2020 Honda CR-V vs Toyota RAV4

What's the difference?

The Honda CR-V VTi-L7 is a really nice midsize family SUV let down by a lack of active safety equipment. It has been disappointingly left behind its competitors on that front, and while it isn't “unsafe”, you need to know that rival SUVs offer considerably better safety gear than it, and that could be enough to sway your decision.

A shame, really. Because otherwise it's fairly brilliant.

My feelings of hope for improvements from Toyota have given way to expectation. Traditionally its cars have been safe, well-built, and high quality, just boring to drive and imbued with a bit much of a "just enough" attitude. The RAV4 GX Hybrid might be nearly forty grand on the road but it has an excellent safety package, genuine fuel-saving hybrid technology and plenty of room for you and your stuff.

Fun to drive SUVs don't always have the blue halo of electrification. Somehow Toyota has injected (a sensible amount of) fun into the RAV4 which is kind of funny given how much money the brand has spent pretending it's fun. But it's happened and that's a good thing.

The fact that Honda can somehow squeeze seven seats - with room for seven actual people - into a body this compact is a testament to the brand's clever packaging philosophy.

The CR-V dimensions don't chance whether you're buying the five-seat or seven-seat model. It measures 4596mm long (on a 2660mm wheelbase), 1855mm wide and 1679mm tall. For reference, the length of a CR-V is more than a ruler shorter than a Toyota Corolla sedan. That's truly amazing considering there are seven seats in here.

Of course that comes down to the tall, square body of the CR-V, which - unlike some competitors - is unashamedly focused on practicality.

The interior design is a key part of that focus, and the CR-V has some things are dreamy for parents and grandparents - like rear doors that open almost to right angles, allowing for very easy access to the back seats (but could also lead to unintended door dings in car parks if enthusiastic youngsters fling them open with force).

There are also five child seat attachment points for the rear five seats. The third-row features top-tether only points, which are off to the side of the boot so you still have usable cargo space with the rearmost seats in play.

But on the flipside, the top-tether points for the second row are located in the ceiling of the boot area, meaning you have to run straps through the head-space of the third row to secure the seats in place, essentially rendering that back row as unusable if the second-row is kitted out for kids seats. Of course there are dual ISOFIX outboard anchors as well, but Australian legislation requires top straps be fitted in addition to ISOFIX.

I do like the new RAV4 more than the old one. A few angles are a little too... um, angly, and from the rear seems to have pinched its look from the VW Tiguan. Sometimes in traffic I double take because the badges and tail-lights don't match. I doubt it's completely deliberate, but the resemblance is there.

Further similarity to the competition is evident in the nose, with a distinct whiff of Forester. Either way, the RAV4 is more interesting and much sharper than its flabby predecessor.

I really dig the interior, though. Not so much for its beauty - its left-field competitor, the Peugeot 3008 wins that race hands down - but for, again, how much better it is than the old car, and how clever it is.

Everything looks and feels much better, with nicer materials and some lovely touches like the industrial motif in the rubber bits that line things like the the cupholder, boot floor and the tray cut into the dash. The rubberised climate control dials are a nice touch, adding a halo of ruggedness and practicality. I prefer the cloth interior, too.

I already covered off some of the third-row design considerations in that section, but how does that all translate to the space on offer?

I'm 182cm and I (just) fit in all three rows.

In the very back seats the headroom is the main issue. I struggled to fit in the back row sitting upright, my neck was cricked to the side in order to fit. But smaller adults or children shouldn't have too much of an issue back there, as the width, kneeroom and toe room was adequate for short trips. There are some bottle holders in the back, and there are rear air vents and a fan controller for those in the back.

Third-row access is decent, as the middle-row seats flip and tumble forward (60:40 split, with the smaller section thankfully on the kerbside). They also slide to allow access, but that might be difficult if you have a child seat fitted.

I can't stress enough how much having the top-tether points in the roof section will annoy you if you regularly use the third row. Many competitors have the top tether anchor integrated into the back of the middle-row seat, and they also have sliding functionality which is, quite simply, a better way of doing it.

In the second row, there's decent leg room, toe room and head room, even with a large sunroof. Amenities are good, with dual map pockets, a pair of directional air vents, a flip down armrest with a pair of cup holders, and bottle holders in the doors too.

And then up front there's exceptional practicality, with a huge centre console section with a secondary section below the cup holders. There's also a covered bin, plus another storage section in front of the cup holders below the high-mounted gear selector, big door pockets with bottle holders, and a pair of small storage slots either side of the gear selector box, too.

The steering wheel is nice and neat, the driver info screen is a fully digital affair - there's a digital speedometer, fuel readout, and trip computer. It takes a bit of learning to get the controls down pat using the steering wheel buttons, but there's a bit going on.

The media screen is a 7.0-inch touch-capacitive unit, which is getting to be on the small side by today's standards. It has the stuff you'd expect, though, with Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, Bluetooth, sat nav and digital radio all included. It's a bit of an old-school display and the menus are fine but not super intuitive, and the screen doubles as a display for the reversing camera and Honda's proprietary LaneWatch side-view system.

