I just picked up a 98’ rav4 AWD tonight after praying for this. My daughter totaled her Jeep two weeks ago and this is such an answered prayer. I paid $2000 and it has 121,00 miles. Praise God!
I have one in Puerto Rico since new, 1998, 403,000 miles. I have never repaired the engine or the transmission. Only maintenance of the front train and change of oil and filter. It still runs like new, it is a war tank proof of everything. In the last 11 years I have bought 2 more and both are equally indestructible. Tonkas.
Side-open back door has huge benefits, also the backup tire on the back also helps lot for the safety and useful. I own 98 rav4 for 25 years. it still runs prefect
@williamperri3437 basically, my 98 rav4 gasoline consumption is around 20mpg (around 400 km per tank - 13 gallons , it is metric system (km) version , I purchased in Canada when I lived there in 1998). The suspension is still the original, it is very rough. I also own another 2007 Rav4 that is nightmare oil burner with 2az-fe engine)
Awesome review! I just purchased a 98 2wks ago, automatic with power lock, doors and a sunroof, it has 199k miles paid $2k but I am super happy with my purchase. Got this as a first car for my 15yr old, she’s going to love it when I gift it to her on her 16th birthday, can’t wait! This video just confirmed that I chose the right car!
I'm the original owner of my 97! No doubt the greatest vehicle (and only my 2nd) I've ever had! Long may these beautiful cars continue safely on our roads! 🤘🙋♀️💪
I’m so happy you made this. I love my baby😁 she’s a ‘97 standard. That’s a pretty aquamarine-ish color I’ve decked her out all hippie. She gets AMAZING gas mileage for her age. I’m an EMT in a extremely rural community and respond in my personal vehicle often I end off having to off road it. She has never let me down. So far I have only had to replace the alternator. I think I will need to replace the clutch soon maybe the tranny she’s being a bit persnickety when I shift. I’m not complaining replacing her would cost sooo much more……and break my heart💔
I got my 99 as a replacement for my 08 Jeep Patriot. I've owned it for about 7 years now and love the little machine. It's my daily driver and adventure vehicle to go yo the mountains with the dogs. That thing is flawless in the canadian winters and I use it on my hobby farm to move round bales around. Though little machine, cheap to fix, somewhat easy to work on.
My thoughts exactly. No one carries a full size fridge to a dorm room, especially not one that you can't lift with one person unless they just are weak for a college age person lol
I love my 2000 Toyota AWD Rav4! I've taught on kid how to drive on it and he liked how easy it was to see out of it! Thanks for this review. I agree with you that they are fun to drive and reliable cars. Mine has 294K on it and still going!
The power of toyota and the holy spirit saved my grandma years ago from dying in a car crash. She flipped the car three times and they said that if she had a passenger they would have been decapitated. Everything was smashed down except the drivers seat. I know nothing about the rav5 performance but i thought to share that story.
I own a 98 rav4 L 4door. It's my first Car and my forever car I work at a toyota dealership and when I say these things don't need like any maintenance I mean it they never come in for anything other than an oil change.
I’ve owned two ´98 RAV4s and I currently own a ‘96. I am a big fan. They can outperform a 4’x4’ truck in ice and snow no problem. Not a heavy duty off road vehicle, but keeps you out of the ditch. Shares a lot of dna with the older Land Cruisers.
I have a 99 RAV and a 21 Tacoma TRD OR, I prefer my RAV in the snow, although it may just be that I don't have as much experience in the truck yet. The AWD is definitely nice when the roads vary from snow to wet to dry, no need to change modes.
I bought a 97 5 door off my friend for $300 lol Glad I got on it before the car market went crazy! its got 175k miles and I plan on updating the head and taillights:) thanks for the video!
I got a RAV4 I don’t even remember why. I think I had my car in the shop. It was such a wimpy car, no AC, no Power Windows, no 4x4, Suspension was OUT it was basic and bland… but I FELL IN LOVE!! I was so happy each time I got in to drive it!! Eventually I had to give it back and I was so sad. I had so much fun in that car although it was shitty. It was the first car I learned how to drive manual fully (I knew how to drive I just wasn’t a pro) Now I’m looking into getting one again because it was such a great car!!
I agree with you FULLY. I really don't want to pay for any of those expensive and fancy add-ons. I like base, old school, simple, and reliable stuff. Sell me a car, not those gimmicks packed into the car.
OLD TIMER ITS ONLY A 97. I still have two 74s one 70 am general and an 85 heavy Chevy then I got slightly more modern with 93 jeep yj with Ford V8 05 Duramax, 04 4 runner which I don't recommend and my most recent for a family rig is the 2014 jeep grand Cherokee overland.
Oh yeah I do have a 97 rav4 torn apart downstairs. Gotta to buy some parts and rebuild it cause I did a clutch replacement and it's been forever since I touched it
I have a 97 Rav4. I purchased it from a friend 10 years ago. It just passed CA smog 2 years ago and needs another smog soon. I was going to buy a newer car but because my Rav has been so reliable, I am going to try to keep it another couple of years. 165,000 miles on it, but I really love it. The body is in lousy shape but no big deal.
Great video! 👍 I'm very blessed to currently own two 1997 Rav4 4WD. One is my work vehicle with 189,000 miles. Second one was recently purchased in Southern California with only 59,000 miles rust free. Excellent condition 💯. I'm sure I over paid in today's market but worth every penny.
Hi! Would I be able to use a few seconds of your footage for a video I’m working on about Toyota? I’m happy to credit you on-screen and link to your video in my description. Thanks, Cindy
I have one of the latest 2000. It's really a very cool vehicule especially with the automatic gear box and the sunroof. Mine is short tail and very easy to drive also in city. I was wondering about the capacity for luggages. But back seats are very easy to move and with a big piece of black fabric I have no problem to hidden the packages while parked. It doesn't look old : paint, leather, plastics, engine and all mechanics stay in good shape 22 years long after. 😊👍
Iam a proud owner of a 1997 with 194 K with the 5 speed. I have had it for seven years, the best sixteen hundred I've ever spent. Every thing still works. Even the a c is ice cold. One great little car.
