Honda CR-Vvs Toyota RAV4 the Real Facts
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| HONDA CR-V |
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| TOYOTA RAV4 |
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| TOYOTA RAV4 |
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| HONDA CR-V |
People from the Greensboro, High Point, Asheboro, and Winston Salem areas are always asking us about how the Honda CR-V stacks up to the Toyota RAV 4. They say the CR-V is really popular, I see a lot of them on the road. But when I was doing my research I kept seeing a lot about the Toyota Rav4 being a Consumer Reports favorite. Then they ask us to weigh in on the advantages the RAV4 has over the CR-V.
The short answer is that the Toyota Rav 4 has better fuel economy, more interior room, more optional features like remote start and keyless entry and better towing capacity.
So I thought I would put it in a blog just the highlights the big points.
Safety
Both the Rav4 and the Honda CR-V have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, front wheel drive, height adjustable front shoulder belts, four wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding and available all wheel drive.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does side impact tests on new vehicles. In this test, which crashes the vehicle into a flat barrier at 38.5 MPH and into a post at 20 MPH, results indicate that the Toyota Rav4 is safer than the Honda CR-V:
Rav4
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Honda CR-V
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Front Seat
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STARS
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5 Stars
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3 Stars
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Chest Movement
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.8 inches
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1.5 inches
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Into Pole
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STARS
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2 Stars
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2 Stars
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Max Damage Depth
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16 inches
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16 inches
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HIC
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618
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622
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New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.
The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) performs roof strength tests. In that test the Rav4 earned the second highest rating of “Acceptable” because its roof supported over three and a quarter times the Rav4’s weight before being crushed five inches. The Honda CR-V was rated lower at “Marginal.”
Warranty
The Rav4 comes with free roadside assistance for 2 years 25000 miles. Toyota will send help if you run out of gas, need a jump start, lock your keys in or need any assistance on the road. Honda doesn’t give free roadside assistance for the CR-V.
Toyota pays for scheduled maintenance on the Rav4 for 2 years and 25000 miles. Toyota will pay for oil changes, tire rotation, lubrication and any other scheduled maintenance. Honda doesn’t pay scheduled maintenance for the CR-V.
There are over 19 percent more Toyota dealers than there are Honda dealers, which makes it easier to get service under the Rav4’s warranty.
Reliability
J.D. Power and Associates’ 2011 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Toyota vehicles are more reliable than Honda vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Toyota fifth in reliability, above the industry average. With 17 more problems per 100 vehicles, Honda is ranked 11th.
Engine
The Rav4’s standard 2.5 DOHC 4 cyl. produces 11 lbs.-ft. more torque (172 vs. 161) than the Honda CR-V’s 2.4 DOHC 4 cyl. The Rav4’s optional 3.5 DOHC V6 produces 89 more horsepower (269 vs. 180) and 85 lbs.-ft. more torque (246 vs. 161) than the Honda CR-V’s 2.4 DOHC 4 cyl.
As tested in Motor Trend the Toyota Rav4 V6 is faster than the Honda CR-V:
Rav4
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CR-V
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Zero to 30 MPH
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2.2 sec
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3.1 sec
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Zero to 60 MPH
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6.4 sec
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9.2 sec
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Zero to 80 MPH
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11.4 sec
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15.6 sec
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Zero to 100 MPH
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17.8 sec
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20.2 sec
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Passing 45 to 65 MPH
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3.2 sec
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4.8 sec
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Quarter Mile
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15 sec
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16.9 sec
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Speed in 1/4 Mile
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91.6 MPH
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82.9 MPH
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Fuel Economy and Range
On the EPA test cycle the Rav4 FWD 4 cyl. gets better fuel mileage than the Honda CR-V FWD (22 city/28 hwy vs. 21 city/28 hwy).
Brakes and Stopping
The Rav4 stops much shorter than the Honda CR-V:
Rav4
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Honda CR-V
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70 to 0 MPH
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179 feet
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181 feet
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Car and Driver
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60 to 0 MPH
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123 feet
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134 feet
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Motor Trend
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Tires and Wheels
For better traction, the Rav4 Sport’s tires are larger than the largest tires available on the Honda CR-V (235/55R18 vs. 225/65R17).
The Rav4 Sport’s tires provide better handling because they have a lower 55 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Honda CR-V’s 65 series tires.
For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Rav4 Sport has standard 18 inch wheels. The Honda CR-V’s largest wheels are only 17 inches.
Changing a flat tire near traffic can be dangerous and inconvenient. The run-flat tires available on the Rav4 can be driven up to 50 miles without any air pressure, allowing you to drive to a service station for a repair. The Honda CR-V doesn’t offer run-flat tires.
The Rav4 has a standard full size spare tire so your trip isn’t interrupted by a flat. A full size spare isn’t available on the Honda CR-V, it requires you to depend on a temporary spare, which limits mileage and speed before replacement.
Suspension and Handling
For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Rav4’s wheelbase is 1.6 inches longer than on the Honda CR-V (104.7 inches vs. 103.1 inches).
The Rav4 Limited 4WD handles at .83 G’s, while the Honda CR-V EX-L AWD pulls only .78 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.
The Rav4 Limited 4WD performs Car and Driver’s emergency lane change maneuver faster than the Honda CR-V EX AWD (58.9 vs. 58.4 MPH).
