The RAV4 is all-new for 2019, but how will it compare to its rivals?
This year at the New York Auto Show, we were shown updated versions of two of the world’s favorite crossover SUVs: the 2019 Toyota RAV4 and 2019 Subaru Forester. While they both attempt to do the same thing, they go about it in different ways, so let’s see how they stack up against each other — and two of their competitors, the Nissan Rogue and the Honda CR-V.
This is a subjective category of course, but all four vehicles have something going for them. The new Toyota RAV4, particularly in Adventure trim, has a newfound aggression and masculinity in its styling that is really refreshing. For the first time, maybe ever, it looks like something you’d want to try and take off-road like its larger sibling, the 4Runner. Its exterior dimensions are almost identical to that of the Honda CR-V with the exception of having a slightly longer wheelbase.
The Subaru Forester is, as Roadshow’s Steven Ewing pointed out, a pretty basic two-box design, but its simplicity begets great visibility and tons of room, and there is a kind of beauty to be found in function. At the end of the day, the new Forester still looks like a Forester, and for Subaru fans, that’s a good thing. The Forester grows a bit over the outgoing model, gaining 1.2 inches of wheelbase (105.1 inches) and gains interior room, thanks to a platform change.
The Honda CR-V is a seriously heavy hitter in the compact SUV segment and represents the RAV4’s biggest competitor. It got a major refresh for 2017, but it still looks like a jellybean and while it’s not offensive looking, it’s not what we’d call handsome either.
Nissan’s Rogue isn’t exactly a looker, but with its 2017 restyle, it lost some of its blob-shape and gained a few hard edges which happen to be serving it well. The Nissan Rogue is almost 6 inches longer than both the RAV4 and the CR-V, but the difference isn’t dramatic for passengers.
The 2019 RAV4 is getting some new engine options, which is great, but Toyota is keeping the specs secret for now. We do know that the base gasoline option will be a 2.5-liter I4, which will be mated to an eight-speed automatic transmission. There will also be a performance-oriented hybrid version (cool) bolted to a CVT transmission (less cool).
