You know what would make this Toyota RAV4 or this Honda CR-V
even better?
If they were hybrids.
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So how do you choose between the two?
I'm here to walk you through all the differences,
tell you about the pros and cons of each,
and let you know what to expect if you're living with them day
to day.
Let's get hybriding.
Hey everybody, I'm Ryan from Edmunds.
At Edmunds, we painstakingly test and review hundreds
of cars each year, while CarMax experts buy, sell, and appraise
thousands and thousands.
We're combining our car testing knowledge
with their experience to help you make the right choice
on your next car.
First up, we're talking Toyota.
Here's essential info about the RAV4 hybrid.
This generation of the RAV4 debuted in 2019,
and this is a 2020 model.
It's got two rows of seats for up to five passengers.
The biggest pros of the RAV4 hybrid
are great fuel economy, a comfortable ride,
and roomy cargo space.
On average, CarMax sells 2020 RAV4 hybrids for about $40,000,
depending on things like the trim level, mileage, options,
and other factors.
Then there's the Honda CR-V Hybrid.
What makes this one different?
Well, this generation of the CR-V debuted in 2017.
But there was no hybrid version until 2020.
This is a 2021 model.
Just like the RAV4, the CR-V is a two-row SUV,
and it seats up to 5.
Here are its biggest pros.
It's spacious inside, has confident handling
and really smooth power.
Now, CarMax sells CR-V hybrids for an average around $39,000.
Again, that's depending on the trim level, mileage, options,
and other factors.
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Here's what defines the interior of the RAV4 hybrid, function.
The vibe in here is comfy and up for anything.
So it's nice.
But if you're on a long trip and it gets all dusty and dirty
in here, you're not going to be that upset.
Now, as for the seats, they're positioned up pretty high.
So we have a nice commanding view of the road.
And there's good adjustability in the seat as well.
So it's easy to find a nice driving position.
But personally, I like to sit a little bit lower.
And the seat doesn't go quite as low as I would like.
And that's just me, but maybe something for you
taller drivers to keep in mind.
The good news is, accessibility is really easy.
And that's because the seats are positioned
at the perfect height for adults to get in and out.
And then there are all kinds of pockets and nooks
and crannies, places to store your small items.
What about materials?
Well, it's a bit of a mixed bag.
For instance, up here, you have a nice soft dash,
down here as well.
But then some of these other areas,
just kind of hard and don't feel very upscale.
As for the seats, I like the padding and the shape of them,
which would be good for holding up over long drives.
Just be aware that the seat bottoms themselves
can be a little bit flat.
And then for the controls, you have nice big dials right here
with rubber grips that are really cool.
But then on the screen, the buttons
are really slim and hard to hit, especially
if you're doing that while you're driving.
Now, the RAV4 hybrid has a lot of promise
with regards to tech.
For instance, most models get this 7 inch touchscreen,
while there's a larger 8 inch unit on XSE
and the Limited trim.
Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, Amazon Alexa, they
all come standard on all trims.
On the base model, there's one USB port positioned up here.
But then on the XLE, like this one,
there's two more in the center console
and two more in the back for rear passengers.
The screen runs on Toyota's Entune infotainment system.
But our editors don't think that's the best one around.
Even worse than that, if you're driving
and direct sunlight hits the screen,
it completely washes out, which is really frustrating.
Now, this screen on the XLE does not come with navigation.
That's because navigation is only standard on the Limited
trim.
You may also be able to find a Limited that
comes with some optional features like a 360 degree view
camera or a wireless smartphone charging pad.
As for driver aids, the RAV4 hybrid
comes standard with a pretty good selection of them.
For instance, forward collision mitigation,
lane departure warning with steering
assist, and adaptive cruise control.
And more good news, on this XLE trim,
that's where you also get blind spot monitoring standard.
Now, overall, these systems work well together.
And importantly, they're not overly sensitive,
which can be a problem on rivals.
Now, let's check out the CR-V hybrid.
So by comparison, the CR-V hybrid is just more of a
grown up vibe.
And the first area where you can really
tell a difference that I'd like to talk about is these seats.
They're super supportive and have
a great shape from all angles.
And I also like how the second you sit in here,
you get the impression that this is a very spacious cabin.
There's just lots of room to move around.
Now, one downside is there's kind of a high shoulder line
right here.
And that means you're going to get some blind spots from time
to time while you're on the road.
Also, the backup camera is pretty low resolution.
What's up with that?
Otherwise, you've got a nice seating position
with all of the controls within reach and just a smart layout.
Plus, there's good space to store your small items,
like this tray up here, two cupholders, and then
a cool configurable center console area.
Let me show you.
Move this armrest front and back.
Lift it up, move this tray around.
Basically, create as much space as you're going to need.