Just picked one up from an Old lady owner. Two door. 1997 very nice condition. 1200 aud. Super lucky as cars have gone bonkers since COVID and these are simple enough to fix and keep on the road. Also the standard 4 cylinder s engine was used in heaps of different Toyotas from 1986 to 2002 so there are plenty of second hand engines around for cheap. Parts are still being made. Simple electrics. Glass headlights look great.
My family have this car. It's ghetto as fuck. BUT it still runs& goes. It's so old, each family member have a key for the car. It uses 87 gas & to fill her up all the way is still around 25-40$ depending on the gas prices. It's the car that we use when we don't wanna waste gas on our car, so we use the Ravvie. Also our security for it is 90s technology of "the club" Speaking of mechanic, I already did the spark plug wires, spark plugs, valve cover gasket, air filter, power steering fluid. & the oil I use is Castrol high milage. The OG green one. Also, last year it got a MAJOR TUNE UP with the new timing belt, water pump, oil pump, fuel pump, battery, all 4 tires, new alternator denso brand. All together the total cost was around 2,500$ My opinion. Brand wise, these 1st generations Rav4s are basically "Chubby Camry" where as a driver, it has everything almost like a camry. But u can put a lil more cargo in it.
Great video. I picked a 1997 RAV4 last year for $ 325.00. It had 139,000 miles on it, 3 flat tires,rotten muffler and a dead battery and no rust. Great car 👍 Taking it car camping this summer across country
@ozayevable I don't know, I just bought a 2000 Geo tracker with $199,000 mi on it for $150. A very similar vehicle to the RAV4 but not nearly as high quality I understand but still a decent vehicle just the same. I should add that mine is two wheel drive.
@@danielcorona6037 The RAV4 belonged to a friend of mine’s brother. He unfortunately was going into an assisted living facility. They were in the process of calling the junkyard…..I said Wait just a dog gone minute. She offered to give it to me for free and I said no. I said how much was the junkyard giving you? She responded 300.00 dollars…so I gave her 325.00. Last May I left on a 2 month car camping trip. Florida to California up the West Coast . Washington state Idaho, Montana, Wyoming , South Dakota, Minnesota down to Georgia and back to Florida. Camped and cooked all my meals on the whole trip. 10,000.00 miles and the RAV4 never missed a beat . Great Car .😎👍👍
I've had a 98 RAV4 over 5 years, I'm only the 3rd owner just starting to think of selling due to moisture buildup inside causing it to get mold and midlew if I don't keep fresh Damprid inside, and a few less troublesome issues. It's run great but some parts are hard to find (my dipstick broke and can't find one for example), but it's built to last. Sluggish but fantastic on gas. I bought a bigger SUV due to need to carry cargo. I hate selling but times are getting so tight in this economy but if I can't make the rent I may have to let her go. She'll give someone years more use if they baby her like I have. Fingers and toes crossed for a mini financial miracle in time.
Great detail in the review. The rear seats flip up once further and they lay vertically against the front seats giving you a solid 5' of room. The Auto models with AWD have full time AWD via a viscous center diff, some models came with a rear LSD. The Manual tranny models had a center diff lock button and again some models had the Rear LSD so they're great for a little trail/offroading. The big highlight of the rear door is that the bumpers are only on the rear corners so you can walk up to the immediate end of the cargo space for easy loading(obviously full fridges arent the best idea) I moved to Australia from canada after having one for a nearly a year in canada(4dr 4AT AWD) and picked one up here (4DR 5MT AWD) and i love it. I do plan to move to a dedicated 4x4 but not due to the small size cause i love compact offroaders, i just want Solid diffs vs independent, but this thing will do all you realistically need it to do, you can even sleep in it with a simple platform and youll have storage underneath. They can tow something like 1.7t braked in the 4dr. Excellent vehicles for a commuter and starter, they arent geared super well for highway use(60mph/100kmh) and upwards. But they still aren't bad at all on the highway. Only things ive found mine needed with 300K kms on it is some of the rubber bushings have grown tired quicker in arid climates. Simple remove and instal work you can do at home with basic hand tools. Our boy mentioning the timing belt is the only thing to keep an eye on and replace within the recommended intervals. Worth grabbing one of these had boys for a cheap get around and get it done rig. A Haynes manual tells you all you need to know to keep these going strong.
The air pistons that held my 1993 Jeep Grand Cherokee back hatch open were already failing on me when I got the vehicle used in 2006. Meaning that I always had to use a bar to keep the back door open. My 1998 RAV4 trunk hinge always works and stays open, as its just a door on a hinge.
My old man had a Tacoma growing up bought a 97 rav4 gave it to me worked long enough to get him another Tacoma once my brother had gotten his impounded
Took my 97 rav4 for granted crashed it overheated it 4 times driving down from the crash site still drives fine now I’ve abused this so much but now at 23 I’m doing it justice currently at 190k it’s so reliable I can own my money pit 3000gt
I got a 1999 5 speed RAVR L with 160k for $2500 a few months ago. Unfortunately either the guy wasn’t aware of it or truthful and the oil pump seal is leaking like a… leaky pump when the vehicle is running. I can do a lot of maintenance jobs but this is a little above my current level of knowledge and I’ll probably have to take it in. I turn, since the engine will be easily accessed during that procedure, I’ll probably just pay for the timing belt, crankshaft and a few other things so I (hopefully) never have to think about anything with this car again until the clutch goes out for the second time. So in reality I paid $2500+(more thousands) for a car I’ll hopefully have forever. If it wasn’t such a good car already I think I’d be more upset than I am, but I feel confident in it being a 10-20 year (or forever) behind. Woof. Nice video by the way, you should consider doing more reviews like these if you haven’t already.
