'04 CR-V or '04 RAV4: need advice

Hello everyone,

These days I am thinking of buying a new car. I've pretty much
decided on an SUV. I've narrowed it down to the Honda CR-V and the
Toyota RAV4. They seem to be quite similar so it is a tough choice.
This being a Honda forum I expect lots of Honda support, but I'd like
any objective comments on my list of pros and cons below.

I insist on having a 5-speed 4WD/AWD. None of the Honda dealers
within a 2 hour drive have a 5-speed for me to try, so that makes a
side-by-side comparison difficult and by itself pushes me towards
Toyota. I've tried a 5-speed Toyota and love the way it drives. I
tried the automatic Honda but I'm not sure that's a fair comparison
because it wasn't a 5-speed.

+Pro -Con

RAV4:

+ full-time 4WD (I've heard bad things about the Honda 4WD system
because the front wheels have to slip before the rear wheels start
working)
+ Drives great, just like a Toyota.
+ Radio controls located on the steering wheel (cool points mostly)
- Whole space between the two front seats is occupied by hand brake
fixture.
- Back seats don't fold away as nice as Honda plus you have to remove
the headrests first, and then put them somewhere!
- Glass window on rear door does not pop open separate from the door
(what if you want to carry something long?)

CR-V:

+ more storage pockets and cubbies.
+ rear seats fold up nicely for cargo area
+ nicer feeling a/c controls (on Toyota I have to divert more
attention to what I am doing to adjust these controls)
- "real time" 4WD. Must lose traction before kicking in.

The automatic CR-V I drove did not seem as tight and peppy as the
5-speed RAV4 I tested. This plus the 4WD difference is enough to make
me lean towards the Toyota. The only thing holding me back is that
the Honda's interior seems to be laid out a bit better.

One last thing: If I remove the front wheels of two mountain bikes
will they fit inside either car just the same?

Cheers!

JJ

 

Get a Kia.




....................
I do not killfile nor use do-not-call lists.

 

You can get head & side airbags on the RAV4 but not on the CRV
(according to www.edmunds.com). That would tilt my decision toward
the RAV4.
Good luck and hope this helps,
Sara

 

Earlier this year I went through a similar exercise as you're doing now:
small SUV, Honda vs Toyota. I've owned Hondas since 1984, so assumed
I'd get a Honda. I wanted a 5sp 2wd drive, though. Well, the CRV
doesn't come in a 5sp 2wd version, and local dealers also didn't have
any of the 5sp 4wds in stock. I test drove an automatic 4wd CRV, a 5sp
4wd Rav4, and a 5sp 2wd Rav4 (all 2003 models). The CRV was more like a
family sedan compared to the Rav4 (either 2 or 4wd, which felt pretty
similar, perhaps a bit more pep in the 2wd): seemed steadier and a bit
more solid with a somewhat smoother ride, but as you noted, not as peppy
and tight as the Rav. Also, the Toyota dealer was far more willing to
come down on the Rav price (especially on the 2wd, as he had two that he
just wanted out of the lot, although he was willing to come down some on
the 4wd) than the Honda dealer was on the CRV. I landed up with the 2wd
5sp Rav4, the main reasons being that I preferred the handling to that
of the CRV, the gas mileage was better, and the dealer made me an offer
I couldn't refuse on the price (plus a really decent tradein on my 98
Acura Integra and a year's free oil changes ).

All in all, in the long run I think they're both excellent vehicles, so
it just comes down to personal preference. I view the CRV as the
vehicle for those who prefer a somewhat more cushy ride and the Rav4 for
those who prefer a more "sporty" feel. Hope that all makes sense!

 

Thanks for the candid and objective responses. I expected some Toyota
bashing since this is the Honda group. I also owned a Honda before
and that was biasing me in that direction, but today I decided the
better handling together with real 4WD is enough to choose the Toyota.
Tomorrow I'll be making a trip to the dealer with my checkbook. Hope
I'll be happy!

 

Are you an idiot or just plain annoying? Do you have anything to back
up as to why to buy a Kia over the CR-V or RAV? I think that this
person is very firm as to buying one or the other.

 

My 2003 CRV has side air bags. They come in the EX trim level.

 

Cool! Guess I did not read the specs close enough. Thanks for the
correction.

 

Try CarsDirect.com for a manual CR-V. They scan quite a few dealers, so
theres a good chance they will find one. Also have your favorite dealer
do a computer search. They can cover several states and even cars
scheduled to be built. Thats how I found my 5M Accord EX with Navi.

 

Yes, the dealers all said "I don't have one, but I can get you one!"
That's just fine, but I'd sure like to try one without first before
deciding if I want to buy one! This is something they couldn't do.
So I just plunked my money down on a Toyota RAV4 which I'll pick up
later today.

 

I think most people looking for a mini sport-ute have the same concerns,
as I did. It is really a personal thing, as we are all looking for
something else, whether it be price, size, mileage, storage space, road
feel, etc.

That said, while I own a 2000 Camry, 1999 Corolla, and a have an
excellent Toyota dealer minutes from my house, I ended up with a 2003
CRV-LX instead of a 2003 RAV4. I don't even particularly like my local
Honda dealer, but the CRV, for me, was the better vehicle.
Considering that my Toyota dealer had at least a dozen RAV4s and my
local Honda dealer had no CRVs in stock, I waited it out, so that should
say something about what I thought.

As far as I'm concerned, both are great, neither has a big advantage
over the other, just minor ones depending on what features you are
looking for.

Steve

 

Cool, congrats! The 04 has some nice features over the 03, such as
standard ABS, available side airbags, bigger engine. Let us know how
you like it (either here or over in the Toyota newsgroup).

 

You can fork-mount a couple of road bikes in a CR-V so mountain bikes
will not be a problem. I don't think the RAV-4 is tall enough to
fork-mount road bikes; that's one major reason I chose the CR-V. The
ride and interior finish of the CR-V sealed the deal for me.

MCZ

 

Not to mention that comparably equipped the CRV is significantly less
expensive.