Compare the2026 Honda CR-VVS 2026 Toyota Rav4

The Honda CR-V has standard driver and front passenger side knee airbags mounted low on the dashboard. These airbags help prevent the driver and front passenger from sliding under their seatbelts or the main frontal airbags; this keeps them better positioned during a collision for maximum protection. Knee airbags also help keep the legs from striking the dashboard, preventing knee and leg injuries in the case of a serious frontal collision. The Rav4 doesn’t offer a front passenger side knee airbag.

Using vehicle speed sensors and seat sensors, smart airbags in the CR-V deploy with different levels of force or don’t deploy at all to help better protect passengers of all sizes in different collisions. The CR-V’s side airbags will shut off if a child is leaning against the door. The Rav4’s side airbags don’t have smart features and will always deploy full force.

In a Vehicle-to-Vehicle Frontal Crash Prevention 2.0 test conducted by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), the Honda CR-V achieved a “Acceptable” rating - the second highest possible - for its performance in forward collision warning and automatic braking systems, demonstrating its excellent capabilities in preventing collisions. The Toyota Rav4 has not been tested.

Both the CR-V and the Rav4 have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, front and rear seatbelt pretensioners, front wheel drive, 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, rear parking sensors and rear cross-path warning.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2025 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Honda vehicles are better in initial quality than Toyota vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Honda above average in initial quality. With 21 more problems per 100 vehicles, Toyota is rated below average.

The CR-V has more powerful engines than the Rav4:

The CR-V has a standard cap-less fueling system. The fuel filler is automatically opened when the fuel nozzle is inserted and automatically closed when it’s removed. This eliminates the need to unscrew and replace the cap and it reduces fuel evaporation, which causes pollution. The Rav4 doesn’t offer a cap-less fueling system.

For better stopping power the CR-V’s standard brake rotors are larger than those on the Rav4:

The CR-V stops shorter than the Rav4:

The CR-V EX-L AWD handles at .84 G’s, while the Rav4 Limited pulls only .79 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

For greater off-road capability the CR-V has a greater minimum ground clearance than the Rav4 GR Sport (8.2 vs. 7.5 inches), allowing the CR-V to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged.

The front grille of the CR-V uses electronically controlled shutters to close off airflow and reduce drag when less engine cooling is needed. This helps improve highway fuel economy. The Rav4 doesn’t offer active grille shutters.

The CR-V uses computer-generated active noise cancellation to help remove annoying noise and vibration from the passenger compartment, especially at low frequencies. The Rav4 doesn’t offer active noise cancellation.

The CR-V has 7.1 cubic feet more passenger volume than the Rav4 (106 vs. 98.9).

The CR-V has 2.1 inches more front headroom, .3 inches more front legroom, .3 inches more front hip room, .9 inches more front shoulder room, 3.2 inches more rear legroom and 3 inches more rear hip room than the Rav4.

The CR-V has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat up than the Rav4 with its rear seat up (39.3 vs. 37.8 cubic feet). The CR-V has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat folded than the Rav4 with its rear seat folded (76.5 vs. 70.4 cubic feet).

While the Rav4 GR Sport is not recommended to tow, any CR-V can tow a minimum of 1000 pounds.

The CR-V uses gas struts to support the hood for easier service access. The Rav4 uses a prop rod to support its heavy hood. It takes two hands to open the hood and set the prop rod, the prop rod gets in the way during maintenance and service, and the prop rod could be knocked out, causing the heavy hood to fall on the person maintaining or servicing the car.

J.D. Power and Associates surveys of service recipients show that Honda service is better than Toyota. J.D. Power ranks Honda 7th in service department satisfaction (above the industry average). With a 23% lower rating, Toyota is ranked 24th.

The CR-V EX-L/Sport-L/Sport Touring’s standard easy entry system glides the driver’s seat back when the door is unlocked or the ignition is switched off, making it easier for the driver to get in and out. The Rav4 doesn’t offer an easy entry system.

The CR-V’s standard speed-sensitive wipers speed up when the vehicle does, so that the driver doesn’t have to continually adjust the speed of the wipers. The Rav4 LE’s standard fixed intermittent wipers only have one fixed delay setting, so the driver will have to manually switch them between slow and intermittent.

To quickly and conveniently keep personal devices charged without cables tangling and wearing out, the Honda CR-V has a standard wireless phone charging system (Qi) in the center console. Only the Rav4 Woodland/XLE/XSE/GR Sport/Limited offers wireless charging.

Consumer Reports® recommends the Honda CR-V, based on reliability, safety and performance.

The CR-V was chosen as a Car and Driver’s “5Best Trucks/10Best” for 2025 and 5 more times in the last 25 years. The Rav4 hasn’t been picked since 2008, and the Rav4 has only been chosen twice.

Motor Trend selected the CR-V as their 2018 Sport Utility of the Year. The Rav4 has never been chosen.