Test drive Honda CR-V vs Toyota RAV4: 22 years later
Comparison of two Japanese SUV models with a hybrid drive system
Pioneers in the field of hybrid drive Honda and Toyota, they refuse diesel fuel and even in the compact SUV class rely on a hybrid drive. Let's see how they cope.
More than 20 years have passed since the appearance on the market of the first mass-produced hybrid cars Toyota Prius and Honda Insight. Now that diesel is counteracting, the two Japanese brands are singing the hybrid song with a new voice. Their firm decision not to use more diesel engines in their vehicle line has led to the need for radical solutions in the growing market for compact SUVs. Honda currently offers the CR-V with a single 173 or 193 hp petrol turbo engine, while the Toyota RAV4 uses a 175 hp two-liter unit. – for both optional brands with front or dual gearbox.
Against the background of such a situation, the possibility of choosing a drive with a hybrid system seems more than reasonable, especially if the margin in price is also within reasonable limits. Toyota's mark-up for an equally equipped hybrid model is around BGN XNUMX compared to a petrol car with a CVT transmission. The Honda model is not yet listed on the Bulgarian price list, but in Germany the differences are close.
As far as hybrid technology is concerned, manufacturers approach it quite differently, and in both cases they do not adhere to conventional parallel hybrid technologies. The Honda variant is almost a production hybrid - the drive takes over the traction motor, which is powered by a lithium-ion battery or a combination of a battery and an engine driven by an internal combustion engine (two-liter gasoline unit). At high speeds, power is transferred directly to the wheels mechanically. Well known for many years, Toyota's architecture, called the Power Split Device, is a parallel hybrid system that includes two motor generators and an internal combustion engine combined with a planetary gear. Unlike Honda, Toyota still uses reliable nickel-metal hydride batteries.
The CVT-like feel - quite typical of Toyota hybrids, the feeling known from the first models - hasn't changed. However, there is a significant change in the power level of the drive, which in the case of the RAV4 includes a 2,5-liter four-cylinder VVT-i engine and the electric units mentioned above with a system output of 218 hp. They accelerate the compact SUV from 100 to 8,5 km/h in 60 seconds and from 100 to 4,5 km/h in XNUMX seconds. In fact, quite decent results, given the reluctance with which atmospheric units provide decent dynamics against the background of modern turbomachines. It doesn't change the fact that subjectively Toyota seems more clumsy than the measured data suggests.
RAV4 more economical
The lower power Honda CR-V MMD Hybrid AWD is better in this indicator. Its XNUMX-liter gasoline engine revs more resiliently and, under optimal load, sounds less agonizing than Toyota's. As part of the fuel economy measures, both cars are tuned to operate on the Atkinson cycle with an extended expansion cycle compared to the compression cycle. This solution improves efficiency but reduces power and is typically used with a hybrid system to compensate for disadvantages such as this and erratic idle.
Both models do well in part-load driving, as the economical driving test of auto motor und sport recorded a consumption of about six liters per 100 km. The RAV4 is about half a liter more economical than the CR-V, and the claimed 5,7L/100km is a particularly good achievement compared to the SUV model's 1,6 tons. The average consumption in the test is about a liter higher, as it is 7,2 liters for the CR-V and 4 liters per 6,9 km for the RAV100.
In everyday life without high speeds on the highway, the average consumption is in the range of about 6,5 liters, which is also a pretty decent value. Here it is necessary to note the fact that the tested Toyota model has front-wheel drive only, while the Honda has a dual transmission. As is well known, highways are not a favorite activity for these models, and driving at higher speeds is accompanied by a rather clear increase in fuel consumption.
For driving on such routes, it is unlikely that anyone will turn to a hybrid model as a matter of priority, although for the tested cars, speeds of the order of 160 km / h do not require much effort. However, after that, the noise increased significantly, and Honda got some advantage here. Due to the direct mechanical connection of the engine to the transmission, it seems to be calmer, although objectively measured indicators show a minimal difference. It is only at full load that its smaller engine starts to show signs of more fatigue than the competing RAV4. Both the importance of hybrid drive and driving comfort are at their best when the electric units take over a larger part of the drive – for example, at lower loads and driving at a steady, relatively low speed.
Push-button driving and drive behavior make the Honda look more electric, similar in behavior to an EV with a Range Extender. In Toyota, the electrical component is more expressed in an accurate soft start and a harmonious combination of different units.
Honda looks more dynamic
The Honda also comes across as a more dynamic idea because it has more stable cornering behavior - as far as that component matters in such a comparison, of course. Both machines are not virtuosos in this area, behaving a little awkward and vague. The CR-V has the slight advantage of more precise steering, and against that backdrop, it's surprising that the RAV4 gets through the slalom faster between the cones. However, this only happens if you are sensitive enough behind the wheel to prevent activation of the ESP system - activating the latter slows the car down.
But as stated earlier, the life of a hybrid SUV is not about cornering pleasure. Much more important is the practical aspect of everyday driving, including metrics such as passenger comfort and functionality.
In this regard, Toyota and Honda models are positioned quite close to each other. A few days spent in the cabin of these cars, providing carefree silence behind the wheel, and it becomes clear why two models of compact SUVs are among the best-selling in the world. Both do not impose their presence, tirelessly do their job and do not require special attention. And, of course, they will comfortably accommodate four passengers with luggage - with a slight advantage of the Honda, whose cabin is a few millimeters wider. In the RAV4, the rear seatbacks can be tilted, which, in turn, improves the comfort of passengers in this area. Travelers on the CR-V enjoy increased comfort, with a chassis that provides a smooth transition over bumps. However, we must state the fact that balanced suspension behavior was not a priority for the designers of both machines, so they overcome obstacles such as transverse joints a little rough. With rougher bumps, the Honda proves to be more confident thanks to the longer suspension travel. The RAV4 looks more disharmonious with a stiffer chassis.
High level of safety available as standard
Crucial to the final balance that Toyota gets in the section is safety. Slightly better brakes, only when the speed drops from 130 to 0 km / h is Honda better. Toyota offers a slightly broader safety package, but overall, both cars are very well equipped as standard. The RAV4, for example, comes with an additional driver's knee airbag, automatic emergency messaging, bicycle collision warning and road sign recognition and lane assist. The CR-V has standard assistants such as driver fatigue warning, distance-adjustable cruise control, Active Lane Keeping Assist, and collision warning (also standard) if you choose the Elegance trim level.
In the case of a tape recorder, the pleasure is not entirely cloudless, because it is annoying with hasty warnings, including the vibration of the steering wheel. Another small point, thanks to which Honda finishes right behind Toyota in this test.
CONCLUSION
1. Toyota
More fuel-efficient travel, better brakes, comfortable handling and a functional trunk propel Toyota forward. Suspension comfort is mediocre.
2. slingshot
In many disciplines, Honda is ahead of Toyota, for example in comfort and cornering behavior. Sometimes the drive is disharmonious and the brakes are weaker.
Text: Heinrich Lingner
Photo: Ahim Hartmann
