RAV4 Hybrid vs CR-V Hybrid: which one should you buy?

So for a lot of families shopping for a hybrid SUV, it comes down to the RAV4 Hybrid against the CR-V Hybrid. And it usually plays out the same way. One of you leans Toyota for reliability and gas savings. The other one worries the Honda simply has more room. And if you drive a lot of miles, you probably want to know if you'll really average 40 mpg. So in this guide I'll go through what's great and not so great about the RAV4 Hybrid and the CR-V Hybrid, new and used. And hopefully it helps you figure out which one fits your family.

Quick picks

RAV4 Hybrid vs CR-V Hybrid side by side (2026 and 2027)

So here's the short version in one table. Prices are MSRP, which is the maker's suggested price, before the delivery fee. I explain each row in more detail further down.

RAV4 Hybrid vs CR-V Hybrid price by trim

So the biggest thing to know is that every 2026 RAV4 is a hybrid or plug-in hybrid. That means the RAV4 Hybrid starts at the RAV4's base price. But Honda still sells a gas CR-V, and the CR-V Hybrid only starts in the middle of Honda's lineup. The gas CR-V comes as the LX, EX and EX-L, and every trim from the Sport up is a hybrid.

Here are the 2026 prices side by side. These are MSRP before delivery. The RAV4 Hybrid prices are from Toyota's site, checked October 14, 2026. The 2026 CR-V Hybrid prices are from Honda's launch release on May 20, 2025.

So at the cheaper trims, the RAV4 Hybrid has a clear price lead. The RAV4 Hybrid LE with front-wheel drive is $3,730 less than the CR-V Sport Hybrid with front-wheel drive. And with AWD, the RAV4 Hybrid LE is $3,830 less than the CR-V Sport Hybrid. But at the top, the CR-V Hybrid is a little cheaper. The CR-V TrailSport Hybrid is $1,100 less than the RAV4 Hybrid Woodland, and the CR-V Sport Touring Hybrid is $1,050 less than the RAV4 Hybrid Limited.

Now something to note is that Honda dealers are already selling the 2027 CR-V Hybrid. Cars.com says the 2027 CR-V is unchanged from 2026 except for the price. The 2027 CR-V Hybrid costs $36,030 for the Sport, $39,125 for the Sport-L, $39,200 for the TrailSport and $42,950 for the Sport Touring. AWD adds $1,500 on the Sport and Sport-L. Those are Honda's prices, checked October 15, 2026, and they're $400 to $700 more than the 2026 CR-V Hybrid. So against a 2027 CR-V Sport Hybrid, the RAV4 Hybrid LE with front-wheel drive is $4,130 less.

You can see every CR-V trim side by side on Honda's CR-V trim comparison page, and the 2026 CR-V on Honda's 2026 CR-V page. For the RAV4 Hybrid, Toyota's RAV4 page has the current lineup, and my RAV4 Hybrid trim guide goes through what each trim gets.

And keep in mind that I left the delivery fee out of these comparisons on purpose. Both Toyota and Honda raised their delivery fees during the year. Toyota's went from $1,450 at launch to $1,595 on toyota.com as of October 14, 2026. Honda's went from $1,395 at the 2026 launch to $1,550 for the 2027 CR-V. So comparing prices before delivery keeps things fair.

What people actually pay for a RAV4 Hybrid or CR-V Hybrid

So RAV4 Hybrid buyers mostly report paying sticker price or a little under, though some dealers ask for a lot more. I go through what to pay and when to walk away in my guide to 2026 RAV4 dealer markups. And for the CR-V, CarWhere's buyer data says a strong target is 5% to 7% off MSRP (updated June 2026). So basically, the CR-V Hybrid is easier to get under sticker. That narrows the RAV4 Hybrid's price lead on the cheaper trims, but it doesn't close the gap.

Real mpg: RAV4 Hybrid vs CR-V Hybrid

So on the window sticker, the RAV4 Hybrid is rated 3 to 5 mpg better than the CR-V Hybrid. These are the EPA combined ratings. The EPA is the Environmental Protection Agency, and combined means a mix of city and highway driving.

