2022 Honda HR-V hybrid vs Toyota RAV4 hybrid comparison

I have no idea, by the time you read this, what Australians will be paying per litre at the pumps.

When the figure hit $2.20 earlier this year, the only thing that narrowly avoided a conflict on our own turf was a hastily implemented temporary tax cut to offset the inflation.

A few months later, unfortunately, any price correction had long since been overtaken by an ongoing energy crisis and when I rolled onto a forecourt last week I simply couldn’t believe what the retailer was asking. An inanimate fuel bowser cannot be haggled with and no amount of tapping would convince the price gauge to reconsider and drop below $2.50.

You definitely don’t need me to put that into perspective but if petrol sat alongside milk on supermarket shelves, it would be cheaper to pick up a litre of cow juice. If the current trajectory continues, before we know it, the same will apply to shiraz.

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But despite the recent global events and what the headlines may lead you to believe, someone is making a lot of cash every time you fill up and, while I won’t waste words speculating on whose coffers are ringing the loudest, what I can tell you with confidence is that the price is not about to go into remission – high fuel prices are here to stay.

With that in mind, I wouldn’t be surprised if your list of new car priorities has jumbled about a bit. Where performance, practicality and design might have once featured fairly high up, you’re likely to be one of the many Australians now putting L/100km before 0-100km/h.

I certainly can’t blame you. As car people, we will always place a big chunk of value on how beautiful a car is to behold and to drive, but all of that amounts to not much if the damn thing is too expensive to run.

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But what if you didn’t have to compromise on everything to find a more efficient car? That’s what this comparison is all about.

If outright efficiency at the cost of everything else was your only goal then might I suggest something with a Piaggio badge, but if you’d like something that makes each drop go further and also offers room for at least four, Japanese reliability, SUV flexibility oh, and significantly better safety and comfort, read on.

Toyota’s RAV4 is a very familiar face on Australian roads – it’s the nation’s favourite mid-sized SUV, it’s up there as one of the most popular hybrids, and it’s worked hard for both of those titles.

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Regardless of whether you’re looking at the entry-level two-wheel drive options, petrol, mild hybrid, or the kit-packed and all-wheel drive range-toppers, the RAV4 has always put up a convincing fight in previous testing.

Any of the 11 variants that launched in 2019 would still offer a strong contender in this comparison, but the version you’re looking at is the freshly introduced XSE.

Growing the line-up to 13, the new version is slap-bang in the middle of the RAV4 family. The offering is a compelling list of kit, Toyota’s proven hybrid drivetrain and a choice of front-wheel drive or eFour all-wheel drive.

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For this battle, we’ve gone for the two-wheel drive. Why? Because it costs $42,825 (before on-road costs) and that rather nicely aligns in price with our second car in this efficiency mission.

Its face is less familiar than the Toyota, but its boot badge is not. The Honda HR-V has been cruising Australian roads since 1999, but this is the freshly unboxed third-generation model.

Compared with the RAV4’s catholic-sized family, the Honda is available (for now) in just two variants – the entry Vi X and this, the $45,000 (drive-away) e:HEV L.

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Like the Toyota, it gets front-wheel drive, a hybrid powertrain with long battery warranty, Japanese-brand confidence and heaps of SUV appeal. Beyond that though, these two fuel-sipping SUVs are very different offerings.

Let’s address the elephant in the room – size. Over 28 years and five generations, the RAV4 has ballooned and now competes in the medium segment, while the HR-V has stuck to the small SUV class it entered 23 years ago, and that might well be the deciding factor for many buyers.

Jump into the RAV and its capacious cabin offers room for five adults, heaps of headroom in both rows of seating and a mighty 580-litre boot.

Despite the class disparity, the Honda’s occupant space is almost comparable and even its more coupe-like roofline doesn’t intrude as much as expected – but there are significant disadvantages.

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Despite the class disparity, the Honda’s occupant space is almost comparable and even its more coupe-like roofline doesn’t intrude as much as expected

Its boot is a relatively tiny 308 litres and seating is limited to four people rather than five. If two of those people happen to be tiny, both models offer ISOFIX anchors for two child seats in the second row.

