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Post by Paulus17 on Nov 25, 2020 19:06:10 GMT
This one HERE on Facebook? How do you post a link to a Facebook page mate ?? I’ve never been able to do it. Charlie i just click on share the post on facebook using my mobile - go to more options at the bottom- click on mail then send it to myself. Then i copy the url paste it on where ever and that should be it :TU: Another 3 door manual HERE just as an example :TU: |
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Post by unclebob on Nov 25, 2020 19:23:57 GMT
Also...daft question but imperative..my daughter is only 5ft 1". . She couldn't drive my old corsa as the seat couldn't adjust much. Will this motor be ok for her ! My wife is around the same height and has no problem getting the seat adjusted right 👍🏻👍🏻 |
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Post by bigkev on Nov 25, 2020 19:29:02 GMT
Much easier to source a five door auto. Lots more room and no gearbox gremlinisers. Doesn't compute, BK. Our g/box ECU went AWOL in our 5-dr....... 
Agree that the 5-dr is definitely roomier but it doesn't look as cool as the 3-dr.  Allow me to qualificate......for not a lot more money, one could acquire a much more recent FIVE door which is long clear of any gearbox problems of 2002/3 models, whose automaticness I would avoid like that Covidity thing. |
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Post by smalklzoo on Nov 25, 2020 19:36:49 GMT
Doesn't compute, BK. Our g/box ECU went AWOL in our 5-dr.......
Agree that the 5-dr is definitely roomier but it doesn't look as cool as the 3-dr. Allow me to qualificate......for not a lot more money, one could acquire a much more recent FIVE door which is long clear of any gearbox problems of 2002/3 models, whose automaticness I would avoid like that Covidity thing. Just when I'd made a decision I get told a five door is much better and that the 3dr has gearbox problems ... is that really correct ? |
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Post by unclebob on Nov 25, 2020 19:46:35 GMT
Allow me to qualificate......for not a lot more money, one could acquire a much more recent FIVE door which is long clear of any gearbox problems of 2002/3 models, whose automaticness I would avoid like that Covidity thing. Just when I'd made a decision I get told a five door is much better and that the 3dr has gearbox problems ... is that really correct ? 5 door and 3 door can have gearbox ECU problems ...it’s not the body shell but the age 2001-2003 could have problems but not all of them. if you got for the 3 door from wales, once it arrives get out on a long roadtest as it will be hot and should show up if the gear changes are not smooth . You could be the 5th black 3 door in the club 👍🏻👍🏻 |
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Post by smalklzoo on Nov 25, 2020 20:06:15 GMT
Thanks
I presume possibly at 104k miles any gearbox problem should have already shown ?
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Post by charliefarlie on Nov 25, 2020 20:19:44 GMT
Thanks I presume possibly at 104k miles any gearbox problem should have already shown ? Who can say for sure ? It might need doing for the second time round....... We are talking older cars here so for me I would be looking at the best condition lowest mileage car I could buy in budget... You could be worrying about a component......Any component that will never fail. All cars even newer cars can develop a fault or something can break. IMO the 5 door is a great alternative. I like the looks of the 3 door cars but would never pay the premium especially as it’s paying more for less...... |
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Post by smalklzoo on Nov 25, 2020 20:48:04 GMT
Thanks I presume possibly at 104k miles any gearbox problem should have already shown ? Who can say for sure ? It might need doing for the second time round....... We are talking older cars here so for me I would be looking at the best condition lowest mileage car I could buy in budget... You could be worrying about a component......Any component that will never fail. All cars even newer cars can develop a fault or something can break. IMO the 5 door is a great alternative. I like the looks of the 3 door cars but would never pay the premium especially as it’s paying more for less...... Totally understand but my daughter is a petite thing who feels far more comfortable in smaller cars and as she will be driving in a special care role I dont want her feeling stressed before she even gets to the client. Interestingly enough when I looked at 5dr Rav4 autos on autotrader there were very little that matched the price or condition of the 3dr |
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Post by firemac on Nov 25, 2020 22:05:52 GMT
Who can say for sure ? It might need doing for the second time round....... We are talking older cars here so for me I would be looking at the best condition lowest mileage car I could buy in budget... You could be worrying about a component......Any component that will never fail. All cars even newer cars can develop a fault or something can break. IMO the 5 door is a great alternative. I like the looks of the 3 door cars but would never pay the premium especially as it’s paying more for less...... Totally understand but my daughter is a petite thing who feels far more comfortable in smaller cars and as she will be driving in a special care role I dont want her feeling stressed before she even gets to the client. Interestingly enough when I looked at 5dr Rav4 autos on autotrader there were very little that matched the price or condition of the 3dr You are getting some good advice all round here. The auto g/box issue that I originally mentioned is to do with the software in the ECU; the box itself is very good but the software can get corrupted and then send garbled instructions to the box itself which causes it to attempt mechanical changes at a frequency or in a sequence that is impossible for it to withstand structurally. Hence it destroys itself. Now this only applies to early 4.2s, 2000 - 2003 and they are easily identified by the squarish light units under the bumper that house both the fogs and the indicators. The steering wheel also does not have the (later) remote audio controls. As Bob says, not all of these early cars have the problem and there is no way to assess which cars might develop it but , very generally, it can occur after about 80K miles; in our case our 2002 RAV developed it at about 85K when the car was about 9 years old. But there are several companies that will re-flash the ECU's software, such as ECUtesting in Derby and they provide a lifetime warranty on the fix so even if it recurred, the problem is covered. I would say that I have not personally heard of a re-flashed ECU failing subsequently. The later cars from 2003 (known as 4.2.5s) have modified software in the ECU that solves the problem. Visually they can be identified by having round fogs under the bumper with their indicators integrated into the top section of the headlight unit; they also have a modded sreering wheel with the audio controls added to it. Some of the interior switchgear and trims are slightly different as well.