I’m try to make the back of my 1998 rav4 into a meditation area . I folded back seats up but if I unscrew them will it be ok to get it inspected. Plus I have no where to store the back seats so I don’t have that much room for a bed. I hate the trunk that I can’t close it from inside . Mine has a sun roof. Any suggestions welcomed
Don't be bummed out about the sunroof, mine has the sunroof and the drains are in the front pillars so if I park on any uphill incline the rain pools up in the sills and floods back through the headliner. You'll come back to find a puddle on your back seat. Also, the tranny being fairly reliable as it is, pray to god you don't have to replace the torque converter lockup solenoid. Aisin discontinued them and the aftermarket ones don't seem to fit right. I'm currently trying to track down an original oem one
@@briizcustoms9543 no such luck, the only dealership that "supposedly" had one in fact didn't. Guess I gotta get an aftermarket one and mod it to fit. So annoying
I'm trying to jump on one of these today. 3k 165k miles. I don't care if it looks like a girl car. Good in snow, good on gas, and a good old Toyota 4 banger to top it off.
worth saving / good all around daily drivers/ dependable/ AWD capable - incredible value in 2023 (if you find a rare one without too many miles/ not too much rust). those are my thoughts, and I think about what makes a good vehicle, a lot. As we shift to EVs, and old cars get thrown away, it's very obvious - save the well engineered, well built, good all-around, nicely designed ones like these, and throw out the disposable stuff like most American cars of this age.
Question: how much more would you need to spend to actually unfuck it? Treat and paint over welds, straighten and properly fix the headlights and the radiator, buy the missing right lower "eyelash"? That really doesn't sound like a car guy taking care, more like a throwaway fix.
hey great video! idk if you’ve done a video about this already but would you be able to do a video on the best cars to get as a first time car owner? thanks for the video!
Just picked one up off my gma for a $100 and a in n out cheeseburger. This will be my daily and will compliment my 1970 impala and my 92 Nissan hardbody pickup
So thats over 300K miles on the original auto tranny and engine? Looking at picking up a 1999 rav4 auto with 102K on the clock, also hows the MPG on these?
First gen Rav4s are excellent small SUVs other than they have a timing belt instead of a timing chain like the second gen Rav4s. However, with that said, the timing belt Toyota used is extremely durable and should last at least 250,000 miles before a timing belt change is required.
Toyota fan here, own 4 of them, 3 with the same motors... USUALLY, ( but not always so...) the "go fast" motor 3SGE ( were in the Japan Domestic market & the United Kingdom market ) got the red strut brace. The NORMALLY SEEN motor is the 3SFE, they traditionally didn't get the strut brace fitted. J.D.M 3SGE Generation 4 motor = 177-180 h.p. 3SFE = 132-140 h.p. 3SGE = powerful rev loving motor best power is between 4500-7000 r.p.m but has absolutely no torque. 3SFE is a more economical motor & has nice early ( lower revs needed ) lusty torque & is very suitable for the Rav. I have the 3SGE in manual transmission & it can seriously "haul ass" big time, - for a cheap ass old time S.U.V !!! But then, i know the 3SGE motors exceptionally well... I own 3x cars with 3SGE motors in them.... Toyota started Strut bracing in the eighties in their J.D.M.cars..... Stops chassis twisting/flex on hard cornering.... I have a 86 Toyota J.D.M car with a factory Silver colored ( lot bigger diameter tubing, like 25-27mm ) Strut brace of the same orientation, i.e. struts to firewall... Feeew, didn't mean to get this deep on/in to it....
have you seen the cup holders on 6th gen corolla? and about belts vs chain. the downfall of the 22re is the timing chain. most corollas don't need there belt changed before 300,000miles.
Can anyone let me know the fuel economy on this thing? I’m thinking of buying one and wondering how many kilometres/miles you can get on one tank and how many litres/gallons it takes to fill🤔
Can't speak for the automatic, but the Manual transmission are notorious for having the 5th gear slip. Luckily it's an easy fix if you have the patience and don't want to spend thousands for someone to fix it.
I have a 98 rav4 and I typically get around 18-20mpg combined. Just so you know, I have the fwd automatic, so I'd imagine that the awd models will get slightly worse gas mileage. It's a great car though, mine is almost at 193k and no major problems with it.
My family have the 97 Rav4. Automatic FWD. It uses the cheapest gas of 87. To fill her up is around 40-50$ depending on the prices. I change the oil myself using the green castrol high milage 5w-30 oil. Oil filter I use either bosh or purolator 1. It's slow but it goes. I call it the "family ghetto ravvie" same engine as the video. 3s-fe. Timing belt got changed for 600$ with water pump, fuel pump, & oil pump. alternator 320$ tires like 620$ from firestone. Battery was 120$ I contributed with spark plugs, 40$ at auto zone denso brand. power steering fluid, valve cover gasket with spark plug tubes 40$ at autozone, & I bought the spark plug wires at Amazon NGK brand for 45$ Good luck on your search
I have a 98 AWD A/T and it gets 21-22 mpg mixed driving in city and highway. On road trips with majority highway I get about 24-26mpg driving 65-70 mph.
Up in Canada the salt eats these up. Ive been shopping around. I saw 5 and all of them have eaten out frames rocker panels control arms. The engines will last forever.
@@MybeautifulandamazingPrincess No you don't, just rustproof it. My 1999 civic has seen 22 years of winter. 5 of those are lowered sitting 2.5 inches from the ground. With a 98 percent rust free underbody. Most folks just buy a car and drive it without rustproofing and the results are fukked up. If you don't live here you haven't see the horrors of rusted cars.
