**Updated on page 4**

I'm going to buy a new car next year sometime and have narrowed my choices down to these 4 vehicles. They all seem similar in size, weight, HP and torque. Want something in a medium-ish SUV type vehicle.

Would these all be considered in the same class then? I'm trying to find something that lists specs side by side without having to do it manually which is what I did here.

Would any of these need to be taken out of consideration and something else put in possibly? I am NOT a fan of any American brands to be honest

1. Mazda CX-5
2. Honda CR-V
3. Toyota RAV4
4. Subaru Crosstrek

I do have a Mazda5 that has been absolutely great but it's old and I will need a new car eventually. I am biased toward Mazda and Honda so that's why they are #1 and #2

Any feedback good and bad on these 4 vehicles would be appreciated.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: PASig, March 11, 2025 01:02 PM

Awd not 4wd. I would go toyota, Mazda, honda and subie

Try using the comparison tool at cars.com under the research tab.

CX5 & Crosstrek would be my top 2 from that list. Crosstrek will be smaller than the CX5 I think, as it's effectively a lifted Impreza hatchback.
There's also the Mazda CX-30, a bit smaller than the CX5, but looks a bit more premium, IMO.
And the CX-50, which is a price bump over the CX5 & a little bigger as well.

Of similar size:

Chevrolet Equinox/GMC Terrain
Ford Escape
Nissan Rogue
Kia Sportage/Hyundai Tucson
Subaru Forester
Mercedes GLA/GLB
BMW X1/X2/Mini Countryman
Volkswagen Taos

Would still put the Mazda & Subaru at the top of my list, from a more fun to drive perspective.
The CRV & Rav4, bit more 'appliance' but should be very reliable.

quote:

Originally posted by P250UA5:

And the CX-50, which is a price bump over the CX5 & a little bigger as well.

I did look at the CX-50 vs the CX-5 but the thing that made me not consider it is that the CX-50 has a rear torsion beam suspension vs the multi-link rear suspension the CX-5 has.

I had a Subaru Crosstrek Wilderness and loved it. Then I got a second big dog, and it was too small for me and them. I now have a 4Runner and love it, so do the dogs. If Subaru had made an Ascent with the Wilderness package, I would probably be driving that.

I honestly don't think you can go wrong with any of those choices.

quote:

Originally posted by PASig:
Would these all be considered in the same class then?

Yes, they're all "Compact SUVs", but size/dimensions vary a little bit between models within that class. Off the top of my head, the Crosstrek will be the smallest, then the CX-5, then the RAV4 and CRV. Though we're not talking massive differences... A few inches here or there.


I own both a 2022 Mazda CX-5 Turbo Signature and a 2017 Honda CR-V Touring. Between the two the CX-5 is the hands down winner, with one caveat, and one note.

The CX-5 is nicer, with better fit and finish overall than the CRV. I also like the interior layout and finishing a lot better. The CRV feels kinda cheap, even at the higher Touring trim level.

They're both extremely similar in size and dimensions, with the CRV being very slightly bigger, most noticeable in having slightly more legroom in the backseat (a couple inches or so).

The CRV does have a CVT, which has noticeable "rubber-banding" (as do nearly all CVTs I've driven). Whereas the CX-5 has a traditional transmission, and is much more responsive.

The CX-5 handles much better than the CRV. It also has significantly more power.

But here comes the caveat: My CX-5 is a Turbo Signature level, which comes with an upgrade to a more powerful engine pushing 227 HP and 310 lb-ft. The CRV has a smaller engine at 190 HP and 179 lb-ft. So it's not apples-to-apples here. My CX-5 Turbo has plenty of power, whereas nearly all Compact SUVs feel somewhat underpowered in my experience (due to a combination of engine and CVT). I suspect the non-turbo standard CX-5 will feel the same as well, with its 187 HP and 186 lb-ft, which is roughly equivalent to the CRV... Though as noted it doesn't have a CVT which could help a bit.

The CRV has a decent amount of pep going from 0-30ish, but bogs a bit when trying to swiftly accelerate from 50/60+ on highways and onramps. It's totally fine for a daily driver, but you're not going to be wowed by the way it drives, or get that giggle factor on backroads. Though as noted, this is endemic to this class. If a powerful/zippy drive is what you're wanting, seek out one of SUVs that offers an upgrade for a more powerful engine, like the CX-5 Turbo models, or something along the lines of Subaru's XT trim on the Outback.


Other note: The CX-5 does not have a touchscreen. It uses a rotary dial on the center console to navigate its infotainment system, or you can use your phone if you're connected via Bluetooth or Apple Carplay/Android Auto. This lack of a touchscreen is a deliberate choice by Mazda, and frankly I prefer it, along with the CX-5's less obtrusive infotainment screen. It took me less than a day for the dial to become second nature. But if you absolutely insist on having a giant touchscreen tablet parked in the middle of your dashboard, the CX-5 may get ruled out here.