If you're wondering about charging, there are four USB ports (two front, two rear) and there's even a HDMI input. The sound system has eight speakers, and the quality is pretty good, too.

As for boot space or cargo capacity, there's 150 litres (VDA) of luggage space with all the rear seats in play - or enough for school bags or some shopping - and that increases to 472L in five-seat layout (suitcases, sporting gear, a pram - and maybe even all at once!). Fold down all the rear seats and you've got 967L of room to the window line, and a lot more if you dare load up above that line.

There's a movable rear floor section that gives you a level playing field if you need it when storing long items, and under the boot floor (and the third-row seats) there's even a full-size alloy spare wheel. Neat!

The RAV is very nicely packaged, which isn't something you can say about the Corolla or C-HR. Front seat passengers score a big phone sized cubby hole in the console as well as couple of litres underneath the armrest along with a little tray.

The two cupholders are placed just ahead of the armrest. The dash also sports a Kluger-style split, thoughtfully lined with rubber for your passenger's bits and pieces. Just the one USB port, though, which is a shame - the GXL and up have another four. Seems a bit stingy for rear-seat passengers.

Rear seat dwellers score two cupholders and all four doors have bottle holders. There is also plenty of space back there with good head and leg room and air-con vents.

The boot has a clever two-position floor to eke out a few more litres if you need them. In its lowest position you have 580 litres (assuming you don't have an optional full-size spare).

Set it higher, and level with the boot loading lip, you have 542 litres. As is Toyota's habit, the company doesn't have an official figure for a folded seat situation.

The GX Hybrid is obviously a bit more than (and a commensurate improvement on) the 2.0-litre GX, costing $35,490 ($39,606 drive-away) before any of the very skinny options list is added. So skinny it's basically a full-size spare and only available in this grade.

Base models just aren't what they used to be, especially not at Toyota, and particularly not when the price starts with a 35. You get 17-inch alloys, a six-speaker stereo, dual-zone climate control, reversing camera, central locking, front and rear parking sensors, active cruise control, sat nav, auto LED headlights, auto wipers and a space-saver spare.

It's also a Toyota with (clears throat) Apple CarPlay and Android Auto on its prominent 8.0-inch touchscreen. Massive win.

Joining the belated digital revolution is DAB+ radio with a dire interface that reminds you how bad the embedded software is, despite a hefty upgrade in the last year or so.

I should note the car I drove was a pre-November 1, 2019 build and was yet to have CarPlay activated, but the identical system on the C-HR and Corolla has it.

This grade of Honda CR-V - like all but the base model - comes with a 1.5-litre turbocharged four-cylinder petrol engine.

Want to know engine specs? The power output is 140kW (at 5600rpm) and the torque figure is 240Nm (at 2000-5000rpm). Not quite a horsepower hero, but better than adequate outputs nonetheless.

As with all CR-Vs the gearbox is a continuously variable transmission (CVT) auto, which isn't to all tastes but is a good pairing with this powerplant.

The model you choose in the CR-V range will determine if it comes in two-wheel drive (2WD)/front-wheel drive (FWD) or all-wheel drive (AWD). This one is a 2WD.

Towing capacity is 600kg for an unbraked trailer, and 1000kg for a braked trailer for all seven-seat CR-V models (and, according to Honda Australia's site, that figure is "with seven seats occupied" - but the onus is on the driver to ensure the gross combination mass, or GCM, doesn't exceed 3300kg). Five-seat CR-V models offer 600kg unbraked/1500kg braked towing capacity. 

The cheapest RAV4 Hybrid comes with a 2.5-litre four-cylinder engine allied to an electric motor and a CVT auto driving the front wheels. Toyota is famously conservative with its mixed-power numbers, quoting a combined 160kW (up from 152kW in the non-hybrid and 127kW in the GX 2.0-litre) and down from the AWD's 163kW.

The company will only quote the combustion engine's torque figure, which is a fairly ho-hum 221Nm. It's clearly more than that with the electric motor boosting away, but alas, we don't have a proper number.

If you feel so inclined, the GX Hybrid will only tow a 480kg trailer (braked or unbraked), which rises to 1500kg braked for the AWD model.

Claimed fuel consumption on the combined test cycle, according to Honda, is 7.3 litres per 100 kilometres. It has an eco mode (Econ, as Honda calls it) that dulls the throttle a bit and aims for better fuel use, and that mode was engaged the entire time for my test, as I didn't feel I needed extra engine grunt at all.

That was all the more impressive as I did more than 600km in the CR-V, most of which was highway driving (including a loop west over the Blue Mountains and back!), and bettered that claim, with 7.0L/100km displayed on test.

Given it's a hybrid, this is a rather important part of the package. The official Toyota figure comes in at 4.8L/100km on the combined cycle. 

