- This topic has 14 replies, 11 voices, and was last updated 7 years ago by trail_rat.
-
2003 Rav4
-
slowjoFree MemberPosted 7 years ago
A friend is selling her 2003 petrol 4wd Rav4. She has had it since new and it has been a tarmac only type pseudo 4×4 vehicle. They are exceptionally fastidious about the car and it has been very well looked after. It has 12 months MOT.
Here’s the rub….the car isn’t for me, but potentially for my aged parents. My Dad is pretty overweight (due to having refused to have a hip replacement for years and years). His mobility is pretty compromised but he still gets around. He is driving a very old 3 series bimmer (P reg) and it takes him forever to get in and out of the car….often 10 minutes to get out.
My mother, sister and I have been trying to persuade him to dump the bimmer and get a more sit up and beg car but he always bimbles on about how the car has got loads of life left in it etc etc etc. TBH I think he doesn’t want to shell out on a new car when he doesn’t think he has that many years left of driving.
So….his hip operation is scheduled but my mother reckons he will still have problems post op.
Back to the Rav. I can pick this up for about £1.5k. I know mpg isn’t good but it won’t be any worse than his current car. I was thinking that I’d buy it, turn up with it and say, here’s a car for you to use, get on with it (in a nice sort of way!). When he has finished with it I can use it as my bike transport or sell it.
Any reason (from the suitability perspective) why I should avoid this car? (I am not a petrol head so have little idea about the merits or otherwise of cars, especially this type of vehicle – other than superficially).
jimdubleyouFull MemberPosted 7 years agoWe had a diesel version (52 plate I think) – it was a nice drive, and fairly easy to get in/out of. You can remove the back seats completely so it was very handy when we were renovating our house and wanted to put loads of rubbish in the boot.
We killed the clutch/flywheel in ours at about 70k miles and it cost £1500 to repair, but that’s a diesel model issue, not petrol.
perchypantherFree MemberPosted 7 years agoAsk your friend to give your Dad a lift down the shops or somesuch to gauge the ease of access first?
sweepyFree MemberPosted 7 years agoI was thinking about one of those, similar age.
I was parked next to one at the supermarket when an old biddy walked up to it. I asked her if it was reliable and she laughed and said apart from servicing it had never been back to the garage.
Fuel consumption stopped me in the end but I do a lot of miles.jambalayaFree MemberPosted 7 years agoWe had a 2000-ish petrol. Brilliant car loved it, ex-wife sold it whilst I was in Singapore otherwise I am sure it would still be doing bike duties (removable seats creates van-ish boxy space). As you say our vvt petrol auto was quite heavy on fuel and acceleration was poor (auto box). We had zero real issues over near 15 years ownership (bought as an ex demo) and 85,000 miles. We had Cat changed twice under warranty before finally searching forums and finding a battery change was required (low battery caused sensor to trip). Otherwise just consumables.
I always recommend these on here when people are looking at vans, car like driving, quiter and Japanese reliability. The newer ones don’t have removable seats so not as flexible
Just buy it, I’d be tempted by it if itbdoesn’t work out (assuming its a 5dr)
NicoFree MemberPosted 7 years agoThe car would be a good choice – reliable, practical and meets the prime criterion.
I hope he gets the hip operation. My BIL finally got his done with lots of concerns from him and my sister. It’s given him a new lease of life.
So, my only reservations would concern the advisability of presenting your father with a fait accompli. Only you know the answer to that.
trail_ratFree MemberPosted 7 years agoseems pricy better be FSH with proof and mint condition
watch the steering rack – prone to leaking and its not a simple switch around part – the engine has to come out the way first. mate got rid of his because of this – sold it to a guy on here for 300 quid who was going to fix it …
and coming from a bimmer he will be in a shock for how shit the interior is.
scudFree MemberPosted 7 years agoNeighbours have one and really like it, they are in there 70’s. I live in a village with singletrack rural roads out in all directions, so whilst you don’t need a true 4×4, having a good high vantage point and suspension that can take the large number of potholes and driving up the banks to let other vehicles through is a real advantage, there’s is a diesel though.
Worth checking that seat height is such he can slide straight in, and that he doesn’t have to climb in?
I had until recently one of the Berlingo cars and my nan always used to request to travel with me whenever we went anywhere as door is large and seat height was such she could just perch on edge of seat and swing both legs round, which was good when she had both hips replaced.
DaveVanderspekFree MemberPosted 7 years ago£1500 is waaay optimistic for a 2003 car such as this!
£700 tops, even then its a gamble.slowjoFree MemberPosted 7 years ago@trail rat…..you haven’t seen his bimmer. It is a ’96 and isn’t showroom nick any more! :o) I’ll check about the steering rack. Are there any telltale signs I should look out for?
@scud….we had a Lingo for many years. It was brilliant, we loved it but it isn’t quite what he’d be prepared to drive. (Don’t ask!) :o)
The Rav…vgc tick. FSH tick.
I can have the car for a couple of days whenever I want so I can take it round to my Dad and see how he gets on.
ditch_jockeyFree MemberPosted 7 years agoAnother 52 plate Rav4 user here. Ours is the 2.0l VVT, just coming up on 100,000 miles, having bought it very low mileage about 8 years ago. Great wee car; we have it fitted with all-weather tyres and it regularly gets used on a variety of bumpy, potholed roads and tracks in all weathers. Leather seats are a great bonus, as it effectively makes the interior ‘wipe clean’ after I’ve dumped our muddy collies in there. As others have said, fuel economy isn’t great, but other than that, it’s been very cheap to run, given it’s not really cossetted in any way.
jambalayaFree MemberPosted 7 years agoRe Price have a look at what they fetch. 10yr old Rav’s go for £8k +
finishthatFree MemberPosted 7 years agoSounds like a great opportunity – good price and provenance.
If you were looking it would take a while to find something comparable.
Inlaws can only use high up cars due to knee/hip ops .
Its not just him driving – its the practicality of him being a passenger.
Would your mum drive it ?
jambalayaFree MemberPosted 7 years agoJust checked AutoTrader and similar age cars are £1,250 to £2,250. There is a 1998 car for £995 ! In my experience many of them are immaculate having been cared for by 1 owner or sold onto friends/family.
OP high car good for post op, when I broke my ACL getting into higher cars like 4×4’s or Merc A class was a millions times easier than normal height cars like wife’s Micra.
trail_ratFree MemberPosted 7 years agosteering rack – any sign of leaking from the ram or the pinion entry from the UJ …. run away.
The topic ‘2003 Rav4’ is closed to new replies.
