Today we're looking at the top two most popular and best-selling compact crossovers in America, the Toyota RAV4 and the Honda CR-V. Believe it or not, these crossovers have been battling neck-to-neck for over 25 years. We'll drive through how each crossover evolved in technology and style.
We'll also see which model years are best and which ones to avoid. If you're looking to buy a used crossover, then stay tuned. You can comment with your preference afterwards, so hop in with me and let's go for a ride.
In the early 1990s, Toyota wanted to make a vehicle that combined light off-road capabilities of an SUV with the comforts of a standard passenger car. And so they did. In 1994, Toyota introduced the RAV4. you can see their vision reflected in the name because RAB4 was an acronym for recreational activity vehicle with four-wheel drive although later they changed it to robust accurate vehicle four-wheel drive anyway it was the first and only compact crossover in the u.s market you could say that the RAB4 created a brand new genre and category in the car industry The RAV4 first generation debuted in America in 1996 with a 2.0-liter, 120-horsepower, inline-four engine.
The next year, 1997, they introduced the all-electric RAV4 with nickel-metal hydride batteries. Of course, being the first to market gave RAV4 a head start. Honda followed suit soon after by introducing the CR-V in 1997. The name CRV stood for Compact Recreational Vehicle. Originally, it came in one trim level, known as CRV-LX, which included a hideaway... picnic table.
It had a two-liter inline four-cylinder engine that output 126 horsepower and 133 pound-feet of torque, so power output was comparable with the RAV4. Just a year later, CR-V surprised America by surpassing the RAV4 in sales, and it wasn't just by a stone's throw, but more like leaps and bounds. CR-V sales in 1998 was over 100,000 units, where the RAV4 sold only about 67,000 units that year.
Toyota realized they needed to keep things fresh, so the second generation RAV4 came with more power under its hood. 148 horsepower and 142 pound-foot of torque, but it didn't help them gain much ground in sales. CR-V was still way ahead. In the meantime, the second generation CR-V got a full redesign.
It was based on the seventh generation Honda Civic and powered by the K24A1 engine. The new CR-V retained the fuel economy of the previous model because of the i-VTEC system. American versions of the new engine produced 160 horsepower and 140 pound-feet of torque. this prompted toyota to make dramatic changes, for the 06 rav4, toyota introduced the rav4 with a v6 engine, with a 3.5 liter unit with 269 horsepower, the us version of the rav4 also grew by 14 inches, that's more than a foot, rav4 also came with a third row seating This made the crossover more practical for American audiences, and America loved these dramatic changes.
In fact, Grab for sale doubled from almost 71,000 units in 2005 to over 152,000 units in 2006, but it was still lagging behind CR-V in sales. In the meantime, Honda redesigned their CR-V, starting with the 07 model year. The CR-V nixed the folding picnic table feature and manual transmission.
This generation CR-V also saw softer, smoother lines with the new horizontal slat-type chrome grille and redesigned bumpers. Honda also moved the spare tire under the floor. Then for the fourth generation, Honda upgraded the CR-V to output 185 horsepower.
With the 2015 model year, Honda offered the CR-V with the CVT, continuously variable transmission, and improved suspension. This moved Toyota to re-strategize, and so Toyota went back to basics. They backtracked and reversed the features that didn't succeed in the previous generation.
They dropped the V6 option from the RAV4. They nixed the third row. They shortened the car length by about 2 inches and height by 1 inch.
Then they fattened the width a bit and deleted the signature gate-mounted spare tire feature and instead hid the tire under the floor. They replaced the single-hinged liftgate door with the traditional door that's hinged at the top. They also upgraded the 4-speed to a new 6-speed automatic. The RAV4 was less fun, but more practical now.
2015 was a significant year because RAV4 got a facelift and also saw a dramatic increase in safety ratings. RAV4 started gaining major ground in sales that year, and the gross trajectory continued after Toyota introduced the RAV4 hybrid with the 2016 model. It shared the same gas electric powertrain as a Lexus NX300h. It was more powerful than the standard RAV4.
2017 was a huge milestone. for the RAV4 because it made an incredible comeback in sales. The RAV4 outsold the CR-V for the first time in decades. This was the turning point in the Toyota Honda race and the RAV4 has held its ground ever since.