Here's the astonishing bit. I got it. A week of driving around as I would normally and I scored an indicated 4.8L/100km. I did a bit of digging to see if there is a corresponding WLTP figure (as opposed to the ADR) and found it was bang on 4.8L/100km.

It's lucky, really, because the tank is a smidge on the small side (for long runs, anyway) at 55 litres.

As mentioned above, my drive time was largely out of town - but I was impressed, as always, with the CR-V in all situations.

It's such a competent mid-size SUV, one that is perfectly suited to family buyers who want a comfortable car that's quiet and easy to live with. I really think it is one of the best in the class in terms of balancing comfort and control. It's arguably more comfortable than a CX-5, Tucson or RAV4, and more controlled than a Forester, X-Trail or Outlander.

The suspension is well sorted, with a ride quality that is very well resolved, very comfortable for both the driver and passengers, and yet it still handles quite nicely too, with direct and enjoyable steering that is both quick to respond, and easy to judge. Some people might find it's a little too darty, but you get used to it - trust me.

The engine and transmission work well together, though the transmission can rob you of some of the joy of the turbo engine's thrust. The engine does offer a good dollop of grunt in Econ mode, you just need to get to the throttle detent (that section midway down the throttle travel where it goes from measured response to more urgent acceleration) to take advantage of it.

It's very refined, very quiet, and very impressive. I'd happily do long distance driving in a CR-V on a regular basis, and it's also adept at urban driving duties: it's easy to park, deals well with slow-speed bumps and lumps, and the drive experience is pretty relaxing overall.

Toyota's experience with hybrid is unquestioned. The company has been doing it for donkeys, but mostly in the terminally dull Prius.

Now it's working its way through to other cars, including the refreshed C-HR, last year's all-new Corolla and here in the RAV4. This isn't the plug-in hybrid overseas markets get, which is a shame, but given what we already know about the fuel economy, not a massive let down.

During the week I had the car, I tried to see how fast I could go under electric power only. The battery is a small one and anything more than breathing on the throttle starts the combustion engine. A leisurely trundle down a long straight street near me saw 36km/h come up on the screen before hydrocarbons stepped in.

The hybrid system does a great job of getting you off the line, which in traffic is the bit that burns a lot of fuel. You can stay on electric in stop-start messiness when you're gentle on the throttle but it's not like, say, an Ioniq PHEV where you can get a good shove from the electric motor.

While it does whir and click a bit, the system is otherwise unobtrusive, although the initial bite on the brakes is a bit soft, which is understandable. You have to get used to it and it's not something from which other hybrids I've driven suffer. The transition from energy recovery to actual braking is a little awkward but once you're familiar, you'll stop noticing.

In terms of dynamics, the RAV4 is really nice to drive. There's enough feel in the steering to know what's going on, it rides well and responds to your inputs without the traditional Toyota pause or protests from either engine or tyres.

It doesn't roll too much, which is a massive improvement. And I'm sure a better set of tyres (over the OE Bridgestone Alenzas, which sound like an Aldi brand) would improve its overall grip.

I drove an AWD RAV4 straight after this one and I can't say there was a marked difference. So, unless you need all four wheels in action, you won't need to spend the extra.

The RAV4 ships with seven airbags, ABS, stability and traction controls, trailer sway control, blind-spot monitor and reverse cross-traffic alert.

'Safety Sense' is standard across the range and includes lane departure warning, lane keep assist, forward AEB (with pedestrian and daytime cyclist detection), road sign recognition, auto high beam and active cruise control.

There are two ISOFIX points and three top-tether anchors.

ANCAP awarded the RAV4 a maximum five star rating in May 2019.

Honda covers all of its new models with a five-year/unlimited kilometre warranty. That's par for the course these days, but the brand has dabbled in promotional seven-year warranty cover. Hit up the dealer to see if your purchase is eligible for this extended warranty.

And the company also has a capped price service plan, which runs out to up to 10 years. Service intervals are every 12 months or 10,000km, which is a bit more regular than most rivals (which have annual/15,000km intervals).

The basic cost per maintenance visit is $312, which is pretty affordable for this class of vehicle, but that is before you factor in some additional consumables such as the cabin air filter ($45, every 24 months/30,000km), brake fluid ($58, every 36 months), transmission fluid ($172, every 36 months/40,000km), air cleaner element ($55, every 60,000km) and spark plugs ($274, every 100,000km).

When it comes to roadside assistance, Honda offers all new car buyers five years of coverage (or seven years if you get a seven-year warranty plan).

There isn't much more Toyota can do here - a five year/unlimited kilometre warranty, seven years warranty on the engine and gearbox (if you keep it serviced by the book) and seven years of roadside assist.

On top of that, every 12 months or 15,000km you'll pay $210 per service, which is a bargain. This program covers the first four services, taking you to four years/60,000km.

For most people that's going to be fine and Toyota says it can knock the service over in 90 minutes, if you're happy to wait.