The 2024 Toyota RAV4 and 2025 Honda CR-V are both at the heart of today’s affordable family vehicle market, offering a sweet spot of efficiency, spaciousness, and versatility that will appeal to households that don’t need a third-row seat and want to keep the cost low. From the top-level view to the up-close details, specs, and pricing, it’s easy to see why these models maintain such strong appeal.
Crossover utility vehicles like the CR-V and RAV4 have become for smaller families what sedans were a generation ago. They tend to ride and handle more like cars than trucks, with a little bit of rugged trail ability and a little more ground clearance. They’re reconfigurable in all the best ways, and their somewhat higher seating position makes them easy to get in and out of, easier to access kids, child seats, and grocery bags. Further, at a time when the cost of the average new vehicle is approaching $50,000, both of these vehicles can be had for around $30,000 in their base forms up to about $40,000 fully loaded, even as high-mpg hybrids.
There’s one exception to that: The Toyota RAV4 Prime, which packs a more powerful 302-hp hybrid system, together with an 18.1-kwh battery pack good for 42 miles of all-electric driving when charged up. It’s the performance and innovation leader of the lineup, and there’s nothing like it in the Honda CR-V lineup.
2025 Honda CR-V
Base versions of both cost around $30,000
RAV4 is offered with a Prime plug-in hybrid version
CR-V Hybrid offered in front- or all-wheel drive, RAV4 Hybrid only in AWD
Best picks: CR-V LX or Sport Hybrid, RAV4 XLE or XLE Hybrid
The Honda CR-V costs about $31,000 in its base LX front-wheel-drive model. That includes keyless start, adaptive cruise control, LED headlights, 17-inch alloy wheels, and a 7.0-inch touchscreen infotainment system with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. Here and across the whole lineup—hybrids included—all-wheel drive costs $1,500 more.
Above that, mid-range EX and EX-L versions simply add more comfort and convenience items, with the EX gaining a power driver seat, heated front seats, a sunroof, blind-spot monitors, and 18-inch wheels. The EX-L is the entry point in the non-hybrid lineup for the larger 9.0-inch touchscreen; it also gains eight-speaker audio and wireless smartphone charging.
CR-V Hybrid versions are presented in Sport and Sport-L versions, with an appropriately sportier blackout treatment and black-painted 18-inch wheels, with the smaller touchscreen. Sport-L versions step up to a power tailgate, leather upholstery, and wireless device charging. At the top of the line is the CR-V Sport Touring Hybrid, at around $42,000, gaining Bose audio, 19-inch wheels, and a built-in navigation system. Options across the lineup are limited to special paint colors, a tow hitch, and cargo accessories, among few other items.
2024 Toyota RAV4
Provided you don’t want a plug-in hybrid—that’s the RAV4 Prime—the RAV4 lineup is offered in a wide range of front- or all-wheel-drive gasoline versions or all-wheel-drive Hybrid versions. The RAV4 starts at around $30,000 for the base LE and runs up to about $41,000 for the Hybrid Limited AWD. Throughout the lineup the premium for all-wheel drive on non-hybrid models is $1,400.
The base LE includes 17-inch steel wheels, adaptive cruise control, a good set of active-safety features, and an 8.0-inch touchscreen infotainment system with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.
The RAV4 XLE starts at $31,680 and adds a power-adjustable driver seat, blind-spot monitors, and alloy wheels, with options to add heated seats and a sunroof. The $34,425 XLE Premium model brings synthetic leather upholstery and automatic climate control.
Hybrids start with the Hybrid LE at about $33,000—a difference of just $1,650 more, at the time of writing, versus a non-hybrid LE AWD. The XLE Hybrid nears $35,000, and with optional heated seats it might be all the RAV4 most shoppers ever need, while the non-Prime RAV4 lineup tops out with the $41,000 Hybrid Limited, adding up to $44,000 when optioned with a panoramic roof, heated and cooled front seats, a heated steering wheel, and an Advanced Technology Package with wireless device charging, hands-free liftgate operation, and a panoramic camera system.
In between, the Hybrid SE is also a good mid-level pick for value, at about $35,000, while Adventure and TRD Off-Road versions are fitted with the right extras if campsite trails or unpaved roads are a regular thing; these two models aren’t offered in Hybrid form and start at about $36,000 and $40,000, respectively—with the Prime spanning past $50,000.
2025 Honda CR-V
CR-V is slightly longer and lower than RAV4
CR-V has more cargo capacity with rear seatbacks up or down
RAV4 is slightly taller overall and in some versions has more ground clearance
The Honda CR-V and Toyota RAV4 are sized within a few inches in all key dimensions of themselves and of rivals including the Nissan Rogue and Subaru Forester, among others. The Toyota RAV4 measures about 181 inches long, 73 inches wide, and 67 inches high in most of its versions and rides on a wheelbase of about 106 inches. The CR-V measures about 185 inches long, 74 inches wide, and 67 inches high, with a wheelbase also about 106 inches.
