u/TalesofConrad

So, I figured I’d write up some early thoughts on my 2026 RAV4 Woodland now that I’ve had a little time with it.

For context, I came from a 2019 RAV4 Adventure.

Why sell it relatively soon?

Honestly, we had the roof rack leak issue, and after that some of the electronics never quite felt the same to me. I also really wanted to move to a hybrid and save some money on gas.

I work remotely, so I’m mostly a local errand/lifestyle driver, but I do visit family a decent distance away and occasionally have longer drives for work.

I ended up with the Woodland trim, and that matters here because I really disliked the interiors on a lot of the other new RAV4s I looked at.

And yes, I know this is subjective, but it wasn’t just that there was plastic everywhere. It was the type of plastic. Some of it already looked cheap and almost used to me in a brand-new car. I genuinely wasn’t sure I was going to buy another RAV because of it and started looking pretty seriously at other brands.
Sorry, but when you’re spending $40k+ on a car, the interior matters too.

Do I like the Woodland interior as much as I liked my Adventure? Honestly, no. But it’s pretty solid. There’s still plastic, obviously, but to me it’s not even comparable to some of the other trims.

MPG

So far, pretty decent for an AWD!

With a highway/local mix, I’m sitting around 37 MPG. To be fair, the car is still pretty new, the AC has been running constantly, and the air quality/weather here has been garbage.

Around town, I’m usually seeing about 40-41 MPG.
BUT, to be very clear, I’m putting some effort into that. I coast when it makes sense and absolutely play little MPG games with myself while driving. I’m not just getting in and driving without thinking about it. I’d probably knock 1-2 MPG off those numbers for completely normal IDGAF driving.

For comparison, I was getting a consistent 26 MPG with the Adventure driving. If inreally tried, I could maybe get 28 MPG with max effort. So, a solid 10 MPG jump.

Things that are definitely a thing

Apple CarPlay does not automatically connect consistently, just like other people have mentioned.
I get in, select the Bluetooth device, toggle “Connect to CarPlay,” and then it works. It’s really not a huge deal, but it’s annoying because CarPlay worked fine in my Adventure.

Handling / Camera

The car itself drives and handles fine. Nothing really surprising there. It’s a Toyota and I’m very happy with the car part of the car, ha.

But holy shit, the 360 camera is a game changer.
I cannot emphasize this enough. If you’re debating that package, I think it’s worth every penny. Every cent. Parking, pulling into weird spaces, seeing curbs, getting around tight areas. I use it constantly.

The Toyota app

I’m sorry, I know it’s free right now, but I do not understand paying for this thing long term.
It just feels like incredibly low-level tech for what Toyota eventually wants you to pay for. Give me some graphs. Give me detailed MPG history. Give me driving trends. Give me tips based on drive mode or efficiency. Give me something.like I can lock my door. It also has a big lag in some real time updates like tire pressure and you can’t force refresh so meh.

For the amount of money involved, I expected a lot more from it.

I will not be paying for it when the free period runs out unless it gets substantially better.

Wireless phone charger

Terrible.

I wont use it. It superheats my phone while somehow adding approximately one molecule of battery life. I swear I’ll leave it there for 15 minutes, gain one bar, and now my phone can give burns. Cord works fine for me.

Price

I didn’t get an amazing steal of a deal or anything and did some add-one that I genuinely wanted. Mine is fully loaded. Moonroof, 360 cameras, heated seats, even an illuminated cargo area, paint protection, etc.

OTD was right around $44k with a 26k trade-in which is pretty great return for a 7 year old car.

Overall, I’m pretty happy. The Woodland solved enough of my complaints about the new interior that I was comfortable staying with the RAV4, the hybrid MPG has been solid, and the 360 camera alone has probably spoiled me for every future car.

There are definitely some weird tech annoyances, though, especially for a brand-new vehicle at this price. But to be clear, I’m overall happy and will hopefully drive this car into the 200k numbers.

Let me know if anyone has questions about the Woodland specifically or wants me to check anything.

Salut !

Je serai à Metz un dimanche et je cherche un resto sympa ouvert entre 12h et 19h avec de bonnes options végétariennes.

Je mange les œufs et le fromage, juste pas de viande ni de poisson. Idéalement, je cherche plutôt de la cuisine française, italienne ou européenne. Un bon brunch serait top aussi.

Vous avez des adresses à conseiller ? Et est-ce qu’il vaut mieux réserver le dimanche ?

Merci beaucoup !

https://doi.org/10.1136/bjsports-2025-110503

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42230125/

Thanks a lot!

I have a friend who is in her late 40s and spent the bulk of her 20s and 30s making little to no income because of basically being a stay-at home for her boyfriend. Problem was, they never got married and even though her finances were covered enough while they were together, she has no real savings, no 401k, and no contributions to social.

She just got a job making a decent salary now and got a job with a 401k match and can max it out. She also got a very small inheritance (under 100k) but it was enough for her to get a car outright and put away a 6 month emergency fund.

After her 401k, she still might have some extra cash and already is planning on a Roth for the 7500. But what should she do with her extra cash each month in brokarsge to make up for her lack of social and retirement? She obviously will not be retiring at 65.

In short, where should she put that extra money to invest, knowing all of this? VOO? Something more aggressive?

Edit update: Thanks so much for all the great responses. Sent her this thread as well and she’s grateful. Even I learned some things I didn’t know!

Almost everyone I know has parents that make passive aggressive comments about not hearing from them enough, etc. But none of the parents reach out themselves or make any consistent effort. They leave it all on the kids. Why? What’s the deal? Don’t think you should have to do it? Think we owe you the effort? What up?

Now, don’t get me wrong, I think it’s important for both people in a relationship to make effort. And I reach out despite the fact mine does not, I check in.

But the parents are the ones that act like they are the neglected ones and they never check-in themselves.

I hate to be all Sydney Poitier, but you had us. So what is up with that?

Edit: Some really great responses. I genuinely do want to know people’s thoughts and this isn’t just some “hate on parents” post, I assure you. Some thoughts.

1. In defense of parents, they really seem to think they are bothering their kids sometimes. And perhaps children have unknowingly made picking comments or made them feel uncool or stupid or unwanted in some way. If so, maybe find your own way of righting that wrong, and unawardly say, “Hey, send me some stupid videos or texts sometimes, and I’ll do the same. You don’t have to respond but I’d love to hear from you, love you!” <= Eh not perfect but you get it.

2. To the parents, there does seem to be an “you owe us” mentality. Being alive, is, well, tricky. I AM grateful for the things my parents did for me. But at a point, it’s like a bank harassing you for money for a loan that can never be paid off. It feels toxic AF. Maybe try to lead your relationship with less resentment and more curiosity to just know your kids as adults, and they also know you, as an adult. We are people, you are people. Of course, when possible snd not in more extreme unhealthy circumstances.