@@JDMEXforme Can you rustproof a car?! I didn't even know that I live near the ocean and I used to go to the beach all the time on my dad's 70's Kaiser wagoneer, I loved that car cause it had front bench seats so you could carry 6 people comfortably, and it was very spacious you could carry surfboards and your friends stuff, but it rusted badly cause of the salt from the Ocean, so my dad sold it, and the new owner restored it and took good care of it. My brother has a 90's Daihatsu rocky and we go to the beach all the time and it hasn't rusted so far
Same here in the UK....mine failed it's annual vehicle inspection (mot) due to rusted through rears of both sills inner and outer and into the wheel arches and the two front wishbones were rotted as well. Its not a hard fix but tbh didnt really use it anymore and checking it out saw another few bits that will need attention, I didn't want to spend money on it tbh...I really loved it when used it...sold it last night and was really sorry to see it go, luckily the guy that bought it is going to repair and use it. If you are located where it won't rust you could drive one forever, mine never let me down in 12 years.... they are really worth nothing in the UK, I paid £1000 for mine 12 years ago and got £500 last night...can't really complain.
i want one of these so so bad but i cannot, for the life of me, find one. i want to test drive one before i commit to one but there are none in dealerships and i dont want to lie to a private seller :/
That RAV4 is NOT meant for you to haul around your fridge..... it's a swing door so driver can attach a spare tire to the back or a bracket to hole a tank of gas.....
Is this the 4wd version or FWD? You should have definitely touched on this. This is a bit of a rarity today bec if you have the 4wd version it’s actually a full time 4wd unlike most other AWD suvs of today. I picked up my first rav4 out of Salt Lake City two days ago. A 1997 4wd variant. Been wrecked so front bumper is gone but not much else damaged or missing.
I can say the automatic transmission in this one is now going on 400k miles trouble free, I think it's only been serviced twice ever. The manual transmission I assume would've gone through a clutch by now, maybe 2-3 clutches, so in this case it certainly looks like the automatic has less maintenance.
The "trunk" on the Rav4 is exactly why it's GOOD.. not bad. The 1999 jeep cherokee has a "bump" in the middle of the cargo area, so you couldn't simply slide a fridge across the bottom - like you ONLY can in the rav4 - to begin with. Sounds like a skill issue if you couldn't think of a way to put that into the car. What was college for again? Rollover issue: You must be unaware of the roll bar toyota built into the center section of the roof line that follows all the way across the top and down the center pillars of the 3 door. the 5 door that you have has 2 sets of these, one in the middle, and another in the rear.
First of all, glad you made it out ok. Thanks for sharing this, I got pretty worried hearing him say that in his review and was starting to regret picking up a 99 a few days ago.
There is one that has 218000 miles and he wants 2900. Is this worth it. Please let me know. I am going to look at it tomorrow. And hoping I could get it for 1500
I flipped my 98 rav 4 on the blue ridge parkway In to a creek and I still drive it to this day
Roanoke is beautiful
Y’all are getting too close to home.
I just picked up a 98’ rav4 AWD tonight after praying for this. My daughter totaled her Jeep two weeks ago and this is such an answered prayer. I paid $2000 and it has 121,00 miles. Praise God!
Damn 2k? I paid 5k for mine AWD stick shift with 123k miles 😅
@@YuccaBorealisstill a great deal
Just got one for $3000 with 110k miles
Where are you guys getting these deals??
@portxer They aren't. I got a 96 with 54k miles on it climate controlled for $3500😅😅😅😅
The cup sizes were smaller because the drink sizes were smaller. As the cup sizes got larger so did the population lol..
Yea and it’s a Japanese vehicle not American to fit American big gulps right 😂😂
That's exactly what I thought
I have one in Puerto Rico since new, 1998, 403,000 miles. I have never repaired the engine or the transmission. Only maintenance of the front train and change of oil and filter. It still runs like new, it is a war tank proof of everything.
In the last 11 years I have bought 2 more and both are equally indestructible. Tonkas.
Side-open back door has huge benefits, also the backup tire on the back also helps lot for the safety and useful. I own 98 rav4 for 25 years. it still runs prefect
@williamperri3437 basically, my 98 rav4 gasoline consumption is around 20mpg (around 400 km per tank - 13 gallons , it is metric system (km) version , I purchased in Canada when I lived there in 1998). The suspension is still the original, it is very rough. I also own another 2007 Rav4 that is nightmare oil burner with 2az-fe engine)
My 98 RAV4 4WD A/T gets on average 21-22 mpg mixed city and highway driving.
Side-opening door = wind break. Side-opening door = fold out table attached to cook food on.
😮😮😮😮
I have one! These things run forever. They just keep going..
Hello, what is the fuel consumption?
@@muradovmurad6468 it's great. I think 24 city, and 28-30 mpg hwy
Same here. Mine still going strong
Awesome review! I just purchased a 98 2wks ago, automatic with power lock, doors and a sunroof, it has 199k miles paid $2k but I am super happy with my purchase. Got this as a first car for my 15yr old, she’s going to love it when I gift it to her on her 16th birthday, can’t wait! This video just confirmed that I chose the right car!
I'm the original owner of my 97! No doubt the greatest vehicle (and only my 2nd) I've ever had! Long may these beautiful cars continue safely on our roads! 🤘🙋♀️💪
I’m so happy you made this. I love my baby😁 she’s a ‘97 standard. That’s a pretty aquamarine-ish color I’ve decked her out all hippie. She gets AMAZING gas mileage for her age. I’m an EMT in a extremely rural community and respond in my personal vehicle often I end off having to off road it. She has never let me down. So far I have only had to replace the alternator. I think I will need to replace the clutch soon maybe the tranny she’s being a bit persnickety when I shift. I’m not complaining replacing her would cost sooo much more……and break my heart💔
I got my 99 as a replacement for my 08 Jeep Patriot. I've owned it for about 7 years now and love the little machine. It's my daily driver and adventure vehicle to go yo the mountains with the dogs. That thing is flawless in the canadian winters and I use it on my hobby farm to move round bales around. Though little machine, cheap to fix, somewhat easy to work on.
Who carries a refrigerator in a SUV? bad example.
😂 had to be a failed attempt that’s why he used it lol
Use your imagination . Anything square
My thoughts exactly. No one carries a full size fridge to a dorm room, especially not one that you can't lift with one person unless they just are weak for a college age person lol
The reason why it swings out is it’s got a tire on it.
@@dudesweetpro so why can't it go up and them make the supports better to hold it up?
