Review: 2013 Toyota RAV4 XLE AWD

Thanks! Yeah, from what I've read it needs a lot of water but also media that drains well so the roots can dry out between waterings. I've now looked into this Pittmoss stuff, and it sounds pretty dang good. I think I'll order some and mix it with planter soil, as well. 

All done with the detail inside and out of the SS for the spring/summer season.

I had never driven an Infiniti Q50 before, let alone ever really looked at them.  I also didn’t know much about these cars. I was supposed to be assigned a medium sized SUV, but remarked I wanted the luggage area to be hidden.  The rental agent told me they could not guarantee the presence of a retractable cover. (Why would they order a car without one or why would someone take one?  eBay?)  They didn’t have any SUVs anyway, and I got put into an Infiniti Q50.  I checked my phone to verify the cost would be covered by my insurance and the credit card parameters.  It came in at around $43,000.  That’s if new.  That said: “no worries.”  However, this unit would be a much-depreciated 3+ year model with 57,000 miles.  I relaxed.  At any rate, I put less than 500 miles on it over a week.  As one walks up to it, you can tell its heritage … and rather quickly.  You can instantly see similarities to the Nissan Altima in the instrument panel’s main cluster and in the switches much the same way that a CT6 by Cadillac and a Cruze by Chevrolet share dials and such.  However, the assembly and detailing are nicer in the Q50.  It had leather seating, which I don’t care for in a warm weather location, that was comfortably contoured and nicely finished.  The same could be said for the doors and other trim and fittings.  Inside, I liked the way that the dash, center stack, and console flowed together.  The scalloped tops of the dash hearken to those of the very last Impala, which had an attractive dashboard on various levels. The center stack is slightly like that of an Olds Aurora.  These comments go along with the often-cited commentary that this car is traditional and old school in a lot of ways, thus not breaking any new ground. The least favorable aspect of the interior is operating the various touch screen and stalk functions.  Some are redundant and confusing.  However, for one, it is possible to pull up a clock that resembles old school chronometer and have it sitting at the top of the center stack. On the interior's plus side, there are perfectly contoured and angled slots to store water bottles at the base of the front doors.  On the minus side, there is a remote latch release for the trunk, but not one for the fuel cap door.  (The fuel cap door remains closed if the car is locked.) I figured that this Infiniti would have a V6.  It was no ordinary V6, but 3.7 liters worth of V6 with twin turbochargers.  Rarely does one need this much power and, in one week, I got aggressive with the throttle in one merging situation and one passing situation.  It is up to the task and kicks out a little torque steer.  Its hum is a rather muted purr.  As would be expected in what is supposed to be a premium car, the automatic transmission is a geared unit.  It has 7 speeds.  The first 2 shifts can be felt while the remaining shifts are not.  However, if in stop and go traffic, and alternating speed, those early shifts can be a little less smooth as the transmission seems to hunt.  (It could also be how many miles were on the unit.) Why 7 speeds?  How about 6 … or 8?  I’m talking even numbers! With the powertrain comes the requirement for premium fuel.  Also, compared to many full-size Japanese cars working with 4 cylinders and turning in commendable gas mileage, this car with its V6 is a little thirsty. Ride, handling, and noise are related, but different enough.  The ride was supple and controlled, but not much more so than that of an uplevel 4-cylinder sedan.  Handling was better and this Infiniti tracked accurately and nimbly.  Also, the Q50 was fairly hushed, but I might have expected a little more isolation and a higher premium "feel" for the price jump from a Nissan to an Infiniti. Its exterior features that extra chrome and trim to make it uplevel within the Nissan family tree, yet the greenhouse is an almost familiar one.  This car delivered on one greenhouse dimension I’m fussy about - rearward vision from the driver’s vantage point is very good. I don’t know how the order sheet was configured when this car was purchased. There was an indicator for forward alerts, but I never got to experience it in action.  Also, whether on the rearview mirrors or inside of the front pillars, there was nothing to warn of side traffic and there weren’t parking assists that kicked in.  Perhaps they were there, but the car was not put in a situation where they’d engage.  On another rental car of a lower price point, those were always at work and perhaps a little too eager.  I almost prefer the latter. I didn’t read any reviews about this car before beginning the rental or during the rental.  I echo what they have to say.  For its niche, it doesn’t drum up much enthusiasm.  The best point is its more premium handling while the negatives are some difficulties in setting it up when first getting in and its slight thirstiness. If something about this overall package is appealing and a person connects with the Q50, then the consumer will probably go for it.  I don’t know how it will hold up and how much it will cost to service over the long haul.  While there are no Toyota and Nissan dealerships in Beverly Hills, California, as an example, there is a Lexus agency there while the Infiniti dealership seems to have closed.  Infiniti seems to want to ride the same wave that Lexus is riding, though I’d think piggybacking onto Toyota might be a more lauded genealogy. This is very much a personal decision and you’re on your own.  I was going to turn in the Q50 after a day to see if I could get something more familiar to me but decided to keep it.  Exchanging cars is a hassle.  Once past the learning curve and adjustments, it’s fairly easy to live with, but it’s neither a remarkable nor compelling vehicle. - - - - - PHOTOS FORTHCOMING

The two big things you need to know are How Acidic and how well it drains or not. I took a class last year on how to grow the American Chestnut. American Chestnuts like to be high on hilltops with very well-drained soils. There's a geomapping tool in Pennsylvania that uses known land and altitude data to populate the best places for Chestnut plantings, and my property is one of the best in the county.  What I used was a mix of planter soil and something called Pittmoss, better than Peatmoss. Its manufactured here and is mostly recycled newspaper. It's good for containers because it holds moisture better than peat.  Just put them in some 5-gallon buckets and let them go.  I need to move them around a bit soon. True genetic American Chestnuts are very hard to find. If you find them online, they are most likely crossbred with something else that is blight-resistant. I got my seeds directly from the Pennsylvania Chapter of the American Chestnut Foundation at one of their research centers at Penn State.

They look like sticks right now, lol. Their leaves are just starting to come back. But here's what they looked like going in.