Honda CR-V v Toyota RAV4 2019 Comparison

It is a common understanding in the auto industry that nobody buys a basic, unadorned car any more – and here we look at the Honda CR-V Vi and Toyota RAV4 VX as our exemplars.

They exist alright, but only in the books, and in advertising campaigns, as a lure into showrooms where potential customers invariably succumb to the glitz of the volume-selling, higher-priced (and more profitable) variants.

Often the entry-level vehicle’s specification levels are unrealistically sparse and lack some of the things today’s buyers expect (including in some cases common safety technology), which forms part of the reason why people don’t take them seriously.

But, really, how disadvantaged is the rare new-car buyer who opts for bare-bones motoring? Particularly in the image-conscious yet price-sensitive mid-size SUV segment?
Is such a buyer destined to lurk in the most distant, hidden corners of the supermarket carpark, or leave the kids a block away from the most convenient school drop-off point just to avoid being seen?

In the case of some bread-and-butter models, not necessarily. Today’s basic is not the basic of way back when, when even having a heater was considered a luxury.

This applies particularly to the recently-announced fifth-generation Honda CR-V range. It’s been around in its current form, as a five-seater or seven-seater, since mid-2017, the Vi added in late 2018.

This new base-spec model was added to significantly undercut the previous entry-level VTi, at the time by $2400 (now $2600), without stooping to manual transmission, hubcaps and rubber floors. Reinforcing the minimal sales relevance of el-cheapo versions though, Honda says it expects the Vi-spec CR-V to sell at a rate of less than 100 a month.The same goes, more or less, for the entry-level Toyota RAV4 GXl. Spearheading the fifth-generation RAV4 range when it was launched locally in May 2019, it remains a bit more expensive than the Honda CR-V Vi.

Setting the Honda CR-V Vi up against the Toyota RAV4 GX seemed a good way of putting the Honda into some sort of perspective.

The price-point cringe at entry level varies from manufacturer to manufacturer, but to get some sort of a handle on the sacrifices that must be made in order to drive out of the showroom in an ostensibly stripped-bare mid-size SUV, we decided the Honda CR-V Vi and Toyota RAV4 GX have a case to make.

Both sit at the bottom of their respective ladders, and both have a slightly different take on how a base model should be presented, but they are also very close in many ways – in size, packaging, engine specification and overall capabilities.

The real aim of this exercise, reinforcing the assessment of the individual merits of both SUVs in terms of equipment levels and presentation, was to figure which company, Honda or Toyota, does the better job of presenting a convincing argument.

Is the Honda CR-V Vi a better deal because of its cheaper pricing, or is there something about the Toyota RAV4 GX that negates that fact?

Certainly there doesn’t appear to be much separating them when you look at the specification: The new RAV4 is bigger than the CR-V, but only by the tiniest of margins, both are front-drive, both use 2.0-litre four-cylinder engines and both run on 17-inch alloy wheels.

The devil, of course, is in the detail which we’ll discuss a little further on.

Although the Honda CR-V and Toyota RAV4 are consistently close in terms of overall packaging, subtle differences help accrue points that could make a difference depending on what the prospective buyer is looking for.

For example if you want to pull a small camper-trailer or caravan, the Honda is clearly the better choice as its 1500kg braked towing capacity blitzes the RAV4 GX’s meagre 800kg. For a RAV4 to equate the CR-V, it’s necessary to step up to a hybrid.

And although both Honda CR-V and Toyota RAV4 tend to lead the mid-size SUV field (Hyundai Tucson, Kia Sportage, Mazda CX-5) for overall passenger space, it’s the Honda’s capacious back seat with its legs-out stretching room that makes it a winner in this regard.

The CR-V’s back-seat passengers are also elevated to a more “stadium” position, which is good for kids who don’t necessarily want to feel swallowed-up in the rear of the cabin.

It doesn’t all go in the Honda’s favour though; gaining front-seat access from outside the vehicle is easier in the RAV4 due to a higher hip-point and, although both SUVs tend to equate each other in terms of luggage-carrying space, the Toyota’s fractionally lower road-to-floor height makes for slightly easier tailgate loading than the higher-set Honda.

Both offer very good all-round visibility, with the Toyota perhaps sneaking ahead because of the lack of an upkick in the rearmost side windows.

Now comes the crunch. Yes, the Honda CR-V Vi is cheaper than the Toyota RAV4 GX whichever way you look at it, but it’s a matter here of not what you get, but what you don’t get for your $28,290 (plus on-road costs) outlay.

Toyota certainly takes the high moral ground. Even at bog-standard GX level, the RAV4  offers a broad spectrum of standard safety technology, including autonomous emergency braking (AEB), adaptive cruise control, pedestrian detection, lane-departure warning, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert and parking sensors front and rear that gives it a mighty surge in the socially-responsible stakes.

As well, it comes with self-dipping LED headlights, where the CR-V makes do with conventional halogen bulbs.

Apart from a reversing camera and a driver attention detection system, the Honda, though it scores five ANCAP safety stars (awarded prior to AEB becoming a prerequisite for gaining the highest rating), is pretty sparse.

Both, however, tend to miss out on the infotainment front: Although the RAV4 GX looks good on paper with standard sat-nav and a digital radio, our test car was hampered by a $1000 “navigation de-spec” which eliminated both.

