The CRV will be more fuel efficient (if you go ICE) and funner to drive because of the turbo. IMO the CRV is also a better looking vehicle inside and out. However, I believe the RAV will be more reliable in the long run. My suggestion is you test drive both and see which you like better.

 

Mazda CX-5 or CX-50

 

Both Toyota and Honda are reliable brands so you can't go wrong with either. I recently did the same comparison. Test drove both. Honestly the CR-V is on top. It has a more refined interior. In April I purchased a 2024 CR-V Sport L (Hybrid). After 6 months and 6000+ miles, it is a fantastic SUV. Pleasant to drive. Comfortable seats. Lots of rear leg room which passengers appreciate. Plenty of power for everyday use. Great cargo area. Averaging 40-41 MPG. That has decreased slightly due to New England temperature, but that happens with all Hybrids with cold weather. CR-V is great. Yesterday an older family member was looking for a non-hybrid SUV. We again compared Rav4 and CR-V gas models. She chose the CR-V EX.

Just a note, I am a woman and since you are looking for your wife, I wanted to give a female perspective. Previously drove 2017 Subaru Forester Premium.

 

Thanks.
This is for the wife and, after a lot of back and forth, I think we are leaning the same way....looking at the CR-V hybrid touring this weekend. Your perspective, as a woman, is appreciated.

As a male, I'm only 5'10" and when I sat in both, back around early summer, I didn't have an issue with the CR-V but I did feel like my legs were cramped on the Rav4. Since I would rarely be driving it, I didn't count it as much of an issue (wife is only 5'1", so she has NO problems in anything).

As for which trim, I think heated steering wheel only in the touring...I really want to keep having that. I don't care about the NAV unit as we use android auto anyway.

 

We have the 2024 sport touring hybrid and compared that to the RAV4 hybrid when we were shopping around 10 mos ago…CRV hybrid was just much more refined and quieter plus in our area, we couldn’t get the RAV4 hybrid (1-1.5yr wait factory order). no regrets on the CRV hybrid!

 

We ended up buying a 2024 Honda sport hybrid (the lowest level) last May, and absolutely love it! We live in rural Vermont and this car gives us everything we want and need. The tires that came with the car were the only things we did not like and could not live with once I hydro-planed during a rain storm last summer. Our research showed they are the worst tires in wet weather (2.8 rating) and we chose to replace them with great tires. Yes, we paid for the new tires, although the service department gave us their price and did the installation free of charge. Now there is nothing about our car that we don't love.

 

I totally agree about the tires. Gave them a 5000 miles try. They made me not like driving in the rain, which never bothered me before. I was very concerned once New England winter arrived so changed to much better tires. Safety was more important than the extra cost.

 

Which tires? MY ‘21 EX-L has Yokohama for “(not really) All Season” … I haven’t noticed any issues with wet traction BUT don’t think I’ve driven in any real downpours. I’m getting a set of Hakapelittas soon for winter use, might consider replacing the Yokohamas next Spring with Nokian summer tires which I’ve had in the past.

 

Which tires?
The ones I saw on the lot last week were Michelin (not sure of the model)...
We are in PNW so rain is quite an issue here

 

I have a 2021 CRV Hybrid Touring with Michelin Cross Climate 2 and these are the best .

 

The Hybrid's (I have a 2024 Sport-L) have Bridgestone Ecopia H/L 422 tires. Not only the worst in class on Tire Racks ratings but one of the most expensive.

I am considering replacing them, haven't yet.

 

My 2024 Sport-L came with Hankooks. They are not my favorite either...

 

I had a RAV4 (my 3rd Toyota) for about 18 months until a speeder creamed it. I got a Honda CRV Sport Touring to replace it. (The proximity to the dealer was a factor initially I admit.) Nine months in I find the Honda to be more comfortable. Other people do also. But there are trade-offs. Passengers say it is louder. It gets about 10 mph less gas mileage. I live in a semi-rural area. The way the headlights provide no side vision is very dangerous. (My workaround is to use bright lights as much as possible if I have to drive at night.) It has less cargo space in the rear and the world's smallest glove compartment. It has no spare tire. Despite all these, I prefer the Honda. But if I had to do a lot of driving, drive in isolated areas, haul a lot...
(5'2" female)

 

I like the way Honda designs the interior of the CRV. It just feels more comfortable to me. And my 2007 CRV LX AWD does get less gas mileage than my 2017 Rav4 LE FWD. Still, I like the way it drives. The Rav4 feels more like a heavy tank.

 

The only nod I would give to the RAV4 is that it still has a conventional automatic transmission (not sure about the 2025) as I'm still not sold on the longevity of CVT transmissions, although Honda has the most experience with the failures of it since they had their first attempt at it in 2000 with the Civic HX which was a dismal failure (those CVTs failed in 60,000 miles or less). However, it's been 9 years since they introduced it in their current models and I haven't heard too much about them so they could be much more reliable than from other makes like Nissan, etc. Note that only the lower powered 4 cylinder engines have the CVTs as none are on V6 equipped vehicles. I also recall that back in the earlier years of the Accords, the 1.5L turbos had CVTs but the more powerful 2.0L turbos came with the 10-speed conventional automatic. I'm a Honda guy for imports but am still not convinced on the CVT or turbos as I like to keep vehicles 15-20 years on average, though one caveat on Honda is that they have the most experience with CVTs and turbos (turbo experience from the CART Indycar racing days).

 

The Honda hybrid does not have a CVT. It does not even have a planetary gear set like the RAV 4 hybrid.

 

Which one is more comfortable to you, quiet, meets your power needs, etc. A 20 minute test drive is not enough for us, so we rented one of each for a day and bought a brand new 2020 CRV. We made the right choice and are happy with it. You need to buy what is right for you.

 

Will agree with Edw / #19 above about renting one of each of the vehicles on your "which-should-i-buy" list.

In 2017, thought about purchasing a Subaru. Same year, visited relatives in Hawai'i. Rental lot was pick your own. Chose a Subbie just to see what they were like.

After a day, discovered that ride height made getting in & out difficult for my wife; pedals-steering wheel-driver's seat alignment did not fit my physique in spite of several different adjustments. Could live with all that for a short time, but not for a purchase.

Your decision as to which vehicle to purchase is exactly that - your decision. Don't feel rushed just because the salesperson wants you to take the 10-minute spin around the block.

 

I also have Michelin Cross climate 2 tires. They are quiet and super handling.

 

My first choice was the Michelin Cross Climate 2 but the negative effect on MPG was a turnoff. My car is a hybrid and I was not willing to sacrifice year round MPG for a few snowy days in the winter. As a retiree I can generally avoid driving in seriously snowy weather. As a life long New Englander I'm accustomed to driving in winter weather so not intimidated by it. I've driven on Michelin tires for a long time and wanted to continue with them. After a lot of research I settled on an unusual choice, although totally compatible for the CR-V according to Michelin website. Michelin Premier AS, not the LTX. I like driving an SUV/CUV for the height of, but like the ride of a sedan. These tires covered most of the bases. They rate well for wet driving conditions. They are not as good as the Cross Climate 2 for snow, but they maintain low resistance like the OEM Bridgestones so no change in MPG. The ride is very smooth. I've driven on them for about 1,000 miles so far and am very happy. Probably not a good choice for a serious driver, but a decent choice a daily car.

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Well this thread has gone way off topic. This was not a tire thread....Closed!!!