A comparison of the Honda CR-V and the Toyota RAV4 is a battle of the titans. Not only do the two models lead sales in the biggest segment in the American new-car market, but they also are comfortably ensconced in the top 10 best-selling models overall. Thus far, in 2022, the RAV4 is fourth in sales nationally, and the CR-V is sixth. There can be no doubt that these two models are crucially important to their manufacturers. And there should also be little doubt that they are excellent values.
Over the past quarter century, the Honda CR-V and Toyota RAV4 have faced off against one another to win the hearts of compact SUV buyers. The two models redefined the segment. Their entry into the market began the transition from small-truck-based separate body-on-frame SUVs to car-based unibody platforms with tall, SUV-like proportions. In other words, "crossover SUVs."
Now Honda comes to market with an all-new 2023 version of the CR-V. Competing against it is a Toyota RAV4 that last had a generational change in the 2019 model year. Of course, Toyota has not exactly ignored making changes to the RAV4 since, including introducing the plug-in hybrid RAV4 Prime in 2021. But for the 2022 model year, the CR-V has the advantage of being new, while the Toyota has the burden—if indeed it is a burden—of being a carryover model.
Today's compact crossover segment is so popular it doesn't need an introduction. Most models in the space accommodate five passengers, while a couple offer a third row that increases their capacity to seven. Virtually all emphasize comfort, utility, and versatility, while the thrill of driving doesn't figure in. A building trend is a return to off-roading. The small SUV segment started as an off-road-oriented category, but its models have evolved over the past 20 years as road-going machines, not off-roaders. That is changing again as some models in the segment, like the RAV4, have off-road versions.
For the 2023 model year, Toyota offers its compact SUV in three primary forms, complete with three different powertrains: RAV4, RAV4 Hybrid, and RAV4 Prime (plug-in hybrid). The Honda CR-V doesn't have a plug-in to counter the RAV4 Prime, but it does have both conventionally powered and hybrid versions.
The all-new 2023 Honda CR-V is nearly 4 inches longer than the RAV4 and has more passenger space. For the new-generation CR-V, Honda extended the wheelbase 1.6 inches—to 106.3 inches—and widened the track front and rear. Honda builds the CR-V on a shared platform that also is the basis for the current Honda Civic and the all-new 2023 HR-V small SUV.
The 2023 Toyota RAV4 gives its buyers more choices than the Honda CR-V, including a pair of off-road-oriented models with unique interior treatments. And the basic RAV4 LE, though Spartan inside, is much less expensive than the least costly CR-V. That said, the CR-V offers more interior and cargo space, which are critical to buyers in this segment.
2023 Honda CR-V Sport
Compared to the Toyota RAV4 lineup, the 2023 Honda CR-V roster is simple. For the 2023 model year, the Honda CR-V has four trim levels: EX, Sport, EX-L, and Sport Touring. Buyers can choose between front-wheel-drive (FWD) and all-wheel-drive (AWD) EX, Sport, and EX-L trims. The Sport Touring is only available with AWD.
A turbocharged 1.5-liter 4-cylinder engine backed by a continuously variable transmission (CVT) powers the CR-V EX and EX-L. Sport and Sport Touring trims have a hybrid powertrain.
The lowest-priced 2023 Honda CR-V EX FWD has a manufacturer's suggested retail price (MSRP) of $31,110. With AWD, the CR-V EX has an MSRP of $32,610. Among the CR-V hybrids, the least expensive Sport trim costs $32,450. The addition of AWD brings the price to $33,950. The well-equipped front-drive EX-L has an MSRP of $33,760; the AWD version commands a $1,500 premium. The top-of-the-line CR-V Sport Touring with standard AWD has a starting MSRP of $38,600. All 2023 CR-Vs have an additional $1,245 destination charge added to the above prices.
