The Toyota RAV 4 being showcased during its official unveiling at the New York International Auto Show in 2015. (Photo : Getty Images/Andrew Burton)
Smaller sports utility vehicles or SUVs have been all the rage these past couple of years. Slowly, but surely they have gotten increasingly popular in terms of market share with a lot of consumers preferring this type of vehicle. Currently, there are two models of small SUV that have buyers divided, namely: the Toyota RAV 4 and the Honda CRV.
In most locales, these two models are the best selling of its kind. Both come from brands that have already been tried and tested not only in the SUV department, but also in their all around range of vehicles. Both of these cars also share a number of characteristics such as being comfortable as well as roomy for both passengers and whatever needs to be transported.
The RAV 4 edges out its Honda counterpart when it comes to fuel economy with the RAV 4 averaging at around 31 miles per gallon (mpg) compared to the Honda CRV's 24 mpg, according to Valley News Live. While both models have been awarded for their safety features, the RAV 4 has the upper hand when it comes to this department, as Toyota makes more of these available. To name a few, these include automatic emergency braking in addition to a forward collision warning system.
The base pricing of the latest models of the RAV 4 and the CRV differs by around $5,000. The RAV 4 starts out at $29,970, while the CRV's pricing begins at $24,745, according to Consumer Reports. Higher end models with more advanced features are available for both of these vehicles.
Toyota includes a no cost maintenance plan so long as the car has only been on the road for less than two years or the equivalent of 25,000 miles. Honda does not offer a similar deal, which may prove to be a deal breaker to some buyers. This may also make the $5,000 price difference seem more and more reasonable to a larger number of people.
It is important to remember that these are not the only available choices. For example, other top quality small SUVs include the Mazda CX-5, Kia Sportage, and the Subaru Forester, among many others.
Watch a comparison of the RAV 4, CRV, and CX-5 below:
