Are there SUV/Car with V6, AWD, not huge

565

Asked by sundaydriveryeah Jan 27, 2015 at 03:31 PM about the 2011 Toyota Venza Base AWD

Question type: General

We are empty nesters looking to replace well-used 5 passenger 4x4 SUV with smaller vehicle coming off lease. What 5 passenger vehicles made in last  4 years offer a V6, AWD, preferably SUV or comparable....the small SUVs use V4 or I4engines, many SUVs now 7 passenger...recommendations? Only 1 yr did small SUV RAV have a V6, now discont'd.

15 Answers

565

Yes, but it has a V4 engine, prob either 2L or 2.4L only....that's the RAV/ CR-V/ Forester/Rogue market, great for local driving....I like the cabin size, I don't like the flooring it to get onto highways, change lanes, etc. I haven't driven RAV, but know the Subaru Forester. Your thoughts regarding that?

1 people found this helpful.

Toyota RAV4. Small but roomy inside, and Toyota unparallelled reliability Available with a AWD, 3.4L V6 and a 2011 can be had for about $12k

3 people found this helpful.

Have no experience and little knowledge about Subaru

1 people found this helpful.
565

Thanks. That V6 RAV is a hard car to find. Not sure why they discontinued V6, unless they wanted the V6 Venza to occupy the V6 space after the Highlander became a 7 passenger SUV.

2 people found this helpful.
157,115

I like the Acura RDX, but 2013 and newer only. The earlier ones had a turbocharger and got poor fuel mileage. Great reliability. Rav4 is also good. My some has a 2013 Ford Escape AWD and loves it, but they have had some minor issues. Stay away from the BMW X series. Just my 2 cents.

565

FordNut: I don't think a 2011 RAV 4 V6 will be $12K. CarGurus lists a great deal as the 2012 with 52,000 miles , priced by dealer at $21,000. That's about my price range. If you have experience with the V6 RAV4, how much concern is 52K miles...I was looking for closer to 36-40K range. I certainly wouldn't go north of 52K....we will use about 7000 miles a yr local driving. Your 2 cents on RAV durability/mileage?

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My bad..typo..$22 not 12. As for reliability it has few peers in it's class. That engine with proper maintenance is proven to go 250k miles. Durable? Good if not abused, owners love them and I have seen no complaints on it. Mileage is 21/27..not the greatest..disappointed on that

565

Thx for clarifying, FordNut. And Since you may be also a ToyotaNut--or maybe someone else in CarGuru is a ToyotaNut, let me pose the following Q, answer if you can: the 2012 V6 RAV with some 46-52K miles, is about $21K in the market in my neck of the woods (CarMax; one Toyota dealer). Another Toyota dealer here has a fully loaded CPO 2011 Venza AWD V6, 48K miles, for a $20,500 ask, already reduced once...the Venza has all the packages,the security, convenience, tow prep, comfort....now, these 2 Toyota models are not the same car, granted, but Toyota once upon a time added Venza to replace the 5 passenger Highlander, I believe it likes calling the Venza an SUV...I haven't driven either of these Toyotas, but I own a Solara convertible built on the Camry chassis.....for some reason, it doesn't seem that the same $21K can buy these 2 cars mentioned above....it's as if there's value-based bargains to be had with the not-hot Venza, and maybe value-based bargains to be had with the V6 RAV4, only because of design---it has the spare wheel in the back and the side hinge back door, and the customer has moved on , to the new RAV design. Any thoughts on all this?

1 people found this helpful.

I AM a surely TototaNut, my Corolla is the best car I have ever had in my 61 years and 45 years of driving. Hands down. Sure, it doesn't have all the bells and whistles of a Camry or Avalon, or my 1990 Lincoln Town car, but I absolutely love it and intend to keep it until the wheels fall off. I have studied it, the engine, doing a lot of dry technical reading and the more I study the more I am impressed. Ok, anyway, the Venza is a heavier car, a much higher towing capacity, I opened two windows on the Rav4 and the Venza (http://www.edmunds.com/toyota/rav4/2012/?tab-id=specs-tab&style=101418915#mpg-pod-anchor) and switched back and forth..the Venza has only SLIGHTLY more room inside, passenger and driver headroom, hip-room, that stuff. Even worse mileage @ 18/25 w/ V6- 3.5L (not 3.4 that is a mistake) If you go down the list of Features, comfort, convenience, nearly identical. What you get with a Venza is if you tow a big trailer, not as good a daily driver. I have never driven a Venza but have a Rav4 with a 5-speed automatic, not CVT, and really liked it from the limited drive, a 170 mile drive share to LA I drove most. Comfortable and felt good after non-stop 2 hour drive

1 people found this helpful.
565

Thanks, we're about the same age, tho I'm suffering thru another Northeastern winter right now. After I posted, I came upon a few discussion forums online from a few yrs ago with people chiming in on Venza V6 v. RAV4 V6, it's weird, they're such diff cars in a way. It came out about 50/50... But I saw comments in 2011 about how people though the side hinge back door was unsafe in parking lots, etc., and now I know why Toyota elected to redesign the RAV in 2013. A year ago, USA Today ran a feature about 6 cars that don't get any respect...Venza was among list, apparently Toyota really screwed up marketing on the car, the sales numbers are pathetic, someone must have canned for all this mess. So both should be very negotiable on price, I'd think, which is rare for Toyotas. Incidentally, some say Venza competes with Honda Odyssey minivan, more than it does a RAV4 V6. Funny. From the descriptions/videos, I think Venza has more comforts, and with the 4 packages loaded on the used one available here, many more features (wiper de-icers, anyone?) But RAV4 is edgier, Venza doesn't have a lot of fun going for it. I think my Solara will run forever, and predict Venza, tho heavier car, will ride exactly the same. Next step is to arrange a test drive after all snow and ice melt a bit.

565

We test drove a Venza V6, solid car, but not too exciting (the new Subaru 2015 Outback looks like a competitor to Venza), and perhaps Venza a bit too roomy for us. The RAV4 V6 was a jackrabbit, edgier, dealer's ask was a bit strong, but it's definitely a contender at this point. Any thoughts about the Ford Escape V6 and the Ford Edge V6...Consumer Reports doesn't endorse either as used cars though.

1 people found this helpful.

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