Protégé : 2018 Honda CR-V vs 2018 Toyota RAV4 on the South Shore of Montreal

Welcome to the compact SUV category, or universe, we might say, which would be more appropriate since this type of vehicles is going through a phenomenal re-emergence in the last years. But in the present exercise, we will only look at 2 of them. Two much popular, particularly the 2018 RAV4, which saw it sales double in the last 5 years and is, without any surprise, the top-selling model, not only from the manufacturer, but also across all SUV categories here in Quebec, whether it be in Candiac, Saint-Constant or Brossard on the South Shore of Montreal.

Why do we love it so? In fact, the answers to this question are so numerous that there is no point in mentioning them all here. Here are still a few; it has a lot of room, is available in 9 models, it looks good, has a very reasonable fuel consumption, is very comfortable, safe and provides a tonne of safety features, in short, we see why it has occupied the 1st rank of Canadian sales in its class.

The prices of the 2018 Toyota RAV4 start at $30,064 for the basic FWD LE version and reach $44,459 for the Limited Hybrid version. The 2018 Honda CR-V prices go from $27,290 for the LX-2WD entry level version up to $38,690 for the Touring version, the most luxurious obviously. The 2018 CR-V is available in 5 models but does not have a hybrid powertrain.

The mechanical aspect of our 2 competitors goes as follow; a 2.5L 4-cylinder engine developing 176 horsepower and 172 lb-ft of torque for the RAV4, and a 1.5L turbocharged 4-cylinder engine generating 190 horsepower and 179 lb-ft of torque for the CR-V. Both have a towing capacity of 680 kg, but the cargo volume of the RAV4 is much more impressive with 2,080 litres as opposed to a weak 1,110 litres for the CR-V. It’s almost 1,000 more litres of luggage, sports equipment or grocery bags.

To know all the advantages of the RAV4 over the CR-V from Honda, come test drive it at your Toyota dealership in Candiac, not far from Saint-Constant and Brossard on the South Shore of Montreal. After seeing how much the RAV4 is an engineering marvel and a pleasure to drive, one of our counsellors will explain in detail all the benefits of the current Toyota promotions and Toyota financing.