I love my 2000 Toyota AWD Rav4! I've taught on kid how to drive on it and he liked how easy it was to see out of it! Thanks for this review. I agree with you that they are fun to drive and reliable cars. Mine has 294K on it and still going!
Had one of these since 2012. Works just fine
I wanted my first car to be one n I got it .. easy to maintain.. fun to drive... No regrets
The power of toyota and the holy spirit saved my grandma years ago from dying in a car crash. She flipped the car three times and they said that if she had a passenger they would have been decapitated. Everything was smashed down except the drivers seat.
I know nothing about the rav5 performance but i thought to share that story.
I own a 98 rav4 L 4door. It's my first Car and my forever car I work at a toyota dealership and when I say these things don't need like any maintenance I mean it they never come in for anything other than an oil change.
@Ahmad Taufik Arrahman it's a Toyota from the time of high quality Toyotas
I’ve owned two ´98 RAV4s and I currently own a ‘96. I am a big fan. They can outperform a 4’x4’ truck in ice and snow no problem. Not a heavy duty off road vehicle, but keeps you out of the ditch. Shares a lot of dna with the older Land Cruisers.
I have a 99 RAV and a 21 Tacoma TRD OR, I prefer my RAV in the snow, although it may just be that I don't have as much experience in the truck yet. The AWD is definitely nice when the roads vary from snow to wet to dry, no need to change modes.
Me, it worked great. When I slammed the back door it busted out the rear window. Other than that it worked great.
I bought a 97 5 door off my friend for $300 lol Glad I got on it before the car market went crazy! its got 175k miles and I plan on updating the head and taillights:) thanks for the video!
Aw you lucky turd, 300 bucks would be a dream come true for one of these lmao!
I got a RAV4 I don’t even remember why. I think I had my car in the shop.
It was such a wimpy car, no AC, no Power Windows, no 4x4, Suspension was OUT it was basic and bland… but I FELL IN LOVE!!
I was so happy each time I got in to drive it!!
Eventually I had to give it back and I was so sad. I had so much fun in that car although it was shitty. It was the first car I learned how to drive manual fully (I knew how to drive I just wasn’t a pro)
Now I’m looking into getting one again because it was such a great car!!
No A/C 😮😢
My girlfriend owns a 98 with 225,000 miles, the transmission doesn’t have a lot left in it, but the engine is running strong.
Stunning review of an old timer. I'm considering fun/one soon. Sick and tired of modern gimmicks and too much electronics.
I agree with you FULLY. I really don't want to pay for any of those expensive and fancy add-ons. I like base, old school, simple, and reliable stuff. Sell me a car, not those gimmicks packed into the car.
OLD TIMER ITS ONLY A 97. I still have two 74s one 70 am general and an 85 heavy Chevy then I got slightly more modern with 93 jeep yj with Ford V8 05 Duramax, 04 4 runner which I don't recommend and my most recent for a family rig is the 2014 jeep grand Cherokee overland.
Oh yeah I do have a 97 rav4 torn apart downstairs. Gotta to buy some parts and rebuild it cause I did a clutch replacement and it's been forever since I touched it
I have a 97 Rav4. I purchased it from a friend 10 years ago. It just passed CA smog 2 years ago and needs another smog soon. I was going to buy a newer car but because my Rav has been so reliable, I am going to try to keep it another couple of years. 165,000 miles on it, but I really love it. The body is in lousy shape but no big deal.
I forgot to mention that it has an oil leak. I just add a quart every 2 months or so. It's been leaking for several years but still going strong.
@@donnamcgurn264 check oil pump seal 😊
Trust me man keep it as the beater not saying to don't care if lol but get a car you always wanted the insurance parts and gas are cheap enough tbh
Great video! 👍
I'm very blessed to currently own two 1997 Rav4 4WD. One is my work vehicle with 189,000 miles. Second one was recently purchased in Southern California with only 59,000 miles rust free. Excellent condition 💯. I'm sure I over paid in today's market but worth every penny.
Nice, how much?
Yea how much I’m assuming like 8500 with that low as mileage ! Pretty insane
Hi! Would I be able to use a few seconds of your footage for a video I’m working on about Toyota? I’m happy to credit you on-screen and link to your video in my description. Thanks, Cindy
Have the spare tire in the back of that door is very helpfully sir.
Easy to change
I have one of the latest 2000. It's really a very cool vehicule especially with the automatic gear box and the sunroof. Mine is short tail and very easy to drive also in city. I was wondering about the capacity for luggages. But back seats are very easy to move and with a big piece of black fabric I have no problem to hidden the packages while parked. It doesn't look old : paint, leather, plastics, engine and all mechanics stay in good shape 22 years long after. 😊👍
Iam a proud owner of a 1997 with 194 K with the 5 speed. I have had it for seven years, the best sixteen hundred I've ever spent. Every thing still works. Even the a c is ice cold. One great little car.
Just picked one up from an Old lady owner. Two door. 1997 very nice condition. 1200 aud. Super lucky as cars have gone bonkers since COVID and these are simple enough to fix and keep on the road. Also the standard 4 cylinder s engine was used in heaps of different Toyotas from 1986 to 2002 so there are plenty of second hand engines around for cheap. Parts are still being made. Simple electrics. Glass headlights look great.
My family have this car. It's ghetto as fuck. BUT it still runs& goes. It's so old, each family member have a key for the car. It uses 87 gas & to fill her up all the way is still around 25-40$ depending on the gas prices. It's the car that we use when we don't wanna waste gas on our car, so we use the Ravvie. Also our security for it is 90s technology of "the club"
Speaking of mechanic, I already did the spark plug wires, spark plugs, valve cover gasket, air filter, power steering fluid. & the oil I use is Castrol high milage. The OG green one.
Also, last year it got a MAJOR TUNE UP with the new timing belt, water pump, oil pump, fuel pump, battery, all 4 tires, new alternator denso brand. All together the total cost was around 2,500$
My opinion. Brand wise, these 1st generations Rav4s are basically "Chubby Camry" where as a driver, it has everything almost like a camry. But u can put a lil more cargo in it.
