We're going to buy a new small SUV this spring. We have a 2005 Rav4 that's been dead nuts reliable. Anyone know of a reason to buy the Honda over another Toyota? I value the input of the wise guys here...
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2017 Honda CRV or Toyota Rav4
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Marshwheeling
Member
For a while, my son had a Rav4 and a CRV at the same time, both of about turn-of-the-century vintage. He much preferred the Honda, and found the Toyota miserably uncomfortable by comparison. Conchita ran a CRV for a few years that was pretty reliable. None of this means much, as the current cars are no doubt quite different.
amazingflapjack
US Veteran
we like our 2015 escape se
wuluf - In the same spot - Looking at Toyota, Honda and Subaru Forrester. Like you have had Toyotas for years (2004 Cienna XLE and 2012 Camry XLE). My daughter has a 2016 Honda Touring and it fits her 6'4" husband and has a lot of nice features both safety and comfort.
Suggest you get the brochures and go thru by model variations and circle the MUST and WANT features. I am looking at the Forrester Touring, the Honda EX or EXL and the Toyota SE and LIMITED. The 2017 models have dropped some of the good stuff and safety stuff in to the lower models. Heated seats, dual air, etc. and the important safety items.
Toyotas are highly reliable and I lean that way, but will have fun seeing what "extras" I can talk them into to "Close the DEAL".
Suggest you get the brochures and go thru by model variations and circle the MUST and WANT features. I am looking at the Forrester Touring, the Honda EX or EXL and the Toyota SE and LIMITED. The 2017 models have dropped some of the good stuff and safety stuff in to the lower models. Heated seats, dual air, etc. and the important safety items.
Toyotas are highly reliable and I lean that way, but will have fun seeing what "extras" I can talk them into to "Close the DEAL".
Bozz10mm
US Veteran
My wife loved her 98 CRV and it was reliable over 18 years. I think CVC joints was the only thing we had to fix on. It was uncomfortable for me to drive tho. Seats were uncomfortable and lots of road noise. I'm sure they have improved since.
Traded it in for a 2015 Mazda CX-5. Zoom zoom and better mileage.
Traded it in for a 2015 Mazda CX-5. Zoom zoom and better mileage.
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bamabiker
Member
Test drive both to see which one feels right for you. I don't think you can go wrong with either.
Rav4. Much more car for the money.
OLDSTER
Member
In that size category, there are several good vehicles to select from. Don't over look the Nissan Rouge. My son recently traded a Ford Escape ( which he really liked) in on a Rouge from a dealership where his best friend works. So far he is really impressed. 
Collo Rosso
Member
Last august we gave our daughter our Nissan sentra and went looking for a SUV as that's what the wife wanted. I had her drive the Honda CRV, Nissan Rogue, Toyota rav4 and the Mazda CX5. She fell in love with the Toyota rav4. I was a little disappointed being a former Honda tech, I was pulling for the CRV.
Went looking for a 1 or 2 year old model and when I found one they wanted stupid money. Looked at a 1 year old at a Toyota dealership and the sales rep said we can sell you a new one for the same money, we're clearing out the 2016's. A couple days later we bought a 2016 LXE in screaming red.
I've owned a vehicle from all the above manufacturers (some more than others) and have never been disappointed. I think you'd be happy with any of them.
Went looking for a 1 or 2 year old model and when I found one they wanted stupid money. Looked at a 1 year old at a Toyota dealership and the sales rep said we can sell you a new one for the same money, we're clearing out the 2016's. A couple days later we bought a 2016 LXE in screaming red.
I've owned a vehicle from all the above manufacturers (some more than others) and have never been disappointed. I think you'd be happy with any of them.
My wife, my mother in law and the lady I rent a room from for the days I have to work in DC all drive CRVs, they all like them and they have all found them to be very reliable.
I drive a Tacoma and it's extremely reliable. Tacos tend to be good for 250,000-300,000 miles - and they are, along with the Ford F-150, the only mid sized pickups that are both assembled in the US and made from at least 75% US sourced parts. (If you want to buy American and buy a mid sized pickup those are your only two choices)
The RAV4's power train is entirely different than the Tacoma but it's likely the Toyota quality is still there.
