With our long-term RAV4 about to go visit the big dealership in the sky, I just had to try out something that has puzzled me every time I drove this great little Toyota SUV.

Just what in the heck does the "Auto LSD" button do? Sounds groovy, so I decided to press it to find out what it does...

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I'm surprised no one has mentioned this on the blog posts for the RAV4 yet but that tire cover mounted on the rear door sure makes a lot of noise when you drive over road imperfections or even minor rough patches. Its rattling can be heard throughout the cabin, making you wonder if something is loose in the cargo area or if the stowed third row is acting up.

Other than that the cabin is quiet but I just wonder why that cover wasn't made to be more secure, or why have a cover at all? Even when you slam that door shut the cover clatters. It's a minor thing to be sure considering how much this lil SUV has going for it (see other RAV4 blog posts), and maybe RAV4 owners are able to tune it out after awhile. But for me it's like Chinese water torture.

Deputy Managing Editor Caroline Pardilla at 19,453 miles

I have a romantic way of looking at car stereo systems. I like to think that each car manufacturer has a diligent army of stereo-building elves who live in a charming little elf village somewhere, one with cobbled streets and miniature pointy-roofed houses. These industrious elves work their tiny elf hands until they bleed, all in the name of creating audio systems with the type of amazing sonics that sate the selfish desires of listeners like myself.

Anyone who's ever spent time in a Scion knows that Toyota has some A-list elf talent on its team. However, after listening to the RAV4's stereo, I've come to conclude that this stereo was built by Toyota's B team of elves. Make that the Z team. Yes, I realize that Scions are aimed at an entirely different market relative to other Toyotas, one that's young and hip and whatever. But with its sporty handling and compact dimensions, it certainly seems as if the RAV4 is also aimed toward a youngish contingent, and for this reason, a bit more more care should have been devoted to its stereo. Muddy bass and tinny treble won't get you far in your quest to capture youngish hearts.

On a more positive note, the elves did a great job in designing the stereo interface, which is clean-looking and easy to use.

Warren Clarke, Automotive Content Editor @ 19,250 miles

This thing is a blast to drive if for only one reason: The Engine!

Its has so much low-end torque that it bolts from the starting gate like a thoroughbred. I actually have to be careful with my throttle input when exiting parking garages, at green lights and around town lest I chirp and squeal all over the place. However, getting onto the freeway or passing its like hitting the switch into light speed. Well, not really, but it does smile like you're in 100mph gale.

Scott Jacobs, Senior Photographer @ 18,126 miles

Our '06 Toyota RAV4 V6 looks like a nice, normal compact SUV, but there's serious conflict going on beneath its placid exterior. Pretty much all of it can be traced to its 3.5-liter V6. As you've read many times on this blog, acceleration is brisk and exciting in our RAV. But over the weekend I realized the extent to which the V6 ruins its dynamics. Even when you're cruising in a straight line on the freeway, the RAV4 is always fidgeting... you can feel the chassis wrestling with all that weight up front. Add in some extra throttle and some steering input for a passing maneuver, plus an unexpected delayed downshift from the five-speed automatic transmission, and you feel like you're on the edge of control. Some might blame all this on the fact that our RAV is front-wheel-drive, and thus predisposed to torque steer, but we noted all these issues in an AWD model we tested.

Yet... I find our Toyota RAV4 so pleasant and practical to drive around town. The reason you're seeing another photo of a long-term vehicle in my carport is because the RAV is ridiculously easy to park, thanks to its carefully tuned electric-assisted steering and narrow body. It also has excellent brake pedal feel -- there's a nice progression to it. The driving position is also very good by SUV standards, with useful sightlines in all directions, and the seats are surprisingly well-shaped and comfortable for a Toyota product.

As an urban runabout, the RAV4 is very, very easy to like. But I just don't think its behavior is desirable or acceptable at higher speeds. Another editor called it "hateful." I wouldn't go that far, but I do know that a V6-equipped RAV4 wouldn't be my first choice for a family vehicle -- and its lack of highway decorum is the reason. If I wanted power in a small SUV, I'd look to the Outlander or a turbocharged Subaru Forester.

Erin Riches, Senior Content Editor, 18,022 miles

Last night I was lucky enough to get the key to the RAV4, for the first time in a few weeks. There's nothing like a little time away to underscore how much you appreciate something. The thing I like most about the RAV4 is its ability to offer versatility without compromises. This is an SUV tailor-made for city dwellers who need something roomy enough for the occasional trip to Home Depot, but accommodating enough to effortlessly ease into a "Compact Vehicles Only" parking space at the grocery store. It's big enough to get the job done, but not so big that driving it feels like you're piloting a one-bedroom apartment on wheels.