As the volume leader in the segment, Toyota has the economies of scale to offer multiple RAV4 trim levels and variants. As mentioned, the 2023 Toyota RAV4 crossover is available in conventional, hybrid, and plug-in hybrid forms. Then there are the trim levels and the availability of FWD and AWD. The conventionally powered RAV4 is available in LE, XLE, XLE Premium, Limited, Adventure, and TRD Off-Road trims. All but the Adventure and TRD Off-Road are available in FWD and AWD versions. The RAV4 Hybrid is available in LE, XLE, XLE Premium, SE, XSE, and Limited trims. The RAV4 Prime is available in SE and XSE trims. All the hybrids and plug-in hybrids have standard AWD.
The base front-drive LE trim has an MSRP of $26,975. An AWD RAV4 LE starts at $28,375. The mid-level front-drive XLE Premium starts at $31,335. With AWD, the XLE Premium has a base MSRP of $32,735. The all-terrain-oriented Adventure and TRD Off-Road trims have suggested prices of $33,230 and $36,915, respectively. And the line-topping, conventional RAV4 Limited with AWD has a suggested base list price of $36,875.
The least expensive RAV4 Hybrid trim, the LE, has a base price of $29,975. The top of the hybrid lineup is the Limited at $38,075. The RAV4 Prime lineup starts with the SE at $40,300, while the more luxurious XSE starts at $43,625. All RAV4 models have a $1,335 destination and handling charge on top of the prices listed.
One interesting takeaway: the lowest-priced RAV4 LE has a much lower suggested price than the lowest-priced Honda CR-V EX. In this era of limited parts supply, Honda has decided not to offer a low-end price-leader trim. Honda also does not offer a dedicated off-road CR-V trim, while Toyota offers two such trims in the RAV4 lineup.
Advantage: Toyota RAV4
2023 Toyota RAV4 XSE
The previous-generation Honda CR-V does not rank among the top three models in the Compact SUV segment in the JD Power 2022 U.S. Vehicle Dependability Study (VDS), which assesses owner-reported problems during the third year of ownership. The CR-V also does not rank among the top three models in its segment in the JD Power 2022 U.S. Initial Quality Study (IQS).
The 2023 Honda CR-V has the following warranty coverage:
Like the CR-V, the Toyota RAV4 does not rank among the top three models in its segment in either the 2022 VDS or 2022 IQS.
The 2023 Toyota RAV4 has the following standard warranty coverage:
Advantage: Neither
The CR-V and RAV4 offer a similar warranty, scheduled maintenance, and roadside assistance coverage.
2023 Honda CR-V Sport
The 2023 Honda CR-V offers its buyers the choice of two powertrains—a conventional turbo and a hybrid—that also have very good power and fuel-efficiency stories to tell. Honda fits the 2023 CR-V EX and EX-L with a 1.5-liter 4-cylinder engine. The automaker rates it at 190 horsepower with peak torque of 179 pound-feet. While Toyota equips the conventional RAV4 with an equally conventional 8-speed automatic transmission, Honda pairs the CR-V's 4-cylinder with a CVT. It features step-shift programming to simulate the gear changing of a conventional automatic transmission. Meanwhile, the RAV4's gear-to-gear shifts are close to imperceptible.
The CR-V Sport and Sport Touring hybrid powertrains combine a 2.0-liter 4-cylinder Atkinson-cycle gasoline-fueled engine with two electric motors. The total system output is 204 hp and 247 pound-feet of torque. That lags behind the RAV4 Hybrid's output and lies close to the conventional 2.5-liter RAV4.
In front-drive configuration, the EPA rates the CR-V EX and EX-L at 28 mpg city/34 mpg highway/30 mpg combined—very close to the numbers of the base RAV4 LE. All-wheel drive involves a penalty of about one mile per gallon. The CR-V Hybrid has almost identical fuel economy to the RAV4 Hybrid. The EPA rates it at 43 mpg city/36 mpg highway/40 mpg combined in front-drive Sport trim. With AWD, the CR-V Hybrid offers fuel economy of 40 mpg city/34 mpg highway/37 mpg combined. Honda doesn't offer a plug-in hybrid CR-V to compete with the RAV4 Prime.
Regarding performance and efficiency, Toyota offers its buyers big helpings of both in the RAV4 Hybrid and RAV4 Prime. The pair deliver excellent performance plus stellar fuel economy. And the standard RAV4 with the conventional 4-cylinder engine is no slouch in those categories, either.
