'12 CR-V EX compared to Toyota Rav4 Base

[Bob-blehead]

I'm currently driving a Rav4 4WD Base model with the added value package (alloy wheels, privacy glass, and a few other things). We leased the Rav two months ago, so I'm locked into the Rav for awhile, but that is fine. I'm always looking to see what changes with certain models, and the CR-V is one of them. I had to take our Civic over to the dealership for some service, so I asked to test a CR-V. As this was not a long test drive, what I can give you are some quick comparisons that stood out to me. These are just my opinions. Your experience may, and probably will, be different.

Interior fit and finish: Advantage CR-V. Toyota has long had a reputation for not having the best fitting interiors when it comes to parts meeting nicely together. The CR-V, to me, looked like a Civic big brother . . . and that is a good thing. While both are rather utilitarian, that feeling is less so in the CR-V.

Front seat: Advantage Toyota. Now, this one will definitely differ with each person, because everyone can have a different opinion on the same seat. The Honda seat was a bit hard to me, but I'm sure it would soften with use. It wasn't bad . . . not at all! I just felt that the Rav4 seat has a slight advantage in comfort over the CR-V.

Radio/Sound System: Advantage CR-V. Hands down. The sound, and controls, in conjunction with the use of the iMid screen, make the CR-V system much better to listen to and to use while driving. The Toyota system requires a LOT of eye time off the road to maneuver through the system. The JBL system in the upper level trims might be better, but I have no experience with them.

Steering: Push. Unlike the Civic we own, I wasn't overly impressed with the steering of the CR-V. I didn't feel any difference in the way the vehicle handled compared to the Rav4.

Steering wheel feel and controls: Advantage CR-V. Again, hands down. This is another of those items that can differ with each person. I love the feel of the Honda steering wheels in my hands. The Rav's wheel isn't bad. Certainly better than the wheel that was in my wife's Venza. That steering wheel would hurt my hands on long drives. Same with my '08 Town and Country. Had to get a wheel cover to help make it more comfortable. The Rav's wheel at least doesn't hurt my hands, but it's not anywhere as comfortable as the Honda. I like the cruise and bluetooth controls on the Honda better as well. On the Rav, the cruise has to be turned on each time the vehicle is restarted. Not so on our Civic, and I'm assuming it works the same way on the CR-V. I was not able to test the bluetooth connectivity. If it works as well as the system does on the Civic, I'd be very happy with that.

Visibility: Slight advantage to the Rav4. The Honda isn't so bad that I wouldn't buy it, but I feel the blind spot issue is less with Rav4.

Rear View Camera: Advantage CR-V. The only reason I have a back-up camera on my Rav4 is because I negotiated for it because the dealer wanted me to take one off the lot instead of trading for the blue one I initially wanted. It is one of those that show up in the rear view mirror, so it isn't very big. The cam in the CR-V is MUCH better, and multi-view!!!

Braking system: Advantage CR-V!!! One issue I've been having with the Rav4 is the spongy, long-travel brakes. I've had the system flushed and new fluid put in, with no improvement. I have never driven a vehicle with brakes that feel this way. I won't go into detail here, but I will tell you that I love the brakes in our Civic, and the CR-V brakes feel similar. They engage early and modulate well. I feel like I have control with the Hondas. This is NOT a symptom across other Toyota vehicles that I have driven (Venza, Camry, Prius V).

Both vehicles have rear seats that recline a bit, and have a center fold down armrest with drink holders. The rear of the storage area in the CR-V has a nice little lip that would help keep items in the vehicle, like groceries, rather than a flat floor that can allow things to fall out when the back door is opened. This was a major point of irritation with my wife and her Venza. While the Rav's floor is flat, for some reason, it has not been a problem thus far.

Some will like the way the back door opens upward on the CR-V. Others like the way the door opens on the Rav. For me, it's a draw. And, I like the spare wheel on the back. It provides for more storage space beneath the floor in the back, and I don't have to unload everything to get to the spare should I have a flat.

So, to wrap things up, if I were making a purchase decision today and my options were the Rav4 and the CR-V, I'd buy the CR-V. Now, perhaps, if I were comparing a Rav4 Limited to the CR-V EX-L I would feel differently. May be something to look at more closely when it is time to turn this one in. Of course, who knows what changes will occur to each vehicle by the time I'm ready to do that.

 

[webby]

What model was the crv? lx, ex, etc?

Seats - did either have leather? (Your rav or the crv?)

Rear door- I know there were a lot of complaints on the 2nd gen crv that had the tire mounted outside. It also opened on a side hinge. People who parked on inclines complained over trying to open the door with the weight of a tire...where as a lift-up rear solves that. I know others complained over the space needed to open the side swinging door...say being parallel parked. Unless you have decent room, you cannot open it fully. Top hinged doors solve that pretty well. Except of course...stealing some interior space.

Great read...I enjoy seeing people compare things and pick out things they like/dislike.

 

[Bob-blehead]

The CR-V was an EX model. No leather, which is what I would be looking for. My Rav does not have leather either. Maybe when we are really in the market, I may consider the EX-L. Won't spend the money on the nav though.

The salesman showed me the spare on the CR-V. I was surprised that it was on a full size rim, but he said that the width of the tire is only about half the regular. They call it a 3/4 spare.

As for the rear door on the Rav, my wife and I had a fairly long discussion about it. We were out on the test drive, and stopped by a local school parking lot to give it the look-over. We tried to think of situations where having the spare on the door could be a problem. Didn't think about parking on a hill. But as I think about it, I cannot think of the last time I parked somewhere, where the incline would be bad enough to for this to be a problem for us. And yes, one has to be thoughtful about pulling through a parking space if you think you may be having to load stuff in the back. I do wish that the door opened right to left (away from the curb here in the States), but it is a minor thing for us. For someone who lives in a more urban area, and who does a lot of parallel parking, I can certainly see where it would be more of an issue.

I rear-view camera was very nice on the CR-V. Having the graduated markings (3 ft for each line) was nice, as is the multi-view (wide, regular, and top-down).

 

[webby]

I've seen videos demonstrating the reverse camera, so I know exactly what you're talking about on the lines and stuff. I could see it coming in handy when you're trying to park in a tight spot.

So, now it's time to drive the odyssey?

 

[Bob-blehead]

Drove it the same day. Liked it a lot . . . for a van. Certainly better than the POS Chrysler T&C I used to drive. The Ody drives nicely, but it still has the boat-like handling of a van. I've come to like the way I can throw the Civic and Rav4 around curves and the parking lot. That said, the storage options in the Odyssey are vast in comparison . . . a feature I miss about driving a van. If I were to seriously consider something that big again, I'd drive the Odyssey again for a longer testing session (overnight), as I would the Ford Flex. Yeah, different vehicles, but I drove a Flex for a week when we were down in Florida for vacation. Loved it. But given the MPG on both of those vehicles, I just don't know if I want to go back to something larger.