Now the window sticker is one thing, but what matters is what you get on a real drive. So here are the tests where the RAV4 Hybrid and CR-V Hybrid were driven the same day, or on the same test route.

So in most of these tests, the RAV4 Hybrid used less gas, usually by 3 to 5 mpg. But at a steady 75 mph, Car and Driver found the RAV4 Hybrid and CR-V Hybrid within 1 mpg of each other. And in Car and Driver's comparison, the CR-V Hybrid actually came out 1 mpg ahead overall. So basically, the RAV4 Hybrid's lead is mostly in town and at moderate speeds. If you drive 75 mph on the highway all day, the gap nearly disappears.

And owners see the same thing. On fueleconomy.gov, where owners log their own mileage, 45 drivers of 2019 to 2025 RAV4 Hybrids with AWD average about 38.8 mpg. And 20 drivers of 2020 to 2025 CR-V Hybrids with AWD average about 35.2 mpg. Keep in mind those are small groups of owners (checked October 15, 2026).

What the mpg gap costs you each year

So here's my own math at $4.00 a gallon. I used the Cars.com same-day results for the main number, and the EPA ratings as a second check.

• At 12,000 miles a year with Cars.com's results (39.0 vs 34.4 mpg): The RAV4 Hybrid burns about $1,231 in gas and the CR-V Hybrid about $1,395. That's about $165 a year less for the RAV4 Hybrid.
• At 12,000 miles a year with the EPA ratings for the cheapest AWD trims (42 vs 37 mpg): The RAV4 Hybrid LE saves about $155 a year. That's against the CR-V Sport Hybrid.
• At 12,000 miles a year with front-wheel drive (43 vs 40 mpg): The RAV4 Hybrid saves about $85 a year.
• At 25,000 miles a year with Cars.com's results: The RAV4 Hybrid saves about $345 a year.

So the yearly savings aren't huge. But since the RAV4 Hybrid also costs less up front at the cheaper trims, there's no payback period to wait for. You'd save from day one.

How the RAV4 Hybrid and CR-V Hybrid AWD systems work

So a lot of people want to know if the RAV4 Hybrid or the CR-V Hybrid has "real" AWD. And the two do it in completely different ways.

Basically, the RAV4 Hybrid has no driveshaft to the back. The engine and front motor drive the front wheels. A separate electric motor on the rear axle drives the rear wheels when the car's computer asks for it. That rear motor makes about 54 horsepower on the 2019 to 2025 RAV4 Hybrid and on the 2026 RAV4 Hybrid. And Toyota says the 2026 RAV4 Hybrid sends power to the rear wheels ahead of time when you pull away.

The CR-V Hybrid uses what Honda calls Real Time AWD. Basically, a real driveshaft runs to the back, and a clutch connects it to the rear wheels when needed. Honda says the CR-V Hybrid can send up to 50% of the engine's torque, which is its pulling power, to the rear wheels. And for 2026, Honda added a traction system that works below 9 mph and splits power more evenly between the front and rear wheels. Every CR-V Hybrid also has a Snow mode.

So on paper, the CR-V Hybrid can push more power to the rear wheels for longer. The RAV4 Hybrid's rear motor is a smaller helper. But there's no known test that runs the RAV4 Hybrid and CR-V Hybrid in snow on the same tires. So neither one is shown to be better in snow. What I can tell you is that tires matter more than either AWD system. I go through how the RAV4 Hybrid's AWD handles snow in my guide to the RAV4 in snow. And my snow tires guide covers which tires to get.

And something to note is that you can now get the RAV4 Hybrid and the CR-V Hybrid with front-wheel drive. The 2026 RAV4 Hybrid LE, SE and XLE Premium come with front-wheel drive or AWD. The CR-V Sport Hybrid has offered front-wheel drive since 2023, and the CR-V Sport-L Hybrid since it arrived for 2025. But every 2019 to 2025 RAV4 Hybrid and every 2020 to 2022 CR-V Hybrid has AWD.

