New Honda CR-V & Toyota RAV4 vs Mazda CX-5
Space and practicality
Front space, rear space, seating flexibility, boot
These are big cars, dwarfing the likes of the Nissan Qashqai and Seat Ateca, so whichever one you choose, you aren’t going to be haunted by groans of discomfort from passengers or find yourself cursing the size of the boot.
Nevertheless, there are some notable differences – particularly when it comes to rear leg room. While a couple of six-footers will fit in the back of the CX-5, the gap between their knees and the seat in front won’t be huge. The RAV4 is a bit more generous in this regard, but the limo-like CR-V is undoubtedly the most suitable for tall passengers.
The CR-V is also best for carrying three abreast in the rear, even if the humped middle seat isn’t especially comfy. Comparatively tight shoulder room makes the CX-5 the least agreeable choice for those occasions when you need to carry three people in the back, although it’s still hardly cramped. All three cars have two Isofix child seat mounting points – one on each outer rear seat.
You can’t slide the rear seats back and forth in any of our trio like you can in some large SUVs, such as the Citroën C5 Aircross. However, the rear seatbacks can all be reclined to give passengers a more laid-back experience.
As you’d expect, all three cars have rear seats that can be folded down when you need extra boot space. The seatbacks split 60/40 in the CR-V and RAV4, while the CX-5 has a more flexible 40/20/40 arrangement. When folded, the rear seats lie virtually flat in the CX-5 and CR-V, whereas you’re left with a gentle slope in the RAV4.
With the rear seatbacks up, the RAV4 has the biggest boot and can swallow an impressive 10 carry-on suitcases. Despite being slightly taller, the CR-V’s boot isn’t as long, leaving it one case shy of the RAV4’s tally, while the CX-5 can hold only eight.
Honda CR-V
CR-V’s boot is tallest up to the roof, with a broad, square aperture. There’s barely any lip at the entrance, although you only get 60/40 split-folding rear seats.
Boot 497-1694 litres Suitcases 9
Mazda CX-5
Luggage capacity is the smallest of the trio, so unsurprisingly the CX-5 can swallow the fewest cases. You do get handy levers in the boot to drop the rear seats, though.
Boot 494-1608 litres Suitcases 8
Toyota RAV4
Extra length of RAV4’s boot gives it the edge, even though it’s actually the shallowest here. No lip at all at the boot entrance makes loading and unloading super-easy.
Boot 580-1690 litres Suitcases 10
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