Both carry the same tow rating.
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Compare two cars on what is measured.
Weigh specs, EPA economy, strengths and documented problems in a single view.
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Side-by-side
2016 Toyota RAV4 vs 2018 Honda CR-V
The 2016 Toyota RAV4 and the 2018 Honda CR-V, side by side on specs, economy, documented problems and what to check before buying.
Toyota
2016 Toyota RAV4
Photo comingOpen the vehicle file →Honda
2018 Honda CR-V
Photo comingOpen the vehicle file →Leads on the measured figure.
Leads on the measured figure.
SpecToyota RAV4Honda CR-V
Model year20162018
BodySUVSUV
Engine2AR-FE · 2.5L I42 engines
Power176 hp184–190 hpHigher
Torque172 lb-ft179–180 lb-ftHigher
Transmission6-speed automaticCVT
DriveFWD or AWDFWD or AWD
EPA combined25 mpg28–30 mpgHigher
NHTSA complaints251 · not a failure rate2,111 · not a failure rate
Recall campaigns3Fewer5
Max towNot rated to towNot rated to tow
Documented problems4 documented problems8 documented problems
Toyota RAV4
Strengths and checks
What it does well
- One engine across the range
- Conventional six-speed automatic
- Front or all-wheel drive
Check before you buy
- Check the title status first - clean, salvage, rebuilt, flood or lemon buyback. It is the single most consequential thing on a US used car.
- Open the bonnet and look at the battery before anything else. Recall 23V-734 covers 1,853,568 RAV4s from 2013 to 2018 because a replacement 12-volt battery may not fit the tray properly, and a battery that moves can touch the hold-down bracket. This is a fault a previous owner creates, so the car in front of you either has it or does not.
- Look up open recalls by VIN at nhtsa.gov. Three campaigns are on file for this model year, including a skid-control unit recall limited to cars built between October 2015 and February 2016; dealers close open recalls free.
- Establish whether it is the hybrid. The hybrid uses the 2AR-FXE engine and an electrically driven rear axle, and neither its output nor its economy is the figure shown here.
Honda CR-V
Strengths and checks
What it does well
- Two engine choices
- Standard driver assistance above LX
- Extended powertrain warranty on record
Check before you buy
- Check the title status first - clean, salvage, rebuilt, flood or lemon buyback.
- Identify the engine from the VIN. Honda's fuel-dilution warranty extension covers 2017-2018 CR-Vs with the 1.5-litre turbo and takes the powertrain warranty to six years with no mileage limit; the 2.4-litre LX is outside it. The CR-V's turbo carries the code L15BE, which is not the Civic's L15B7.
- Read the oil on a cold engine: level above full, and a petrol smell. That is the pattern the bulletins describe, and a car that has been driven to the viewing hides it.
- Look up open recalls by VIN at nhtsa.gov. Five campaigns cover this model year, including 18V-663 on the electric power steering torque sensor for 2017-2018 Civic and CR-V, and 23V-858, the Denso low-pressure fuel pump. Dealers close open recalls free.
Figures come from the vehicle files and from NHTSA’s public records. Complaint counts scale with how many were sold, so they compare volume of reports rather than reliability. Confirm the model year, trim and inspection result on the specific car before you decide.