins and BDS springs on my XJ, my life is changed. They’re spendy, but oh so worth it.

I did enough winter wenching in my early years. Eff that!

gogmorgo - rowing gears in a Grand Cherokee > Tristan 02/26/2019 at 23:05

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I don't usually find it too bad, so long as you don't have to do much laying on the ground. Yanking a diff though... yeah. That's an indoor job. 

Tristan > gogmorgo - rowing gears in a Grand Cherokee 02/26/2019 at 23:35

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The last big winter job I did was a transmission swap on my 1988 Crown Vic wagon while laying on a massive slab of ice in -15* weather. I moved to Florida the following winter.