That sets the CR-V up for a larger cabin, and it proves true both in official dimensions and perceived space. Although the RAV4 cabin is a little more upright, the CR-V’s cabin simply feels roomier, both in front and in back. By passenger volume, the CR-V offers 103.5 cubic feet, while the RAV4 provides 98.9. Drawing that out to cargo space, the RAV4 offers 37.5 cubic feet behind the rear seat or nearly 70 cubic feet with it folded. But the CR-V beats it here, too, with about 39 cubic feet behind the rear seat and 76.5 cubic feet with it folded. One thing we have noticed in real-world use, though, is that while the RAV4’s seats do go flat with some pressure, the CR-V doesn’t quite yield a flat surface.
In real-world usability and comfort, the RAV4 is a step behind in front-seat comfort, where the CR-V’s simply have more support and comfort. In back, door openings are a bit larger in the Honda, too, which makes getting in easier. Due to the seating position and roofline back there, taller riders’ heads may fit inside more easily in the Honda than in the Toyota.
2024 Toyota RAV4
RAV4 Adventure and RAV4 TRD can tow up to 3,500 pounds
If even occasional towing is a consideration, the CR-V Hybrid’s 1,000-pound limit might be a nonstarter
Don’t dismiss the idea of towing—a little bit—with the Toyota hybrid
The RAV4 Hybrid is rated up to 1,750 pounds, while gasoline models are rated up to 1,500 pounds in most forms.
Adventure and TRD Off-Road models are the exception and can tow up to 3,500 pounds, while plug-in Prime version of the RAV4 is still good for 2,500 pounds.
As for the CR-V, its towing numbers are a bit lower—up to 1,500 pounds for non-hybrid versions—and its CVT automatic transmission simply doesn’t seem as towing-savvy as the RAV4’s 8-speed automatic. While the CR-V Hybrid’s instant torque and mostly electric propulsion feels better built for it, Honda rates that system at just 1,000 pounds—garden-trailer territory.
2023 Honda CR-V Hybrid
RAV4 Adventure, TRD Off-Road are oriented toward trail use
Both lineups have around eight inches of ground clearance in most forms
Comparing hybrid versions, they have very different types of AWD
The Honda CR-V has 7.8 inches of ground clearance in its front-wheel-drive forms and 8.2 inches with all-wheel drive, but there’s a little more variance in the RAV4 lineup by trim level. Go with the RAV4 in its trail-oriented Adventure or TRD Off-Road gasoline versions and you get up to 8.6 inches of ground clearance—and the latter adds specialized off-road modes that may prove useful.
All-wheel-drive CR-Vs use a mechanical all-wheel-drive system to send power to the rear wheels when needed, whether they’re hybrid or not. That’s similar to the way non-hybrid all-wheel-drive RAV4s deliver their power, but RAV4 Hybrid models instead add a separate motor at the rear wheels that’s part of the hybrid system but not mechanically connected to the engine or front transaxle. Both systems have their strengths and weaknesses, but from what we’ve found the RAV4 Hybrid’s AWD has impressive finesse on the snowy driveways that are probably the most likely venue for AWD.
2024 Toyota RAV4
Both have generally good results, with some blemishes
RAV4 crash-test scores are slightly better overall
Both are 2024 IIHS Top Safety Picks
Blind-spot monitors are included in all CR-Vs but optional on RAV4
The Toyota RAV4 and Honda CR-V both offer up good safety ratings and results, but with plenty of room for improvement. The RAV4’s results include five stars overall from the less-challenging NHTSA NCAP program. It misses the Top Safety Pick+ bow from the IIHS and earns Top Safety Pick instead as its updated side-impact test results were only “Acceptable.”
The Honda CR-V doesn’t do any better—and it actually fares a step worse in IIHS testing, with a “Poor” rating in the updated moderate overlap frontal test, even though it gets a “Good” result in the updated side-impact test. Just like the RAV4, the CR-V family earns a five-star NHTSA rating from a mix of four- and five-star scores.
Both of these models include automatic emergency braking, adaptive cruise control, and active lane control, with headlights that have tested well. Blind-spot monitors aren’t standard on base versions of either, but tricky rearward vision and the lack of a surround-view camera system ultimately place the CR-V a notch behind.
2025 Honda CR-V
Non-hybrids: CR-V has a 1.5-liter turbo-4 and a CVT, RAV4 has a 2.5-liter inline-4 and 8-speed automatic
RAV4s can handle quite differently depending on the version
All CR-V versions have far superior ride and handling
The Honda CR-V and Toyota RAV4 roughly compare in power and performance, but from their non-hybrid versions to their hybrid versions, they have very different powertrains and they get the power to the pavement (or slippery stuff) differently.
