Compare the Toyota RAV4 to the Compact SUV Competition in Portsmouth, NH

Toyota of Portsmouth

150 Greenleaf Avenue
Directions Portsmouth, NH 03801

Sales: (603) 431-6100
Service & Parts: (603) 431-6100

Here at Toyota of Portsmouth, we understand why the compact SUV segment remains a popular option for drivers in the Exeter and Hampton region. Each new compact SUV offers remarkable efficiency, versatility and style for your daily commute. Lucky for you, you have many options to consider before leasing or purchasing a new SUV. The new Toyota RAV4 , Honda CR-V, Ford Escape, and Mazda CX-5 serve as exceptional representations of the segment, but each brings something unique to the streets. Compare these dynamic SUV models to find out how the Toyota RAV4 stacks up to the competition today!

Toyota RAV4 vs. Subaru Forester

When performance for the highway or trails is important to you, the new Toyota RAV4 has the better powertrain than the Subaru Forester. The RAV4 has more horsepower, 203, and torque, 184 pound-feet, than the Forester, 182 horsepower and 176 pound-feet, while the Toyota crossover gets more miles per gallon on the highway and has an eight-speed automatic transmission as opposed to the Forester and its continuously variable transmission.
The engineering advantages of the new Toyota RAV4 don't stop there either as this model offers a hybrid powertrain, which is not an option for the new Subaru Forester. A Toyota RAV4 hybrid sees large improvements in efficiency while the gas and electric motors combine to provide plenty of horsepower that you'll need for quick highway acceleration.
These new crossovers have a history of helping outdoorsy drivers, and when you're heading out camping or a day on the beach, the Toyota RAV4 has the larger cargo area than the Forester for an easier time fitting tents, coolers, and more supplies. Plus, you can tow much more weight with a RAV4 than a Forester!
The Toyota RAV4 holds enough advantages over the Subaru Forester in design and performance to make it a better option for many car shoppers, but it's the feature package that really puts the RAV4 ahead of the Forester when comparing the crossovers. The Toyota RAV4 offers everything from a hands-free open tailgate to wireless charging for phones to ventilated front seats so that drivers and passengers find fewer hassles, and those features aren't in the new Subaru Forester.

Toyota RAV4 vs. Jeep Cherokee

The engineering of the new Toyota RAV4 makes it a crossover prepared for any type of trip since it mixes efficiency when cruising, especially with the RAV4 Hybrid, and power for less than ideal conditions, and the new Jeep Cherokee can't match this versatility or the efficiency specs.
Cabin space is another area where the Jeep Cherokee falls way short of the Toyota RAV4. Using the cargo space of the RAV4 is easy as it stretches 40 inches from the rear door to the rear seat and provides 37.6 cubic feet of room with a max of nearly 70 cubic feet with the second row down. The Jeep Cherokee has a shorter space behind the second row, which shows in its cargo room with the seats up, 24.6 cubic feet, and down, 54.9 cubic feet.
Looking at the starting prices of these new crossovers may imply that their value is the same, but the base model of the new Toyota RAV4 has many standard features you won't get in the Jeep Cherokee unless you go with a pricy, top-of-the-line trim level. For example, the standard Toyota Safety Sense™ 2.0 suite in the RAV4 includes a pre-collision system with pedestrian detection, full-speed range dynamic cruise control, automatic high beams, and more not standard even in the Jeep Cherokee Limited, which starts closer to $35,000.

