[Driven1]

Hello. We had a third gen Rav4 which was rear ended and totaled during a recent snow event. We're looking to go down in size as we are now empty nesters and don't need that much room. We also haven't been driving our Rav4 that much - we've averaged only a couple of thousand miles each of the last few years so don't want to put a lot of money into a subcompact SUV that will primarily be driven sparingly around town and mostly on a few road trips a year. We have an electric car for around town driving and a sports car when we have a need for speed. We're retired so no need to commute.

Our Rav4 had the 269 HP V6 and that was perfect as it allowed us to do high speed driving up and over mountains and in the wide spaces near the west coast where we live. Prior to the Rav4, we had a Previa and then an Odyssey, so we went from 138 to 240 and then to 269 HP. It's hard to envision going backwards but the CX-30 is too small and anything else with more power than the Seltos is $20k more.

So a few questions about the Seltos. How is it for extended high speed cruising, like in the 80-90 MPH range including up in the mountains? Any problems with engine overheating when climbing passes and fully loaded? Does 91/93 octane fuel benefit the power output? Is there a known shop that can retune the engine to produce the higher power levels it generates in other applications?

Also, is there any aftermarket support for suspension components, such as higher rate sway bars or chassis stiffening braces? Has anyone changed out the original 235/45-18 tires for 215/50-18?

And lastly, is the grey seating material a normal grey color or does it have shades or tones of beige? If we were to get that color, is it only the seats or are there any interior trim pieces that are also grey?

Thanks for any help and answers you can provide!

Hello. We had a third gen Rav4 which was rear ended and totaled during a recent snow event. We're looking to go down in size as we are now empty nesters and don't need that much room. We also haven't been driving our Rav4 that much - we've averaged only a couple of thousand miles each of the last few years so don't want to put a lot of money into a subcompact SUV that will primarily be driven sparingly around town and mostly on a few road trips a year. We have an electric car for around town driving and a sports car when we have a need for speed. We're retired so no need to commute.

Our Rav4 had the 269 HP V6 and that was perfect as it allowed us to do high speed driving up and over mountains and in the wide spaces near the west coast where we live. Prior to the Rav4, we had a Previa and then an Odyssey, so we went from 138 to 240 and then to 269 HP. It's hard to envision going backwards but the CX-30 is too small and anything else with more power than the Seltos is $20k more.

So a few questions about the Seltos. How is it for extended high speed cruising, like in the 80-90 MPH range including up in the mountains? Any problems with engine overheating when climbing passes and fully loaded? Does 91/93 octane fuel benefit the power output? Is there a known shop that can retune the engine to produce the higher power levels it generates in other applications?

Also, is there any aftermarket support for suspension components, such as higher rate sway bars or chassis stiffening braces? Has anyone changed out the original 235/45-18 tires for 215/50-18?

And lastly, is the grey seating material a normal grey color or does it have shades or tones of beige? If we were to get that color, is it only the seats or are there any interior trim pieces that are also grey?

Thanks for any help and answers you can provide!

Empty nesters and retired, awesome and congrats! In October we actually bought our first Toyota 2021 Rav 4. We were really interested in Seltos EX but really haven’t been available and certainly not for 5k over sticker. Anyway still may get a Seltos in 2022-23. We are very interested in Electronic vehicles in near future but not certain of which brand to buy. Along the way in considering the Seltos EX we also looked at CX30 but quickly rules that out. Would you consider Mazda CX-5?

 

[Driven1]

Thanks! Both retirement and empty nesting has been awesome!

We looked at the CX-30 and it's too small, both in the back seat and in the cargo area. Our Rav is just nine inches longer and a couple of inches wider than a Seltos and it just feels too big for 99% of our needs, that 1% being hauling a seven foot Christmas tree home every year inside the cargo area. We brought two medium sized luggages to all of our test drives to see if they could fit into the back cargo area behind the second row seats and of the Seltos competitors, the CX-30 couldn't accommodate them laying flat, and the Crosstrek required slamming the hatch down hard on the luggage to close. The Seltos swallowed them both fine. In the next step up into luxury subcompact SUVs, space is just as tight in the XC-40, X1/X2, and Q3.

The CX-5 is basically the same size as our Rav4 and we really want to downsize. We purchased an electric Smart car 4 1/2 years ago that has been our main vehicle for driving around, and it has really altered our perceptions of how much space we need. We do Costco runs all the time in it, and people are constantly amazed at how much stuff the Smart car can swallow with both of us in it. It has also been amazingly easy to drive around in traffic, and parking in even the tightest spaces is absolutely a breeze. The times my wife had to drive the Rav in place of the Smart car, she always complained about just how large it is and how much harder it is to maneuver around. And to think that before the Rav, she primarily drove an Odyssey that was almost 20 inches longer!

So the Seltos is really the perfect sized vehicle for us. Large enough to be able to comfortably accommodate our kids if we needed - I'm 6' tall and my son is 6'1" - but also not too large when a majority of the time it is just my wife and me. It gives her the higher seating position she prefers, gives us the smaller footprint that makes our urban maneuvering easier, but also has more than enough space to carry everything we can imagine we'd need when road tripping.

I think the really good electric vehicles, with solid state batteries, are about five years away, and the charging infrastructure in much of the intermountain west is probably about another five years away from that. There are still too many far-out-there places that currently don't have adequate charging infrastructure for an EV to comfortably road trip.

 

[Driven1]

For me, I think your observations are spot on. Additional the CX-30 clincher was that the passenger seat sat so low. Not adjustable. Wish that passenger seats were adjustable in height and similar options to drivers seats in most any vehicle.
I do feel the Rav is much bigger than what we were looking for. The Seltos has just been unavailable. So, went for the Rav when another customer bailed on a deal. We do like the overall feel and handling but still have interest in the Seltos as our second vehicle.
Did you actually buy a Seltos yet? If and when you do would love to know your thoughts about it after actually driving it regularly. Interested in the Seltos EX and possibly S. Can’t do the LX because need to attach cross bars for kayaks. Hesitant of putting .kayaks on the Rav 4 and Seltos. For long trips when secured kayaks on roof of Kia Soul with Thule J Hooks the hood would get damaged and scuffed. So, need to find a way, when long distance traveling, to secure kayaks north to south without causing damage. If you any insight to this that would be great.
Again, let us know how the Seltos goes when you purchase one, if not already.

 

[Driven1]

We're going to put a thousand bucks down at two separate dealerships to see which one gets their factory order "picked up" first. We'll then cancel the other order. We're doing this with full disclosure to both dealers of what we are doing. We should be doing this within the next few hours, or by tomorrow at the latest. It's fun times to be buying a new car!

That’s a great situation for you. I’m glad you were careful making it clear to get your deposit back from one of the dealers. A dealer told me I can get a deposit back until the vehicle is scheduled as mine as it would be coming from the factory. The dealer said once it begins production it’s mine. No deposit being returned. I didn’t do that because could have been 6 months or who knows when with the chip shortage. Enjoy your new Seltos. 2022 SX?