The 2023 Toyota RAV4's base 4-cylinder engine is about as conventional as you can get. Normally aspirated, it displaces 2.5 liters and produces 203 hp and 184 pound-feet of torque. A version of that self-same 2.5-liter 4-cylinder engine plus a permanent-magnet synchronous electric motor powers the 2023 RAV4 Hybrid. The total system output is 219 hp. That's pretty robust for the segment, but the RAV4 Prime outdistances it with its plug-in hybrid system. It employs a more powerful electric motor driving the rear wheels. The total output of the RAV4 Prime powertrain is a heady 302 hp.
The base front-drive 2023 RAV4 LE is rated at 27 mpg city/35 mpg highway/30 mpg combined. The 2023 RAV4 Limited AWD is rated at 25 mpg city/33 mpg highway/28 mpg combined. The two off-road trims—Adventure and TRD Off-Road—have similar fuel-economy numbers.
The EPA rates the Toyota RAV4 Hybrid at 41 mpg city/38 mpg highway/40 mpg combined. That is stellar fuel economy, and the RAV4 Prime, when operated as a hybrid, is pretty comparable: 40 mpg city/36 mpg highway/38 mpg combined. Its MPGe rating is 94, and can deliver up to 42 miles of pure electric driving.
Advantage: Toyota RAV4
2023 Toyota RAV4 SE Hybrid
Toyota and Honda were among the leaders in a significant effort to "democratize" the installation of electronically enabled safety and driver assistance systems. Both the Honda CR-V and Toyota RAV4 are toward the top of the heap in advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS).
The 2023 Honda CR-V's suite of ADAS, including the Honda Sensing system, has road-departure mitigation, lane-departure warning, and lane-keeping assistance. Blind-spot warning, rear cross-traffic warning, traffic-jam assist, automatic emergency braking, forward-collision warning, traffic-sign recognition, and adaptive cruise control with low-speed follow are also standard.
Toyota Safety Sense, standard on all 2023 Toyota RAV4 SUVs, matches up well with the CR-V systems. It includes a pre-collision system with pedestrian detection, full-speed-range adaptive cruise control, lane-departure warning, lane-keeping assistance, lane-centering assistance, traffic-sign recognition, and automatic high-beam headlights. Blind-spot warning, rear cross-traffic warning, and rear cross-traffic braking systems are standard on the upper trims. Front and rear parking assist with automatic braking is an available safety option.
At the time of writing, neither the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) nor the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) has rated the crashworthiness of the 2023 Honda CR-V. In both AWD and FWD forms, the 2023 Toyota RAV4 and the 2023 Toyota RAV4 Hybrid received the highest-possible 5-star ratings from the NHTSA. The NHTSA has yet to rate the 2023 Toyota RAV4 Prime. The 2022 Toyota RAV4—virtually identical to the 2023 model—received a Top Safety Pick rating by the IIHS, while the 2022 RAV4 Prime plug-in hybrid received the top 2022 Top Safety Pick+ designation.
Advantage: Toyota RAV4
2023 Honda CR-V Sport Touring
While the Toyota RAV4 and Honda CR-V have been segment sales leaders for years, they have frankly had many consumer complaints about their infotainment systems. Since infotainment is a crucial area of customer satisfaction, both brands have worked diligently to fix things. Toyota has even gone to the extent of creating a new U.S.-based business unit to solve multimedia issues. With this as background, the infotainment systems in the 2023 Honda CR-V and 2023 Toyota RAV4 are much better than in previous years but still more challenging to use than the systems in some competitive models.
A 7-inch touchscreen infotainment display is standard in the Honda CR-V EX and Sport trims. Compared to previous Honda infotainment systems, its menu structure is more straightforward, and it has physical tuning and volume knobs. It is compatible with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. The up-level CR-V EX-L and Sport Touring have a 9-inch touchscreen, a physical volume knob, and wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Wireless device charging is also standard on those trims.