The Toyota wins more practicality points for having a space-saver spare wheel but get a flat in the Honda and it’ll be the dreaded inflator kit for you.

However, the Honda, like other small models from the Japanese brand, has a secret weapon in the form of ‘magic seats’. Both cars can significantly boost boot space with a flat-folding second row, but the HR-V goes a big step further with the clever seat bases that fold up onto the back support and liberate a floor-to-ceiling space behind the front row.

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This allows tall and awkward-shaped items to be easily transported despite the Honda’s diminutive exterior dimensions. When it comes to technology and standard equipment, however, there is less of a void dividing the pair, with enough kit to attract savvy buyers while only minimally raising the price.

That’s why you won’t find typically big-ticket items such as a sunroof, leather seats or branded sound systems but there’s still lots to like. At the RAV4’s helm, its interior layout is a little clumsy but there are high-quality touches including the rubberised door handles and large dash control dials.

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The driver’s seat gets 10-way electric adjustment, there’s wired Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, wireless device charging and an 8.0-inch central touchscreen – even if it is full of slightly dated-looking graphics. Thankfully, Toyota has updated the functionality of its operating system with the addition of hot keys that look a bit daggy but enable far easier operation.

There’s a 7.0-inch digital display to be found in the driver’s instrument cluster, with a 50:50 split of central electronic screen and traditional dials.

Board the Honda, however, and the first impressions have a greater impact. A little of the Civic’s upmarket direction and enhanced visibility has migrated into the new HR-V, along with a clean but sharp interior design.

Board the Honda, however, and the first impressions have a greater impact.

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Skinny A-pillars, uncluttered screen, repositioned door mirrors and a lowered bonnet have increased the driver’s vision significantly. Then there’s the attractive dash layout with satisfying tactile air vent controls and top-quality steering wheel leather.

Its instrument cluster is a different interpretation of the half-and-half split of gauge and digital display but it works, while its central touchscreen is an inch larger than the Toyota.

It too gets all smartphone mirroring although it lacks the combination of wireless CarPlay and device charging found in the Toyota (although it is optional) and another notable omission is electric seat adjustment of any description.

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Given Melbourne’s overly enthusiastic start to winter, heated seats in both were an option we would have paid for but thankfully in the Honda you don’t have to and there's a heated steering wheel as well.

Equipment dollar values are therefore about equal but cater to differing sensibilities. When it comes to aesthetics, on the other hand, the RAV4’s looks are familiar and safe, while the Honda’s approach to styling and design is more contemporary and exciting.

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Where the pair deviates tangentially though, is in the way they drive.

Powering the Toyota is a 2.5-litre naturally aspirated four-cylinder petrol coupled to a CVT with 160kW and 221Nm sent to the front wheels, while the Honda is fitted with a 1.5-litre (also non-turbo) four-pot petrol developing 96kW and 253Nm.

Don’t be fooled by the more impressive torque figure because Toyota for some reason doesn’t list the combined output of petrol and electric – and the RAV4 is significantly faster. Both cars provide the satisfying instant surge of electric, but the Honda is the one left floundering when you need to be somewhere in a hurry.

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With simulated gearchanges from the RAV4’s continuously variable transmission, it offers the more familiar driving experience but Honda’s unusual fixed-gear eCVT has been very much engineered for efficiency.

There are subtle stepped changes in engine revs but for the most part, engine sound from the HR-V is not directly related to progress as its role is mostly to power a generator, rather than drive the front wheels directly as the Toyota does.

When it comes to slowing down, there are more contrasts. While the RAV4 has a grabby pedal at low speed and minimal regenerative braking effect on overrun, the HR-V has a firm and progressive pedal with paddles to choose how much regen effect the driver wants. It feels like the Toyota is trying to hide its electrified assets while the Honda is embracing them.

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It feels like the Toyota is trying to hide its electrified assets while the Honda is embracing them.

Don’t be fooled by either of the responsible powertrains though, because both cars are fun to chuck about. Neither can resist wheelspin in the wet but the RAV4’s sensitive steering pairs well with a resistance to roll, excellent grip and a ride that is planted, confident, comfortable and quiet.

At the wheel of the HR-V, there’s a little more fidgeting at higher speeds but even more agility than the Toyota thanks in part to Michelin Primacy rubber versus the RAV4's Bridgestone Alenzas and significantly lower kerb weight.

Not only does the Honda have a smaller 1.1kWh battery, it is a lithium-ion type, compared with the Toyota’s 1.6kWh nickel-metal hydride chemistry.

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The difference is 1382kg versus 1690kg and the mass is noticeable in virtually all types of driving. With its shorter legs, smaller size and lighter weight the Honda is at home in suburbia, but the more solid-feeling Toyota does better out of town.

Ultimately though, the biggest chunk of this battle comes back to the hybrid boot badge each car wears and how that translates to saving you cash each time you fill up. It’s here that the game swings dramatically back in the Honda’s favour.

Officially, Toyota says its offering will return a combined-cycle fuel economy figure of 4.7 litres per 100km while the lighter and smaller-engined Honda promises 4.3L/100km.

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Photo shoots are not known for enabling the most efficient driving, with lots of stopping and starting, long periods of idling and some enthusiastic stuff thrown into the mix, which is why higher than average consumption is perfectly acceptable under these circumstances.

The onboard trip computers were reporting figures of 6.2L/100km for the RAV4 and 5.5L/100km in the HR-V.

However, when we ran the numbers and calculated actual fuel use, the picture looked very different.

While the Honda had indeed used exactly what its computer claimed, the Toyota had averaged a far thirstier 7.3L/100km. This revelation initially raised an eyebrow but, when viewed objectively, it shouldn’t be quite so surprising.

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The Honda has a smaller engine, a lower drag coefficient, a drivetrain that prioritises electric propulsion more than the RAV4 and weighs a whopping 308kg less. It was always going to have the upper hand when it came to economy.

The Toyota still dominates on the open road and with the option to spend a little more by adding all-wheel drive, it also represents the best option for hitting unsealed trails.

It’s also the space champion, offering a vastly superior size and shape of boot plus accommodation for an entire extra human on board. Rounding out the RAV4’s list of attributes is a comprehensive standard equipment set thanks to the new mid-range XSE variant.

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The Toyota still dominates on the open road and with the option to spend a little more by adding all-wheel drive, it also represents the best option for hitting unsealed trails.

In that regard, the Toyota would have to represent the best value out of this pair. Not so fast. If you want your own example of a hybrid RAV4, be prepared to wait for about 12 to 24 months, whereas the HR-V will be on your driveway in about four months.

Regardless of the model, nobody knows how much it’ll cost you to top up the tank once it’s arrived but in the time it’s taken you to read this, the price of fuel has probably increased another 10 cents per litre.

If that concerns you as much as it does us, then the Honda’s almost teetotal demand for petrol has to be the true winner in this fight for frugal supremacy.

Rivals

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With around $45K including on-road costs to spend in the small segment, premium player Lexus and its UX200 SUV come within range but you’ll need to spend $52K to get into the hybrid UX250h. Mazda’s MX-30 G20e is also one to consider but has the mildest of hybrid systems from $33,990 (before on-road costs) and has practical compromises in return for its very style-led offering.

If the mid-size segment is where you insist on shopping, offerings from Mazda, Hyundai and Ford all come into play but none can offer their competing models with a hybrid powertrain (unless you count the Escape plug-in hybrid that comes in around $10K over budget.

But how about this for an option – potentially two options? On the not too distant horizon is Kia’s new Niro and it’ll be available as a mild hybrid and plug-in hybrid for a price within the ballpark of these two.

Sounds like a rematch is on.

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SCORING

2022 Honda HR-V e:HEV: 7.5/10

2022 Toyota RAV4 XSE 2WD Hybrid: 7.5/10

Specifications