Moving on

[ernieb]

Hi all,

Just a quick post to say I’ll be selling the XV and moving onto a Toyota RAV4, due the end of May all being well.

Good luck to all on the XV forum.

Cheers

Ernie

[Jay762]

Hope you find it an enjoyable experience - but you know where we are if you find that side of the family not as much fun 😁

[kash0613]

8 hours ago, ernieb said:

Hi all,

Just a quick post to say I’ll be selling the XV and moving onto a Toyota RAV4, due the end of May all being well.

Good luck to all on the XV forum.

Cheers

Ernie

Blimey,just like that ernie?

You have been the only other regular poster on here,who am I going to talk to now?

Good luck with your new car,can I ask the reasons for the change and why you went to another brand and the rav4 in particular?

I feel like I'm the only mk2 owner left!!

 

[ernieb]

I guess that as Toyota own 20% of Subaru and they are the largest share holder I’m not really moving away from Subaru but just to another part of the family!

it’s interesting that Toyota and Subaru are in a major development to design the BZ cars, with Toyota’s Battery technology, my understanding is that Toyota got access to Subaru’s 4 wheel drive train as part of the deal. The Battery they are looking to use is a development between Toyota and Panasonic and uses a a solid state Battery which is high density and can be charged to 80% in 10 mins.

that’s the future I guess and it’s where I’d like to be right now but the cars don’t have the range and the infrastructure is not there.

When I bought the XV I was really looking for a hybrid with AWD but nothing really seemed to be there, the promise of an XV with a Battery was on the horizon and I bought the current car with the understanding that if a battery model was released we would be first in the queue. 
When the MHV (mild hybrid) was released my dealer did not contact me but I was able to apply for a test drive at a Subaru event, really good drive and I reported it here.  When I contacted my dealer all the first batch with the better spec as a bonus were allocated.  I was not very happy but that’s life and after consideration we decided to wait to go full hybrid or even netter PHEV.  My Subaru dealer did offer to make a deal on their test car when I last had the car serviced but again they did not happen.

That is all back story.  The current XV has turned to be somewhat small for our practical purposes, which means that things we carry all the time get bundled into the back seat space (Walking. Boots, shopping bags, emergency wet coats) as putting them in the boot does not give us much space when we travel. Even though both of us are on the other side of 70 we are fit and mobile, we also travel to Derbyshire probably close to 20 times a year as we have a share in a family lodge so regularly clock up 12K plus a year, lots of motorway driving but plenty of local trips when we are out and about.

So a PHEV with a decent EV range would be ideal, up comes the somewhat expensive RAV4 PHEV which has a battery range of mid 40’s and according to the YouTube reviews I’ve seen better than mid 30’s even during the cold weather.  It is expensive but as my son keeps saying please spend you cash dad, don’t leave it to me you’ve earned it. No cars were in the UK for a test drive so I did a deal and ordered one conditional on a test drive.  It’s been cooking for months and a couple of weeks ago we go the call to test drive the car, rolled up and they gave us a set of keys and let us do our own thing, brilliant.  I could give you my thoughts on the car but probably not the place to do that but it was a an easy drive and took no time to get used to the car as effectively the layout and controls are the same as the XV. I must just add that it goes like a rocket, 306 HP din, and with the dual electric motors it really gives a push in the back 0-60 in 5.8 secs. (AWDi)

As for the current XV I’m finding the drivers seat has got more uncomfortable, that is partially due to my body configuration I guess my the dealer says the seat is OK.  I also find the reflections in the windscreen due to the reflective nature of the dash and the cream roof is getting more distracting. I can mitigate it by wearing polarised glasses but at night I find it even worse.  I may be a function of my seating and driving position and other may not experience the issue. The attached photo gives some idea but in real life for me it’s worse.

I’m likely to hang around the Subaru forum as the BZ range is something that will interest me when it’s released in both Subaru and Toyota models (2025/26 maybe).

