Compare the2023 Toyota Rav4VS 2023 GMC Terrain

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Brakes and Stopping
Suspension and Handling
Passenger Space
Cargo Capacity
Towing
Ergonomics
Economic Advantages
Recommendations

Safety

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For enhanced safety, the front and rear seat shoulder belts of the Toyota Rav4 have pretensioners to tighten the seatbelts and eliminate dangerous slack in the event of a collision and force limiters to limit the pressure the belts will exert on the passengers. The GMC Terrain doesn’t offer pretensioners for its rear seat belts.

For enhanced safety, the front seat shoulder belts of the Toyota Rav4 are height-adjustable to accommodate a wide variety of driver and passenger heights. A better fit can prevent injuries and the increased comfort also encourages passengers to buckle up. The GMC Terrain doesn’t offer height-adjustable seat belts.

The Toyota Rav4 has a standard driver’s side knee airbag mounted low on the dashboard. The knee airbag helps prevent the driver from sliding under the seatbelts or the main frontal airbag; this keeps the driver better positioned during a collision for maximum protection. A knee airbag also helps keep the legs from striking the dashboard, preventing knee and leg injuries in the case of a serious frontal collision. The Terrain doesn’t offer knee airbags.

The Rav4 has a standard Secondary Collision Brake, which automatically applies the brakes in the event of a crash to help prevent secondary collisions and prevent further injuries. The Terrain doesn’t offer a post collision braking system: in the event of a collision that triggers the airbags, more collisions are possible without the protection of airbags that may have already deployed.

Over 200 people are killed each year when backed over by motor vehicles. The Rav4 (except LE) offers optional Parking Assist with Automatic Braking that use rear sensors to monitor for objects to the rear and automatically apply the brakes to prevent a collision. The Terrain doesn’t offer backup collision prevention brakes.

The Rav4’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 Terrain doesn’t offer a driver alert monitor.

Both the Rav4 and the Terrain have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, front wheel drive, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, rearview cameras, available all wheel drive, blind spot warning systems, around view monitors and rear cross-path warning.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does 35 MPH front crash tests on new vehicles. In this test, results indicate that the Toyota Rav4 is safer than the GMC Terrain:

	Rav4	Terrain
	Passenger
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	284	376
Chest Compression	.4 inches	.6 inches

New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does side impact tests on new vehicles. In this test, which crashes the vehicle into a flat barrier at 38.5 MPH and into a post at 20 MPH, results indicate that the Toyota Rav4 is safer than the GMC Terrain:

	Rav4	Terrain
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	83	109
Chest Movement	.5 inches	1.1 inches
Abdominal Force	138 lbs.	195 lbs.
Hip Force	246 lbs.	357 lbs.
	Rear Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	146	288
Spine Acceleration	49 G’s	55 G’s
Hip Force	508 lbs.	630 lbs.
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	299	377
Spine Acceleration	36 G’s	40 G’s

New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.

Side impacts caused 23% of all road fatalities in 2018, down from 29% in 2003, when the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety introduced its side barrier test. In order to continue improving vehicle safety, the IIHS has started using a more severe side impact test: 37 MPH (up from 31 MPH), with a 4180-pound barrier (up from 3300 pounds). The results of this newly developed test demonstrates that the Toyota Rav4 is safer than the Terrain:

	Rav4	Terrain
Overall Evaluation	ACCEPTABLE	MARGINAL
Structure	GOOD	GOOD
	Driver Injury Measures
Head/Neck	GOOD	GOOD
Head Injury Criterion	120	131
Neck Tension	134 lbs.	290 lbs.
Neck Compression	67 lbs.	112 lbs.
Torso	GOOD	MARGINAL
Shoulder Deflection	.47 in	1.73 in
Shoulder Force	178 lbs.	312 lbs.
Torso Max Deflection	1.34 in	1.69 in
Torso Deflection Rate	7 MPH	8 MPH
Head Protection	GOOD	GOOD
	Passenger Injury Measures
Head/Neck	GOOD	ACCEPTABLE
Head Injury Criterion	542	733
Neck Compression	223 lbs.	491 lbs.
Torso	GOOD	ACCEPTABLE
Shoulder Deflection	.94 in	1.65 in
Shoulder Force	290 lbs.	402 lbs.
Torso Max Deflection	.83 in	1.57 in
Pelvis	GOOD	GOOD

For its performance in IIHS driver-side and passenger-side small overlap frontal, moderate overlap frontal, updated side impact, headlight, and daytime pedestrian crash prevention testing, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the Rav4 the rating of “Top Safety Pick” for 2023, a rating granted to only 53 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The Terrain last would have qualified as a “Top Safety Pick” in 2017.

Warranty

The Rav4’s corrosion warranty is unlimited miles longer than the Terrain’s (unlimited vs. 100,000 miles).

Toyota pays for scheduled maintenance on the Rav4 for 2 years and 25000 miles. Toyota will pay for oil changes, lubrication and any other required maintenance. GMC only pays for the first scheduled maintenance visit on the Terrain.