Power and acceleration

So the 2026 RAV4 Hybrid makes 226 horsepower with front-wheel drive and 236 with AWD, from a 2.5-liter engine and two or three electric motors. The 2026 CR-V Hybrid makes 204 horsepower from a 2.0-liter engine and two motors. The CR-V Hybrid has no regular transmission, and Honda calls this setup "direct drive."

But in Car and Driver's testing, the 2026 RAV4 Hybrid Limited and the 2026 CR-V Sport Touring Hybrid both ran 0 to 60 mph in 7.1 seconds. Edmunds timed the RAV4 Hybrid at 7.5 seconds and the CR-V Hybrid at 8.0 seconds. And on the 2020 and 2021 models, Cars.com said the CR-V Hybrid "takes its time to wake up from a stop." So ultimately, the RAV4 Hybrid pulls a little harder from a stop, but on the 2026 models the difference is small. One host of The Straight Pipes even preferred the CR-V Hybrid because it feels more like an electric car, while the RAV4 Hybrid felt a bit coarse to them.

Towing: RAV4 Hybrid vs CR-V Hybrid

So if you want to pull a small pop-up camper or a trailer with two jet skis, that's a job for a 2026 RAV4 Hybrid rated for 3,500 pounds. And keep in mind that the used 2020 to 2022 CR-V Hybrid has no towing rating at all. Honda's own 2023 press kit says the 2023 CR-V Hybrid added towing for the first time.

Back seat room and car seats

So this is where the CR-V Hybrid really earns its spot. The 2023 to 2027 CR-V Hybrid has 41.0 inches of rear legroom, against 37.8 inches in the 2019 to 2026 RAV4 Hybrid. Those are Honda's and Toyota's own numbers. Car and Driver called the RAV4 Hybrid "already-spacious," but the CR-V Hybrid still has 3.2 more inches.

And the CR-V Hybrid's back seat reclines in 8 positions, up to 10.5 degrees. The RAV4 Hybrid's back seat only reclines a small amount. The Straight Pipes say the CR-V's rear doors open about 90 degrees, and that made getting their son in easier. And Car Confections are new parents and RAV4 owners. They said the CR-V's wide rear door opening made loading a car seat "a lot better than our RAV4." But the RAV4 Hybrid has one thing the CR-V Hybrid doesn't. The 2026 RAV4 Hybrid Limited has heated rear seats, and no CR-V Hybrid offers them. I go through which RAV4 trims get heated rear seats in my 2026 RAV4 Weather Package guide.

Car seat grades from Cars.com

So Cars.com's Car Seat Check installs real car seats with a 6-foot driver and a shorter front passenger, then grades how well each seat fits. LATCH is the set of anchors in the seat crease that the car seat clips onto. Here's how the 2026 CR-V Hybrid and 2026 RAV4 Hybrid did.

Cars.com retested the CR-V Hybrid as a 2027 in October 2026, with the same grades. And the two 2026 RAV4 Hybrid checks used different test seats, so their grades don't line up exactly. The rear-facing seat Cars.com used in its 2026 checks is the Graco Extend2Fit ($239.99 at Graco, checked October 15, 2026).

So ultimately, for a family with a rear-facing seat and an adult up front, the 2026 CR-V Hybrid is the easier fit. The CR-V Hybrid was also an honorable mention on Cars.com's 2026 Best Cars for Car Seats list, and the RAV4 wasn't on it. But it's worth noting that the IIHS, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, rates the RAV4's LATCH anchors as easier to use. The 2019 to 2025 RAV4 gets Good+, and the 2023 to 2027 CR-V gets Acceptable. And neither one fits three car seats across. I go through the options for three in my guide to three car seats in a RAV4.

Yes, the 2026 RAV4 Hybrid has a rear seat reminder

Now you might hear at a Honda dealer that the RAV4 Hybrid has no rear seat reminder, and Honda's own comparison page says so too. But that's not right for the 2026 RAV4 Hybrid. The 2026 RAV4 Hybrid owner's manual describes a Rear Seat Reminder on pages 124 and 125. Basically, if a rear door was opened before your drive, the RAV4 Hybrid sounds a buzzer and shows a message when you switch off, so you check the back seat. You can turn the Rear Seat Reminder off in the settings. The CR-V Hybrid has a rear seat reminder too, standard on every trim.

