I have had my 2004 Rav4 automatic 4wd for about a week now. I am very happy with it except for one thing: the mileage seems very bad. I have just begun to to keep track of it, but my guess is that it is getting about 15 miles to the gallon. This is with daily mostly highway driving. Is this normal for the 4wd Rav 4, or maybe part of the "break-in" period? Should I talk to the dealer about it, and if so, can the idle or anything else in the engine be adjusted or is the engine already set in its gas consumption?
Thanks,
Mitchellfox@comcast.net

freeway mileage on any rav blows. mine gets about the same on the highway. in town I don't seem to use gas at all. the reason is because the engine doesn't seem to produce any hp till about 3,000 rpm's, so in order to get the car to go up hills and such on the freeway, it is revved out pretty good. mine seems to be at about 4,000 rpm's at 80mph. The aerodynamics of the rav aren't real sleek either. It has the drag coeficient of an outhouse.

Thanks. What is your average mileage?

as long as I stay off the freeway, I get anywhere between 25-30 mpg. On the freeway, I have trouble getting 20. And a manual transmission like mine will get better freeway mileage than an automatic.