New SUV

 Towards the end of last week, we received an email from the Toyota dealership that the 2023 RAV4 hybrid we had been waiting for since last April was on its way. Monday morning the sales rep called and said that the vehicle was here. We looked it over and took it for a spin Monday afternoon. We had not been able to even test drive any RAV4 hybrid. There are a few things we wish were different, but we had been told one accepted the car as is or passed and waited for a different one. There was no customizing options. We signed on the dotted line and paid with a check. We are the proud owners of a 2023 RAV4 XLE Premium hybrid. 

It is Ruby Flare; my sister-in-law calls it candy apple red. We noticed yesterday while in Fort Wayne on a cloudy day that it looks considerably darker without sunlight.

The seats are ash gray. It came with extras like the heavy floor mats which will be helpful when winter slush and snow show up. 

I rarely used the moonroof on our sedan; maybe we will try to use this one more.

Although some of the features are similar to what our Avalon sedan had, so much is controlled now by the touchscreen. This vehicle also has lane assist and a feature that keeps you from getting too close to the car ahead of you. The blindspot alert and the backup alert when a person or car is crossing your path we had on the Avalon. It is going to take a while to know what all is on this SUV. The backup camera is great! The picture is clear and large and best of all you can wear polarized sunglasses and still see the screen. On our old car you had to take the glasses off. My husband is happy to be sitting higher than a sedan. 

We have owned several Toyotas as a married couple: Previa minivan, Prius, Avalon hybrid. My husband had a Celica before we met. We have been pleased with the performance and longevity of Toyota vehicles. 

We have a 3-night stay in Michigan in August mid-way between New Buffalo and South Haven planned. I have a deposit on a cottage surrounded by hydrangeas and with a screened-in porch. A Lake Michigan beach is within reasonable walking distance. It should be peach season. That will probably be the first long-distance trip in our new RAV4. 

Yesterday CarMax in Fort Wayne bought our Toyota Avalon hybrid sedan. We had given the VIN and answered some questions online; they provided a quote. I was afraid they would whittle down the offer giving excuses. But after the inspection and test drive they stuck with the initial offer for an amount we are happy about. The Toyota dealer in Warsaw had encouraged us to look around as he said the dealership would not be as generous. The CarMax rep who handled our transaction was amazed to see our 2013 car had less than 68,000 miles. She communicated with headquarters in Chicago, and they approved the amount of the first offer. We received a check for the full amount which I deposited in my bank account today. 

A learning curve ahead, but it feels good to finally have a new SUV.