We don’t see many places in the market where a Honda holds an advantage over a Toyota. That said, the Honda CR-V has topped the Toyota RAV4 and won the MotorTrend SUV of the Year Award twice in recent years. Does the new sixth-generation 2023 Honda CR-V offer more value than the 2023 Toyota RAV4, or will the Toyota win out?

Does the 2023 Honda CR-V offer more interior room than the 2023 Toyota RAV?

Comparing these two compact crossover SUVs seems to be an annual event. They have competed in the same class since the late 1990s. The Honda SUV offers the following measurements:

• Legroom – 41.3 inches front/41.0 inches rear
• Headroom – 38.0 inches front/39.1 inches rear
• Cargo Space – 36.3 cubic feet seats up/76.5 cubic feet seats down

Turning to the Toyota compact crossover, we see slightly different measurements:

• Legroom – 41.0 inches front/37.8 inches rear
• Headroom – 37.7 inches front/39.5 inches rear
• Cargo Space – 37.6 cubic feet seats up/69.8 cubic feet seats down

While the RAV4 bests the CR-V in basic cargo room and rear seat headroom, the CR-V takes the lead for all other interior measurements.

Which compact crossover SUV has a better powertrain?

The 2023 Honda CR-V continues to the new generation with a standard 1.5-liter turbocharged 4-cylinder engine mated to a CVT automatic. This powertrain delivers 190 horsepower, 179 lb-ft of torque, and standard FWD. This SUV is available with AWD, which gives you fuel economy numbers of 27 city/32 hwy mpg.

The 2023 Toyota RAV receives power from a 2.5-liter naturally aspirated 4-cylinder engine attached to a traditional 8-speed automatic transmission. This SUV also offers either FWD or AWD, giving you 203 horsepower and 184 lb-ft of torque. The fuel mileage results for the AWD version o the RAV4 is 25 city/32 hwy mpg.

Although the CR-V has better city fuel mileage, the RAV4 has more power and equal highway fuel mileage. If you’re not a fan of CVTs, the easy choice here is the Toyota SUV.

Does the 2023 Honda CR-V or the 2023 Toyota RAV4 come as a hybrid compact crossover SUV?

Yes, both of these SUVs have a hybrid option for you. The CR-V Hybrid uses a 2.0-liter 4-cylinder engine and two electric motors. This setup results in 204 horsepower and 247 lb-ft of torque. This hybrid model still returns the option of either AWD or FWD and gives you fuel mileage numbers of 40 city/35 hwy mpg.

The RAV4 Hybrid offers a more sophisticated approach to driving. The traditional hybrid uses a 2.5-liter 4-cylinder engine and two electric motors. One motor isn’t attached to the gas engine at all and turns the rear wheels. All RAV4 Hybrid models are AWD, giving you fuel mileage numbers of 41 city/38 hwy mpg, easily besting the CR-V Hybrid.

Toyota takes things a little further with the RAV4 Prime, a plug-in hybrid model. This SUV offers 302 horsepower, 42 miles of all-electric driving, and 94 mpg-e combined.

Which compact crossover SUV offers the best value?

There are more areas to compare, but both SUVs provide an excellent package of safety features, in-car technology, and similar prices. The 2023 Toyota RAV4 offers several advantages over the 2023 Honda CR-V. The RAV4 has more power, additional powertrain options, and more trim choices. The CR-V is bigger and remains an excellent model for growing families.

Next, check out some popular SUVs that Forbes doesn’t recommend, or see another comparison of these two crossovers in the video below: