New Toyota RAV4 vs Honda CRV?

I think those new RAV look gaudy. But almost all the SUVs in reality look very similar and have similar functions .
I would be reluctant to drop over 1M NTD on a new one. I have a 2WD SUV in good condition , paid 200k for it’s easily able to navigate any mountain road in Taiwan as have all my cheapo cars before. 4WD is a gimmick unless you are getting some kind of off roader for the rivers. I’ve banged up by cars bad driving them on mountain roads , your average RAV4 driver would freak at a scratch .
Something I would pay attention to is the mileage with increasing gas costs , especially if you are a commuter.

The 2020 Toyota RAV4 is roomy with 37.6 cubic feet of cargo space behind the seats and 69.8 cubic feet with the seats down, but the 2020 Honda CR-V offers more. You get 39.2 cubic feet behind the rear seats and 75.8 cubic feet with these seats down.

Also, if you have kids that use carseats or booster seats…CRV is better…

Both SUVs are around the same size and roomy enough to comfortably hold two car seats, and both got A’s when it came to booster fit. However, the CR-V’s lower Latch anchors are easier to access and overall accommodated car seats better.

So, the winner in this compact crossover Car Seat Check challenge is the CR-V.

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What did you finally settle on @Lettuceman and how is it working out?

Toyota Reliability for the win. I always wanted a land cruiser V8. Those things will do any job. The #1 choice for ISIS :sweat_smile:

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In the end, I’m grabbing the RAV4 Hybrid. After test driving RAV4 Hybrid and CRV, Toyota is the clear winner IMO.

HOWEVER, if I didn’t love the hybrid, CRV would have likely won in a raw rav4 vs crv comparison. In non-hybrid RAV4 vs CRV, they’re almost identical in both price and specs, except CRV has noticeably better acceleration (better engine) and a more-sporty look which barely tipped the scales.

However, the hybrid … it’s just beautiful. The way it feels when it accelerates/handles is totally different (not to mention the hybrid model is more powerful than the CRV, which I didn’t realize at first). They also changed the look a bit in the 2022 model to be sportier. The inside just feels luxury - nothing plastic; even the dash has a premium feel to it. Standard leather seats. Toyota also is now #1 in the world right now (very recently), beating GM; so the value will hold for a long time.

The only con is that Taiwan is not “in” with hybrid+ vehicles yet, so instead of getting tax credits, I have to pay MORE taxes for some stupid reason. That’s really the only con, and it’s not even a lot. Just a few thousand NT extra per year :stuck_out_tongue:

The bigger challenge is finding a parking spot. Signed up on like 10 lists, but will probably end up walking a few mins to a $$ parking lot until I get a call from a waiting list.

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Congratulations on your new car. I will be in your shoes in about 2 years. My 2013 CRV is okay but will probably move on. The RAV 4 looks nicer in the interior. I have only been in a few Hybrid RAV 4 taxis…nice. I asked every taxi driver if they liked their vehicle and all were happy. I doubt you will be disappointed.

Looks like they even have some 2-tone color options like white or black roof.

And full glass roof.

There are only like 5 in all of Taiwan right now due to chip shortages and such. Since I didn’t want to wait til March (where there will be a few more), I chose pearl white of the minimal options I had. 2 tone is awesome n sporty, but I’m pleasantly surprised with the pearl white.

isnt full glass roof extremely hot in summer ? not practical for this climate…

Well, the premium version (that I didn’t get) has COOLED (?!) seats. I’d also be willing to bet the glass roof is tinted, like Teslas.

EDIT: The cooled seats could be the Honda CRV’s prem feat - I forgot.

I think so but standard or seems on some cars like Tesla I think and an option in others.

Picked up a ‘21 Prado before the chip shortage,
. I finally found a work vehicle that can handle the potholes of TW’s west coast industrial roads. Had thr CRV and Escape previously, but had all kinds of issues after couple of years west coast driving.

How much is one of those in Taiwan?

Crazy.

I believe the RAV4 has a retractable sun shade for the moon roof (unlike Teslas).

$2.7m for the VX model, but I don’t think they are available any longer. Asked my dealer about getting a second one for the company, but he said they are no longer available in Taiwan.

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did you notice any difference in engine and wind noise between these two vehicles?

CRV is louder, but RAV4 Hybrid sounds like a Dyson fan :joy:. Hybrid is really quiet.

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I just wonder if the stress in a 1.5 turbo engine is too much in a large vehicle. My old CRV is 2.4 non turbo and sometimes seems to lack enough power.

Did you get a plug in hybrid, and if so, how are the charging options in Taiwan now?