 

 

[Jay762]

It does seem like the Subaru dealer has some room for improvement in the customer service department  - not great at all.

It does sound like you will be happier with your new motor, which is what it is all about 👍

[ernieb]

@Jay762

thanks, the XV is my third Subaru my previous cars being Forrester's, it’s the same dealer and has been excellent in the past.

Overall the XV is a great car.

 

[ernieb]

@kash0613

The UK based Toyota Forums are also a little poorly populated but there seems be a few people, like on here, that keep the topics going.  The mainly US forum is very active.  It's called the 'world' forum but mainly US, Canadian and the occasional EU subscriber. The range of topics covered is wide and diverse and I've found it beneficial to read through the old posts. The US get big financial incentives to buy Hybrid and PHEV cars which we in the UK no longer get and even the pure EV cars have had the UK government cash back reduced.  I do find it strange that they bang on about the cost of gas at nearly $2 a US gallon (about 80% of a UK gallon) However, i certainly will keep an eye on this forum as the development of the next generation BZ range is very closely linked with both Subaru and Toyota.  Much in the same way as Toyota and Suzuki the later selling effectively a badged version of the RAV4 PHEV, cheaper but with some missing features.  I hope you continue to enjoy your XV.

[ernieb]

Last post on this thread - honest!

It's just an interesting observation on the Rav4world forum 4.5 Prime which is the US equivalent to the RAV4 Dynamic in the UK.  At least one topic that gets a lot of attention and has featured on this forum, tires or tyres and what are the best for the RAV4, the Cross Climate 2's seem to be more or less voted the best.  It's certainly the ones I'd have looked at first.

Other topics which create some anger, cost of fuel (petrol and electricity which vary from state to state and supplier) and the possibility that due to tanker driver shortages that there will be a fuel shortage, lots of heat on this topic. The retail price that is referred to as MSP in the US is problematical as many people who want to buy the car are having to pay premiums for any car that is available, maybe not in the colour or the spec they want.  (even buying in the north, flying to pick it up and driving thousands of miles home) There are some threads where they are talking litigation because of a price hike for a minor item e.g. a tow hitch, which was then queried by the guy who had paid a deposit and was then told because they were not prepared to pay the would cancel his order.  In a nut Shell the car had been sold to someone else for more money. The car is a hot seller in the US helped by the $7500 tax credit and sometimes $2500 State credit and it seems obvious that some dealers are looking to capitalise.

It can and does get very political and the moderators only seem to step in when things get extreme and I mean extreme we're talking 'gun fight at the OK Coral".

[kash0613]

1 hour ago, ernieb said:

Last post on this thread - honest!

It's just an interesting observation on the Rav4world forum 4.5 Prime which is the US equivalent to the RAV4 Dynamic in the UK.  At least one topic that gets a lot of attention and has featured on this forum, tires or tyres and what are the best for the RAV4, the Cross Climate 2's seem to be more or less voted the best.  It's certainly the ones I'd have looked at first.

Other topics which create some anger, cost of fuel (petrol and electricity which vary from state to state and supplier) and the possibility that due to tanker driver shortages that there will be a fuel shortage, lots of heat on this topic. The retail price that is referred to as MSP in the US is problematical as many people who want to buy the car are having to pay premiums for any car that is available, maybe not in the colour or the spec they want.  (even buying in the north, flying to pick it up and driving thousands of miles home) There are some threads where they are talking litigation because of a price hike for a minor item e.g. a tow hitch, which was then queried by the guy who had paid a deposit and was then told because they were not prepared to pay the would cancel his order.  In a nut shell the car had been sold to someone else for more money. The car is a hot seller in the US helped by the $7500 tax credit and sometimes $2500 State credit and it seems obvious that some dealers are looking to capitalise.

It can and does get very political and the moderators only seem to step in when things get extreme and I mean extreme we're talking 'gun fight at the OK Coral".

Lol,I find the american crosstrek  sites to be very similar....they are a very different breed from us now,despite our shared heritage!