Cargo space

So on paper, the 2026 RAV4 Hybrid has a little more room behind the back seat, and the CR-V Hybrid has a little more with the seat folded. But when testers actually loaded them, the CR-V Hybrid came out ahead. Car and Driver fit 11 carry-on bags behind the CR-V Hybrid's back seat and 10 in the RAV4 Hybrid. With the back seat folded, the CR-V Hybrid held 29 and the RAV4 Hybrid held 24. And Cars.com's own measurement put the CR-V Hybrid 3rd of 8 compact SUVs and the RAV4 Hybrid 4th.

Now something a lot of people get wrong is the CR-V Hybrid's cargo number. You'll often see 76.5 cubic feet quoted for the CR-V Hybrid, even on Honda's RAV4 comparison page. But 76.5 cubic feet is the gas CR-V's number. Honda's spec sheet gives the CR-V Hybrid 71.8 cubic feet with the back seat folded. Basically, the CR-V Hybrid's battery sits under the cargo floor where the gas CR-V keeps its spare tire, and that costs a few cubic feet.

The spare tire, and the CR-V Hybrid's repair kit recalls

So every 2019 to 2026 RAV4 Hybrid comes with a compact spare tire, on every trim. And the 2026 RAV4 Hybrid Limited with the 20-inch wheels gets a larger 18-inch spare.

But no 2020 to 2026 CR-V Hybrid has a spare tire. The CR-V Hybrid comes with a tire repair kit instead, which uses a bottle of tire sealant to plug small punctures. The gas CR-V gets a compact spare, but on the CR-V Hybrid the battery sits in that space.

And the CR-V Hybrid's tire repair kit has been recalled twice. Under recall 26V366, from June 4, 2026, pressure can build up in the sealant bottle and blow the cap off. That recall covers 2023 to 2026 CR-V Hybrids. Then on October 8, 2026, Honda issued recall 26V663, which covers cars that were already fixed under 26V366. So if you're looking at a 2023 to 2026 CR-V Hybrid, I'd make sure both recalls are done. One RAV4World shopper said a Honda dealer wouldn't hand over a CR-V rental because of this recall.

So ultimately, if you drive rural roads or take long highway trips, I'd put a lot of weight on having a real spare tire. Car Confections, The Straight Pipes and a RAV4World owner all named the spare tire as a reason to pick the RAV4 Hybrid.

Ride, noise and how the cabin feels

So this is the CR-V Hybrid's other big win. In Car and Driver's comparison of four hybrid SUVs in October 2025, the CR-V Hybrid Sport Touring finished 1st and the RAV4 Hybrid Limited finished 2nd. Car and Driver praised the CR-V Hybrid's "buttery ride" and smoother powertrain. One editor said the CR-V's interior materials feel like "a massive upgrade over the RAV4." And Car and Driver said the RAV4 Hybrid's engine "can still be coarse under hard acceleration."

And Cars.com's 2026 Compact SUV Challenge put the CR-V Hybrid Sport Touring 2nd of 8 and the RAV4 Hybrid LE 5th. The judges rated the CR-V Hybrid's ride the best in the test. The RAV4 Hybrid LE lost points for noise, because the LE doesn't get as much sound-deadening material. But keep in mind that was a $35,564 RAV4 Hybrid LE against a CR-V Hybrid over $44,000.

Now Car and Driver measured the noise too. At 70 mph, the 2026 CR-V Hybrid Sport Touring was 68 decibels. The 2026 RAV4 Hybrid Limited, the top trim on 20-inch factory tires, was 69, so that's very close. But only the CR-V Sport Touring Hybrid gets acoustic front door glass, which is glass built to cut down road and wind noise. Car and Driver said that made a big difference in their comparison. So a cheaper CR-V Sport Hybrid won't be as quiet as the one they tested.

