I test drove a used Toyota RAV4 hybrid but not plug-in hybrid. I know that's not a fair test, but there were no new RAV4s to be test driven after checking several dealers. In fact, they thought I was joking.

My general impression was that the Honda CRV was larger, heavier, more solid feeling. (That may not be true of the RAV4 plug-in hybrid). I liked the interior of the CRV by far - particularly the clean layout of the dashboard. The CRV seemed more upscale in the design and how it felt.
I wanted a car with plenty of room in the backseat for adults. I also haul things in the back, so larger is better without getting into a different class of automobile.

I've never been a fan of the RAV4 exterior, and I'm a big fan of the exterior of the new CRV.

I really wanted to like the RAV4. I know that it's a very popular car and I did not want to be blindly loyal to Honda.

So, larger, more solid, more upscale feeling, and better styling, inside and out. Those were the things on my list.
I think that Toyota has a marginally better engine and drivetrain and better MPG.

 

I test drove a used Toyota RAV4 hybrid but not plug-in hybrid. I know that's not a fair test, but there were no new RAV4s to be test driven after checking several dealers. In fact, they thought I was joking.

My general impression was that the Honda CRV was larger, heavier, more solid feeling. (That may not be true of the RAV4 plug-in hybrid). I liked the interior of the CRV by far - particularly the clean layout of the dashboard. The CRV seemed more upscale in the design and how it felt.
I wanted a car with plenty of room in the backseat for adults. I also haul things in the back, so larger is better without getting into a different class of automobile.

I've never been a fan of the RAV4 exterior, and I'm a big fan of the exterior of the new CRV.

I really wanted to like the RAV4. I know that it's a very popular car and I did not want to be blindly loyal to Honda.

So, larger, more solid, more upscale feeling, and better styling, inside and out. Those were the things on my list.
I think that Toyota has a marginally better engine and drivetrain and better MPG.

Very helpful impressions Jake! Thanks!

 

You might sit tight and look for a plug-in hybrid CRV in the US in 25 or 26. Keep in mind the 24's are already on the lot. These cars are already in parts of Europe. You can see them on YouTube.

 

Will you not miss the performance and the EV only range? That's really all the Prime has on the CR-V Hybrid. The Honda is better in almost every other way.

 

I agree Mike. And that is the heart of the question I am wresting with.

 

JakeTheWonderDog Don't quite understand your claim that "the CRV had a much larger interior" (than the Subaru Forester), because specs for 2023 show the Forester has more head room, shoulder room, and front legroom, though the CR-V has more rear legroom (according to Kelley Blue Book).

 

I regularly have adults in the back seat of my car- so that's an issue. My test for the back seat was, "would I be comfortable on a long trip, as an adult, in the back seat". Also, "Would I feel bad about having my older, tall friends get into the back seat".
When I was sitting in the back seat of the Forester, what I noticed first was the leg room, then the width of the rear seats. The CRV seemed much larger.
When I first looked at the '23 CRV, the first thing I did was get into the back seat and notice how much room there was.
It also seemed like there was more usable space in the back of the CRV with the seats up than the Forrester or RAV4 - Even though I'm not crazy about the big hump in the floor with the seats down in the CRV.

 

The backseat is very spacious, I would prefer to sit back there and be chauffered around.

 

The backseat is very spacious, I would prefer to sit back there and be chauffeured around.

You mean like this?

 

You are correct that the CR-V has more overall interior space than the Forester, as the CR-V is the bigger car.

 

You are correct that the CR-V has more overall interior space than the Forester, as the CR-V is the bigger car. Note that the turning circle of the CR-V is larger as well, so it's likely harder to park.

Bigger isn't always better. There's a lot to say for a maneuverable car - particularly in urban areas.
For me, back seat space and cargo space was important - without going to a larger SUV or minivan.

 

I really appreciate the conversation that we are having comparing these 2 vehicles. They are both best sellers for a reason -- they are both excellent. It comes down to personal preference, and the "feeling" that it feels right and meets your needs.

Thank you all!

 

I'm on the wait list for a Rav4 Prime... I got on it in May or 2022. In May of this year, I was #32 on the list at the dealer. The guy at #1 had gotten on the list in December 2021 and they weren't expecting to get one in for him until July. I inquired about "regular" hybrids and was informed I'd be #53 on the list, but they were coming in quicker.

The problem there is that you get (the option to buy) whatever they get in. And the hybrid has 7 different trim levels and even more options and then there's the colors. Chances are you won't really get what you want.

Around that time, I was looking at a lot of reviews on similar vehicles. I wanted to see if the '23 Prime had any real differences. I ended up watching a lot about the Kia Niro plug-in hybrid... and then I saw a review of the CR-V. Dang. I loved the new exterior and the interior... so I watched more. I watched a 'reverse' teardown of the drive unit to get a grasp of how it works, and frankly I think it's pretty clever.

So I reached out to the dealer that I bought my 2020 Ridgeline from. They had a few Sport trims in stock, but I wanted the Sport Touring. I asked about the new blue color, and they said they'd have one of that color coming in some time in July... but I was going on a long road trip in July... so I told them I also like silver and the non-metallic grey. Well, they had a silver model coming in, so I put a reservation down on it. I picked it up up June 9. Road trip complete and now I have about 4300 miles on it.

TBH, I likely would have never considered one of the previous generations of CR-V. I respected that they were neat little SUVs, but never really liked the style. The 6th gen knocked it out of the park.

And so far, I really like it. When the Toyota dealer calls me to tell me I'm up for the Prime, I will end up telling them to let the next guy have it. I'm going to stick with the CR-V

A guy I work with has a plug-in Kia Niro and mentioned he may want to get something else in a couple years. I might have need of a second vehicle, so I told him to let me know when he was going to get rid of it. Maybe I can score a good deal on it... but I'll keep the CR-V.