Toyota RAV4 vs Honda CR-V

RAV4 comes in a choice of five trims: base LE, step-up XLE, midrange XLE Premium, and luxurious Limited, plus a rugged Adventure trim. CR-V comes in only four, LX, EX, EX-L, and Touring, and Honda doesn't offer an off-road-designed model.
A standard 203-horsepower, 2.5-liter Dynamic Force in-line four-cylinder engine revs eagerly under the hood. CR-V offers a choice between two engines, but they only put out 184 and 190 horsepower, making RAV4 the choice for better acceleration and a more confident driving feel.
An eight-speed electronically controlled automatic transmission comes standard in all RAV4 models. CR-V incorporates only a CVT, which is belt- versus gear-driven, meaning it's more likely to wear and stretch, leading to you being on the hook for the occasional fix or outright repair.
RAV4 makes available two all-wheel-drive systems. One has mud and sand, rock and dirt, and snow modes, as it's equipped with a Multi-terrain Select system. The other is Dynamic Torque Vectoring or TV-AWD, and it features a rear driveline disconnect to help make the most of fuel efficiency. The latter comes standard in RAV4 Adventure. CR-V features only one AWD system, and it's only available across the lineup.
Toyota Safety Sense 2.0 (TSS 2.0) and the Toyota Star Safety System, our automaker's exclusive driver-assist and safety suites, come standard in every RAV4 trim. Comparable Honda Sensing driver-assistance technologies only come standard in CR-V EX and later.
RAV4 can tow anywhere from 1,500 pounds to up to 3,500 in trims like RAV4 Adventure. CR-V, on the other hand, can only haul up to 1,500, regardless of trim.
With five Entune infotainment systems to choose from, along with 7- or 8-inch touchscreens, Qi-compatible charging support, up to five USB ports, Wi-Fi hotspot capability, and six- and 11-speaker audio options, RAV4 shows itself better-equipped tech-wise than CR-V. The latter features only a 5-inch LCD at base; its infotainment system reaches only 7 inches in size in higher trims; there's no wireless charging and only up to 3 USB ports; you won't find Wi-Fi, and four speakers in base trims only graduate to up to nine in top trims.

Toyota RAV4 vs Ford Escape

With more trims to choose from -- LE, XLE, XLE Premium, Adventure, and Limited -- and the penultimate all-terrain model, RAV4 provides a drive suited to just about every need, whether it's the daily commute or you're heading off-grid. Escape features only four trims, S, SE, SEL, and Titanium, and there's no specifically ruggedly-designed model to speak of.
RAV4 is the more powerful and better acceleratory option, owing to a standard 203-horsepower, 2.5-liter Dynamic Force in-line four-cylinder engine. Escape features only 168- and 179-horsepower engines at base, and you'll have to go all the way to the Titanium trim to get a 245-horsepower model.
A standard eight-speed electronically controlled auto transmission delivers much more seamless gear shifts than the auto under the hood in Escape, which offers only six speeds.
Toyota makes two AWD systems available in RAV4, one with a Multi-terrain Select system with modes for mud, sand, rock, dirt, and snow, and the other with the cornering precision of Dynamic Torque Vectoring (TV-AWD) and a rear driveline that can disconnect to enhance fuel efficiency. The latter comes standard in RAV4 Adventure grade. Escape, on the other hand, offers only one, an intelligent 4WD system, and its only optional.
Both Toyota Safety Sense&#trade; 2.0 (TSS 2.0) and the Star Safety System, comprehensive suites of driver-assistive and safety features, come standard, not to mention that many other passive and active technologies are optional. The available safety features in Escape are less comprehensive, only available individually, and only further up the Escape line.
Between RAV4 and Escape, ours is the better equipped technologically. Toyota incorporates your choice of five Entune infotainment systems with 7- or 8-inch touchscreens, for one. Wireless charging for Qi-compatible devices is also available, as are up to five USB ports and either six- or 11-speaker audio, the latter from JBL. Escape offers only two infotainment systems, SYNC and SYNC 3. The former is only 4.2 inches in size, there's no wireless charging offered, you can only find up to 2 USB ports, and there's only 10-speaker Sony audio at the top of the line.

