Rav4 still the perfectly sized SUV

A lot of people extol the virtues of the Camry and Highlander as the best vehicles in the Toyota lineup. I’ve read that very thing recently on this blog, in fact. It’s not that I disagree, but I feel there is room for one more model in the terrific-Toyota class. And I would argue the Rav4 belongs there.

Why? Because the Toyota Rav4 is still an SUV, but it handles like a car, is tremendously fuel-efficient, and provides all of the cabin space you need in an SUV. The Rav4 remains, as it always has been, the perfect size for just about any SUV buyer. With its length (shorter than a Camry), it is right at home on a sedan platform. This means a less-rigid ride than all of the SUVs on truck platforms provide.     … Continue Reading

Venza the perfect blend of Toyota design

If you could combine two Toyota models to create a third Toyota, what two models would you choose to meld together in cooperative design and function? Think about it. If I were to name two models they would without a doubt be the Camry and the Highlander. You can’t get two more practical vehicles, or maybe if you combine their traits you can. That’s what we see with the Toyota Venza. The Venza is all things great about Toyota and an incredibly rewarding drive that incorporates tons of interior cargo space. That’s exactly what I had in mind when I visited a Toyota Libertyville dealer shopping for a new ride. I wasn’t sold on the Venza at first, thinking I might prefer the Highlander. But once I got to know the Venza, that changed.     … Continue Reading

4Runner Caught in Camoflauge

A photo from car review site leftlanenews.com shows the 2011 4Runner out for a drive under a thick blanket of mystery.  The photo doesn’t give us tons of info, except that the body looks like it could remain very similar to the current 4Runner and the basic body-on-frame engineering will remain.  None of that is too surprising, as current model of the 4Runner is a well-liked exterior design.  Where everyone is expecting the major changes is on the interior. 

Don’t think I’m knocking the current 4Runner.  Anyone out there shopping at a Toyota Gurnee dealership for an SUV should give consideration to the 4Runner.  No matter what you are looking for in an SUV, chances are this ride will give you what you need.

The fourth-generation, 2009 4Runner is rugged in looks and ability.  A trail-craving, tow-capable SUV that can fit seven, the 4Runner is a vehicle that can take on many personalities.  Don’t expect the 2011 update to lose any of that brawny capability.

I am actually an owner of a 2008 4Runner that I purchased from Toyota Libertyville dealer.  It was an easy decision for me a couple of years ago.  Other SUVs did not have what I was looking for when it came to combining errands around town with my love of rugged terrain.

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