Toyota fits the majority of 2023 Toyota RAV4s with an 8-inch touchscreen infotainment display with AM/FM, Bluetooth, wireless Android Auto, wireless Apple CarPlay, and a trial subscription to SiriusXM satellite radio. Higher trims like the RAV4 TRD Off-Road and RAV4 Hybrid XSE have a standard 10.5-inch display with similar features to the base system. An 11-speaker JBL premium audio system with a subwoofer and amplifier is also available on the more expensive trims. All RAV4s offer a Wi-Fi hotspot with a one-month trial subscription.
Despite significant improvements to the CR-V's infotainment systems, including more intuitive menus and physical knobs for some functions, the RAV4's systems are easier to use and boast larger displays.
Advantage: Toyota RAV4
2023 Toyota RAV4 SE Hybrid
Utility and comfort are two critical factors to the buyers of compact SUVs, and lately, another has emerged: style. The interiors of the most recently introduced compact crossovers are increasingly emphasizing higher-quality materials and richer design. That is certainly the case with the all-new Honda CR-V, and although the RAV4's platform is older than its competitor, it has also kept up with a more luxurious interior design.
The cabin in the base RAV4 LE is more utilitarian than luxurious. However, it still features an 8-inch touchscreen infotainment system and numerous storage nooks, including a shelf that extends across the lower dash. The RAV4 LE has cloth-covered seats; the driver's seat adjusts six ways while the front passenger's seat adjusts four ways.
From there, the seating and interior trim in the RAV4 get more and more elaborate, depending on the trim level and the package chosen. For instance, several trims offer synthetic leather seats, heated front seats, an 8-way power-adjustable driver's seat with two-position memory and lumbar support, and an 8-way power front passenger seat with a seatback pocket. Heated and ventilated front seats and heated outboard rear seats, once reserved for luxury vehicles, are also available on the top trims. If you want blue illumination for the cupholders, shelves, and footwells or a panoramic sunroof, you can get it by picking the appropriate trim and checking the right boxes.
Honda has been following this trend by noticeably improving its cabin design and materials to respond to customer desires. And the 2023 CR-V has its most well-designed and upscale interior ever. The basic design riffs off the well-regarded interior of the recently introduced Honda Civic. One key design element is the metal mesh band that runs across the dash and disguises the vents. It's a pleasant change from the "nice but plastic" CR-V interiors of years gone by.
The CR-V's standard body-stabilizing front seats are extremely comfortable and supportive. The CR-V EX and Sport feature cloth upholstery and a 10-way power-adjustable driver's seat with power-adjustable lumbar support. The CR-V EX-L and Sport Touring have leather seats and a 10-way-adjustable driver's seat with power lumbar. The EX-L and Sport Touring front passenger seat has 4-way power adjustment. Between the seats is a huge console storage bin.
Looking at interior accommodations and cargo carrying, the brand-new Honda CR-V outdoes the older-design Toyota RAV4. The 2023 Toyota RAV4 has 37.6 cubic feet of cargo behind the second-row seats. With the split-folding rear seats folded out of the way, it offers 69.8 cubic feet of total cargo space.
The 2023 Honda CR-V's 5-passenger cabin is a bit roomier and more accommodating than the RAV4. For one thing, it is simply bigger inside, with 103.5 cubic feet of passenger volume versus 98.9 in the RAV4. In measurements like headroom, hip room, and legroom, the CR-V holds an edge in most instances. The new CR-V also has more luggage space than the RAV4. The cargo area behind the CR-V's folding second row of seats is 39.3 cubic feet. With the second row folded, interior space grows to 76.5 cubic feet. That's almost seven cubic feet more than the RAV4 offers.
Advantage: Honda CR-V
If you'd like to learn more about these compact SUVs, be sure to read our expert reviews of the 2023 Honda CR-V and the Toyota RAV4. To find out how people like you rate models in this segment, check out our ratings from verified vehicle owners.
Also, please keep in mind that while the information in this article was accurate and valid on October 27, 2022, it may have changed since that date. Always confirm product details and availability with the automaker's website or your local dealership.
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