@wmk
The Rav4 FAILED THE MOOSE TEST!
View: https://youtu.be/VtQ24W_lamY
although I think they are fixing it so I personally wouldn't care much about it.
Do you do any kind of offroading like, ever? I mean going for more than 2 seconds on a dirt road, going fishing, you know, the easy stuff that even a better built sedan can deal with? Then most definitely go for the rav4. The Volvo was built for tarmac and nothing else, if it even senses that a dirt road is nearby, it will lock up its wheels, start shaking in fear and piss itself with coolant.
The Toyota, while the way more blehhh choice in the design department imo, will be a reliable friend, even on rougher roads. I have multiple generations of rav4s around me (colleagues) and they never let them down. Especially the older ones hold up really well, even on rough terrain.
Had a couple of Volvos among the friends, all newer ones as company lease cars, and they were problematic after a year or two. They are nice to look at but can't handle things like parking on the curbs every day for 2 years. The body might be a tank, but everything else underneath is built to.set off the cost of that tankness.
Even though I think the rav4 is a generic kinda ugly plastic toy, I'd still chose that over a Volvo for the peace of mind that it is a Toyota, it should work fine no matter what.
As for safety, they are both big cars with lots of weight. If it's a head on with anything smaller, you will be fine.
Now for some personal rant:
Here (Hungary), Toyota's are the cars I don't ever notice while driving. Thats a good thing, Because they are generally driven by ppl who know how to drive. Except for the Yaris. God I hate those yobbos...
On the other hand, only very bad drivers use Volvos. When I see a man driving one I know it's gonna be stupidly aggressive and inept, like Audi/BMW drivers used to be, just even worse because they have no power or handling to back up their agressive behavior.
If it's a women, which there are more of, she is gonna be totally unpredictable and best to avoid. Just 2 days ago I was almost hit by the biggest suv they make, right on the crosswalk. She was turning left across the crosswalk, came to a sudden halt when she finally saw me and some others crossing, then launched forward and if I don't jump 2 steps ahead, she would have clipped me with her 2 tonne shitbox of ineptitude.
So yeah, I'm not a fan of Volvos these days, but mostly because of the people who drive them. I like the shape but nothing else about them really.
Oh, and
Volvo now puts a max speed limiter on their cars so you can't go faster than 112 mph, even when you are legally allowed to so you can't even use the power of that R! I hate this nanny state bullshit with a passion, so Fuck them.
Now, things you should consider:
Have you ever been sea sick or even car sick? do you travel at highway speeds a lot? Do you go long distances rather than short? Do you like cornering flat? Are you more of a snappy, decisive driver than a "coasting along, changing lanes kms ahead of the turn off" kind of guy? Then obviously the car is better than the suv.
Do you have large things to carry? Do you have ppl who will sit in the back regularly? Do you like airy interiors vs snug? Do you live on rough roads, park on curbs and need the ride height? Than Suv is for you.
Tldr: +1 for Rav4 despite the fail.
Even though the Rav4 will feel like a plastic bin on the inside compared to a Volvo, I'd still chose that cos reliable, and awd is a lot more fun on a snowed in / frozen parking lot when you can turn off the driver aids!
(Speaking from experience lol)
; )