So what we had was a manual-transmission RAV4 that, at $31,640, was $1000 cheaper than the standard GX but still pricier than the $28,290 CVT-equipped CR-V Vi. Add $2000 to that for the CVT transmission that’s a regular part of all CR-Vs but optional on the RAV4 GX, and the price gap widens further, even in de-spec form, by $2650.

Both SUVs offer single USB points, along with two 12-volts outlets, but neither come with Apple CarPlay/Android Auto connectivity.

Warranty and servicing provisions are understandably pretty similar: Both Honda CR-V and Toyota RAV4 are covered for unlimited kilometres over five years.

At Honda, roadside assist doesn’t get a mention except in a “Premium” program that is part of an extra-cost seven-year warranty deal, while Toyota has an also added-cost roadside assist program that can provide cover up to six years – on top of which is a more-expensive-again Roadside Assist PLUS program.

As for servicing costs, Honda offers a “Tailored Service Program” fixed at $295 per service for up to five years or with up to 100,000km on the clock, while the RAV4 offers $210 capped-price servicing for the first five services or 75,000km, whichever comes first.

We’ve already said it, but we’ll say it again: The Honda CR-V is one spacious, highly useful mid-size SUV. The boot is big and cleanly-shaped and the driving environment includes a deep front-centre bin with a sliding lower cover that extends or retracts to offer the choice of extra room for storing a wine bottle or two, or setting out a handy tray for your mobile phone or notebook.

There are also storage pockets behind both of the front seats – which, in themselves, tend towards a firm, less-giving nature that is partly offset by the provision of soft knee-pads on either side of the forward centre console.

The CR-V’s steering, quicker and weightier than the RAV4, conveys clear messages to the driver and the ride, although quite stiff compared to the Toyota, is helped by high-profile 235/65R17 tyres. The spare is full-size alloy too.

Consistent with its new-generation Corolla sibling, the RAV4 GX is a smooth performer on the road, with responsive steering and a well-controlled, quiet (moreso than the CR-V) ride. The Toyota also benefits from the new 127kW/203Nm 2.0-litre engine already employed to good effect (though producing slightly less power) in the latest Corolla.

The Honda CR-V Vi, against other variants which benefit from a responsive 140kW/240Nm 1.5-litre turbo-petrol, comes with a more-leisurely, normally-aspirated 113kW/189Nm single-camshaft 2.0-litre engine.

Also reflecting the principles at work in the Corolla, the RAV4’s seats are embracing and accommodating while, like the CR-V, there’s also a deep, accommodating bin between the front seats. The RAV supplements it with a handy, sizeable oddments storage slot in the dash above the glovebox.

The Toyota’s sat-nav (non-existent in our case) screen is prominent and readable on a cleanly-styled dash and the controls, generally, are easily deciphered, tactile and comfortable to live with, backed up by clear, conventional dials (the CR-V’s are digital, on a much fussier but still-functional dash).

Both feature generous applications of soft-touch cladding on just about everything, bar the Toyota’s door panels. The Honda at least gets some yielding vinyl on the front doors.

Apart from the dearth of safety technology, the Honda CR-V Vi is inhibited by its less-powerful (and, with a claimed 7.6L/100km compared to 6.8L/100km for the RAV4, thirstier) engine which has to work with a slightly weightier 1515kg body. The Toyota RAV4 GX is quoted at 1465kg.

The Toyota RAV4’s navigation de-spec seems more like a supply hiccup than a realistic price-saver for GX buyers. Even though it would be nice to see prices that are directly comparable with Honda’s entry-level offer it’s hard to see Toyota doing that while holding true to its stance on safety.

The upshot of all this really comes down to how you value safety in a new car.
For this reason, and accepting there’s a price gap to be considered, it’s hard in all conscience not to give the nod to the essentially non-compromising Toyota RAV4 GX which is impressive in its standard safety kit.

Add the RAV’s cushier, quieter and zestier on-road performance, it’s more complete equipment package even in de-spec form, and it’s a clear winner against the Honda CR-V Vi.

If you ignored, at your peril, the missing safety tech, the CR-V would match the RAV4 in aspects (such as cabin and luggage space) that are important considerations for mid-size SUV customers. But there’s no getting away from Toyota’s stance on placing safety ahead of economics, even at the bottom rung of the RAV4 ladder.

So the fifth-generation Toyota RAV4 continues its winning run in a segment that is doing better than practically anything else in a declining new-vehicle market.

How much does the 2019 Honda CR-V Vi cost?
Price: $28,290 (plus on-road costs)
Engine: 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol
Output: 113kW/189Nm
Transmission: Continuously variable
Fuel: 7.6L/100km (ADR Combined); 8.4L/100km (as tested)
CO2: 174g/km (ADR Combined)
Safety Rating: Five-star ANCAP (2017)

How much does the 2019 Toyota RAV4 GX cost?
Price: $31,640 (plus on-road costs)
Engine: 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol
Output: 127kW/203Nm
Transmission: Six-speed manual
Fuel: 6.8L/100km (ADR Combined); 8.7L/100km (as tested)
CO2: 179g/km (ADR Combined)
Safety Rating: Five-star ANCAP (2019)