Having owned 5-dr and 3-dr RAV 4.2s and 4.2.5s I agree that the 5-dr is roomier and it's quite amazing what will fit into it. The 3-dr is IMHO a nicer looking car and despite being quite a bit smaller than the 5-dr, it is still quite surprising what you can fit into it. We recently moved out of our house and the amount of stuff that it carted to the tip and to our temporary abode with our daughter was eye-opening. The 3-dr is, I think, more fun to drive and because of its size it is very wieldy in town especially in car parks, etc. Regarding your daughter's stauture, I reckon she would fit OK as the driver's seat adjusts for height as well as reach and the steering column is adjustable for rake (but not for reach).
As Charlie says, you can effectively throw the book away re valuations for 3-drs. I am one of the ones he refers to that has paid what appears to be over the odds for our latest 3-dr: it is a 2004 XT3 and we paid £8K for it in January 2019 from West Country Value Cars in Honiton (who has since sold to a couple more forum members) when it had 33K miles on it, one previous owner and a FTSH. So we reckoned it was worth it. The price was high but on the other hand it has only cost routine servicing and consumables. Of course it has exhibited the usual Toyota utter reliability and that is part of the pay-off for the higher price. Of course they are not the most economical engines for fuel but that is very sensitive to how you drive it. Our current car returns about 30 MPG which includes mostly local, urban running with very few longer runs these days.
Bob referred earlier to the durability of the interior fittings and I would say that that aspect applies to the whole car; they are extremely well built, usually are corrosion free (unless they have been abused or spent their life by the shore) and just don't seem to break anything. We have had five 4.2s and had only 2 breakdowns out of all of them (on the first one): the ECU auto problem and a snapped serpentine belt. In nearly 50 years of driving I would have to say that I have owned more comfortable cars, faster cars and more desirable cars but the RAVs stand out for me as being about the best all-round cars that I've ever owned.
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Post by smalklzoo on Nov 25, 2020 23:29:31 GMT
Thanks so much for that detailed reply.. Brilliant...
Re the one I've seen it's a 2003 but it looks like square lights.. What do you think from the picture.. Its the one in Wrexham someone showed me in this thread
I'm putting a deposit down tomorrow..
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Post by firemac on Nov 26, 2020 0:13:38 GMT
Thanks so much for that detailed reply.. Brilliant... Re the one I've seen it's a 2003 but it looks like square lights.. What do you think from the picture.. Its the one in Wrexham someone showed me in this thread I'm putting a deposit down tomorrow.. Yes, it's an early 4.2. Hard to say much with only three photos but it looks OK on the o/s anyway. New tyres according to the blurb, Nexens aren't premium but they're good budget hoops. There is at least one centre cap missing on the wheels, not a big deal but it would be nice to have them complete. The rock bars and chromed taillight surrounds are nice add-ons IMHO since they appear to be OEM and aren't available any longer. MoT history isn't bad just the usual niggling advisories but the last one was a fail on the anti-roll bar ball-joint. I assume this was the droplink and I would want to make sure that both sides were done as it was obviously repaired and passed the re-test. It would look like new discs and pads will be needed judging by the advisory but you may be able to get something done in the deal. The only other fail was 4 years ago but everything including the advisories seems to have been rectified for the subsequent re-test. The fact that 12 months MoT is included in the deal is good. As said before you need to do the usual checks that you would do on any used car. It would also be advisable to ask if the g/box ECU has been re-flashed. Give it a really good test drive; the suspension, diffs and axles should be quiet and the gearbox should shift smoothly - it will hold onto gears and rev higher when it's cold but that should correct itself as the car warms up. After that it should be quiet and smooth. Also have a good look at the alloys as Japanese wheels tend to be prone to corrosion but refurbishment isn't very expensive. Good luck and let us know how you get on .👍 |
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Post by Paulus17 on Nov 26, 2020 9:20:30 GMT
Sound advice as always from Jim (Firemac) and the rest :TU: THIS is the sort of price a decent later model 3 door is going for now. |
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Post by bigkev on Nov 26, 2020 11:44:42 GMT
