It has been a long time since I have blogged about car shopping, but I have n't forgotten that I need a new car. The squeeling bearing, rusted out muffler and check engine light on my car remind me of that every time I drive anywhere.
So I finally went to a dealership to see what's out there. I decided to start with the Toyota Rav4 because I know three people that own them and they all have been very happy. The 2006 Rav4 is not the little sporty vehicle I have in mind though when I think of the Rav4. The 2006 model is so much bigger -- 14 sq. feet -- and the space is used so well. I visited Motorcars Toyota [1] on Mayfield Road in Cleveland Heights. I chose Motorcars because they are close by, but, as I found out later, it is also a very nice dealership. My saleman, Jason Soca, knew everything there is to know about the Rav4 and let me test drive one in Everglade Metallic (I think its supposed to be a shade of green) with taupe interior. I think I was only looking at the base model, but it seemed pretty luxurious. There is even a special place for your ipod! They should give free ipods when you buy a Rav4, but Jason did n't mention that being part of the deal. When I drove it down a brick alley in Cleveland Heights and did d't avoid the holes in the road the ride was sooo smooth. And safety -- the 2006 Rav4s are amazingly, ridiculously, safe with science fiction-like features that almost sounded made up (but I'm sure they are real).
I don't think anyone could go wrong buying a Rav4, but I would still like to check out the Honda CR-V and Element. I will be going back to Motorcars because they also sell Hondas -- right across the street from the Toyotas (another incentive for me to shop there). For now, I think I will check out used cars on their website. Jason said that Motorcars keeps a pretty up-to-date inventory online.
Links:
[1] http://www.motorcarstoyota.com/