You can see Honda's reaction in its fifth generation. The CR-V became more masculine than previous generations. It was bigger, had sharper lines, and looked more aggressive.
It grew an inch taller, and its wheelbase was 1.6 inches longer, so more space and comfort for passengers. For the 2020 model year, Honda introduced the CR-V hybrid variant in America. Honda had already been selling it in Europe and China a year prior, but now Honda brought it to the U.S. market. In the meantime, Toyota launched the RAV4 fifth generation.
it was boxier and more rugged it sat on toyota's new global architecture tnga which improved the ride quality and handling for the 2021 model year toyota unveiled the rav4 prime a plug-in hybrid variant that can travel 42 miles on electricity alone so for more than two decades the rav4 and crv have been neck to neck in power look and features they have a lot more in common than differences today they're still added the toyota rav4 is the fourth best selling vehicle in America. Last year they sold 430,000 units. Compare that to the Honda CR-V, which is the fifth best selling car in America. They sold more than 330,000 units last year.
If you're looking for a brand new crossover and want to compare these two 2021 models, here's a quick rundown. In terms of base price, Both start at around $25,000 to $26,000, although the RAV4's price is slightly higher. If you're interested in reliability ratings, J.D. Parr gave the RAV4 an average score, whereas a CR-V earned an above-average rating. Both cars offer a 3-year, 36,000-mile basic warranty and a 5-year, 60,000-mile powertrain warrant.
Both vehicles offer great fuel economy for its class, but the RAV4 has a slight edge here, although it's really a close call between these two. Let's talk about seats. both crossovers have five passenger seats the crv offers a bit more leg room for the back seat passengers both come standard with cloth upholstery but you can upgrade the crv with real leather whereas the rav4 only offers synthetic leather both offer heated front seats but the rav4 can be upgraded with ventilated front seats and heated rear outboard seats in terms of cargo space both vehicles are above average for their class so it's a lot here that said the crv offers a bit more cargo volume If you want acceleration, the RAV4 has a leg up.
It has a 2.5 liter inline four that outputs 203 horsepower. Compare that with CR-V's 1.5 liter turbo four with 190 horsepower. As far as the interior quality and style, both are practical and of good quality.
But the CR-V looks more upscale because it uses soft material on most surfaces, while the RAV4 has some hard plastics. If you're looking to buy a used RAV4 or CR-V, which model year should you consider and which one should you avoid? As far as the Toyota RAV4 is concerned, the 2017 and 2018 model years are a good bet in general. Both models rated well for reliability, performance, comfort, and styling.
There has been a few complaints about the 2018 model, like paint issues, minor steering issues, and brake problems. But in general, it's still a very good year. The least reliable RAV4, the model years 2001, 2002, 2007, and 2008. The 2008 model was the worst due to higher repair costs.
The most common problem with the used RAV4 is excessive oil consumption at 100,000 miles. Average cost to address this was around $3,300. Another common issue was problems shifting and eventual transmission failure around 112,000 miles. The average cost to address this was about $2,600.
In fact, customer complaints led Toyota to change its powertrain warranty from 5 years 60,000 miles to 10 years 150,000 miles for both the transmission and ECM. If you're looking at used Honda CR-Vs, reliable model years include 2005, 2006, and 2016. Complaints about these models were quite minimal. and those years are reported to be reliable overall and provide good handling.
Minor issues were only about the ride being a little stiffer than other model years. Some people complained about the noise level, but that seems to be across the board for CRVs in general. But all in all, these are reliable model years if you want to use CRV. The least reliable CRV models are between 2007 and 2011. Those received the most complaints, including tires wearing unevenly, door lock issue, and failing AC compressors because the shaft was too thin and it would snap off. In particular, the 2010 and 2011 models.
models received complaints around oil consumption problems due to faulty piston rings. 2010 also saw recalls for problems around the airbag, electrical system, and transmission control modules. The Toyota RAV4 and Honda CR-V both have a reputation for reliability.
It's no surprise why they're so popular. They're formidable competitors for good reason. But now, you tell me what you think about the Toyota RAV4 or the Honda CR-V.
Which do you think is better? Comment below and share your opinion. If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe to my channel. channel.
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