Reliability

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 Rav4’s reliability 17 points higher than the Terrain.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Toyota vehicles are more reliable than GMC vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Toyota above average in long-term dependability. With 34 more problems per 100 vehicles in the first three years of ownership, GMC is rated lower.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2023 Auto Issue reports that Toyota vehicles are more reliable than GMC vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Toyota first in overall reliability. GMC is ranked 21st.

Engine

The Rav4’s 2.5 DOHC 4-cylinder produces 28 more horsepower (203 vs. 175) than the Terrain’s 1.5 turbo 4-cylinder.

Fuel Economy and Range

On the EPA test cycle the Rav4 gets better mileage than the Terrain:

			MPG
Rav4
	FWD	XLE 2.5 DOHC 4-cyl.	27 city/34 hwy
		LE/Limited 2.5 DOHC 4-cyl.	27 city/35 hwy
	AWD	LE 2.5 DOHC 4-cyl.	27 city/34 hwy
		XLE 2.5 DOHC 4-cyl.	27 city/33 hwy
		Adventure/Limited 2.5 DOHC 4-cyl.	25 city/33 hwy
		TRD Off-Road 2.5 DOHC 4-cyl.	25 city/32 hwy
Terrain
	FWD	1.5 turbo 4-cyl.	24 city/29 hwy
	AWD	1.5 turbo 4-cyl.	24 city/28 hwy

Brakes and Stopping

For better stopping power the Rav4’s front brake rotors are larger than those on the Terrain:

	Rav4	Terrain
Front Rotors	12 inches	11.8 inches

Suspension and Handling

The Rav4 has standard front and rear stabilizer bars, which help keep the Rav4 flat and controlled during cornering. The Terrain’s suspension doesn’t offer a rear stabilizer bar.

The Rav4 Adventure handles at .81 G’s, while the Terrain Denali AWD pulls only .79 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

For better maneuverability, the Rav4 LE/XLE’s turning circle is 1.3 feet tighter than the Terrain w/17” wheels’ (36.1 feet vs. 37.4 feet). The Rav4 XLE Premium/Adventure/Limited/TRD Off-Road’s turning circle is 4.2 feet tighter than the Terrain w/19” wheels’ (37.4 feet vs. 41.6 feet).

For greater off-road capability the Rav4 LE/XLE has a 1.5 inches greater minimum ground clearance than the Terrain SLE (8.4 vs. 6.9 inches), allowing the Rav4 to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged. The Rav4 XLE Premium/Limited/Adventure/TRD Off-Road’s minimum ground clearance is .7 inch higher than on the Terrain SLT/AT4/Denali (8.6 vs. 7.9 inches).

Passenger Space

The Rav4 has .1 inches more front legroom, .6 inches more front shoulder room, 1 inch more rear headroom and .8 inches more rear shoulder room than the Terrain.

Cargo Capacity

The Rav4 has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat up than the Terrain with its rear seat up (37.6 vs. 29.6 cubic feet). The Rav4 has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat folded than the Terrain with its rear seat folded (69.8 vs. 63.3 cubic feet).

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

Towing

Maximum trailer towing in the GMC Terrain is limited to 1500 pounds. The Rav4 4WD offers up to a 3500 lbs. towing capacity.

Ergonomics

The Rav4’s front and rear power windows all open or close with one touch of the switches, making it more convenient at drive-up windows and toll booths, or when talking with someone outside of the car. The Terrain’s passenger windows don’t close automatically.

If the windows are left open on the Rav4 the driver can close them all at the outside door handle. On a hot day the driver can lower the windows at the outside door handle or from a distance using the keyless remote. (This window function must be activated by your Toyota service department.) The driver of the Terrain can only close the windows from inside the vehicle, with the ignition on.

The Rav4 has a standard locking fuel door with a remote release located convenient to the driver. A locking fuel door helps prevent fuel theft and vandalism, such as sugar in the tank. The Terrain doesn’t offer a locking fuel door.

The Rav4 XLE/Adventure/Limited/TRD Off-Road’s optional wipers adjust their speed and turn on and off automatically according to the amount of rainfall on the windshield. The Terrain’s manually variable intermittent wipers have to be constantly adjusted.

Economic Advantages

According to The Car Book by Jack Gillis, the Rav4 is less expensive to operate than the Terrain because it costs $318 less to do the manufacturer’s suggested maintenance for 50,000 miles. Typical repairs cost much less on the Rav4 than the Terrain, including $154 less for a water pump, $758 less for a muffler, $129 less for front brake pads, $180 less for fuel injection, $161 less for a fuel pump, $37 less for front struts and $324 less for a power steering pump.

Recommendations

Consumer Reports® recommends the Toyota Rav4, based on reliability, safety and performance. The GMC Terrain isn't recommended.

The Toyota Rav4 outsold the GMC Terrain by almost five to one during 2022.