We tested the two best-selling SUVs in America — and the winner is clear

Business Insider/Samantha Lee

When it comes to the US auto market, consumers have declared bigger is better.

Pick-up trucks and SUVs continue to be a dominate force in the industry as passenger car sales fall. Cheaper gas prices have only made larger vehicles more alluring to consumers — a trend unlikely to cease as the Trump administration preps to roll back fuel emissions standards.

Compact and mid-size crossover SUVs are particularly hot, accounting for 35% of all cars and trucks sold in the US.

With that in mind, we decided to take the two most popular crossover SUVs for a spin: the Honda CR-V and Toyota RAV4. The two vehicles are fairly easy to compare: they fall within the same price bracket and have dominated the compact SUV segment the last several years. Here’s our verdict:

Behold, the Honda CR-V. The vehicle is America’s best-selling crossover SUV and has posted 7 years of sales gains at the company. It starts at $24,000, but the more luxurious Touring model pictured here costs $33,695.

Next is the Toyota RAV4, a close second to the CR-V when it comes to crossover SUV sales. But the vehicle is gaining steam — Toyota sold 352,169 RAV4 cars in 2016, an 11.6% gain from the year prior. The vehicle starts at $24,350, but I took Premium model priced at $36,150 for a spin.

The CR-V isn’t anything special to look at it, but it’s certainly not boring. Powerful LED lights and chrome trimmings give an otherwise straightforward SUV a refreshed look. At 180.6 inches long with a 104.7-inch wheelbase, it’s a little bigger than a traditional compact SUV, but still fits nicely in the segment.

The RAV4, on the other hand, is comparably boring. There’s nothing wrong with the way it looks, but there’s also nothing about it that makes it pop. If it looks bigger and boxier than the CR-V, that’s because it is, at 183.5-inches long with a 104.7-inch wheelbase.

Step inside and the Honda CR-V has a relatively futuristic cockpit for a $34,000 vehicle. You can take calls, control your music, and turn on cruise control without moving your hands off the wheel. I particularly liked the sound bar, which you lightly swipe to control volume.

Still, the set-up on the RAV4 is easier to use. There are fewer buttons on the wheel and they’re also a lot bigger. It may not have as refined of a look as the CR-V, but it’s easier to navigate while driving.

From a driver perspective, the seats in the Honda CR-V are extraordinarily supportive. I actually described them as “insanely comfortable” in my very first review. But I don’t have any complaints about the RAV4’s seats either. When it comes to comfort, you’ll be fine either way.

The RAV4 might not be as pleasant to sit in, but it’s roomier in the back. That makes sense, considering it’s larger than the CR-V. It’s something to keep in mind if you plan on cramming several kids in the vehicle on a regular basis.

As per usual with cars today, it’s hard to definitively “win” when it comes to infotainment. I have yet to find an in-vehicle system that’s consistently enjoyable to use on a day-to-day basis. All of them seem to come with their own bugs and design flaws.

The CR-V is slightly better when it comes to layout. All of the settings are displayed in a neat sidebar…

…While the RAV4 puts all the settings directly on the screen itself. In both cases, it’s easy enough to find everything. Toyota still gives you the option of using physical buttons, but I didn’t find myself taking advantage of that option. Both vehicles offer SiriusXM radio.

When it comes to navigation, both systems have their own hangups, but there’s still a clear winner. Honda’s navigation system is cluttered with notifications about upcoming eateries, which are overly distracting.

Toyota’s navigation system is much cleaner and easier to read. But a big hangup is it doesn’t have Apple CarPlay. That leads me to declare Honda the winner when it comes to infotainment, simply because I don’t like the idea of being forced to use an automaker’s system, which tend to outlive the car itself. But if you’ve tried Apple CarPlay or Android Auto and find the systems lacking, then the RAV4 is your best pick.

When it comes to cargo….

…You’re really fine either way.

Honda’s Touring option is a fine drive. It’s not great, but it’s certainly not bad. It gets decent pick-up at 190 hp and 179 lb.-ft. of torque. The CR-V isn’t exactly zippy (0-60 mph in 7.6 seconds) but it has enough juice to weave in and out of lanes on highways.

The CR-V may not be a dream to drive, but it’s definitely easier to handle than the RAV4. The Toyota has less power (176 hp with 172 pound-feet of torque) and is a shade slower (0-60 mph in 8 seconds). Couple that with it’s larger side and you can see why the RAV4 tends to feel sluggish.

When it comes down to it, the CR-V has better handling. That may not matter depending on how you tend to use your car. If you typically drive around the neighborhood, the RAV4 is sturdy and durable; I never felt an uneven road or pothole.

But highway driving is a lot more pleasant in the CR-V. That’s important — where crossovers compromise on space, they should make up in the driving experience. The CR-V is far more nimble than the RAV4. If I’m going on a multi-hour road trip, I’m picking the Honda.

Speaking of road trips, the CR-V beats on mileage. It gets 28 MPG in the city and 34 MPG on the highway. I drove this car from New York to Boston and didn’t need to get gas until an hour into my trip back home.

The RAV4 has respectable mileage for a vehicle of its size: 22 MPG in the city and 28 MPG on the highway. That’s not bad by any means, but it’s worse than the CR-V.

As you can probably tell by now, the CR-V is the clear winner, which is likely why it’s held such a dominant position in the SUV market.

The CR-V wins on driving experience alone, which is really what matters when you’re buying a car designed to lug family around and survive longer road trips. It’s sturdy but has enough verve that you’re not trudging along in the middle lane.

But it also beats on the little things too, like comfort, infotainment, and the ability to access different features with ease.

When it comes to autonomous tech, it’s hard to break out a clear winner because both offer the a similar suite of options: adaptive cruise control, pre-collision braking, and lane departure warning. Honda’s Sensing package does have one bonus feature: lane-keep assist.

But really, both cars execute well when it comes to safety tech.

The real difference is that the CR-V provides the true crossover experience. It offers plenty of space while still being easy and fun to drive. The RAV4 certainly isn’t a waste of money, and won’t let you down, but the CR-V gets higher marks in more categories. 

The market has sided with the clear winner in the crossover space.

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