On the other hand Toyota reliability comes at some cost and Toyotas tend to be rather plain jane compared to Hondas. For example thing like bacon warmers, electric adjustable seats, etc are par for the course on a Honda, but they are a lot less common on a Toyota.
So it's mostly about what you value more and where you want to spend your money.
I drive a Tacoma and it's extremely reliable. Tacos tend to be good for 250,000-300,000 miles - and they are, along with the Ford F-150, the only mid sized pickups that are both assembled in the US and made from at least 75% US sourced parts. (If you want to buy American and buy a mid sized pickup those are your only two choices)
The RAV4's power train is entirely different than the Tacoma but it's likely the Toyota quality is still there.
On the other hand Toyota reliability comes at some cost and Toyotas tend to be rather plain jane compared to Hondas. For example thing like bacon warmers, electric adjustable seats, etc are par for the course on a Honda, but they are a lot less common on a Toyota.
So it's mostly about what you value more and where you want to spend your money.
Arik
Member
Both are good and both hold their value exceptionally well.
Nissan Rogue is good too. I believe they are having specials now on the Rogue. Don't remember what they are though but you can look it up on their website.
Sent from my XT1650 using Tapatalk
Nissan Rogue is good too. I believe they are having specials now on the Rogue. Don't remember what they are though but you can look it up on their website.
Sent from my XT1650 using Tapatalk
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btr4me
Member
We have a 2014 CRV with 68K which we bought new. No problems but the ride is noisy, very!
We owned two (2001 and 2011) Foresters which had serious problems, especially the 2011 which burned oil. No more Subarus in this household.
We owned two (2001 and 2011) Foresters which had serious problems, especially the 2011 which burned oil. No more Subarus in this household.
Ranger17
Member
When we lived in SC we had a previous gen CRV that was a nice solid ride. On our trips back to WI we could easily average 30-32 mpg's even in the mountains and with it being an awd model.
Our daughter and son-in-law had one as well and just grabbed a '16 model at closeout prices.
We chose the CRV over the Rav-4 at the time strictly based on cost and features, as both are similar vehicles overall.
I'm sure both would be good choices, my only thought on the '17 CRV is the upper models now come with a smaller turbo motor w/ cvt trans. Perhaps the new cvt's are fine, just wasnt much of a fan of them earlier on. So i'd want to spend some time driving it to see what i thought under load (air on, maybe some hills, full passengers, etc)
Our daughter and son-in-law had one as well and just grabbed a '16 model at closeout prices.
We chose the CRV over the Rav-4 at the time strictly based on cost and features, as both are similar vehicles overall.
I'm sure both would be good choices, my only thought on the '17 CRV is the upper models now come with a smaller turbo motor w/ cvt trans. Perhaps the new cvt's are fine, just wasnt much of a fan of them earlier on. So i'd want to spend some time driving it to see what i thought under load (air on, maybe some hills, full passengers, etc)
Huskerguy
Member
Interesting thread, I will be watching it as we are in the same boat. My wife and I are in our early 60's and looking to downsize from our 04 Honda Pilot that is still very nice with 117,000 miles on it. We love this Pilot and it is going to be hard to downsize - my wife teases me about my trips to see some friends with the cargo area loaded with firearms. We figure at the rate we go, one more newer vehicle is going to get us a long ways. We have a used 08 Toyota Camry and love it although it has 150,000 miles and is starting to use a little oil.
I understand the 17 CRV was changed and we were reading that the 18 CRV is going to change a little more, get larger. We are kind of holding out for that. My daughter looked at the Rav 4 at one time and we looked at one but didn't think the gas mileage was all that great but that was a few years ago. We will look at Nissan. Mazda, and Subaru as well as Toyota and Honda. I see someone had problems with a Subaru but overall I think they are very solid. We had one years ago and it was a plain ole hatchback that didn't even have a radio and loved it. Our son has one and it is a racy little thing.
Keep us informed on how this all goes!
I understand the 17 CRV was changed and we were reading that the 18 CRV is going to change a little more, get larger. We are kind of holding out for that. My daughter looked at the Rav 4 at one time and we looked at one but didn't think the gas mileage was all that great but that was a few years ago. We will look at Nissan. Mazda, and Subaru as well as Toyota and Honda. I see someone had problems with a Subaru but overall I think they are very solid. We had one years ago and it was a plain ole hatchback that didn't even have a radio and loved it. Our son has one and it is a racy little thing.
