Alan VanTassel 
2018 Toyota RAV4 Hybrid SUV XLE 4dr SUV AWD (2.5L 4cyl gas/electric hybrid CVT)
On the road again!
 I have found this SUV to be the best auto I have ever driven. I don't say that from a small perspective. I have owned at least 22 cars and trucks of different makes and models. I now own this vehicle, my 2007 Mustang GT and my wife's 2005 Prius, our second Prius. We were sold on the idea of a Hybrid. I don't want to give up my pony car. So we shopped. One day we were getting the Prius serviced RAV 4 which I would not have recognized as a RAV 4. Toyota has completely redesigned this vehicle. The color (metallic blue) and the look of the vehicle sold me right there. My wife intervened to make sure I didn't give away the farm. The salesman, Jose, didn't miss a beat. I asked him about some of the features. He offered me a drive. Long story short, we bought it that day. I have found that the handling on the road, mountain roads, local roads, and freeways is exemplary. The steering system is very refined in all arenas. There is a line of sight issue that produces a blind spot. This issue is mitigated by two little square mirror in the corner of the very large review mirrors in on the front doors. My question was about power. I love my V8. I love the way it sounds, the way it picks up and the way it drives. Taking the step to drive a four cylinder from my V8 was a very large step, I thought, down. To my surprise, it was a step up. This vehicle is equipped with a tachometer. It isn't labelled as a tachometer, but it is. It also has a transmission that can be switched over from automatic 6 to standard 6. There is no clutch. You just move the shift lever over to begin moving the lever up and down based on moving from a lower gear to a higher one and visa versa. Watching the tachometer, I enjoy moving through the gears as a drive up and down hills and around curves. Road stability in these moves is outstanding. I have had more fun driving this car than I have had driving any car including the Mustangs I have owned. It is a very well-put-together vehicle. I have confidence that I will own it for many years. It has been a long time since my wife and I have planned and across-the-country road trip. We are planning to take our RAV 4 across country this summer. I am really looking forward to it.