Honda CR-V VTi-LX vs Subaru Forester 2.5i-S vs Mazda CX-5 GT 2.5 Turbo vs Toyota RAV4 Cruiser hybrid 2019 review

We put these four SUVs through their paces with luggage, a pram, baby seats, adults, cups and bottles and more - and there were two models that stood out for outright practicality.

All four models featuring the expected standard inclusions of a touchscreen media system with smartphone mirroring (remember, Toyota says Apple CarPlay and Android Auto will be offered on the RAV later in 2019, and people who buy one before then will be able to retrofit the tech at no cost).

The usability of the systems varies, though. The Honda’s screen doesn’t only control media, it also manages the climate control - temperature and fan speed can be adjusted using the knobs, but the mode and air direction are done through the screen. Weird. Also, the sat nav maps are childish, and the screens take a long time to load.

The Mazda’s screen has the option of touch capacity at a standstill, or rotary dial at speed. Everyone on test liked the addition of a rotary controller, though the Mazda’s screen can be slow to get going, too.

The Toyota’s screen is easier to navigate through than we’ve seen from the brand in the past - and quicker to load, too. But there are still some buttons that are smaller than they should be, though it’s second best overall here.

But the best screen of this mix is the Subaru - it offers the best responsiveness, the best clarity, the best resolution and the most logical menus and controls. It’s almost the best in the entire class (we’d say the VW Tiguan’s system just beats the Forester).

As for cabin design, we liked the rugged elements of the RAV4 (those awesome rubberised knobs, dials and handles) and Forester (with its chunky, purposeful design), while the CR-V’s simple yet elegant look helped it feel a touch more upmarket than those two. But the best for perceived quality and presentation is the CX-5, which was the most expensive feeling inside. And, well, it is the most expensive, so I guess it should.

All four have cup holders in the centre console and in the backseat armrest, and all have bottle holders in their doors. But for cabin storage, the CR-V’s enormous and configurable centre console bin is a treat, and the Forester’s double map pockets are great, too. The Toyota only has one map pocket in the back, which is weird and inconvenient.

All four have rear USB ports to keep the kids quiet on trips - but the Mazda’s are mounted in the centre armrest, which could deem them useless depending on how full the car is. The others have USBs mounted in back of the centre console section, where you’ll find air vents in all of these models.

Resident dad, Mal Flynn, fitted a rear-facing 0-4 child seat to the back left position of each car - you know, the configuration used for about the first 12 months of driving around with bub - and measured the maximum allowable distance from the front seat (at a comfortable recline angle) to the leading edge of the dashboard. This gives you an indication of how much adult space remains up front, which no doubt surprises many when fitting a child seat for the first time. 

Despite being similar in overall size, there was a full 10cm of space between the space allowed in the CR-V (best) and CX-5 (worst). This was the difference between being very uncomfortable with my knees pressed up against the dash (for my 182cm frame), and comfortable space with room to spare. 

The RAV4 was second best in this regard, giving up just 2cm to the CR-V, with the Forester in third at 5cm shorter, but both were sufficient compared to the CX-5. 

All four of these SUVs will fit three adults - or two child seats and a baby seat - across the back pew, but the levels of comfort varies. Our width testing trio - myself, Jarryd Sullivan and Mal Flynn - found the Honda was by far the most comfortable across the cabin, with the Subaru again close behind. The Toyota was third best, and - you guessed it - the Mazda was worst, let down by its chunky doors. The legroom was also worst in the Mazda, and in the Honda the rear seating position was a bit too 'knees-up' for taller adults. The Toyota and Subaru were about equal for leg room, with enough for someone my height (182cm) to sit comfortably behind an identical size person. 

The best application of a large sunroof here is the Subaru, because it barely eats into headroom because of the car’s high ceiling.

The Mazda’s sunroof is small, and therefore doesn’t interrupt the space much - but it’s also the worst for overall space, so it does feel like it’s impinging on the cabin more than it actually does.

The Toyota’s sunroof is on the small side, too (you can get a bigger panoramic roof, but only in the range-topping Edge non-hybrid model), but it doesn’t impact the space too much.

Boot space details are below:

For interior and practicality, the Honda and Subaru come out on top. They offered the best levels of medium SUV pragmatism and thoughtfulness, with the RAV4 just behind. The Mazda is smaller inside, and suffers a little in this section of the test as a result - despite having the most premium cabin look and feel.

Check out the images of the boot space to see the differences between each of the cargo zones - we got images of the pram and the suitcases in each of these cars to give you a good idea of how they really stack up.

They’re all petrol powered, automatic, and each has all-wheel drive. But there are some differences here.

The Honda CR-V VTi-LX has the smallest engine of these four - a 1.5 litre turbo-petrol four-cylinder, which has comparatively low power outputs for the class. But it is a tiny little engine.

The Mazda CX-5 GT’s 2.5-litre turbo-petrol four-cylinder has been improved by a new punchy turbo petrol engine, and it has big outputs for this segment. Just have a look - it has almost 200Nm more than the Honda!

The Subaru Forester 2.5i-S runs - you guessed it - a 2.5-litre four-cylinder, and yep, it’s a ‘boxer’ in the traditional Subaru horizontally opposed design. It doesn’t have a turbocharged boost, so its outputs are somewhat modest. In fact, they’re pretty meagre, and it has the least grunt of this quartet.

The Toyota RAV4 Cruiser Hybrid uses a 2.5-litre four-cylinder petrol engine too, but it adds electricity to the mix in the form of a for surprisingly decent power outputs. There is no combined torque figure offered by Toyota. Being the only one with electric assistance by way of two electric motors and a battery pack, the RAV4 is punchier in terms of performance than its numbers suggest. It has the ability to run on electricity alone in certain conditions, like when you’re taking off from a standstill or if you’re light on the throttle. And it captures energy when braking or coasting, too.

