Compare the2023 Toyota Rav4VS 2023 Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Environmental Friendliness
Brakes and Stopping
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Chassis
Passenger Space
Cargo Capacity
Towing
Ergonomics
Model Availability
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 Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross doesn’t offer pretensioners for its rear seat belts.

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 Eclipse Cross 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 Eclipse Cross doesn’t offer backup collision prevention brakes.

When descending a steep, off-road slope, the Rav4 Adventure/Limited AWD/TRD Off-Road’s standard Downhill Assist Control allows you to creep down safely. The Eclipse Cross doesn’t offer Downhill Assist Control.

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 Eclipse Cross doesn’t offer a driver alert monitor.

Both the Rav4 and the Eclipse Cross have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, height adjustable front shoulder belts, 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 Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross:

	Rav4	Eclipse Cross
	Driver
STARS	4 Stars	4 Stars
HIC	152	248
Neck Injury Risk	29.3%	38.7%
Neck Stress	306 lbs.	424 lbs.
	Passenger
STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
Chest Compression	.4 inches	.7 inches
Neck Injury Risk	37.4%	39.7%

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 Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross:

	Rav4	Eclipse Cross
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	83	145
Chest Movement	.5 inches	.5 inches
Abdominal Force	138 lbs.	154 lbs.
Hip Force	246 lbs.	292 lbs.
	Rear Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	146	162
Spine Acceleration	49 G’s	55 G’s
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Max Damage Depth	14 inches	14 inches
HIC	299	358
Spine Acceleration	36 G’s	44 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 much safer than the Eclipse Cross:

	Rav4	Eclipse Cross
Overall Evaluation	ACCEPTABLE	POOR
Structure	GOOD	MARGINAL
	Driver Injury Measures
Head/Neck	GOOD	GOOD
Head Injury Criterion	120	155
Neck Tension	134 lbs.	268 lbs.
Torso	GOOD	POOR
Shoulder Deflection	.47 in	.71 in
Shoulder Force	178 lbs.	223 lbs.
Torso Max Deflection	1.34 in	2.28 in
Torso Deflection Rate	7 MPH	10 MPH
Pelvis	ACCEPTABLE	MARGINAL
Pelvis Force	1093 lbs.	1294 lbs.
Head Protection	GOOD	GOOD
	Passenger Injury Measures
Head/Neck	GOOD	GOOD
Torso	GOOD	MARGINAL
Shoulder Deflection	.94 in	1.73 in
Shoulder Force	290 lbs.	402 lbs.
Torso Max Deflection	.83 in	2.01 in
Torso Deflection Rate	8 MPH	11 MPH
Pelvis	GOOD	GOOD

Instrumented handling tests conducted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and analysis of its dimensions indicate that the Rav4 is 2.6% to 3% less likely to roll over than the Eclipse Cross.

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 Eclipse Cross does not qualify as a “Top Safety Pick.”

Warranty

The Rav4’s corrosion warranty is unlimited miles longer than the Eclipse Cross’ (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. Mitsubishi doesn’t pay scheduled maintenance for the Eclipse Cross.

There are almost 4 times as many Toyota dealers as there are Mitsubishi dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Rav4’s warranty.

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 13 points higher than the Eclipse Cross.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Toyota vehicles are better in initial quality than Mitsubishi vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Toyota above average in initial quality. With 54 more problems per 100 vehicles, Mitsubishi is rated below average.

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 Mitsubishi 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, Mitsubishi is rated lower.

Engine

The Rav4’s 2.5 DOHC 4-cylinder produces 51 more horsepower (203 vs. 152) than the Eclipse Cross’ 1.5 turbo 4-cylinder.

As tested in Motor Trend the Toyota Rav4 is faster than the Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross:

	Rav4	Eclipse Cross
Zero to 60 MPH	8 sec	9.6 sec
Quarter Mile	16.2 sec	17.3 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	87.6 MPH	78.9 MPH

Fuel Economy and Range

On the EPA test cycle the Rav4 gets better mileage than the Eclipse Cross:

			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
Eclipse Cross
	AWD	ES 1.5 turbo 4-cyl.	25 city/28 hwy
		1.5 turbo 4-cyl.	25 city/26 hwy

In heavy traffic or at stoplights the Rav4 LE AWD/XLE/XLE Premium’s engine automatically turns off when the vehicle is stopped, saving fuel and reducing pollution. The engine is automatically restarted when the driver gets ready to move again. If the conditions warrant or the driver wishes, the system can be manually disabled at any time for the duration of a trip. The Eclipse Cross doesn’t offer an automatic engine start/stop system.

Environmental Friendliness

In its Green Vehicle Guide, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rates the Toyota Rav4 higher (6 out of 10) than the Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross (5). This means the Rav4 produces up to 6.9 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the Eclipse Cross every 15,000 miles.

Brakes and Stopping

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

	Rav4	Eclipse Cross
Front Rotors	12 inches	11.6 inches

The Rav4 stops much shorter than the Eclipse Cross:

	Rav4	Eclipse Cross
70 to 0 MPH	161 feet	178 feet	Car and Driver
60 to 0 MPH	120 feet	129 feet	Motor Trend

Tires and Wheels

For better traction, the Rav4 has larger standard tires than the Eclipse Cross (225/65R17 vs. 215/70R16). The Rav4 XLE Premium/Adventure/Limited’s tires are larger than the largest tires available on the Eclipse Cross (235/55R19 vs. 225/55R18).

The Rav4 LE/XLE’s standard tires provide better handling because they have a lower 65 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Eclipse Cross ES’ standard 70 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Rav4 LE/XLE has standard 17-inch wheels. Smaller 16-inch wheels are standard on the Eclipse Cross ES. The Rav4 XLE Premium/Adventure/Limited’s 19-inch wheels are larger than the 18-inch wheels on the Eclipse Cross LE/SE/SEL.