For better maneuverability, the Rav4 w/16 or 17” wheels’ turning circle is 3 feet tighter than the Honda CR-V’s (34.8 feet vs. 37.8 feet). The Rav4 w/18” wheels’ turning circle is 1 foot tighter than the Honda CR-V’s (36.8 feet vs. 37.8 feet).
For greater off-road capability the Rav4 has a greater minimum ground clearance than the Honda CR-V (7.5 vs. 6.7 inches), allowing the Rav4 to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged.
Chassis
The design of the Toyota Rav4 amounts to more than styling. The Rav4 has an aerodynamic coefficient of drag of .33 Cd. That is significantly lower than the Honda CR-V (.43) and many sports cars. A more efficient exterior helps keep the interior quieter and helps the Rav4 get better fuel mileage.
As tested by Car and Driver, the interior of the Rav4 Limited 4WD is quieter than the Honda CR-V EX-L AWD:
Rav4
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CR-V
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At idle
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35 dB
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43 dB
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Full-Throttle
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75 dB
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76 dB
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70 MPH Cruising
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68 dB
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71 dB
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Passenger Space
The Rav4 has 35.4 cubic feet more passenger volume than the Honda CR-V (139.2 vs. 103.8).
The Rav4 has .5 inches more front legroom, .2 inches more front shoulder room and 1.1 inches more rear headroom than the Honda CR-V.
Cargo Capacity
The Rav4’s cargo area provides more volume than the Honda CR-V.
Rav4
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CR-V
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Third Seat Folded
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37.2 cubic feet
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n/a
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Third Seat Removed
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36.4 cubic feet
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35.7 cubic feet
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Second Seat Folded
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73 cubic feet
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72.9 cubic feet
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Towing
Maximum trailer towing in the Honda CR-V is limited to 1500 pounds. The Rav4 offers up to a 3500 lbs. towing capacity.
Ergonomics
The Rav4 offers a remote vehicle starting system, so the vehicle can be started from inside the driver's house. This allows the driver to comfortably warm up the engine before going out to the vehicle. The Honda CR-V doesn’t offer a remote starting system.
Smart Key System standard on the Rav4 Limited allows the driver to unlock the doors, cargo door and start the engine all without removing a key from pocket or purse. This eliminates searching for keys before loading groceries, getting in the car in bad weather or making a hurried start to your trip. The Honda CR-V doesn’t offer an advanced key system.
The Rav4’s variable intermittent wipers have an adjustable delay to allow the driver to choose a setting that best clears the windshield during light rain or mist. The Honda CR-V LX/SE’s standard fixed intermittent wipers only have one fixed delay setting, so the driver will have to manually switch them between slow and intermittent.
To improve rear visibility by keeping the rear window clear, the Rav4 has a standard rear fixed intermittent wiper with a full on position. The rear wiper standard on the Honda CR-V only has an intermittent setting, so in a hard rain visibility isn’t as good.
To shield the driver and front passenger’s vision over a larger portion of the windshield and side windows, the Rav4 has standard extendable sun visors. The Honda CR-V doesn’t offer extendable visors.
The Rav4’s optional rear view mirror has an automatic dimming feature. This mirror can be set to automatically darken quickly when headlights shine on it, keeping following vehicles from blinding or distracting the driver. The Honda CR-V doesn’t offer the luxury of an automatic dimming rear view mirror.
To help keep rear passengers entertained, the Rav4 Limited offers optional rear seat controls for the radio which can play a separate audio source. The Honda CR-V doesn’t offer rear seat audio controls.
Optional Entune for the Rav4 Limited allows the driver and passengers access to select programs on their smartphones, including reading text messages aloud, playing internet radio stations, tagging songs to buy them later, finding fuel prices at nearby service stations, searching the internet and other online activities without taking their eyes off the road or their hands from the wheel. The Honda CR-V doesn’t offer factory integrated smartphone program access.
The Rav4’s available GPS navigation system has a real-time traffic update feature that offers alternative routes to automatically bypass traffic problems. (Service available in a limited number of metro areas.) The Honda CR-V’s available navigation system doesn’t offer real-time traffic updates.
The Rav4 Limited offers an optional 115 volt a/c outlet in the center console, allowing you to recharge a laptop or run small household appliances without special adapters which can break or get misplaced. The Honda CR-V doesn’t offer a house-current electrical outlet.
Economic Advantages
According to The Car Book by Jack Gillis, the Rav4 is less expensive to operate than the Honda CR-V because it costs $273 less to do the manufacturer’s suggested maintenance for 50,000 miles. Typical repairs cost much less on the Rav4 than the Honda CR-V, including $10 less for a water pump, $439 less for an alternator, $203 less for fuel injection, $31 less for front struts, $144 less for a timing belt/chain and $48 less for a power steering pump.
Recommendations
Both are recommended, but Consumer Reports® chose the Toyota Rav4 as its “Top Pick,” the highest scoring vehicle in its category, based on reliability, safety and performance. The Honda CR-V isn't recommended.
Car and Driver performed a comparison test in its February 2010 issue and they ranked the Toyota Rav4 Limited 4WD first. They ranked the Honda CR-V EX-L AWD third.
The Rav4 was chosen as one of Car and Driver’s “Top Five Trucks” for 2 of the last 5 years. The Honda CR-V hasn’t been picked since 2003.
You can compare the Toyota RAV4 to any vehicle at RiceToyota.com using our Advata-Star vehicle comparison tool.
To ask a question about the Toyota RAV 4 or the Honda CR-V email us at sales@ricetoyota.com or call us at 336-288-1190, we would be delighted to help you.
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