2021 RAV4 CRV Comparison

The Toyota RAV4 is certainly one of the most popular SUV available on the market. We’ve made this 2021 RAV4 CRV comparison to help you understand all the similarities and differences between these two cars. Both are great 5-seat vehicles that you will sure to be happy with for years to come.

One interesting fact is that the two cars are in different life cycles with their designs.  The Honda CR-V has remained more or less with the same look and design since 2017. While the Toyota RAV4 was fully redesigned back in 2019 so the model that is available right now is still very fresh.

So there’s a good chance that a new redesign for the CR-V will inevitably be released in the next year or two.  While the RAV4’s design is still very fresh, you are likely to not have to worry about a fully refreshed design for a few years.Index

Summary

Trims & Pricing

The Toyota RAV4 is offered in 2 FWD variations and 6 AWD variations.  The LE and XLE are the entry trims & Limited is the top. The Trail and TRD Off Road includes additional features that increase its off-road ability and towing power.

The CR-V comes in 5 AWD and 1 FWD trims. Touring is technically the top trim since Black Edition is mostly an aesthetic upgrade only.

Please note that these are the MSRP prices and each manufacturer may change pricing without notice. Check the manufacturer’s website for the most updated numbers.

Powertrain

The RAV4 is the winner for this round. Its engine is a  2.5 Litre 4 Cylinder. Although the engine on the CR-V is turbo charged, it is still not on-par with the power that the RAV4 can provide, with 213 horsepower, that’s 23 more horsepower than the CR-V.

The RAV4 also offers 8-speed automatic, which most people will prefer over the CVT transmission that the CR-V offers.  There’s also more drive modes available with the RAV4, as it is more equipped for non-city adventures.

Exterior Features

The RAV4 does offer a number of exterior features that is not on most CR-V trims. On the RAV, every trim comes with roof rail but the CR-V does not have it on the LX. All RAV4 comes with LED headlights but the CR-V offers LED foglights on all trims except the lowest one.

Sunroof is available on most trims for both cars, but the CR-V is the only choice that has a panoramic sunroof option. But the RAV4 does also offer exclusive features not seen on the CRV, such as the kick-sensing backdoor on the Limited and rain-sensing wipers on most trims.

Fuel Consumption (L/100 KM)

For this round, the Honda CR-V wins out by a notch. The CR-V generally offers slightly better gas consumption rating but the difference is marginal. Looking at the combined mileage for the all-wheel drive offerings, the two cars are nearly identical.  It’s the higher RAV4 Trail, TRD Off Road, and Limited that uses a little more gas than the rest, likely due to the added Dynamic Torque Vectoring w/ Rear Driveline Disconnect that the CRV does not offer.

Seating

For seating and comfort, the RAV4 offers a little more than the CR-V. Both cars offer heated front seats on all trims; and heated leather steering wheel and power driver seats are on most trims.

But the RAV4 comes with ventilated front seats for the Limited trim and is not available on the CR-V. On the other hand, the CR-V comes with power passenger seat option on the higher trims, something that the RAV4 does not provide.

Technology Features

In terms of technology, both cars offer comparable features across their lineup. The CR-V generously includes remote engine start and dual-zone climate control across all trims. But the RAv4 comes with digital display rearview mirror (exclusive to the Limited trim), and windows w/ auto up/down for all windows (CR-V only provides for the driver-side)

Entertainment Features

The RAV4 is the better choice with entertainment features, thanks to a bigger 8″ touchscreen and 11 speakers JBL sound system that comes on the higher trims.

Either car will offer access to Apple CarPlay and Android Auto on all trims and Sirius XM compatibility on higher models for those who still use it.

Noticeably, the CR-V does offer WiFi Tethering which the RAV4 does not provide.

Safety Features

Either the RAV4 or the CR-V, you should be in good hands when it comes to safety features. both cars offer a comparable list of options. Noticeably, the RAV4 comes with a more advanced version of the Toyota Safety Sense 2.0, with low light detection for pedestrian and bikers.

The RAV4 also adds blind spot monitor alert to all trims (CR-V only has it on models higher than LX).  Surprisingly, front/back parking sensors are missing on the CR-V but is included on the RAV4 Limited.

Warranty Coverage

Both Toyota and Honda offers fairly comparable warranty coverage. But the Honda has unlimited mileage or 3 years of coverage on paint corrosion,.

Dimension

The Honda CR-V offers a little more cargo space, this could be because of the longer width comparing to the RAV4.

Pricing

Here are pricing for both vehicles. Note that these are the MSRP prices and may change over time.

Resell Value

This is a comparison between older models from 3 and 5 years ago.  The estimated amount is according to the Autotrader’s price-a-car feature assuming that the vehicle’s condition is good and did not have an accident over $2,000.

This is based on July 2021 numbers and while the numbers do vary from month to month, this should at least give you a good reference as to these model’s potential resell value.

We entered the mileage using British Columbia’s average vehicle kilometres which is 13,000km/year.  3 years is 39,000km, 5 years is 65,000km/year, and so on.

Conclusion

So while this comparison is essentially saying that the Toyota RAV4 is the better choice overall, the Honda CR-V is still very much a worthy contender for your attention.  It has a number of features that the RAV4 simply does not provide, such as panoramic sunroof, power passenger seat, and Wifi tethering.

The Toyota RAV4, on the other hand, provides more practical features on more trims.  Features like auto up/down for all windows, roof rail, LED headlights, and rain-sensing wipers are available on most trims. The RAV4 Limited also has ventilated front seats and a kick-sensing backdoor which are not available on the CR-V.

Hopefully, you have found this 2021 RAV4 CRV comparison useful. Be sure to check out all the RAV4 trims and features if you are on the market for one soon!