And it's not all one way. Edmunds gave the CR-V Hybrid the win for comfort, but gave the RAV4 Hybrid the overall edge for value, technology and better mileage. Car Confections called the ride about equal and picked the RAV4 Hybrid overall. And The Straight Pipes noticed the CR-V Hybrid's low-speed pedestrian warning hum is much louder, especially in reverse. Basically, that's the sound a hybrid makes at low speed so people walking can hear it coming. One host couldn't live with it and picked the RAV4 Hybrid.

So ultimately, the CR-V Hybrid rides more smoothly and feels a bit nicer inside, especially as a Sport Touring. But I'd drive the RAV4 Hybrid and the CR-V Hybrid on roads you know before you decide, and listen for that hum in reverse.

Features only one of them has (2026)

• Only the 2026 RAV4 Hybrid has these: The RAV4 Hybrid has a 10.5-inch screen as standard, or 12.9 inches on the XSE and Limited. Depending on the trim, you can get a 360-degree camera, a panoramic roof and ventilated front seats. The RAV4 Hybrid Limited has heated rear seats, and the RAV4 Hybrid XSE and Limited have a head-up display that shows your speed on the windshield. And the RAV4 Hybrid also has fog lights, a built-in dash cam, a spare tire, and 3,500-pound towing on most AWD trims.
• Only the 2026 CR-V Hybrid has these: The CR-V Sport-L and Sport Touring Hybrid have real leather, where the RAV4 uses SofTex, Toyota's synthetic leather. The CR-V Sport Touring Hybrid adds Google built-in and a 12-speaker Bose stereo. And the CR-V Hybrid has physical climate knobs, a bigger center console and more rear seat recline.

Something to note is that the 2026 RAV4 moved the temperature controls to small buttons and the screen, so if you like knobs, the CR-V Hybrid has them. And I go through the RAV4 Hybrid's 360 camera, head-up display and 12.9-inch screen in my 2026 RAV4 Technology Package guide.

Safety ratings as they stand

So this one surprises a lot of people. Neither the RAV4 nor the CR-V won an IIHS Top Safety Pick award in 2025 or 2026. The IIHS crash tests cars and gives out the Top Safety Pick awards each year. And the 2026 RAV4 hasn't been crash tested by the IIHS yet.

The reason neither one won is the IIHS's updated moderate overlap test, which puts a small dummy in the back seat. In that test, the 2024 to 2027 CR-V is rated Poor, and the 2021 to 2025 RAV4 is rated Marginal. So basically, for a smaller passenger in the back seat, the previous RAV4 did better than the current CR-V. But the 2026 RAV4 hasn't been tested, so there's no result for the new one so far.

NHTSA is the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the government agency that does the 5-star crash ratings. Here's how the RAV4 and CR-V rate right now.

And for the IIHS awards in earlier years, the RAV4 and CR-V traded places. The 2019 to 2020 RAV4 earned a Top Safety Pick+ with specific headlights, and so did the 2022 RAV4. The 2023 to 2025 CR-V earned a Top Safety Pick+ in the 2023 and 2024 awards. So ultimately, both did well in most IIHS tests, and both have 5 stars from NHTSA where they've been rated. But if back seat crash safety is your top worry, I'd wait to see how the IIHS rates the 2026 RAV4.

Reliability and known problems

So both the RAV4 Hybrid and the CR-V Hybrid are solid picks by industry standards. Consumer Reports rated every 2019 to 2025 RAV4 Hybrid Very Good or Excellent for reliability. And Consumer Reports predicts the 2026 RAV4 will be more reliable than the average new car. For the CR-V Hybrid, Consumer Reports says the 2025 CR-V Hybrid is more reliable than other cars from the same model year.

But the CR-V Hybrid has a longer list of known problems on some years. Here's the CR-V Hybrid's list from NHTSA's recall and complaint data (checked October 15, 2026).

Now something worth knowing is that the oil dilution problem you may have read about on older CR-Vs doesn't apply to the CR-V Hybrid. Oil dilution is when gas gets into the engine oil. That was the gas 1.5-liter turbo engine, mainly on 2017 to 2019 CR-Vs. The CR-V Hybrid uses a different 2.0-liter engine without a turbo.

