Discussion Help me buy a used SUV. Honda CRV vs Toyota RAV4?

[Remobz]

Hello all,

Due to the HIGH resale value of Honda and Toyota and my budget at this time, I am forced to buy a used SUV around 2005 to 2006 years. Those two years were reliable for both vehicles and THIRD GENERATION for both of them as well.

I know they will both have high mileage already on both. So, I need something that is built to last for awhile like a solid engine design and so on.

So what would you guys pick? The 2005 -2006 Toyota RAV4 or Honda CRV? Or just buy whichever one is cheaper or lowest mileage for price?

 

[BurnItDwn]

Rav4 with the v6 engine if you want something reasonably quick. Back then, the Rav4 with the v6 was one of Toyota's fastest vehicles.

 

[pauldun170]

You are looking at 15 year old cars.
A Lexus is the gold standard of reliability but a Lexus from 2005 could very well be a money pit that is constantly in the shop.

Based on a couple of factors that take in the engineering choices, age and just trivia...

You are looking at TEN vehicles where trim levels make a lot of difference.
A 4 cylinder Honda CRV with a 5 speed automatic with front wheel drive
A 4 cylinder Honda CRV with a 5 speed manual with front wheel drive
A 4 cylinder Honda CRV with a 5 speed automatic with all wheel drive
A 4 cylinder Honda CRV with a 5 speed manual with all wheel drive
A 4 cylinder Rav 4 with a 4 speed automatic with front wheel drive
A 4 cylinder Rav 4 with a 5 speed manual with front wheel drive
A 4 cylinder Rav 4 with a 4 speed automatic with all wheel drive
A 4 cylinder Rav 4 with a 5 speed manual with all wheel drive
A 6 cylinder Rav 4 with a 5 speed automatic with front wheel drive
A 6 cylinder Rav 4 with a 5 speed automatic with all wheel drive

Ranked
1. A 4 cylinder Rav 4 with a 4 speed automatic with front wheel drive
2. A 4 cylinder Rav 4 with a 4 speed automatic with all wheel drive
3. A 4 cylinder Rav 4 with a 5 speed manual with front wheel drive
4. A 4 cylinder Honda CRV with a 5 speed manual with front wheel drive
5. A 4 cylinder Honda CRV with a 5 speed manual with all wheel drive
6. A 4 cylinder Rav 4 with a 5 speed manual with all wheel drive
7. A 6 cylinder Rav 4 with a 5 speed automatic with front wheel drive
8. A 6 cylinder Rav 4 with a 5 speed automatic with all wheel drive
9. A 4 cylinder Honda CRV with a 5 speed automatic with front wheel drive
10. A 4 cylinder Honda CRV with a 5 speed automatic with all wheel drive



The CR-V with the 5spd automatic and all wheel drive will be the worst of the bunch. That transmission was dicey to begin with, now add age and miles. Toss in all the little nonsense with Honda brakes and an all wheel drive system and "age related Honda stuff"

The CR-v with the 5 speed manual in front wheel drive is the exact opposite. Buy it and keep it for the next 50 years. You'll be fixing little things but should be straight forward.

Just about any RAV-4 is going to be solid. Only watch item on the Rav-4 were crappy headbolts on the 2.4 engine but at this point all the problem engines are dead and gone or have been fixed. The 2.4 and the 4spd auto are very simple, well designed and super easy to service and the car overall is a very cheap to own appliance.
Sensors, wear and tear items...all quick, cheap and easy to do. Toyota components and design choices are exceptional.

The V6 with the 5spd auto is also very solid. You just have to deal with the MPG in the teens and bigger maintenance bills. If you need to lug around fat people and "stuff" and have no issue with the gas consumption, the Rav 4 V6 is pretty sweet. Super solid drivetrain.

Good luck finding a Rav 4 with the manual. The 4 people that own them are probably going to keep them until they hit 600,000 miles. The clutch job on it is a pain in the ass.


Keep in mind that any car from 2005-6 is going to screaming for a suspension refresh.

 

[pauldun170]

Hello all,

Due to the HIGH resale value of Honda and Toyota and my budget at this time, I am forced to buy a used SUV around 2005 to 2006 years. Those two years were reliable for both vehicles and THIRD GENERATION for both of them as well.

I know they will both have high mileage already on both. So, I need something that is built to last for awhile like a solid engine design and so on.

So what would you guys pick? The 2005 -2006 Toyota RAV4 or Honda CRV? Or just buy whichever one is cheaper or lowest mileage for price?

What's your budget?
05-06 CR-v's and Rav-4's run from 3K-9K

Be kinda odd to shop around for worn out old CR-v's and Rav-4's with 200K when the same money gets you in newer Santa Fe with less miles.
(FYI - Common nuisance on the Santa Fe is the Crankshaft position sensor every 100K or so. Fairly straight forward to fix in most cases and fairly cheap.)

 

[mindless1]

Make a broad list of makes/models acceptable to you.

Research these to determine specific trannys and engines to avoid. Refine list accordingly.

Have the money ready and diligently search your preferred sources for used vehicles. Be ready to jump on one (to go see it) the moment you first see it listed. Good values do not stay in the market long.