I didn't have a chance to make use of its 73 cubic feet of cargo capacity last night, but I did have ample opportunity to enjoy its spunky 3.5-liter V6. Talk about a good time -- as usual, the engine helped the RAV4 hit the ground running every time I put it to the test.  The cabin's comfy too, with seats that are a nice fit for my 5' 11" frame. The interior's starting to look a bit scuffed, but I guess that's to be expected from a vehicle that's spent nearly 18,000 miles wrangling furniture and ferrying toddlers. 

Warren Clarke, Automotive Content Editor @  17,864 miles.

The Toyota RAV4 served as this weekend's transport for the 900-plus mile roundtrip north to Sacramento for a 13-year-old's birthday gathering. Along the way, slower vehicles were no match for the RAV4's torque-filled V6 engine, it lurched forward eagerly every time the throttle was goosed.

Fuel mileage fell slightly short of the RAV4's EPA ratings of 22 city/29 highway. This trip came in at 26.3 mpg on the highway alone, and 24.3 mpg during highway and city driving combined. Under the new EPA system that goes into effect for 2008 models, the 2006 RAV4 would be rated at 19 city/27 highway.

The radio gremlins and poor sound quality have been well documented, so I won't bother to complain about them again.  My husband couldn't help but comment on the the large JBL speakers mounted in the front doors. He said they shout "aftermarket" and remind him of the 1970s when he yanked the door panels off his cars to install new speakers.

The 60/40 split flat folding second row seats are a breeze to change. In one effortless lever pull, the seat fell flat to easily accommodate the 6-foot long blowup shark, dubbed Hammerhead Hannah, for transporting. And with one pull, the seat immediately snapped back into place.

The only real annoyance during my trip was the constant squeaking from the hard shell cover protecting the spare tire. While it looks richer than soft covers, every time there was a slight bump in the road it rattled. And given California's roads, there was a whole lot of shakin' goin' on.

Kelly Toepke, News Editor, at 16,759 miles

Our RAV4 went in for regularly scheduled maintenance this morning at Toyota of Santa Monica. The visit included the basics: tire rotation, engine oil and filter replacement, a new air filter, visual (and audible) inspections and a safety road test.

Our bill came to $189.29. Oddly enough the cost of labor was $136.98, nearly the same as our last Honda Fit service. Apparently that's the going rate in Santa Monica nowadays. It could be that I'm used to working on my own cars, but that price seems steep.

Mike Schmidt, Vehicle Testing Assistant - 15,742 miles

I'm working on a road test of the 2008 Saturn Vue so I've been hopping in and out of other compact SUVs to gain some comparison. Driving impressions on the Vue are embargoed to May 25, so I can't mention them here. But I can share my thoughts on the Outlander and RAV4 which I drove back to back.

Outlander
Our part-time 4WD Outlander XLS is equipped with a 6-speed automatic transmission with manual mode. It has a 3.0-liter V6 engine capable of 220 hp and 205 lb-ft of torque.

Magnesium paddle shifters on the steering wheel give off a sporty first impression.  Yet its track numbers are less impressive than the RAV's. It accelerated from zero to 60 mph in 8.2 seconds and completed the quarter-mile in 16.4 seconds at 84.8 mph.

On the street, the Outlander feels heavier than the RAV4. It doesn't feel slow, but in comparison the RAV4 feels very quick when the traffic light turns green. The Outlander exhibits less bodyroll in turns. Steering is tighter and wants to spring back into a straight line.

Despite its leather seats, the interior materials feel thriftier than the RAV4 but I have to give props to its second row heated seats.

RAV4
Our front-wheel drive RAV4 feels quicker off the line and more powerful too. And indeed, we have the Limited which comes with a 3.5-liter V6 engine rated at 269 hp and 246 lb-ft of torque. It's mated to a 5-speed automatic transmission. And it is quick, hold-onto-that-steering-wheel quick. During track testing, the RAV4 reached 60 mph in 7.0 seconds and the quarter-mile in 15.3 seconds at 91.6 mph.

Driving around town, the steering feels loose, a little too loose for my taste. With hard acceleration, be prepared for torque steer. Good thing for traction control. The steering in the Outlander feels more properly weighted to its size and shape.

We have the regular cloth seats in our RAV4 but somehow the interior still gives a deluxe impression.

Both SUVs have 3rd row seating, which is not an option in the Vue.

Donna DeRosa, Managing Editor

"I'm sorry Scott, I'm afraid I can't do that."

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