And for the RAV4 Hybrid, the big one is the rear motor cable. On 2019 to 2024 RAV4 Hybrids with AWD, the high-voltage cable to the rear motor can corrode, and owners call this "Cablegate." Toyota now covers that cable for 10 years with unlimited miles, as long as Toyota's sealing fix (called LSC 25TD01) is done by September 30, 2028. And the 2019 and 2020 RAV4 Hybrid had a gas tank that wouldn't fill all the way, which Toyota fixes under a separate program. I go through every RAV4 Hybrid year in my guide to RAV4 years to avoid.

Keep in mind that you can't compare complaint counts between the two. NHTSA files many RAV4 Hybrid complaints under the plain RAV4, while the CR-V Hybrid has its own model name. So for a RAV4 Hybrid or a CR-V Hybrid, I'd run the VIN at NHTSA's recall lookup before you buy.

Warranty and free maintenance

And Toyota covers the RAV4 Hybrid's hybrid battery for 10 years or 150,000 miles on 2020 and newer models, and the other hybrid parts for 8 years or 100,000 miles. Honda's hybrid battery coverage isn't confirmed in a Honda document, so I'd ask the Honda dealer to show it to you in writing. I go into how long the RAV4 Hybrid's battery lasts in my guide to RAV4 Hybrid battery life.

Used: 2019 to 2025 RAV4 Hybrid vs 2020 to 2025 CR-V Hybrid

So for used shoppers, the RAV4 Hybrid is the safer bet on mileage, towing and the spare tire. And every 2019 to 2025 RAV4 Hybrid has AWD, which makes shopping simpler. The CR-V Hybrid still gives you more back seat room and a smoother ride. And keep in mind there's no 2019 CR-V Hybrid in the US, since Honda's first CR-V Hybrid here was the 2020.

So for a RAV4 Hybrid, I'd buy a 2021 or newer. And on any 2019 to 2024 RAV4 Hybrid, I'd ask the seller for the paperwork showing the rear motor cable fix. On a 2019 or 2020, I'd also ask for the gas tank fix. The warning signs of a cable problem are static on the AM radio or the RAV4 Hybrid not starting.

And for a CR-V Hybrid, the new head gasket coverage is good news for the buyer, but it also tells you the engine has a known weak spot. The head gasket is the seal between the top and bottom halves of the engine. Honda announced the coverage on August 30, 2026. It covers the original head gasket for 10 years or 150,000 miles on every 2020 to 2026 CR-V Hybrid. And owners who are already past those limits got a six-month grace period. Basically, the warning signs are coolant loss, overheating, or a rough-running engine with misfire codes.

And for car seats in a used RAV4 Hybrid, Cars.com gave the 2025 RAV4 Hybrid an A for both the infant seat and the rear-facing seat. The 5-foot-6 front passenger just had to move up about an inch.

Now for used prices, a used RAV4 Hybrid averaged just over $32,000 in May 2026, up 6.9% since October 2025, according to Cars.com. And for resale, CarEdge's data shows the RAV4 keeping 1.5 to 6 percentage points more of its original price than the CR-V at every age. Keep in mind CarEdge mixes gas and hybrid models together. So basically, both hold their value very well, and the RAV4 has a small edge.

Used 2019 to 2022 RAV4 Hybrid vs used 2020 to 2022 CR-V Hybrid: which is the safer buy?

So if you're shopping 2019 to 2022, I'd get a 2021 or 2022 RAV4 Hybrid. The 2021 and 2022 RAV4 Hybrid don't have the 2019 and 2020's gas tank problem, so the rear motor cable fix is the big thing to check. And Toyota covers that cable for 10 years with unlimited miles. A used CR-V Hybrid from the same year costs about $2,000 less, and a 2020 or 2022 CR-V Hybrid with every recall done is a fair buy. But I'd skip the 2021 CR-V Hybrid.

Here's what each one was listed for on iSeeCars, a used car search site, on October 15, 2026. These are average asking prices from dealer listings across the US, not what people actually paid.