The 1.5-liter turbo-4 in the CR-V makes 190 hp and 179 lb-ft of torque, and with the continuously variable automatic transmission (CVT) it’s never downright quick in its responses but smooth and quick enough for everyday driving or most highway passes. Honda has made gains in the drivability of this combination, with some “steps” to simulate gearshifts added to the transmission’, and if you tend not to be in a big hurry, it’s satisfyingly smooth and muted.
Base RAV4 models, on the other hand, come with a 2.5-liter inline-4 making 203 hp and 184 lb-ft. Here the 8-speed automatic responds well, but the powertrain as a whole lacks polish and tends to be coarse and loud and ultimately not meaningfully quicker than the Honda in terms of 0-60 mph times (around eight seconds at best for each).
Both the RAV4 and CR-V are at their best in hybrid form. It’s where, for modestly more money up front, you’ll get better performance along with more refinement and of course much better fuel economy. Toyota’s hybrid system here includes a separate motor for the rear wheels, makes a combined 219 hp, and makes the SUV much quicker than the modest power boost over the base engine might suggest. Honda’s system uses a pair of electric motors—one of them directly driving the wheels the majority of the time. It delivers 204 hp and 247 lb-ft in an electric-vehicle-like manner, although the engine can be strident on long hills.
Between the two, the Honda CR-V is above and beyond the better handler, with a better ride and a quieter cabin to boot.
2025 Honda CR-V
Non-hybrid CR-V models stand at 29 or 30 mpg combined, while non-hybrid RAV4s span from 28-30 mpg combined
RAV4 Hybrid gets 40 mpg combined for most versions; CR-V matches that with front-wheel drive but drops to 37 with AWD
RAV4 Prime gets 38 mpg combined but can go 42 miles all-electric on a plug-in charge
The Honda CR-V, in non-hybrid form with its turbo-4 and CVT, earns impressive ratings of 28 mpg city, 34 highway, and 30 overall with front-wheel drive. Add all-wheel drive and the overall rating drops just 1 mpg.
Base-level RAV4s with front-wheel drive get 27 mpg city, 35 highway, and 30 combined, according to the EPA. AWD versions can bring that down to 29 mpg combined, or 28 mpg for the two off-road-focused trims. Hybrid versions, which don’t cost that much more, lead in efficiency, returning 41 mpg city 38 highway, 40 combined for most combinations, with 37 combined for the trail-oriented Hybrid Woodland Edition.
The RAV4 Prime, which goes 42 electric miles on a charge, is rated at 38 mpg combined once the charge is used up, and returns a combined driving range of 600 miles.
2025 Honda CR-V
2024 Toyota RAV4
2023 Toyota RAV4
RAV4 gets a larger base touchscreen and an even larger 10.5-inch one in some versions
Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are wired in base Hondas, wireless with 9.0-inch screen and in all RAV4s
Satellite radio is limited to top options of the CR-V but widely available on RAV4
Both of these are modern crossovers with all that you’ll need to interface well with your smartphone, via Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, but keep in mind that the 7.0-inch touchscreen infotainment system in the Honda CR-V requires a wired connection, while both the 9.0-inch system in higher trims of the CR-V as well as the 8.0-inch system in all RAV4s include wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.
That said, we like the layout and menu structure of either of these Honda systems much better than the latest Toyota system, which adds Google point-of-interest functionality but simply doesn’t make good use of screen space and has done away with many of the peripheral buttons.
TRD Off-Road, Hybrid XSE, Prime XSE, and all Limited models come with a 10.5-inch system. Limited models also include a 12.3-inch reconfigurable gauge display.
Amenities-wise, these two models are on about equal ground. Breaking into the middle trims, both models can be had with a power liftgate, wireless device charging, heated rear outboard seats, and large sunroof layouts. The RAV4 offers a head-up display in top-spec versions. One odd omission on the CR-V is satellite radio, which is missing on all but EX-L and Sport Touring versions.
Base RAV4 LE versions feel engineered to a cost point not unlike the Corolla, and that’s evident in trims and surfaces. There’s a huge difference in up-close trims and general cabin ambience stepping up to the XLE Premium, which gets faux-leather upholstery, a leather-wrapped wheel, and rear-seat vents, as well as available 11-speaker JBL sound.
While the RAV4 does dress it up in its most expensive trims, the Honda CR-V feels more upscale even in its budget-minded form, with better upholstery and a more refined look and feel throughout that extends to touch points, trims, and switchgear.
2025 Honda CR-V
The Toyota RAV4 earns a TCC Rating of 6.5 out of 10, while the Honda CR-V earns a 7.0, buoyed by performance and comfort. (Read more about how we rate cars.) The Toyota RAV4 is offered in a wider range of specialized trims and missions (and including the sought-after, more expensive Prime), and its hybrid system better suits its mission with all-wheel drive built into it. But the refinement, comfort, and poise of the CR-V win out and it simply feels like more vehicle for the money.
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