I think I may be doing that. I might get a Toyota RAV4. I currently have a v8 Dodge Ram. How noticeable will the loss of power be? Will I have trouble making it uphill? Will I be severely disappointed? The main reason I'm switching is because I drive over 120 miles a day for my job. And, my Dodge gets maybe 12 mpg in the city. The reason I like the RAV4 is because I think you get the advantages of driving an suv as well as a car. I like the new Jeep Liberty as well. I guess I'm a small suv kind of guy. Any opinions/recommendations?
Do you tow anything? My friend has a RAV-4 equipped with an automatic. I've driven it a few times, and find it a little slow, but I'm sure a manual would feel more powerful. It's nice enough for driving around, but I wouldn't want to tow anything with it.
nah. Don't tow anything. It will be nice to be able to fit into regular parking spots again. A truck is a bit harder to park. It also guzzles a crazy amount of gas. 10 mpg in the city. This week, I've spent about 100 in gas. So, if I keep the truck, I would spend about 300 to 400 a month in gas. Way too much.
LOL Two years ago, I went from a V8 5.0 hot rod to a four-cylinder 2.0 hatchback. I can't jump off the line anymore, nor can I make my engine roar. But I'm not spending $80/month on gas either.
Its going to suck a big one and you are going to be pissed. If you are going to downgrade, do yourself a favor and get a V6. Besides only chicks roll RAV4's. Be a man, eat your Wheaties, and go get yourself a used 4Runner at Carmax for chrissake.......
Not too big on used cars. You're right about chicks and rav4s, but I hate stereotyping people because of the car they drive. Maybe the guy driving a porsche doesn't have a small pecker?
I just took a look at the specs on the RAV4 and Dodge Ram on edmunds.com: RAV4: 2711 lbs 148 hp / 142 lb-ft torque 25/31 city/hwy mpg Dodge Ram V8: 4836 lbs 240 hp / 300 lb-ft torque 13/18 city/hwy mpg It looks like the power to weight ratio is about the same. The Dodge does have a lot more torque, though. Speaking of fuel-efficient cars, I test drove a Smart car while I was in Holland. It was really a cool little vehicle. It's a 2-seater, made by Mercedes, with a 6-speed semi-automatic transmission, ABS and ESP, ~50 mpg fuel economy, and a bunch of air bags. It was fun to drive, with pretty good acceleration and nimble handling. Really tight turning radius. You can fit two of them in a regular parking space, and instead of parallel parking, you can just park "sideways". They had Smart coupes, convertibles, and roadsters, and they were supposedly quite cheap. They kind of remind me of the old Beetles in terms of novelty and image. I'd love to see those things over here.
I dont think that it will that much of a loss of acceleration. The RAV4 weighs a lot less and has close to 150hp. It may not be as quick off the line but it should not be painfully slow. The only loss that i can really think of will be the cool sound that the v8 makes when its sucking down a lot of gas. Another option for small SUV's would be the 2 door Explorer sport. I dont think it gets as good of gas milage but I think it may be worth considering.
By getting the 4 cylinder, yeah, you wont be able to haul buns off the line, but you wont be some complete granny driver either. At least half the people out there drive 4 cylinder vehicles. And yes you will save a bundle in gas, especially with a Toyota or a Honda. If you're really worried about a great start from the line, get a manual, it'll help. But ultimately in traffic, who cares? Nobody's goin anywhere anytime soon anyway.
Oh man, a V-8 to a 4 banger... DON'T DO IT...or if you do, use the money you save on gas to buy yourself a nice dress with all the accessories. Don't worry about neutering yourself...the feeling of a whoppoing 150 lbs of torque of a 4 banger will take care of that. Seriously, I drive a 92 Mustang GT(with a "few" mods). Tara drives a Mystique. When I drive the Mystique and a cheesy ricer pulls up next to me, I swear, I kick myself for not being in my stang. Even worse, when I someone cuts me off, I can never pull back up next to them to give them the old one finger salute. Hell, our minivan has a small v-8 in it and it pulls harder than the mystique. It doesn't seem like getting a good hole shot really matters to you, but in the end, you will kick yourself for giving in. Man...suck it up and keep the 8...at highway speeds, it shouldn't hurt as bad anyways.
You don't have the hatchback, do you FT? I love Mustangs, but those late 80's/early 90's models were fugly. Thank god the Ford Probe sucked. That was supposed to be the Mustang's replacement... It's nice to know that some people's masculinity is so closely tied to their car...Don't tell me, you cried when your dog got neutered, right?
SUV and a 4 cyl is not a good combo. Yes, the efficieny is better, but its not going to have alot of pickup. You should fine a happy medium in a V6. Look at an Xterra.
Yeah I do have the hatch...The GT only came in hatch and ragtop. I'm not to big on the sn-95 model...to many soft lines, although I've seen some of these that looked pretty nice. The 99-03 model is right where it needs to be...the verdict is still out on the new retro model... Neutering my dogs??? Unheard of!!!