Allow me to qualificate......for not a lot more money, one could acquire a much more recent FIVE door which is long clear of any gearbox problems of 2002/3 models, whose automaticness I would avoid like that Covidity thing. Just when I'd made a decision I get told a five door is much better and that the 3dr has gearbox problems ... is that really correct ? Who said the five door is “much better”.......? They are both superb cars at their price point, but as Bob sez, it is a DATE THING, not a door quantity thing. I am a well kent three door afficianado hereon, but MANUAL......automatic three door good wans vastly overpriceded. Personally, as said, any auto before and including 2003 I would treat with suspicion. What I have said clearly, I THUNK, was for not a lot more on your budget, you could pick up a more RECENT five door AUTOMATIC, on which Toyota had identified and cured the gearbox fault. I drove a 2004 from Southern Ingerland, an AUTO FIVE DOOR, and it was a superb drive. It is not a better car.......it’s just a lot less of a gamble. 2004 on three door sutos are fine but now rare to find, and not possible at your budget. Plus the amount of MANUAL five doors oot there for sale would make yer tie squeak.....! Your choice. Sorry for any confusement. |
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Post by smalklzoo on Nov 26, 2020 12:09:39 GMT
Just when I'd made a decision I get told a five door is much better and that the 3dr has gearbox problems ... is that really correct ? Who said the five door is “much better”.......? They are both superb cars at their price point, but as Bob sez, it is a DATE THING, not a door quantity thing. I am a well kent three door afficianado hereon, but MANUAL......automatic three door good wans vastly overpriceded. Personally, as said, any auto before and including 2003 I would treat with suspicion. What I have said clearly, I THUNK, was for not a lot more on your budget, you could pick up a more RECENT five door AUTOMATIC, on which Toyota had identified and cured the gearbox fault. I drove a 2004 from Southern Ingerland, an AUTO FIVE DOOR, and it was a superb drive. It is not a better car.......it’s just a lot less of a gamble. 2004 on three door sutos are fine but now rare to find, and not possible at your budget. Plus the amount of MANUAL five doors oot there for sale would make yer tie squeak.....! Your choice. Sorry for any confusement. So funny thanks ... So are you saying that it would be a real gamble buying the 3dr 2003 auto ? I just spoke to the guy as I had asked him about the gearbox, diff etc. He said he had taken it in part/ex. He had driven it from Wrexham to Shrewsbury a few times and it seemed fine... As I said this car HAS to be at least reliable and not cost me too much as its going to be my daughters shared car and she cares one to one with severely disabled people so cant afford to be without it Before I commit should I hang on and pay a bit more..I still love the 3 door and would consider a manual now after what people have said Thanks |
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Post by firemac on Nov 26, 2020 12:41:40 GMT
Who said the five door is “much better”.......? They are both superb cars at their price point, but as Bob sez, it is a DATE THING, not a door quantity thing. I am a well kent three door afficianado hereon, but MANUAL......automatic three door good wans vastly overpriceded. Personally, as said, any auto before and including 2003 I would treat with suspicion. What I have said clearly, I THUNK, was for not a lot more on your budget, you could pick up a more RECENT five door AUTOMATIC, on which Toyota had identified and cured the gearbox fault. I drove a 2004 from Southern Ingerland, an AUTO FIVE DOOR, and it was a superb drive. It is not a better car.......it’s just a lot less of a gamble. 2004 on three door sutos are fine but now rare to find, and not possible at your budget. Plus the amount of MANUAL five doors oot there for sale would make yer tie squeak.....! Your choice. Sorry for any confusement. So funny thanks ... So are you saying that it would be a real gamble buying the 3dr 2003 auto ? I just spoke to the guy as I had asked him about the gearbox, diff etc. He said he had taken it in part/ex. He had driven it from Wrexham to Shrewsbury a few times and it seemed fine... As I said this car HAS to be at least reliable and not cost me too much as its going to be my daughters shared car and she cares one to one with severely disabled people so cant afford to be without it Before I commit should I hang on and pay a bit more..I still love the 3 door and would consider a manual now after what people have said Thanks I can only give my view on this. Every car has potential flaws, don't care whether it's a Dacia or a BMW. Some may never exhibit problems, a few will get them all. The RAVs of all versions are much better than most makes in that regard but they are machines so they can break. What I am saying is that there is no guarantee what problems will or won't occur. If it was me, I would go for the auto (I have had a manual RAV and it was great but definitely not as nice as the auto IMHO), I would haggle hard for the best deal possible from the dealer and I would set aside £350-ish just in case the ECU needs done in the future. But that's just me. I wouldn't take second best on the strength of a "what if?" problem that might never happen. Best of luck! 😊 |
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