So at about the same miles, a used CR-V Hybrid averages about $2,000 less than a used RAV4 Hybrid from the same year. And that's even though the 2021 and 2022 CR-V Hybrid cost $1,660 to $2,435 more than the RAV4 Hybrid when new, going by iSeeCars' starting prices. So basically, the CR-V Hybrid has lost more of its value. iSeeCars also scores the RAV4 Hybrid 9.1 out of 10 for keeping its value, against 8.6 for the CR-V Hybrid. And there are about 2.5 to 3.6 times as many used RAV4 Hybrids for sale as CR-V Hybrids, so you get a lot more to choose from.

Now here's how each year stacks up, using the recall and complaint list in the reliability section above.

• The 2019 RAV4 Hybrid is the cheapest, but it needs the most checking. The 2019 needs both the rear motor cable fix and the gas tank fix. And the 2019's hybrid battery warranty is only 8 years or 100,000 miles. So on a RAV4 Hybrid first sold in 2019, the battery warranty runs out by 2027 at the latest. I explain the battery warranties in my RAV4 Hybrid battery life guide.
• The 2020 RAV4 Hybrid needs the same two fixes as the 2019. But the 2020 gets the longer hybrid battery warranty of 10 years or 150,000 miles.
• The 2021 and 2022 RAV4 Hybrid don't have the gas tank problem. The rear motor cable fix is the big thing to check on a 2021 or 2022. So the 2021 and 2022 are the RAV4 Hybrids I'd buy.
• The 2020 CR-V Hybrid has the most recalls of the three CR-V Hybrid years. The big ones are for the power converter that keeps the 12-volt battery charged (20V798), a missing fuse on a 12-volt battery cable (23V844) and the fuel pump inside the gas tank (23V858). And keep in mind no 2020 to 2022 CR-V Hybrid has a towing rating.
• The 2021 CR-V Hybrid is the one I'd skip. Owners filed 119 steering complaints with NHTSA on the 2021 CR-V Hybrid, and no recall covers the 2021's steering. Owners also filed 109 complaints about the 2021's automatic emergency braking kicking in when nothing's there.
• The 2022 CR-V Hybrid is a fair used buy with every recall done. The 2022 CR-V Hybrid's recalls are for a front driveshaft part (21V939), the same 12-volt battery cable fuse (23V844) and the back middle seat belt's child seat lock (21V900).

And every 2020 to 2022 CR-V Hybrid has Honda's head gasket coverage of 10 years or 150,000 miles, which I explained above. Both brands also have recalls on these years for the sensor under the front passenger seat that tells the air bag whether someone's sitting there. That covers the 2020 to 2022 RAV4 Hybrid and the 2020 to 2022 CR-V Hybrid. So whichever one you pick, put the VIN into NHTSA's recall lookup first. And for fair prices on a high-mileage 2019 to 2022 RAV4 Hybrid, plus the loan math against a new 2026, see my used RAV4 buying guide.

And if you're deciding between a new 2026 RAV4 and a leftover or used 2025, my 2026 vs 2025 RAV4 guide goes through what changed.

Who each one suits

So even though there are a lot of reasons to pick the RAV4 Hybrid, there are a few reasons the CR-V Hybrid may suit you better.

• First, if you have a rear-facing car seat and a tall front passenger, then the CR-V Hybrid's 3.2 extra inches of rear legroom is right where you need it.
• Next, if you care most about a smooth, quiet ride and a nicer cabin, then the CR-V Hybrid won on ride in both big group tests.
• And finally, if you want a top trim, then the CR-V Sport Touring Hybrid is about $1,050 less than the RAV4 Hybrid Limited.

But otherwise, the RAV4 Hybrid would be my pick for most people.

• If you drive a lot of miles in town or at moderate speeds, the RAV4 Hybrid uses less gas and costs less up front.
• If you tow a small camper or a jet ski trailer, most AWD RAV4 Hybrids tow 3,500 pounds.
• If you drive rural roads or long trips, the RAV4 Hybrid has a real spare tire.
• If you're buying used, a 2021 to 2025 RAV4 Hybrid is a safe bet. Just make sure the cable fix is done on a 2021 to 2024.

Videos worth watching on the RAV4 Hybrid vs CR-V Hybrid