Compare the2022 Subaru Crosstrek HybridVS 2021 Toyota Rav4 Prime

In the past twenty years hundreds of infants and young children have died after being left in vehicles, usually by accident. When turning the vehicle off, drivers of the Crosstrek Hybrid are reminded to check the back seat if they opened the rear door before starting out. The Rav4 Prime doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.

The Crosstrek Hybrid has standard Whiplash-Reducing Front Seats, which use a specially designed seat to protect the driver and front passenger from whiplash. During a rear-end collision, the Whiplash-Reducing Front Seats system allows the backrest to travel backwards to cushion the occupants and the headrests move forward to prevent neck and spine injuries. The Rav4 Prime doesn’t offer a whiplash protection system.

When descending a steep, off-road slope, the Crosstrek Hybrid’s standard Hill Descent Control allows you to creep down safely. The Rav4 Prime doesn’t offer Hill Descent Control.

The Crosstrek Hybrid’s driver alert monitor detects an inattentive driver then sounds a warning and suggests a break. According to the NHTSA, drivers who fall asleep cause about 100,000 crashes and 1500 deaths a year. The Rav4 Prime doesn’t offer a driver alert monitor.

Both the Crosstrek Hybrid and the Rav4 Prime have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, height adjustable front shoulder belts, four-wheel antilock brakes, all wheel drive, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras and rear cross-path warning.

For its top level performance in IIHS driver and passenger-side small overlap frontal, moderate overlap frontal, side impact, roof strength and head restraint tests, with its optional vehicle-to-vehicle front crash prevention system, with its optional vehicle-to-pedestrian front crash prevention system, and its standard headlight’s “Good” rating, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the Crosstrek Hybrid its highest rating: “Top Pick Plus” for 2021, a rating granted to only 74 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The Rav4 Prime is only a standard “Top Pick” for 2021.

A reliable vehicle saves its owner time, money and trouble. Nobody wants to be stranded or have to be without a vehicle while it’s being repaired. Consumer Reports rates the Crosstrek Hybrid’s reliability 33 points higher than the Rav4 Prime.

The flat cylinder configuration of the boxer engine in the Crosstrek Hybrid lowers its center of gravity, enhancing handling stability without compromising ground clearance. The Rav4 Prime doesn’t offer a boxer engine configuration.

The Crosstrek Hybrid stops much shorter than the Rav4 Prime:

The Crosstrek Hybrid’s tires provide better handling because they have a lower 55 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Rav4 Prime SE’s standard 60 series tires.

For better maneuverability, the Crosstrek Hybrid’s turning circle is .7 feet tighter than the Rav4 Prime SE’s (35.4 feet vs. 36.1 feet). The Crosstrek Hybrid’s turning circle is 2 feet tighter than the Rav4 Prime XSE’s (35.4 feet vs. 37.4 feet).

For greater off-road capability the Crosstrek Hybrid has a greater minimum ground clearance than the Rav4 Prime SE (8.7 vs. 8 inches), allowing the Crosstrek Hybrid to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged. The Crosstrek Hybrid’s minimum ground clearance is .5 inch higher than on the Rav4 Prime XSE (8.7 vs. 8.2 inches).

The Subaru Crosstrek Hybrid may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 500 to 600 pounds less than the Toyota Rav4 Prime.

The Crosstrek Hybrid is 4.4 inches shorter than the Rav4 Prime, making the Crosstrek Hybrid easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

The Crosstrek Hybrid has 2.1 inches more front headroom, 2.1 inches more front legroom, .8 inches more front hip room and 6.3 inches more rear hip room than the Rav4 Prime.

A standard locking glovebox (which can’t be accessed with the valet key) keeps your small valuables safer in the Crosstrek Hybrid. The Rav4 Prime doesn’t offer locking storage for small valuables.

The engine in the Crosstrek Hybrid is mounted longitudinally (North-South), instead of sideways, as in the Rav4 Prime. This makes it easier to service and maintain, because the accessory belts are in front.

In case you lock your keys in your vehicle, or don’t have them with you, you can let yourself in using the Crosstrek Hybrid’s exterior PIN entry system. The Rav4 Prime doesn’t offer an exterior PIN entry system.

The Crosstrek Hybrid’s available GPS navigation system has a real-time traffic update feature that plots alternative routes to automatically bypass traffic problems. (Service not available in all areas.) The Rav4 Prime’s available navigation system doesn’t offer real-time traffic updates.

Insurance will cost less for the Crosstrek Hybrid owner. The Complete Car Cost Guide estimates that insurance for the Crosstrek Hybrid will cost $650 to $795 less than the Rav4 Prime over a five-year period.

Consumer Reports® recommends both the Subaru Crosstrek Hybrid and the Toyota Rav4 Prime, based on reliability, safety and performance.