I've always wanted One of these, the enginen and transmission on these SUV'S are nearly ethernal
Looks great! You guys did a great job bringing this back to life
Love the interior you put in it.
Great video. I picked a 1997 RAV4 last year for $ 325.00. It had 139,000 miles on it, 3 flat tires,rotten muffler and a dead battery and no rust. Great car 👍
Taking it car camping this summer across country
@ozayevable I don't know, I just bought a 2000 Geo tracker with $199,000 mi on it for $150. A very similar vehicle to the RAV4 but not nearly as high quality I understand but still a decent vehicle just the same. I should add that mine is two wheel drive.
Where do you find a $325 one 😳
@@danielcorona6037 The RAV4 belonged to a friend of mine’s brother. He unfortunately was going into an assisted living facility.
They were in the process of calling the junkyard…..I said Wait just a dog gone minute. She offered to give it to me for free and I said no. I said how much was the junkyard giving you? She responded 300.00 dollars…so I gave her 325.00.
Last May I left on a 2 month car camping trip. Florida to California up the West Coast . Washington state Idaho, Montana, Wyoming , South Dakota, Minnesota down to Georgia and back to Florida. Camped and cooked all my meals on the whole trip. 10,000.00 miles and the RAV4 never missed a beat . Great Car .😎👍👍
Il give u 1k lol
@@Thegoat1998It’s still my daily driver.😎
I've had a 98 RAV4 over 5 years, I'm only the 3rd owner just starting to think of selling due to moisture buildup inside causing it to get mold and midlew if I don't keep fresh Damprid inside, and a few less troublesome issues. It's run great but some parts are hard to find (my dipstick broke and can't find one for example), but it's built to last. Sluggish but fantastic on gas. I bought a bigger SUV due to need to carry cargo. I hate selling but times are getting so tight in this economy but if I can't make the rent I may have to let her go. She'll give someone years more use if they baby her like I have. Fingers and toes crossed for a mini financial miracle in time.
Do you still have it?
@@zephead4835 I'm going to sell it this month.
Great detail in the review. The rear seats flip up once further and they lay vertically against the front seats giving you a solid 5' of room. The Auto models with AWD have full time AWD via a viscous center diff, some models came with a rear LSD. The Manual tranny models had a center diff lock button and again some models had the Rear LSD so they're great for a little trail/offroading. The big highlight of the rear door is that the bumpers are only on the rear corners so you can walk up to the immediate end of the cargo space for easy loading(obviously full fridges arent the best idea) I moved to Australia from canada after having one for a nearly a year in canada(4dr 4AT AWD) and picked one up here (4DR 5MT AWD) and i love it. I do plan to move to a dedicated 4x4 but not due to the small size cause i love compact offroaders, i just want Solid diffs vs independent, but this thing will do all you realistically need it to do, you can even sleep in it with a simple platform and youll have storage underneath. They can tow something like 1.7t braked in the 4dr. Excellent vehicles for a commuter and starter, they arent geared super well for highway use(60mph/100kmh) and upwards. But they still aren't bad at all on the highway. Only things ive found mine needed with 300K kms on it is some of the rubber bushings have grown tired quicker in arid climates. Simple remove and instal work you can do at home with basic hand tools. Our boy mentioning the timing belt is the only thing to keep an eye on and replace within the recommended intervals. Worth grabbing one of these had boys for a cheap get around and get it done rig. A Haynes manual tells you all you need to know to keep these going strong.
I had a 2005 CRV, its every bit as good as a Rav 4.I loved it, my son drives it now.
Love your video on Rav4 man, keep it up!
The air pistons that held my 1993 Jeep Grand Cherokee back hatch open were already failing on me when I got the vehicle used in 2006. Meaning that I always had to use a bar to keep the back door open. My 1998 RAV4 trunk hinge always works and stays open, as its just a door on a hinge.
My old man had a Tacoma growing up bought a 97 rav4 gave it to me worked long enough to get him another Tacoma once my brother had gotten his impounded
Took my 97 rav4 for granted crashed it overheated it 4 times driving down from the crash site still drives fine now I’ve abused this so much but now at 23 I’m doing it justice currently at 190k it’s so reliable I can own my money pit 3000gt
The Honda CRV back window opens up so you can put fence boards and things like that in it.
ive always adored the 2 door model of these their such a weird little car
How can you tell if it's 4wd?
I got a 1999 5 speed RAVR L with 160k for $2500 a few months ago. Unfortunately either the guy wasn’t aware of it or truthful and the oil pump seal is leaking like a… leaky pump when the vehicle is running. I can do a lot of maintenance jobs but this is a little above my current level of knowledge and I’ll probably have to take it in. I turn, since the engine will be easily accessed during that procedure, I’ll probably just pay for the timing belt, crankshaft and a few other things so I (hopefully) never have to think about anything with this car again until the clutch goes out for the second time. So in reality I paid $2500+(more thousands) for a car I’ll hopefully have forever. If it wasn’t such a good car already I think I’d be more upset than I am, but I feel confident in it being a 10-20 year (or forever) behind. Woof.
Nice video by the way, you should consider doing more reviews like these if you haven’t already.
absolutely loved this!
Great inspiration 👏
I'm 14 and i drive this car alot it's soo good best car i have ever driven
Isn’t driving at age 14 illegal 😮😢
Whatever cameras you’re using is awesome 👏🏿 great job
I’m try to make the back of my 1998 rav4 into a meditation area . I folded back seats up but if I unscrew them will it be ok to get it inspected. Plus I have no where to store the back seats so I don’t have that much room for a bed. I hate the trunk that I can’t close it from inside . Mine has a sun roof. Any suggestions welcomed
I have a 1998 rav4 and am having a driving problem
Help me to fixt it .