Suspension and Handling

For better handling and stability, the average track (width between the wheels) on the Rav4 is 2.1 inches wider in the front and 2.8 inches wider in the rear than the track on the Eclipse Cross.

The Rav4 Adventure handles at .84 G’s, while the Eclipse Cross SE pulls only .76 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

The Rav4 Adventure executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver 1.5 seconds quicker than the Eclipse Cross SEL (27.5 seconds @ .62 average G’s vs. 29 seconds @ .56 average G’s).

For greater off-road capability the Rav4 XLE Premium/Limited/Adventure/TRD Off-Road has a greater minimum ground clearance than the Eclipse Cross (8.6 vs. 8.5 inches), allowing the Rav4 to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged.

Chassis

The front grille of the Rav4 Adventure/Limited/TRD Off-Road uses electronically controlled shutters to close off airflow and reduce drag when less engine cooling is needed. This helps improve highway fuel economy. The Eclipse Cross doesn’t offer active grille shutters.

Passenger Space

The Rav4 has 2.2 cubic feet more passenger volume than the Eclipse Cross (98.9 vs. 96.7).

The Rav4 has .1 inches more front legroom, 1.3 inches more front hip room, 1.6 inches more front shoulder room, 2.2 inches more rear headroom, .7 inches more rear legroom and 1.3 inches more rear shoulder room than the Eclipse Cross.

Cargo Capacity

The Rav4 has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat up than the Eclipse Cross with its rear seat up (37.6 vs. 23.4 cubic feet). The Rav4 has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat folded than the Eclipse Cross with its rear seat folded (69.8 vs. 50.1 cubic feet).

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

To make loading and unloading groceries and cargo easier, especially for short adults, the Rav4 (except LE) offers an optional power liftgate, which opens and closes automatically by pressing a button or, optionally on the Rav4 Limited, by just kicking your foot under the back bumper, completely leaving your hands free. The Eclipse Cross doesn’t offer a power liftgate.

Towing

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

Standard Trailer Sway Control on the Rav4 uses the Vehicle Stability Control sensors to detect trailer sway, then uses individual brakes to counteract any swaying and help keep the tow vehicle and trailer steady. The Eclipse Cross doesn’t offer electronic trailer sway control.

Ergonomics

When two different drivers share the Rav4 Limited, the memory seats make it convenient for both. Each setting activates different, customized memories for the driver’s seat position. The Eclipse Cross doesn’t offer memory seats.

The Rav4’s power parking brake sets with one touch and releases with one touch or automatically. The Eclipse Cross has a lever-type parking brake that has to be strenuously raised to engage properly. It has to be lifted up more and a button depressed to release it.

The power windows standard on both the Rav4 and the Eclipse Cross have locks to prevent small children from operating them. When the lock on the Rav4 is engaged the driver can still operate all of the windows, for instance to close one opened by a child. The Eclipse Cross prevents the driver from operating the other windows just as it does the other passengers.

The Rav4’s front and rear power windows all open or close fully with one touch of the switches, making it more convenient at drive-up windows and toll booths, or when talking with someone outside the car. The Eclipse Cross’ standard passenger windows don’t open or 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 Eclipse Cross can only operate the windows from inside the vehicle, with the ignition on.

The Rav4’s power locks have a lockout prevention feature. When the key is in the ignition or smart key is in the passenger compartment and the driver’s door is open, the locks unlock every time you lock them. The Eclipse Cross doesn’t provide lockout prevention.

The Eclipse Cross’ standard power locks don’t automatically lock the doors. The Rav4’s standard doors lock when the transmission is engaged. This is an important feature for occupant safety. Locked doors are proven to open less often in collisions, and they are also effective in preventing crime at traffic lights.

To improve rear visibility by keeping the rear window clear, the Rav4 has a standard rear fixed intermittent wiper with a full on position. The rear wiper standard on the Eclipse Cross only has an intermittent setting, so in a hard rain visibility isn’t as good.

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) conducts detailed tests on headlights for their range both straight ahead and in curves and to be certain they don’t exceed acceptable amounts of glare to oncoming drivers. The Rav4’s headlights were rated “Good” by the IIHS, while the Eclipse Cross’ headlights are rated “Acceptable” to “Poor.”

The Rav4 has a standard automatic headlight on/off feature. When the ignition is on, the headlights automatically turn on at dusk and off after dawn. The Eclipse Cross has an automatic headlight on/off feature standard only on the SE/SEL.

Optional air-conditioned seats in the Rav4 (except LE/XLE/Adventure) keep the driver and front passenger comfortable and take the sting out of hot seats in Summer. The Eclipse Cross doesn’t offer air-conditioned seats.

Both the Rav4 and the Eclipse Cross offer rear vents. For greater rear passenger comfort, the Rav4 has standard rear air conditioning vents to keep rear occupants cool in summer or warm in winter. The Eclipse Cross doesn’t offer rear air conditioning vents, only heat vents.

To quickly and conveniently keep personal devices charged without cables tangling and wearing out, the Toyota Rav4 XLE Premium/Limited/TRD Off-Road offers an optional wireless phone charging system (Qi) in the center console. The Eclipse Cross doesn’t offer wireless personal charging.

The Rav4 Adventure/TRD Off-Road has a 115-volt a/c outlet in the cargo area, allowing you to recharge a laptop or run small household appliances without special adapters that can break or get misplaced. The Eclipse Cross doesn’t offer a house-current electrical outlet.

Model Availability

The Rav4 is available in both front-wheel drive and four-wheel drive configurations. The Eclipse Cross doesn’t offer a two-wheel drive configuration.

Recommendations

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

The Toyota Rav4 outsold the Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross by over 37 to one during 2022.