That's really smart.
Now, here's how the CR-V hybrid stacks up
in terms of materials.
First of all, I don't think they're going to blow you away.
For instance, you've got this big plastic centerpiece
right here, front and center.
But the thing that stands out to me is the build quality.
Everything just feels solidly put together,
and I like how all the pieces are kind of complicated,
but they fit really nicely.
There's cool stitching and just different elements
that all seem to work together.
I also like the way that these controls are laid out.
The buttons are nice and big.
Everything's straightforward and just easy to use.
Now, this is the EXL trim.
So that means you get leather on the steering
wheel and upholstery.
There's also ambient lighting.
So you get better visibility at night and power adjustability
on the passenger seat.
Now, this is all the same equipment
that you get in the interior of the top level touring, but just
one trim level down.
That's a cool perk.
We're not super high on the tech in the CR-V hybrid,
and here are a few reasons why.
First of all, a 7 inch touchscreen
comes standard on every trim.
Now remember, some trims with the RAV4 hybrid have an 8 inch
screen standard.
Apple CarPlay and Android Auto do
come standard, which is nice.
You also get four USB ports standard on the CR-V hybrid.
Remember, some of the lower trims on the RAV4 hybrid
only have one standard.
Here's the important part.
The operating system is only so-so.
There are plenty of other rivals that
have systems that are easier to use and navigate
through all the menus.
We've had this system in other Honda's that
were part of our Edmunds long term testing program.
And from time to time, they would get glitchy or sometimes
just stop working altogether.
Now, there are fewer physical buttons in the CR-V
than there are in the RAV4.
So you need to use the screen to operate certain vehicle
functions.
And if the screen isn't working, you're just out of luck.
Great news, a whole bunch of driver aids
comes standard on the CR-V hybrid.
For instance, there's forward collision warning,
lane keep assist, blind spot monitor,
and adaptive cruise control.
Now, these systems have all worked well in our testing.
But they can be overly sensitive,
like we talked about.
That means the system may give you warnings
or flashes or beeps when you don't really
think they're necessary.
So give it a try first and see if it fits your driving style.
Hey, speaking of driving style, what do you
say we hit the road?
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OK, now we're behind the wheel in the RAV4 hybrid.
Now, we actually consider the driving experience one
of the big benefits of getting the RAV4 hybrid
over the standard RAV4.
And believe it or not, one of the big reasons is speed.
In our Edmunds testing, we've measured
a RAV4 Hybrid going from 0 to 60 miles per hour in 7.8 seconds.
Now, that may not sound super fast, exactly.
But it is a full second faster than the standard RAV4.
And that just gives you an idea of what kind of acceleration
you can expect from this.
And that potential for quick little bursts of acceleration
makes this thing pretty fun to whip around corners or make
a really quick lane change, safely of course.
But what about other aspects of driving?
Well, in some areas, the RAV4 hybrid
is a lot like the standard RAV4.
And that's not always a good thing.
For instance, the steering is pretty numb,
and there's not a lot of feedback.
And the brake pedal feels mushy from time to time.
So this isn't going to be the most responsive,
engaging driving experience of your life.
It also feels heavier, which really
helps to make the RAV4 hybrid feel planted
when you're going around corners and give you extra confidence.
And on top of that, don't forget,
you get all wheel drive on every RAV4 hybrid,
where with the standard RAV4, you've
got to pay extra to get it.
Now, that all wheel drive system isn't exactly optimized
for hardcore off roading.
Instead, where it really comes in handy
is if you live in a climate where there's
a lot of rain, snow, or even ice,
having that all wheel drive system is a big help.
In general, the RAV4 hybrid offers a pretty comfortable
driving experience.
Now, there are some negatives, like the engine can
get pretty noisy when it kicks in
or if you're stepping hard on the accelerator.
But the positives pretty heavily outweigh the negatives.
So if you're comparing the RAV4 hybrid
to the standard RAV4, at least on the road,
this one gets a big thumbs up.
Now, as for the CR-V hybrid, here's the highlight.
It's really, really smooth.
The handoff between power from the gasoline
engine and the electric batteries is nearly seamless.
I mean, we're talking, like, luxury car levels here.
Now, that makes for a very comfortable ride and operation
on the road, even if the CR-V hybrid is pretty underpowered.
In our Edmunds testing, we measured a CR-V hybrid
going from 0 to 60 miles per hour in 8.5 seconds.
And if that sounds slow, that's because that is slow.
If you're going up a hill of any kind,
you're going to need a pretty heavy foot.
Here's what else you can expect.
The suspension is really nicely tuned for a great ride.
And that's another area where you
can tell that Honda's reputation for build quality
comes into play.
