CR-V vs. RAV4 Adventure – which one of these compact family crossovers is better on the snow?
In standard spec, the Honda CR-V and Toyota RAV4 are perfectly capable family crossovers. Both are comfortable, practical, and offer a wide array of features for the families who buy them. However, in snow-prone parts of the country, it’s nice to have a bit more usability when the weather turns sour. That’s where all-wheel drive comes in. Having a well-functioning all-wheel drive system that can shift the power around where you need it can make all the difference when the road gets slippery. So how do these two perform? In today’s video, we test the 2018 Honda CR-V and the Toyota RAV4 Adventure.
2018 Honda CR-V: Fully-loaded family bus
First up, it’s the Honda CR-V. This crossover, clad in “Molten Lava Pearl” paint, packs a 1.5-liter turbocharged “Earth Dreams” engine. It puts out 190 horsepower and 179 lb-ft of torque through a CVT – a bit more than the RAV4.
Now, the CR-V takes more of a “what you see is what you get” approach to its real-time all-wheel drive system. There aren’t any special selections to configure it – just a button to turn the traction control off, if you so desire. It works out how much power you need at any given moment. Depending on the conditions, it can send up to 40 percent of the power to the rear wheels. It does also display in the instrument cluster where torque is going at any given moment, which is helpful.
As far as out-and-out creature comforts, the CR-V has an edge on the RAV4. The CR-V makes better use of its interior space and it has a nicer-feeling cabin. You sit lower down as well, so it does feel a bit more like an ordinary car.
In terms of safety, the Honda comes loaded. Its all-wheel drive system keeps you pointing in the direction you intended. Beyond that, the Honda Sensing package offers adaptive cruise control, collision mitigation braking, lane keep assist – all the safety tech you’d expect from a modern crossover.
2018 Toyota RAV4 Adventure: Giving the user (some) more control
While the Honda CR-V packs a turbocharged engine and a CVT, you have neither in the 2018 Toyota RAV4 Adventure. Instead, you get a 2.5-liter naturally-aspirated four-cylinder making 176 horsepower and 172 lb-ft of torque. That power is routed through a six-speed automatic transmission.
Another difference between the two cars comes in the RAV4 Adventure’s all-wheel drive system. Here, you can lock the system to split the power 50/50 at the push of a button. However, the caveat is that you can only lock it yourself at speeds up to about 25 MPH. Beyond that, the system makes its own judgment as to where to shift the power at any given moment.
The Toyota RAV4 Adventure sports comfortable seats, and you do get a fair amount of comfort options. Ergonomically, however, the CR-V may have a slight edge on the RAV4, depending on your preferences. As with the Honda, Toyota offers a safety suite in the RAV4 that gives you all the safety tech you’d expect and demand shopping in this segment.
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