My wife and I just went from a 2015 Toyota RAV4 XLE to a 2024 Mazda CX5 Carbon edition last December.
She absolutely loves this car. She thinks we made a very good choice.

This was a Question I asked last year and I got a lot of very helpful information.

"Mazda CX5 Owners... I have some questions (Update 12-18-23 we bought a car)"
https://sigforum.com/eve/forum...935/m/1590035405/p/1


One of the thing we found, for the money you got a lot more options with the Mazda than most other car brands.
Also at the time they were running incentives to purchase. The one that sealed the deal for us, even though we were going to make the purchase after the first of the year, was 0.0% financing for 5 years, so we just bought in December instead of waiting till January. It just ended up being a few week earlier than we had planned.

I know from time to time Mazda will run some incentive plans that might make you lean toward them so just keep an eye out especially toward the end of the year.

Rogue's post was spot on concerning the CX-5 with a turbo. I lease, and I'm on my second CX-5 (2023) Signature and love it.

Something to note: the 2024-25 CX-5 now has the ability to make the infotainment screen a touch screen at all times when using CarPlay or Android Auto.

I have every intention of getting another CX-5 Signature/Turbo when my current lease is up, and I'm looking forward to having the touch screen capability when I do so.

If you're looking at the non-turbo version of the CX-5 you'll still find it's a much better handling car than your other list choices. The fit and finish will be better too, as the CX-5 is made in Japan (as opposed to the Mazda CX-50 which is made at a Toyota plant here in the States.) What you'll give up with the CX-5 compared to the CRV and RAV-4 will be passenger and cargo space.

Several years ago I was in a similar quandry. Rather than trying to decide on paper, I chose to test drive all my contenders. One vehicle stood out, and I bought a 2018 VW Tiguan. Apart from the numerous recalls, I have been very happy with this choice. My wife has a Subaru Outback, a couple of years older, and the Tiguan is a much nicer vehicle -- except when it comes to maintenance/repair when the German engineering gotta-take-it-to-the-dealer philosophy shows through.

In answer to the OP's stated question, I'd drop the CR-V from consideration. The one I drove had abysmal handling and could barely get out of it's own way. AS for the rest, personally, I think almost all Toyota's are ugly vehicles. No Italian blood in any of their body designers. The Camry I can stand, but the rest of their models...it would be doing them a favor to call them butt-ugly.

I have confidence in Mazda's engineering, and our Subaru has proven to be a solid, dependable vehicle over the years.

I drove the RAV4 for a couple weeks over a decently long road trip back in February. Typical Toyota quality but also typical Toyota boredom if that's a factor for you.

I will say from my experience the Hyundai Tucson or Kia Sportage tends to offer more creature comforts and technology at the same price points as the Japanese manufacturers.

My wife and I are looking for a small suv in the next year as well. We happen to be on a trip right now and have a RAV4 rental. I’m glad we got it because it allowed us to cross it off of our consideration list. We found it to be extremely noisy on the road, and we make a couple long road trips every year. We currently have a Trax (she likes small SUVs) that we like.

Of the list provided, I'll vote Mazda CX-5. No CVT of the Subaru and Honda, and not as boring as the RAV4.

If it was me, I’d put 1-3 side by side on paper, then go visit. There will be slight differences with the deals, prices.

quote:

Originally posted by RogueJSK:
But if you absolutely insist on having a giant touchscreen tablet parked in the middle of your dashboard, the CX-5 may get ruled out here.

Nope! So this is making me like the CX-5 even more then. I detest this new trend of slapping a big screen on a dash like that. It's already been proven that knobs are far safer than touchscreens because there is much less taking your eyes off the road when making an adjustment than hunting around on a touchscreen.

Exactly.

Then you definitely need to check out the CX-5!

You can see in this photo how clean and unobtrusive the screen is. And the dial (at the very bottom center, below the gearshift) sits exactly where you right hand falls when your arm is resting on the center console's armrest. It's very natural to use, without having to reach and with minimal need to take your eyes off the road.

You can also control the infotainment system with voice commands, if so desired.

Also note the other real dials, for volume (just to the right of the infotainment dial), and for HVAC (above the gearshift, along with other actual buttons). No settings buried in touchscreen menus here. Just good old dials and buttons, like God intended.

I think a Subaru Forester might be closer in size “class” than the Crosstrek.

Mazda first but not a loser in the group.

quote:

Originally posted by arfmel:
I think a Subaru Forester might be closer in size “class” than the Crosstrek.

That used to be true. The original Crosstrek from ~10 years ago was significantly smaller, and the Forester at the time was closest to these others. But the latest generation Crosstrek has been revamped and enlarged, and sits in the same class as the others now.