Keep us informed on how this all goes!
Farmer17
Member
I have a 2012 Rav4 with 150K miles and the only repair was $400 for a new front wheel bearing. I plan on getting another small/midsize SUV when this car wears out but I want 6 cylinder power next time and neither Toyota or Honda offer that. I have looked on line and saw Kia Sorentos and Hyundai Santa Fe's with near 300 hp 6 bangers that are only a couple of years old with low miles for around $20,000 and they have a 100K drivetrain warranty.
BearBio
Member
Had a Civic (I know=not what he asked) and a RAV4= both were great cars. The civic had more legroom. The RAV didn't hold as much as we thought it would. On a week camping trip with 2 dogs, we had to roll down the back seat window to put the fly rods in. Wife has a used Pathfinder that she loves (after a disaster of a Jeep Cherokee=worst car we ever had=cost more in bills than the payments for a year=TRUE STORY!). I find it under powered but the newer ones have more HP. ALL the bells and whistles for $12K. Not a cent since (except maintenance). Here in the PNW/Cascades, a LOT of people have the KIAs and Subaru's, so they must be pretty good.
Several times, I have thought about another RAV=we've had several Toyotas go well above 200K.
Several times, I have thought about another RAV=we've had several Toyotas go well above 200K.
Ranger17
Member
We had an '11 Pilot that we loved but making those trips back to WI from SC (4 times a year) when gas was high, we downsized into a CRV. It made sense at the time as we also no longer needed to pull a boat.
Jump a few years later after we moved back to WI, and the wife proclaimed she didnt care for the crv besides it being practical and as she's the one who drives the most, wanted to get back into a Pilot. And after 30 yrs of marriage, who was I to say no lol.
So if downsizing, spend some time crawling around the crv, drive it a bit, even take it home (if dealer allows) to load it up, etc. Its a great vehicle, just like a house sometimes its tough to downsize when one is used to what they have now..
Autonomous
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Ford Escape.
I had a 2009 Rav4 with the rear suspension alignment issues. Neither corporate or the dealer would provide a fix for a longstanding/well known issue.
I wouldn't buy another Toyota period, after their lame treatment.
In a nutshell, they had a rust issue on the rear wheel adjustments and "fixed" that by epoxying the parts so, in their words "it would never got out of alignment", except it does.
Their solution, every time you needed alignment work you need to break the epoxy, align the rear wheels and apply new epoxy. At your cost. Lifetime fix? Not.
Google Rav4 rear suspension epoxy fix.
Edit: They're on the 3rd recall. Too bad/late for me, I traded mine May 2015.
https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct...qLynw_f80-SzbmXRQ&sig2=e8EHX4wm4C9fPM2PPPfe6Q
https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct...oF8LSNoQ4gGNqno_A&sig2=EkyO-gLuQbRVGaqEvjnIWw
"But filings show Toyota hadn’t grasped the root of the problem until now and its dealers weren’t yet properly trained to perform the repairs."
Yeah, no **** sherlock. ^^^^
They knew 3 years ago.
Bought a CX5, great car, great gas mileage.
I wouldn't buy another Toyota period, after their lame treatment.
In a nutshell, they had a rust issue on the rear wheel adjustments and "fixed" that by epoxying the parts so, in their words "it would never got out of alignment", except it does.
Their solution, every time you needed alignment work you need to break the epoxy, align the rear wheels and apply new epoxy. At your cost. Lifetime fix? Not.
Google Rav4 rear suspension epoxy fix.
Edit: They're on the 3rd recall. Too bad/late for me, I traded mine May 2015.
https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct...qLynw_f80-SzbmXRQ&sig2=e8EHX4wm4C9fPM2PPPfe6Q
https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct...oF8LSNoQ4gGNqno_A&sig2=EkyO-gLuQbRVGaqEvjnIWw
"But filings show Toyota hadn’t grasped the root of the problem until now and its dealers weren’t yet properly trained to perform the repairs."
Yeah, no **** sherlock. ^^^^
They knew 3 years ago.
Bought a CX5, great car, great gas mileage.
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My wife has an 07 CRV we bought new. She loves it and wants another. Really been a trouble free vehicle and has plenty of room for her, kids and cargo.
