SUV Comparison: 2023 Honda CR-V vs Toyota RAV4

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Brian Harper: Canadians love crossovers, particularly those of the compact-sized variety. Literally every mainstream manufacturer has at least one entry in the segment, and the two biggest sellers in the country are the fifth-generation Toyota RAV4, which made its debut for the 2019 model year, and the Honda CR-V, the sixth-generation version brand-new for 2023. This is an epic rivalry between two nameplates — think Ali versus Frazier, Habs vs the Leafs — one that has seen the RAV4 hold the No. 1 ranking for the past seven years. Will 2023 be different, Renita, the fresh redesign of the Honda finally putting the aging warrior RAV4 in its place?

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We are looking at the higher end of the price spectrum with these two built-in-Canada models, the topline RAV4 Limited ($43,750) up against the second-highest trim CR-V Sport ($41,490) — unfortunately the topline EX-L ($43,390) was unavailable. Despite this, these are two well matched vehicles, size-wise and content-wise. Or are they? What sayest thou, Renita?

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Renita Naraine: Well, I do think the topline EX-L would have matched up a bit better with the Limited in terms of content. But size-wise, these two crossovers are fairly similar in that they’re awesome when it comes to hauling a family — that is, if you’ve got one or two little kids. For someone like myself, fitting three car seats into either of these crossovers is pushing it a little when it comes to comfort in that back row. That said, for two kids of any age, there’s a ton of space; there’s even an adequate amount of legroom back there for a couple adults, in either SUV.

For comparison, when it comes to legroom and headroom, the CR-V seems to treat its front and rear passengers equally with 970 mm of headroom for both, 1,049 mm of legroom for the front row and only 7 mm less for those in the rear. In the RAV4, the front passengers have a little less headroom than the rear — sorry, Brian, this works great for me, but maybe not as well for someone as tall as yourself — at 958 mm and 1,001 mm, respectively. That also means the CR-V has a slight bit more headroom in the front than in the RAV4 but a bit more in the rear. In the front, they both have an almost equal amount of legroom, but the CR-V comes out as the winner in rear legroom — though it isn’t noticeably huge — with 1,042 mm versus the RAV4’s 960 mm.

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The overall exterior dimensions are fairly similar for these two crossovers, but unfortunately that doesn’t come across in the drive. I found the RAV4 heavy as it picked up speed, as well as louder than the CR-V. It almost felt like the emergency brakes were still on when pushing on the gas, but it wasn’t, I checked.

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BH: Well, my height comes mostly from my long legs, so, no, I had no issues with the RAV4’s headroom, or its legroom for that matter. But yes, dimensionally speaking, the CR-V is just a bit more generous than the Toyota, except for rear-seat headroom, which favours the RAV4. Speaking of the rear seats, I could slide into the back in either vehicle, though I compliment Honda for being extra generous in the legroom department. Generous also describes the CR-V’s cargo area behind the seats. With 1,113 litres available seats up and 2,166 litres with the 40/20/40-split rears folded, it has the room for significantly more stuff than the RAV4’s 1,059/1,977-litre offering.

Interesting that you find the RAV4 heavy. At 1,640 kilograms, it’s actually 11 kg lighter than the CR-V. And it’s more powerful to boot, the 2.5L four-cylinder putting out 203 hp and 184 pound-feet of torque versus the CR-V’s 190 hp and 179 lb-ft from its turbo 1.5L four. Acceleration to 100 km/h is about the same for both crossovers, in the high eight-second range, depending on whose figures you use. That said, the Toyota engine is significantly coarser when hard acceleration is called for; the CR-V’s motor is buzzy, the RAV4 is flat-out unpleasant.

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Before letting you chime in again, I have to say that both of these crossovers are as middle-of-the-road as they come. There’s not a sporting bone between them. I’m more forgiving of the RAV4 in that it the older model, very disappointed in the CR-V as the brand-new version. Compared with something along the lines of Mazda’s new CX-50, these two come up short as entertaining drives.

RN: I completely agree with you, Brian. It seems like the only thing that really stands out for the sixth generation of the CR-V is that it now has a hybrid trim, and while that is a really cool option, that’s a whole other comparison considering how many hybrid trims the RAV4 boasts — five for 2023 and starting at a much lower price than the CR-V’s hybrid…moving on.

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It’s a bit unfair to compare the infotainment in these two vehicles, as well as available technology because while both vehicles aren’t as sufficiently high-tech as many others on the market, the RAV4 has a bit more content, being the top trim here. Its sound system is a bit better than the CR-V’s and there’s also a wireless charging pad, as well as wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto — the CR-V Sport isn’t equipped with the wireless things, but the EX-L is, and the EX-L also has an upgraded eight-speaker sound system. The Sport’s seven-inch touchscreen is also much smaller than the RAV4’s 10.5-inch screen that makes the larger icons a lot easier to tap — the EX-L has a nine-inch screen. Neither of the vehicles have an amazing backup camera, but RAV4’s is a bit better.

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Another disappointment for me was that the Sport’s front passenger seat is manual. It’s not necessarily a deal breaker, but c’mon, this isn’t a base model. There’s a heated steering wheel and heated front seats in the Sport, but the RAV4 has that, in addition to power adjustable seats for both, ventilated front seats, heated rear seats and handy-dandy rain-sensing wipers — once again, the EX-L adds a bit more making it more comparable to the tested RAV4 as it also has heated rear seats.

Well, Brian, do you have anything else to add before choosing a winner of this most important crossover comparison?

BH: Why yes, I do. You’ve already touched on it but let me add to your disappointment — the number of items missing from the CR-V Sport, which still costs $41,450. There are no front or rear parking sensors, perforated leather, driver’s seat memory or, particularly annoying for me being a senior citizen, no embedded navigation system — I hate clutter in my centre console with cellphones and wires. I’d be even more annoyed at the Honda except for the fact that one trim lower than the RAV4 Limited is the $39,590 Trail, and it lacks a few key features as well — notably the Limited’s panoramic view monitor, which has multiple cameras that provide multiple exterior angles viewable on the touchscreen, something that older drivers or those with compromised vision will appreciate. So let me modify my disappointment to include the fact that forking out $40K doesn’t get you some really important safety and convenience items in either vehicle. Just wow!

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That off my chest, when it comes down to picking a winner, with some reservation I’ll give the nod to the CR-V. Fundamentally, with its additional interior and cargo room, along with slightly better driving and handling dynamics, it tops the RAV4. That said, I’m frustrated this brand-new CR-V isn’t appreciably better than the one it replaces. With the number of competitive models out there, it’s going to find itself dated in a very short time. Despite its four years on the market, the RAV4 has aged well. A smoother running engine could easily have altered my vote.

RN: We’re on the same page. While I do think the winner of this comparison is the Honda CR-V, I don’t think it’s the overall winner. As you mentioned way back at the beginning of this post, the Toyota RAV4 has been the No. 1 selling SUV for the past seven years — it’s got to be doing something right. So yes, I’d pick the CR-V in this very moment for this specific comparison because I thought the drive was smoother, but if I was picking one of these vehicles for the long-term — one I’d want on my driveway — it would have to be the RAV4.

Check out the latest Honda CR-V and Toyota RAV4 models.