After coming right out of the RAV4 hybrid
and getting into the CR-V hybrid,
one of the things that stands out the most
is that this just feels like it's more solidly put together.
Now, here's a funny downside to that.
Because it's so quiet in here, you
are going to hear more noise from the engine, the road,
the wind, other cars going by.
But that's a trade off I'm willing to make.
Another important note is braking.
We found that the CR-V hybrid comes to a stop
faster than the regular CR-V. And on top of that,
the brake pedal is more responsive and easy
to control than it is in the RAV4 hybrid.
In fact, that's the overall theme
of the CR-V hybrid on the road.
It's smooth, predictable, and easy to control.
OK, it may be slow, but those are some pretty important
advantages.
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All of that is nice.
But how do these hybrid SUVs really fit the needs
in your everyday life?
Let's find out.
Starting at the back, the RAV4 hybrid
has 37.6 cubic feet of trunk space.
Now, that's the same as the standard RAV4, which
is a big deal, because oftentimes,
hybrid batteries will take up space
that eats into your cargo room.
But that's not the case here.
And it's pretty big.
It can fit a 110 quart cooler with room to spare.
And not to ruin the surprise or anything,
but that's more space than the CR-V hybrid.
There are also tie down hooks and a 12 volt power outlet
back here, score.
If you have kids, the RAV4 provides
easy access for most car seats.
But those really bulky rear facing ones,
you need to scoot the front seat forward to make it fit.
Towing is only 1,750 pounds of max capacity.
If you plan to tow, probably just get the standard RAV4.
That one goes up to 3,500.
Finally, we've made it to the fuel economy section.
I'm not going to make you wait any longer.
Here are the EPA rated estimates for the RAV4 hybrid.
40 miles combined, which is up to 10 MPG more
than the standard RAV4.
On our Edmunds test route, which is
115 miles of mixed city and highway driving,
we averaged 35 MPG.
So based on that figure, we think
that if you typically drive more city miles than highway miles,
40 MPG is definitely within reach.
The standard Honda CR-V is the king of usability.
To find out if the CR-V hybrid is the same,
we lived with one in our Edmunds long term test fleet
for a year.
Here's what we found.
Now, unlike the RAV4 hybrid, the CR-V hybrid
does sacrifice cargo space.
Its maximum capacity is 33.2 cubic feet,
which is 6 feet less than the standard CR-V
and also less than the RAV4 hybrid.
You can still fit a lot back here,
but it's not the cavernous CR-V you may be expecting.
In fact, it's negating one of the major advantages
that the standard CR-V has over its rivals.
As for kids, the CR-V is better than the RAV4.
That's because the anchors are ultra easy to find.
And the rear seats can fit a large rear
facing seat, no problem.
Honda does not recommend towing with the CR-V hybrid.
So you lose that utility as well against the standard CR-V.
Well, once again, we're back to fuel
economy, which is supposed to be the whole point of these,
right?
Well, here is the EPA estimated rating for the CR-V hybrid,
38 MPG combined.
Remember, that's a little bit lower than the RAV4 hybrid
at 40 MPG combined.
And on top of that, we found that the CR-V hybrid actually
struggles to meet that lower number.
On our Edmunds test route, we found that the CR-V hybrid
averaged 32 MPG.
And over the course of our year long ownership,
it averaged 29.7 MPG.
Now, we do a lot of highway driving.
So your numbers may be better.
But it's a little disappointing that it
can't meet lower fuel economy numbers, even though it's
giving up cargo space, where the RAV4 hybrid gets
better fuel economy numbers and doesn't give up any cargo
space.
All right, all right, enough jibber jabber.
What does this match-up actually come down to?
Well, with the RAV4 hybrid, you get a welcoming interior,
impressive MPG, and the same cargo space as the all gas
RAV4.
With the CR-V hybrid, you get a near luxury interior and ride,
but you also get pretty deflating MPG and less cargo
space than the all gas CR-V.
But you're going to make me pick one, aren't you?
OK, fine.
I'm not a big fan of the standard RAV4, personally.
But this one has the same cargo space and better MPG.
You can do more with it, and I like that.
But at Edmunds, we rate the CR-V hybrid higher.
The reason is an honest luxury experience at a great price.
And the hybrid system is used to enhance the ride and comfort.
OK, so which one is it?
Fine, I'll pick, the RAV4 hybrid.
It backs up its efficient promise.
And while the CR-V hybrid is luxurious,
there are other luxury hybrids out there,
which leaves it in kind of a weird middle ground.
That's why the RAV4 is my pick today.
But feel free to let me know why I'm wrong in the comments
below.
You know you want to.
Thanks so much for watching today.
Don't forget to click Like and Subscribe to see more CarMax
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And if you'd like to read a detailed article with more
information about both of these SUVs,
click the link in the description below.
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