Toyota RAV4 vs Mazda CX-5

CX-5 offers five trims, Sport, Touring, Grand Touring, Grand Touring Reserve, and Signature, but unlike RAV4, Mazda doesn't offer a trim designed for the outdoors, like Adventure and TRD Off-Road models.
With a 2.5-liter Dynamic Force in-line four-cylinder engine capable of 203 horsepower, RAV4 is clearly the more energetic choice. CX-5 and its engine put out only 187 horsepower at base, and you'll need to go to the top of the line to get up to 250.
The standard eight-speed electronically controlled auto transmission in RAV4 delivers some of the smoothest shifts around. The CX-5 auto only has six speeds, and that means transitions between gears that are not as smooth.
With two all-wheel-drive system options, one with mud and sand, rock and dirt, and snow Multi-terrain Select modes, the other with Dynamic Torque Vectoring and a rear driveline disconnect for fuel economy improvement, RAV4 demonstrates that it's more capable than CX-5. The second system's even standard in the Adventure trim. The competition features only one, i-ACTIV AWD.
Our automaker's proprietary driver-assist technologies, parts of its Toyota Safety Sense 2.0 (TSS 2.0) and the Star Safety System suites, come standard in all RAV4 trims. Comparable CX-5 features only come available individually, and many, only by ascending trims.
You can tow up to 1,500 pounds at base in a new RAV4, and up to 3,500 pounds in Adventure trims. CX-5, however, can only tow up to 2,000 pounds.
RAV4 features five Entune&#trade; infotainment systems to choose from. They come in 7- or 8-inch touch-screen format. Qi-compatible wireless device charging is an option, as are up to five USB ports, hotspot support via Wi-Fi Connect, and six- and 11-speaker audio, the latter from JBL. CX-5 features only one infotainment system, a 7-inch MAZDA CONNECT system. It doesn't offer wireless charging, you can only find up to 4 USB ports, and there are no Wi-Fi abilities, only four speakers at base, and only a 10-speaker Bose system comes standard at the top of the line. The verdict: RAV4 is tech-savvier.

Toyota RAV4 vs. Nissan Rogue

The Toyota RAV4 provides two spectacular engine options, a four-cylinder gas engine and a hybrid powertrain, that each best the Nissan Rogue engines, again a choice between gas and hybrid, in horsepower, torque, and efficiency. Whether it's performance or efficiency you want from your new crossover, the Toyota RAV4 is a better option than the Nissan Rogue no matter the configuration you select.
That power and frame design in the RAV4 Adventure trims allows drivers to tow up to 3,500 pounds with the crossover, which sits high above the max 1,102-pound towing capacity of the Nissan Rogue.
Driver-assist safety systems come standard in each of these new crossovers, but the Toyota RAV4 has the larger number, which includes lane tracing assist and road sign information features not in the Nissan Rogue at all.
Staying comfortable while on the road is an easy way to enjoy your time spent on the go, and the Toyota RAV4 provides comfort features, like heated seats for the front and rear and ventilated seats for the front, that you won't find in the Nissan Rogue, which only offers heated front seats.

The new Toyota RAV4 is an engineering marvel as its base engine provides 203 horsepower while getting up to 35 mpg highway, which easily bests the 31 mpg highway of the 170-horsepower base engine of the Chevy Equinox. Plus, if you want even greater efficiency from your new SUV, the Toyota RAV4 Hybrid provides more miles per gallon while also having 219 horsepower, but there is no Chevy Equinox hybrid option.
All-wheel drive is a must-have for Dover, NH drivers, and every Toyota RAV4 trim level offers all-wheel drive that can help you tackle snow, mud, or other tougher driving conditions, but the base Chevy Equinox only comes with front-wheel drive.
Need cargo space? The Toyota RAV4 has 37.6 cubic feet of cargo space with all the seats up, but you can expand that to 69.8 cubic feet when you fold the rear row of seats down. The Chevy Equinox fits less than 30 cubic feet of cargo space with all seats up and tops out at a max cargo capacity of 63.9 cubic feet.
Both the Toyota RAV4 and Chevy Equinox seat five passengers, but the Toyota RAV4 has wider rows of seats at shoulder level, which helps if driving with four other adults, and has more legroom for the front two passengers than what you'll find in the Chevy Equinox.
No matter which new Toyota RAV4 in Portsmouth, NH that you buy, there are driver-assist technologies looking out for you because Toyota Safety Sense 2.0 comes standard. This package of advanced safety technologies includes everything from Lane Departure Alert with Steering Assist to Dynamic Radar Cruise Control, neither of which come standard on the Chevy Equinox.
When you look at the available features, the Toyota RAV4 starts to shine even more. The Toyota RAV4 offers Exeter, NH drivers a sound system with more speakers than any in the Equinox, a larger power moonroof, and Amazon Alexa compatibility, which is great if you have smart devices at home!