Looks like you will enjoy your new car ernie!

I'm definitely thinking of a slightly larger hybrid suv too but I'm probably going down the MG HS phev route,they are a similar size to your new one, loaded with kit with a decent 30 odd mile ev range....I can get a ex demo for less than 25k too including a seven year warranty at the moment....I probably won't be changing until next year however as I've just bought a set of new windscreen wipers and Michelin tyres!

Id be interested in updates on your new car ernie so pop.back in mate!

[ernieb]

@kash0613  sounds like you have a good plan and for similar reasons in terms of car size.  Although I liked the XV MHV the boot size is reduced even further.  I do think there will be a few more cars with a decent PHEV range on the market soon and they make sense as a bridging car to full EV, for me the range anxiety of going to a full EV right now just would not work.

The MG looks good and I think is good value right now and priced to build market share, similar to the Skoda brand a few years ago.

I will be keeping up to date with the forum and if I can make a comment I will do so based on the three Subaru’s I’ve previously owned. 
I’d be happy to also post my impressions of the RAV provided that’s acceptable to the MODS.

[kash0613]

43 minutes ago, ernieb said:

@kash0613  sounds like you have a good plan and for similar reasons in terms of car size.  Although I liked the XV MHV the boot size is reduced even further.  I do think there will be a few more cars with a decent PHEV range on the market soon and they make sense as a bridging car to full EV, for me the range anxiety of going to a full EV right now just would not work.

The MG looks good and I think is good value right now and priced to build market share, similar to the Skoda brand a few years ago.

I will be keeping up to date with the forum and if I can make a comment I will do so based on the three Subaru’s I’ve previously owned. 
I’d be happy to also post my impressions of the RAV provided that’s acceptable to the MODS.

id happily go full electric now to be honest but we have a small Swift base camp caravan that's a necessity as far as holidays go for at least the next 12 months and finding a reasonably priced full ev that can tow any caravan is an impossibility hence my interest in a phev next time.

When we are not towing I can see us running in ev mode for 99% of the time which may well pay for the change of vehicle in itself if not offset the cost by a great deal.

It's a shame that Subaru are so far behind the ev/phev curve at the minute as I absolutely love my xv in terms of the driving experience and safety systems.

 

[ernieb]

@kash0613 understand about the caravan we had one for for about 10 years and needed a decent car weight, hitch nose weight and torque from the car to make driving comfortable.  I always wanted to keep to the 85% rule.  The very best tow car was the Isuzu Trooper, 3.5 turbo D, which could tow most things up the side of a house! Of course not much good in terms of emissions etc., different times.

Agree that Subaru have not kept up the pace on electrification etc., although they released cars in the US that never made the grade. I really think the next big step is the BZ joint development with Toyota, I’m sure that both companies will be showing real prototypes soon enough. Let’s hope that they have the guts to tow a decent load. The RAV4 PHEV can tow 1500Kg braked, not as much as the Hybrid version but the PHEV will operate in pure electric mode up to 85mph before the engine kicks in.

[ernieb]

This is what I really want or the Subaru version,

https://www.toyota.co.uk/world-of-toyota/Toyota-bZ?gclid=Cj0KCQjwvr6EBhDOARIsAPpqUPHocb-bZq4kifheaPpTm6pQshRzgptIcvdJHukyer5nQZzciAaQfJEaAu95EALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds#

[kash0613]

2 hours ago, ernieb said:

This is what I really want or the Subaru version,

https://www.toyota.co.uk/world-of-toyota/Toyota-bZ?gclid=Cj0KCQjwvr6EBhDOARIsAPpqUPHocb-bZq4kifheaPpTm6pQshRzgptIcvdJHukyer5nQZzciAaQfJEaAu95EALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds#

Yes,the trouble is that it will so expensive here,either to buy or lease that everyone will buy Toyota instead.

[ernieb]

The wait is over and we picked up the RAV today.

[kash0613]

19 hours ago, ernieb said:

The wait is over and we picked up the RAV today.