Don't be bummed out about the sunroof, mine has the sunroof and the drains are in the front pillars so if I park on any uphill incline the rain pools up in the sills and floods back through the headliner. You'll come back to find a puddle on your back seat.
Also, the tranny being fairly reliable as it is, pray to god you don't have to replace the torque converter lockup solenoid. Aisin discontinued them and the aftermarket ones don't seem to fit right. I'm currently trying to track down an original oem one
Have you found it?
@@briizcustoms9543 no such luck, the only dealership that "supposedly" had one in fact didn't. Guess I gotta get an aftermarket one and mod it to fit. So annoying
@@briizcustoms9543 i did infct get a solenoid to fit, it was an aftermarket one that i have to mod the bracket to fit
Ive got a 2000 and shes fun to drive
probably best car ever built if you love driving at about 80kph
😂😂
Loved this vid
What does it sound like at high speeds, 60-80 mph? Does it get loud/noisy? Can it handle going 80? Does it feel strained or as if struggling?
80 mph is difficult 4k rpm and foot to the floor.
Nice review!
I got one, totally agree with everything you said..
I own one I don't regret buying it same year and model
I have a 97 Rav4 L & I love it at 206k
Hello, what is the fuel consumption?
And by the way, is it normal enough to drive in highways?
@@muradovmurad6468 fuel economy isn't terrible but it could be better!! I think mpg is 18 city 23hwy you can look it up
@@joelove1987 Thanks!!!
@@joelove1987 do you have the auto or the 5 spd? I’m looking at buying one with 199k on the clock
I'm trying to jump on one of these today. 3k 165k miles. I don't care if it looks like a girl car. Good in snow, good on gas, and a good old Toyota 4 banger to top it off.
I've own 97 rav4 from someone who's abandon it for two year and it's been better than before. I've spent a lot of money to repair it.
worth saving / good all around daily drivers/ dependable/ AWD capable - incredible value in 2023 (if you find a rare one without too many miles/ not too much rust). those are my thoughts, and I think about what makes a good vehicle, a lot. As we shift to EVs, and old cars get thrown away, it's very obvious - save the well engineered, well built, good all-around, nicely designed ones like these, and throw out the disposable stuff like most American cars of this age.
Question: how much more would you need to spend to actually unfuck it? Treat and paint over welds, straighten and properly fix the headlights and the radiator, buy the missing right lower "eyelash"? That really doesn't sound like a car guy taking care, more like a throwaway fix.
hey great video! idk if you’ve done a video about this already but would you be able to do a video on the best cars to get as a first time car owner? thanks for the video!
I don’t like how Toyota mounted the radiator on the outside of the frame. I understand space is an issue where to mount it
Just picked one up off my gma for a $100 and a in n out cheeseburger. This will be my daily and will compliment my 1970 impala and my 92 Nissan hardbody pickup
I just got a 97 automatic that goes forward great but slips in reverse. Is it worth fixing? New fluid didn't make a difference.
Get a transmission from Japan don't rebuild it
Do you basically mean I should find the transmission from another same kind of Rav4 (like from a junkyard) or did I misunderstand?
hate to know what 4Runner tires go for?
So thats over 300K miles on the original auto tranny and engine? Looking at picking up a 1999 rav4 auto with 102K on the clock, also hows the MPG on these?
Yes it is original, looking at 25 ish for mpg.
@@GrumpyMonkeyGarage thanks man! I also found a 2 1995 jdm rav4 with 90K original miles right hand drive 5 speed awd model
My mom bought a '97 new as her first car until it rolled over after that she gotten a '97 Altima
Proud to say never owned one. Never had to rebuild one LOL
First gen Rav4s are excellent small SUVs other than they have a timing belt instead of a timing chain like the second gen Rav4s. However, with that said, the timing belt Toyota used is extremely durable and should last at least 250,000 miles before a timing belt change is required.
I had a 2000 rav4 and the timing belt broke around 170k miles
i like that rav4, it so precious for me❤
Seen one for sale with a bracing strut on, going from top wheel mounts to bulkhead. Anyone know why that might be on one of these ?
Toyota fan here, own 4 of them, 3 with the same motors...
USUALLY, ( but not always so...) the "go fast" motor 3SGE ( were in the Japan Domestic market & the United Kingdom market ) got the red strut brace. The NORMALLY SEEN motor is the 3SFE, they traditionally didn't get the strut brace fitted.
J.D.M 3SGE Generation 4 motor = 177-180 h.p.
3SFE = 132-140 h.p.
3SGE = powerful rev loving motor best power is between 4500-7000 r.p.m but has absolutely no torque.
3SFE is a more economical motor & has nice early ( lower revs needed ) lusty torque & is very suitable for the Rav.
I have the 3SGE in manual transmission & it can seriously "haul ass" big time, - for a cheap ass old time S.U.V !!! But then, i know the 3SGE motors exceptionally well... I own 3x cars with 3SGE motors in them....
Toyota started Strut bracing in the eighties in their J.D.M.cars..... Stops chassis twisting/flex on hard cornering....
I have a 86 Toyota J.D.M car with a factory Silver colored ( lot bigger diameter tubing, like 25-27mm ) Strut brace of the same orientation, i.e. struts to firewall...
Feeew, didn't mean to get this deep on/in to it....
have you seen the cup holders on 6th gen corolla? and about belts vs chain. the downfall of the 22re is the timing chain. most corollas don't need there belt changed before 300,000miles.
how long can you pass emissions ?
Can anyone let me know the fuel economy on this thing? I’m thinking of buying one and wondering how many kilometres/miles you can get on one tank and how many litres/gallons it takes to fill🤔
Hi ya, about 50 litres to fill & 550+ kms. :-)
Can't speak for the automatic, but the Manual transmission are notorious for having the 5th gear slip. Luckily it's an easy fix if you have the patience and don't want to spend thousands for someone to fix it.
What kind of gas mileage do you see with this gen? I’m looking at a 97 and 98 want one for a gas saver over a car because I hate sitting on the ground
I have a 98 rav4 and I typically get around 18-20mpg combined. Just so you know, I have the fwd automatic, so I'd imagine that the awd models will get slightly worse gas mileage. It's a great car though, mine is almost at 193k and no major problems with it.