At the age you're talking about, maintenance can mean as much as the idealized "most reliable" make/model, as that is only an average and things will break on any vehicle after a dozen + years, especially on an SUV.

Back to the original question, RAV4 > CRV, but if you live in the rust belt, body on frame is the only way to go for a 15+ year old vehicle, not unibody unless you find some rare specimen seldom driven on salted roads.

Additionally you should not assume they're all going to be high mileage merely because that would be average. There are elderly owners getting too old to drive or passed away and the family has an extra vehicle. Just beware that these are almost always original/family owners, if a 2nd/etc owner is involved with a low mileage vehicle, it might be odometer fraud and you'd need documentation to prove the mileage.

On the other hand if you intend to own this long term and expect your finances to get better, or can DIY a lot of the repair work, there's a lot to be said for picking whichever you like the most, exterior and interior styling, engine power, etc.

 

[Remobz]

What's your budget?
05-06 CR-v's and Rav-4's run from 3K-9K

Be kinda odd to shop around for worn out old CR-v's and Rav-4's with 200K when the same money gets you in newer Santa Fe with less miles.
(FYI - Common nuisance on the Santa Fe is the Crankshaft position sensor every 100K or so. Fairly straight forward to fix in most cases and fairly cheap.)

You brought up a good question. Maybe I should focus on another less expensive vehicle instead. I was thinking maybe a second generation Ford Escape or a Mazda CX7 type vehicle. I could get a "newer" type used suv for around the same money.

Hmmmmm.....

 

[Remobz]

Make a broad list of makes/models acceptable to you.

Research these to determine specific trannys and engines to avoid. Refine list accordingly.

Have the money ready and diligently search your preferred sources for used vehicles. Be ready to jump on one (to go see it) the moment you first see it listed. Good values do not stay in the market long.

At the age you're talking about, maintenance can mean as much as the idealized "most reliable" make/model, as that is only an average and things will break on any vehicle after a dozen + years, especially on an SUV.

Back to the original question, RAV4 > CRV, but if you live in the rust belt, body on frame is the only way to go for a 15+ year old vehicle, not unibody unless you find some rare specimen seldom driven on salted roads.

Additionally you should not assume they're all going to be high mileage merely because that would be average. There are elderly owners getting too old to drive or passed away and the family has an extra vehicle. Just beware that these are almost always original/family owners, if a 2nd/etc owner is involved with a low mileage vehicle, it might be odometer fraud and you'd need documentation to prove the mileage.

On the other hand if you intend to own this long term and expect your finances to get better, or can DIY a lot of the repair work, there's a lot to be said for picking whichever you like the most, exterior and interior styling, engine power, etc.

I think I might have to go with Ford Escape or Santa Fe or Mazda CX7 type vehicle. Or some other type for around the same prices as the Hondas or Toyotas. Will do more research now.

 

[mindless1]

Might depend a bit on whether you can DIY some repairs. I may be stuck in the past but I wouldn't want to be 2nd/3rd owner of a Hyundai, as paying a shop for repairs could quickly add up to same cost of ownership as just buying the Honda or Toyota in the first place.

Then there's size differences and expected lifespan. Santa Fe is a little bigger than Escape but many would consider it to have about 100K shorter lifespan than the CRV or RAV4.

Then there's the question of how important fuel economy is. For not much more money, say around $6K (depending on region and not sure about covid wacky pricing) you could get a 2009 Ford Explorer with the V8 and 6R80 tranny (better than prior 6R60) which is a very solid value. It's full frame though, so it'll probably last a half decade longer but ride like a truck. The CX7 is probably the right choice if handling (+ low price combination) is most important.

You should go sit in and drive a few. There's nothing worse than having to repair a vehicle that you don't like.

Just be sure to have a mechanic look it over before purchase. Not everyone drives, let alone maintains their vehicles the same so again, talking averages about different makes/models means little when it comes down to individual specimens of vehicles that are ~15 y/o.

 

[pauldun170]

I think I might have to go with Ford Escape or Santa Fe or Mazda CX7 type vehicle. Or some other type for around the same prices as the Hondas or Toyotas. Will do more research now.

What exactly are you looking for in a car? What will you be doing with it? Are you able to work onn it yourself or will you be relying on shops?

Stay away from CX-7's. Assuming your budget, the base model is going to be an underpowered, crappy MPG penalty box of "Mazda build quality". The Turbo model is 9 times out of ten going to be garbage being dumped by an owner that knows what's wrong with the car and is trying to dump it while the CEL is relearning all the problems with the car.

Ford Escape's are ok but be aware of the mileage. For example, a 5k 2010 Escape with 100K will seem like a great find but at that mileage the ignition coils will likely need to be replaced and the transmission isn't exactly known to be a long hauler.

Skip Nissans. Skip Jeeps. Skip GM stuff

 

[ondma]

For what its worth, used car prices are exceptionally high right now. Not sure if that applies to older models, but if you can you might want to wait a while to buy.
I dont have any specific recommendations on CRV vs RAV4, but I do have a 2005 civic that is still running well with 150k.

 

[Muadib]

You will be rolling the dice on either. Pretty sure my mom in law had a 2005 Rav4. I took it to NC, and somehow my wife's friend locked the keys in it when I was in a 7-11. Good times....