Faceoff: Honda CR-V edges out Toyota RAV4 for driving dynamics, fuel consumption

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If you’re shopping for a small SUV, chances are you are looking at the Toyota RAV4 and the Honda CR-V. They were the third and fifth best-selling vehicles in Canada last year – nearly 62,000 RAV4s and almost 51,000 CR-Vs were sold. Pickup trucks from Ford, RAM and GMC were first, second and fourth. Here’s how the top-selling non-pickup trucks stack up against each other.

Looks

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The RAV4 has a pleasant-looking design with a funky front grille, angular LED headlamps, dark tinted rear windows and chrome touches on its body, from the side-view mirrors to the rear end. Thick grey cladding above the wheel arches and on the lower edges of the doors are distinctive and complement the sharp shade of Ruby Flare Pearl paint on my tester’s exterior, making it stand out on the road even more.

The styling on the CR-V is a bit long in the tooth. The last redesign was in 2017, but an all-new 2023 version should remedy that. Still, my tester, a 2022 CR-V Black Edition top trim, gets extra points for styling with glossy black accents on the front bumper, roof rails, side-view mirrors and rear bumper. A dark chrome front grille, shiny chrome finishes along the perimeter of the side windows and at the bottom of the doors, dual chrome exhaust finishes and big, black-painted 19-inch aluminum alloy wheels give this vehicle presence, especially when compared to other trims in the family.

Interior

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Both vehicles seat five and are roomy inside, but the CR-V has extra rear-seat legroom, 1,026 millimetres compared with the RAV4′s 960. The CR-V’s large dual moon roof spans both rows of seats, making it feel spacious and airy when riding in the rear seats versus the RAV4′s smaller sunroof.

The RAV4′s dashboard layout and design is simple and clean. My tester’s nine-inch touch screen (seven-inch is standard) and all controls, including the large climate-control dials, the heated steering wheel button and heated/ventilated front seat buttons, are easy to find and use, even in the dark. The graphics on the screen, though, look dated.

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The CR-V’s interior is sleek and modern with a cool, all-black console and “Black Edition” logo embossed on the top of the front seats. As a result, the interior looks more upscale than the RAV4′s. But the infotainment system can be fickle and requires multiple steps to perform simple functions. Some buttons are small and difficult to find, too.

The driver’s seat is comfortable with 12-way power adjustments, including four-way power lumbar support. The RAV4 has eight-way power adjustable front seats, which are supportive, too.

Performance

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Both the RAV4 and CR-V are quiet, smooth and confident driving around the city, but jump on the highway and merge with traffic and you’ll notice a difference immediately. The CR-V accelerates faster than the RAV4, //owing to its 190-horsepower, 1.5-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine. The RAV4′s 203-horsepower, 2.5-litre four-cylinder engine struggles and whines when pushed, especially when nailing the throttle to reach highway cruising speeds. No complaints with the CRV’s continuously variable transmission, either. It shifts gears smoothly. When it comes to fuel consumption, the CR-V wins – returning 8.2 litres per 100 kilometres combined highway and city driving. The RAV4 averaged 8.6. Both vehicles can also tow up to 1,500 pounds.

Technology

The RAV4 and CR-V both have a generous amount of driving-assistance safety features and convenience items. The RAV4 has eight airbags, including a driver knee airbag as well as a blind-spot-monitoring system, precollision system with pedestrian and bicycle detection, dynamic radar cruise control and a lane-departure alert system; while the CR-V has auto high beams, a forward-collision warning system, a lane-departure warning system and adaptive cruise control. Both brands also have wireless charging, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity, and several USB ports.

Cargo

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The CR-V has slightly more cargo space with 1,110 litres. However, the Black Edition trim has slightly less – 1,065 litres – because the stereo subwoofer eats up some space. By comparison, the RAV4 has 1,059 litres. Both vehicles have rear seats that fold down easily for extra cargo-carrying capacity.

The verdict

No surprise, it’s a close call between the RAV4 and CR-V, but based on the driving dynamics and fuel economy figures, the Honda CR-V comes out ahead of the RAV4 ever so slightly.

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Tech specs

2022 Honda CR-V (Black Edition trim)

• Base price/as tested: $31,470 (LX-2WD trim); $47,320
• Engine: 1.5-litre turbocharged four-cylinder with 190 horsepower and 179 lb-ft of torque
• Transmission/drive: Continuously variable transmission/all-wheel drive
• Fuel consumption (litres/100 kilometres): 8.7 city, 7.4 highway, 8.1 combined
• Alternatives: Toyota RAV4, Nissan Rogue, Subaru Forester, Volkswagen Tiguan, Ford Bronco, Hyundai Tucson, Mazda CX-5

2022 Toyota RAV4 (Limited AWD trim)

• Base price/as tested: $28,990 (LE FWD trim); $45,125
• Engine: 2.5-litre four-cylinder engine with 203 horsepower and 184 lb-ft of torque
• Transmission/drive: Eight-speed automatic/all-wheel drive
• Fuel consumption (litres/100 kilometres): 9.5 city, 7.1 highway, 8.4 combined
• Alternatives: Honda CR-V, Nissan Rogue, Subaru Forester, Volkswagen Tiguan, Ford Bronco, Hyundai Tucson, Mazda CX-5

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