I put about 40k miles on mine before I sold it and I averaged 22-25mpg on a well maintained engine. Used to run mine for 6-12 hour days straight
My family have the 97 Rav4. Automatic FWD. It uses the cheapest gas of 87. To fill her up is around 40-50$ depending on the prices. I change the oil myself using the green castrol high milage 5w-30 oil. Oil filter I use either bosh or purolator 1.
It's slow but it goes. I call it the "family ghetto ravvie" same engine as the video. 3s-fe.
Timing belt got changed for 600$ with water pump, fuel pump, & oil pump. alternator 320$ tires like 620$ from firestone. Battery was 120$
I contributed with spark plugs, 40$ at auto zone denso brand. power steering fluid, valve cover gasket with spark plug tubes 40$ at autozone, & I bought the spark plug wires at Amazon NGK brand for 45$
Good luck on your search
I have a 98 AWD A/T and it gets 21-22 mpg mixed driving in city and highway. On road trips with majority highway I get about 24-26mpg driving 65-70 mph.
found a '97 with 88000km's recently. May go for it... it is $5300 CAD
Up in Canada the salt eats these up. Ive been shopping around. I saw 5 and all of them have eaten out frames rocker panels control arms.
The engines will last forever.
Same im from ontario and they want the moon for junk
Well you need to buy a car made of as little as metal as possible then
@@MybeautifulandamazingPrincess
No you don't, just rustproof it. My 1999 civic has seen 22 years of winter. 5 of those are lowered sitting 2.5 inches from the ground. With a 98 percent rust free underbody.
Most folks just buy a car and drive it without rustproofing and the results are fukked up. If you don't live here you haven't see the horrors of rusted cars.
@@JDMEXforme Can you rustproof a car?! I didn't even know that
I live near the ocean and I used to go to the beach all the time on my dad's 70's Kaiser wagoneer, I loved that car cause it had front bench seats so you could carry 6 people comfortably, and it was very spacious you could carry surfboards and your friends stuff, but it rusted badly cause of the salt from the Ocean, so my dad sold it, and the new owner restored it and took good care of it. My brother has a 90's Daihatsu rocky and we go to the beach all the time and it hasn't rusted so far
Same here in the UK....mine failed it's annual vehicle inspection (mot) due to rusted through rears of both sills inner and outer and into the wheel arches and the two front wishbones were rotted as well. Its not a hard fix but tbh didnt really use it anymore and checking it out saw another few bits that will need attention, I didn't want to spend money on it tbh...I really loved it when used it...sold it last night and was really sorry to see it go, luckily the guy that bought it is going to repair and use it. If you are located where it won't rust you could drive one forever, mine never let me down in 12 years.... they are really worth nothing in the UK, I paid £1000 for mine 12 years ago and got £500 last night...can't really complain.
How do you compare the second gen to these?
have fun replacing the freeze plugs if they start leaking. prepare to pay 2 or 3 grand because they have to pull the transmission.
i want one of these so so bad but i cannot, for the life of me, find one. i want to test drive one before i commit to one but there are none in dealerships and i dont want to lie to a private seller :/
That RAV4 is NOT meant for you to haul around your fridge..... it's a swing door so driver can attach a spare tire to the back or a bracket to hole a tank of gas.....
Is this the 4wd version or FWD? You should have definitely touched on this. This is a bit of a rarity today bec if you have the 4wd version it’s actually a full time 4wd unlike most other AWD suvs of today.
I picked up my first rav4 out of Salt Lake City two days ago. A 1997 4wd variant. Been wrecked so front bumper is gone but not much else damaged or missing.
This one's Front wheel drive. Thanks for the comment!
@1:13 If a fridge doesn't fit in the Rav4, im gonna borrow someone's pick up truck.
You should do a 2006 altima review
my wifes 1998 rav4 had the differential seize,,,should i fix before selling or sale as is?///ps make sure to check the differential fliud
You got me at applesauce 😂
Someone local is selling a 2 door 1994 for $850. NZD. That's about $0.45 usd
Small cup holders, BUT people didn't drink a gallon of soda back then LOL
Nice..is better manual or automatic??
I can say the automatic transmission in this one is now going on 400k miles trouble free, I think it's only been serviced twice ever. The manual transmission I assume would've gone through a clutch by now, maybe 2-3 clutches, so in this case it certainly looks like the automatic has less maintenance.
The "trunk" on the Rav4 is exactly why it's GOOD.. not bad. The 1999 jeep cherokee has a "bump" in the middle of the cargo area, so you couldn't simply slide a fridge across the bottom - like you ONLY can in the rav4 - to begin with. Sounds like a skill issue if you couldn't think of a way to put that into the car. What was college for again?
Rollover issue: You must be unaware of the roll bar toyota built into the center section of the roof line that follows all the way across the top and down the center pillars of the 3 door. the 5 door that you have has 2 sets of these, one in the middle, and another in the rear.
thats good to know
Hey do u know if the manual transmission for a 97 rav4 is shared by other models?
Bounced rolled my 99 rav4 a few months back. Walked away from it, thing was smashed to shit but it's tougher then it looks.
First of all, glad you made it out ok.
Thanks for sharing this, I got pretty worried hearing him say that in his review and was starting to regret picking up a 99 a few days ago.
Same happen to me back in 2015 such a shame it was a stick . I was rear ended. Great vehicles
I still have tape deck in it lol did you change your radio
Can you do a review on the xtrail
I despise the over acting... Perfect example, cup holders.
How much this car will cost.
I took out the back seats long ago
There is one that has 218000 miles and he wants 2900. Is this worth it. Please let me know. I am going to look at it tomorrow. And hoping I could get it for 1500
I mean 2500
@@420BLUNTLEY did you buy it?
Did you buy it?
I saw one for 220k miles for 3k. Probably asking for 2500 or 2k.