 

I'm on the wait list for a Rav4 Prime... I got on it in May or 2022. In May of this year, I was #32 on the list at the dealer. The guy at #1 had gotten on the list in December 2021 and they weren't expecting to get one in for him until July. I inquired about "regular" hybrids and was informed I'd be #53 on the list, but they were coming in quicker.

The problem there is that you get (the option to buy) whatever they get in. And the hybrid has 7 different trim levels and even more options and then there's the colors. Chances are you won't really get what you want.

Around that time, I was looking at a lot of reviews on similar vehicles. I wanted to see if the '23 Prime had any real differences. I ended up watching a lot about the Kia Niro plug-in hybrid... and then I saw a review of the CR-V. Dang. I loved the new exterior and the interior... so I watched more. I watched a 'reverse' teardown of the drive unit to get a grasp of how it works, and frankly I think it's pretty clever.

So I reached out to the dealer that I bought my 2020 Ridgeline from. They had a few Sport trims in stock, but I wanted the Sport Touring. I asked about the new blue color, and they said they'd have one of that color coming in some time in July... but I was going on a long road trip in July... so I told them I also like silver and the non-metallic grey. Well, they had a silver model coming in, so I put a reservation down on it. I picked it up up June 9. Road trip complete and now I have about 4300 miles on it.

TBH, I likely would have never considered one of the previous generations of CR-V. I respected that they were neat little SUVs, but never really liked the style. The 6th gen knocked it out of the park.

And so far, I really like it. When the Toyota dealer calls me to tell me I'm up for the Prime, I will end up telling them to let the next guy have it. I'm going to stick with the CR-V

A guy I work with has a plug-in Kia Niro and mentioned he may want to get something else in a couple years. I might have need of a second vehicle, so I told him to let me know when he was going to get rid of it. Maybe I can score a good deal on it... but I'll keep the CR-V.

Great story! Congrats on your CRV and thanks for sharing your experience.

 

Seriously would consider staying on the Prime list....keep it, drive it and flip-it if you truly prefer the CR-V.

 

I looked at both the 22 Rav 4 and 22 CR-V hybrid Touring. Went with Honda. The main diffs for me: Honda was very comfortable - I just did a cross country trip and it was great. Safety features and driver assistance were fine. The backup camera is not the best. The Toyota had great cameras including “Birds Eye view” but the seats are awful. They felt like they were stuffed with cement.

On a related note, a friend in a Rav 4 ran out of gas on the freeway on a long trip. She usually drives shorter trips in town and the computer assumed the same mileage. There’s not much braking on the freeway, so she wound up getting much worse mpg and not enough warning until it was too late. Honda uses a different hybrid technology and I find my mpg estimates to be pretty accurate.

 

On a related note, a friend in a Rav 4 ran out of gas on the freeway on a long trip. She usually drives shorter trips in town and the computer assumed the same mileage. There’s not much braking on the freeway, so she wound up getting much worse mpg and not enough warning until it was too late. Honda uses a different hybrid technology and I find my mpg estimates to be pretty accurate.

That's why I set mine so that the mileage calculation resets every time I fill up.

 

Why is anyone comparing a CRV Hybrid and a Rav4 prime. Completely different class of vehicle. The prime is one of the fastest vehicles in it's class. One of the fastest Toyota currently makes.

 

Before settling on the ICE CRV inlooked at both Hybrids. And like above the seats in the Rav are horrible. Other than the Rav had better passenger seat adjustment where the V lacks lumbar and height on the passenger. Tech was snazzier on the Rav more up to date, the video rear view mirror on the demo was glitchy and prone to vibration and dirt. When it came down to the brass tax and how I drive the ICE version of the V just made more sense. But this is your decision. Take both out take the same roads if possible. (here the same owners own Toyota and Honda Dealership, next door to each other) they even allowed me to park them both together and really compare. Even when I decided on the ICE version. But it's going to be what you want, and what the dealer offers you. Warranties, service plans etc. We can tell you to go one way, but in the end the decision has to be yours alone to make sure you are happy and not bummed because the guys on the forum said to pick Honda over Toyota.

 

It depends on what you want to do with the car. I want to take lo g road trips. I just drove from Indiana to California with stops in Memphis, Albuquerque, Flagstaff, Bakersfield stopping at many national parks on the way. After a stint near SF I drive to Reno, across Nevada on 50 (the loneliest road) then south to St George, east to Kayenta, through Monument Valley, Goosenecks Park, then a very challenging drive through Valley of the Gods where the road was dusty, steep, and boulder-y. Then up the Moki Dugway, what was i thinking, I didn’t know what I was getting into and I was scared to death. I was so glad to have a reliable, COMFORTABLE vehicle. I don’t give a rats patootie about going fast. I want to go safely and comfortably to awesome places. Heck, speed limit on the Dugway is 5mpg, you are definitely going to care more about a solid AWD vehicle than an fast one.

If you are mostly driving in town and sporty tech is more important, then an uncomfortable seat won’t matter as much. You won’t be sitting in it for too long. I think after an eight hour day driving a RAV I would light it on fire and bum a ride home in a comfy tow truck. And I don’t care if I look like a soccer mom in an ordinary car. I’m comfortable and going places!

 

Crv+15K = Rav4 prime. not actually apple to apple.
ECVT much better on Toyota, the interior much better on Honda

 

ECVT much better on Toyota

Subjective, not fact.

 

Given that the OP to this thread hasnt returned, its now locked. Cheers.