The scores below reflect how these powertrains stack up on paper, and in terms of performance - but you can read more about the drive experience in the driving section below.

Our drive loop was fashioned to replicate what the average family SUV owner might encounter on any given weekend. A long and windy coastal road to a quiet beach. A stretch of boring highway to get most of the way there. And a jaunt into town - through roundabouts and over speed humps - when its time to get some grub to the keep the family happy.

And across that testing route, it came to us that there were elements of each of these cars that were enjoyable, and parts that could have been better. None of them completely nail it, but there’s one model that was picked by everyone who drove it as the best all-rounder - and you might be surprised as to which one it was…

The Subaru Forester 2.5i-S was mostly very predictable - and indeed, it felt better with four people on board than with just one occupant. The ride is a little bouncier due to its softer suspension tune, and on your own you might find the suspension a little cumbersome if you’re driving on less-than-perfect roads. It all settles down with a whole family in the seats, and if you do a lot of driving with four on board, then the springy suspension mightn’t be of concern. It did handle corners pretty well, though - there is a bit of body roll, but mostly it pulled through bends with ease, and the Subie’s all-wheel-drive system held on great in those instances, too.

The Forester’s steering is mostly predictable at speed, and also it’s nice and light at lower speed - it was judged to be the easiest of these four to park, with the best visibility and the most city-friendly steering for those tight reverse parallel moves. The Suby’s drivetrain was a little lethargic, though the CVT auto with stepped ‘ratios’ did a good job of keeping things moving.

The Toyota offered a slightly firmer ride than its competitors with only one occupant on board, but the composure levels with a family-worth of weight in the cabin was notably better. It handled bigger bumps at higher speeds really well, and the steering of the RAV4 Cruiser Hybrid was predictable and likeable in equal measure.

But its biggest letdown was its cabin insulation. It was the noisiest of this mix, with tyre roar and suspension rumble noticeable.. but perhaps it was more noticeable because the RAV4 hybrid is really quiet when you’re using battery power only. The engine can be vocal when its in use, and you notice it more the faster you go. It performs really well, though, and you’ll see big benefits and the petrol bowser. And its CVT auto was fine - really, if you’ve go issues with CVTs, you’re going to have to get over it.

Mazda has built a reputation for offering vehicles that are fun to drive, but sadly the CX-5 GT fell a bit short of our expectations. Yes, its big capacity turbocharged engine is a humdinger, with easily the best acceleration here and good drivability at low and high speeds, and a six-speed automatic (not a CVT!) that offered crisp and thoughtful shifts. But in our hill climb test it fell short for grip - the tyres simply didn’t hang on very well, and the steering has rack rattle and inconsistent weighting at times.

Our drive loop was fashioned to replicate what the average family SUV owner might encounter on any given weekend. (image credit: Dean McCartney)

The ride was better than we’d expected, and proved more settled with extra bodies in the cabin, while running solo it still has a bit of a tendency to feel sharp and twitchy over smaller inconsistencies in the road. Some people mightn’t care about that, but if you’re trying to get your youngster to have a nap in the back and they can’t sleep because they keep getting jostled in their capsule, it could be an issue.

Overall, though - across our mix of urban, highway and twisty road driving, there was a surprise favourite - the Honda CR-V VTi-LX. Even though this model has been on sale since 2017 and has seen no major changes since launch, it was everyone’s favourite to drive - and I’m talking about eight different drivers on this test.

As such, it beat out some very impressive competition. We already knew it was good based on our previous experience with it in our last mid-sized SUV comparison test, but this new test only went on to highlight its strengths - it had the most comfortable ride, its steering was the most direct and enjoyable steering, while also being pretty nimble at parking duties, and it had the best levels of quietness in the cabin at higher speeds.

Admittedly it does have a drivetrain that could do with a little bit more grunt, but the downsized turbo engine and CVT automatic performed perfectly fine during our test. All of our testers agreed - the CR-V VTi-LX was our pick of these SUVs when it came to the overall driving experience.

It seems like a fairly level playing field when it comes to ownership. I mean, if you travel a lot of kilometres, you might find having to go in to the dealership a couple of times a year to service your car a bit painful. Or you might think that not having roadside assist included is a problem.

But take a look at the table below and you’ll see there are pros and cons for each of these vehicles - none of them nail it across the board.

There’s a caveat to the Toyota warranty plan - if you maintain logbook servicing - it doesn’t have to be Toyota Service, just so long as there are stamps in the owners manual - you are eligible for a seven-year/unlimited kilometre warranty. There is no included roadside assist for Toyota models, but you can purchase it through the company.

There’s also a worthwhile disclaimer for the Honda’s warranty plan - the brand has been running a seven-year/unlimited kilometre promotional warranty for a while now, and that plan includes the same cover for roadside assist. If you miss out on that deal, the standard warranty is five years/unlimited kilometres, and doesn’t include roadside assist.

And it’s worth bearing in mind that the servicing costs listed for the Mazda and Honda don’t include any potential consumables that might also be required over the period. The pricing for the Toyota and Subaru have all consumables included.

On balance, the Toyota’s lengthier intervals and low servicing costs make up for a lack of roadside assist, so it wins this section by a whisker. The Mazda and Honda are so close, but the Honda is just a bit more appealing as it has a longer capped price plan. The Subaru’s high costs put it last for ownership.

If you have concerns over reliability - whether its engine problems, transmission issues, or anything else that could go wrong - we have a resource for you! You can check out our Honda CR-V problems page, Mazda CX-5 problems page, Toyota RAV4 problems page, or our Subaru Forester problems page.