That looks great Ernie and a very fetching colour.I like it.

[ernieb]

@kash0613, thanks, it looks better in the real life and drives really well, I managed 51 miles on one Battery charge today, happy bunny.

[kash0613]

14 hours ago, ernieb said:

@kash0613, thanks, it looks better in the real life and drives really well, I managed 51 miles on one battery charge today, happy bunny.

That's way above the quoted range,well done

[ernieb]

It seems that others have achieved better results than that, I think that Toyota have given a number that is maybe an average of hot and cold weather running.  I was using the ECO mode and steady acceleration but running at the speed limits. One thing for sure is because the EV motors have massive and immediate torque the car reacts very quickly and smoothly.

I see that Subaru are offering a £3k discount on the new Outback, looks nice but seems like a smallish upgrade to the current design, not Hybrid either.

[Dr. Acula]

I'll definitely keep my Forester jdm but looking to go hybrid for the other car we have. BMW X2 petrol.

@ ernieb - As per the attached picture seems to b hybrid. Is it AWD?  What kind of mileage u get out of it? 

 

TIA

[ernieb]

@Dr. Acula, it’s early days yet but it’s a PHEV and so far I’ve managed to get around 50miles on each charge then when that runs out the car becomes a hybrid. I can not as yet able to say what driving with the hybrid system returns in mpg but as I’m planning a few long trips I should be able to give a first hand account in a week or so?  Based on what I’ve seen however, I expect to get something in the mid to high 40’s. It’s AWDi, not a mechanical connection between the front electric motor but two electric motors one driving the front wheels and one the rear.  The onboard systems define when each motor works from what I’ve read and seen on YouTube it works well but I guess if your looking for pure 4x4 drive then you have to stick to a Subaru. 
it’s an expensive car but very good to drive and so far in the few days I’ve owned it not needed to use the ICE at all, just been able to use the Traction Battery (18KW). It’s heavy but I’ve been impressed on how stable it is when cornering and inspite of the reported “moose test” failure it holds the road well. (Really not sure about the moose test anyway but the guys who do it make a living doing the test)  Hope that helps.

 

 

[Dr. Acula]

Thank you,  helps a lot. Not really looking for a pure 4x4 but just to b on the safe side in all weather situation.

The car is going to do about 100 miles a day out of wich 80% highway, so I'm looking for a good reson to get rid of a one year old BMW.

Diesel is out of question and can hardly wait for ur full review as by the end of the year I need  new tires and possibly my second  (expensive) service. 

[ernieb]

@Dr. Acula,  I’ll be in a better position to get a good idea of fuel consumption in a couple of weeks. I also look to the 4x4 capability for odd occasion not reall off-roading and although the XV is a capable drive system the basics of the car, suspension, ride height etc., don’t allow for that .  Interestingly I signed up for a 5 year service plan (50K miles) which cost £1200 with my old XV I spent £360 on the 1st service and £404 on the 2nd and was quoted £440 for the 3rd, more or less the same cost, the Toyota also came with 5 year warranty rather than 3 years so that helps.

[Dr. Acula]

Use to have a 66 XV but the  CVT drove me out of my mind and we went for the BMV (8 speed auto) wich I  would call it sluggish even in sport drive.(by the way service every 19k miles, first service 300£, quored 650£ on next one)

And all this because of the forester cross sports JDM, 2.0 turbo, sport auto four speeds. This thing is snappy. Don't get me wrong I'm not a racer (former 18 wheeler driver) but like fast response. 

I  really hope RAV4 is the answer.

[ernieb]

The RAV4 does also have a CVT but it’s a very different class to the ‘66 version you’re talking about.  Because it’s coupled with the EV motors it’s very smooths the changes when the ICE is running.  The ICE is an Atkinson cycle 2.5ltr (variable compression ratios) with the two EV motors producing 302hp and a 0-60 of 5.7 secs.  The ICE is primarily to drive the generator to power the motors and/or charge the Battery.