2021 Mazda CX-5 Maxx Sport 2WD v Toyota RAV4 GXL Hybrid comparison
It's the heavyweight showdown between the two best-selling medium SUVs in Australia. Can Mazda dethrone the incumbent champion from Toyota? Rob Margeit and Trent Nikolic find out.
Overview
It’s a battle as old as the medium SUV segment, pitting the two top-selling soft-roaders against each other to see which one comes out on top.
It’s almost unthinkable that in a segment where buyers are faced with a plethora of choice, the Toyota RAV4 and Mazda CX-5 enjoy a 43.3 per cent share of the market between them. In other words, two in every five medium SUVs sold is either a RAV4 or a CX-5.
It’s not really surprising, though, with both Japanese brands continuing to set the benchmark for what it means to be a medium SUV.
In the case of the Mazda CX-5 that means a stylish package with decent enough performance and, dare we say, an ever so slight premium feel to its design.
In the case of the Toyota RAV4 that means comfort and practicality, and in this hybrid specification we have on test here, outstanding fuel economy.
With such strong contenders, it becomes increasingly difficult to highlight any glaring shortcomings. And what that means for buyers is a cornucopia of medium SUV goodness, no matter which way they send their hard-earned dollars.
But, which one offers the better medium SUV experience? Let’s find out.
Introduction
Mazda CX-5
Second only to the RAV4, the Mazda CX-5 continues to surge in a segment that only gets more popular as time rolls on. Offering a stylish and almost premium alternative to the rest of the set, it’s easy to see why the CX-5 is as popular as it is. That fact might be even more evident in the 2021 Mazda CX-5 Maxx Sport, one step up from the base model. This time around, we’re testing the 2WD petrol variant.
It’s not just the RAV4 nipping at the CX-5’s heels either. Long-standing segment stalwart the Honda CR-V is still there, as are compelling options from Nissan, Kia, Hyundai, Volkswagen and even MG. It’s a crowded segment – one that is effectively the new battleground for Australian family buyers. It’s a common sight to find a dual-cab and a medium SUV in driveways around the suburbs. As such, the fight for the hearts – and wallets – of Australian buyers is fierce.
The Maxx Sport sits above the base/base Maxx, and runs the same mechanical underpinnings but with some added equipment. LED headlights and fog lights are standard, along with LED tail-lights, rain-sensing wipers, and 17-inch alloy wheels. The price for our tester starts from $36,490 before on-road costs. The CX-5 range starts from $31,190 and tops out at $52,380, both before on-road costs.
The CX-5 isn’t the sharpest or edgiest medium SUV in the segment, but its status as the second most popular in the segment behind the RAV4 is evidence that the Australian buying public likes what it sees. While design isn’t necessarily a popularity contest, it’s hard to argue with the stylish figure the CX-5 cuts regardless of which angle you’re looking at it from.
Toyota RAV4
It seems astonishing that in a segment with 20 different models comprising 127 variants, the Toyota RAV4 enjoys a seemingly unthinkable almost 25 per cent (24.4) market share.
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The medium-SUV segment is arguably Australia’s ‘hottest’ new car battlefield, the mid-size soft-roaders competing for the hard-earned of middle Australians everywhere.
Proving just how fertile that plain is, the under-$60,000 bracket sees 19 manufacturers with 20 models and 127 variants, of which 56 are front-wheel drive.
Even more remarkable is that Toyota is the only brand in the segment with a closed hybrid in its line-up, with only Ford, MG and Mitsubishi bolstering the frugal fuel ranks with plug-in hybrid variants.
The first rule of sales is to listen to what the people want, and in the medium-SUV segment, if RAV4 sales are an indicator, that means hybrid powertrains. For the record, Toyota had sold around 22,000 RAV4s this year to the end of July. An astonishing 73 per cent, or around 16,000, of those featured a hybrid powertrain. Impressive. Free kick to Toyota, then, own goal to the rest.
But it’s not just because the RAV4 is the only hybrid option in a crowded market that it enjoys such a huge advantage over its rivals. The fact is, the RAV4, by any measure, is a bloody good SUV. It’s no surprise that its blend of practicality and comfort, frugal drivetrain and value-packed equation cemented its status as Drive Car of the Year in 2020.
Around 18 months on, and with challenges afresh from within the segment, we see if the RAV4 still stacks up in an ever more crowded marketplace.
The RAV4 we have on test here is the mid-spec hybrid, all-wheel-drive GXL model. The 2021 Toyota RAV4 GXL Hybrid is priced at $42,915 plus on-roads, or around $47,000 drive-away. For this comparison, the front-wheel drive model was our aim, but Toyota was only able to provide the AWD variant.
Opting for front-wheel drive only shaves $3000 off the list price ($39,915 plus on-roads), while eschewing the hybrid powertrain puts another $2500 in your pocket. It’s listed at $37,415 (plus ORC), leaving you plenty of cash to splash on the extra fuel you’ll use by not going hybrid.
While the hybrid RAV4 may be an island in a sea of medium SUVs from rivals without hybrid powertrains in their arsenals, the battle remains fiercely competitive.
The RAV4 might be the bestseller in the segment, but Mazda’s popular CX-5 isn’t far behind. The Korean twins Hyundai Tucson and Kia Sportage are also popular in the segment, as are stalwarts from Japan, the Nissan X-Trail and Mitsubishi Outlander. And the surge from Chinese carmakers is gathering momentum, with the MG HS proving popular, while the Haval H6 is also making an impact in the segment.
The mid-spec GXL packs plenty of punch for the money with a healthy equipment list devoid of any options, bar shades of paint. Our tester wore a $675 optional shade of Eclectic Blue, one of seven colours in Toyota’s optional palette. If you don’t want to pay extra for paint, you’ll be driving a white RAV4.
Key details | 2021 Mazda CX-5 Maxx Sport 2WD | 2021 Toyota RAV4 GXL Hybrid |
Price (MSRP) | $36,490 plus on-road costs | From $39,915 plus on-road costs |
Colour of test car | Snowflake White Pearl Mica | Eclectic Blue |
Options | None | All-wheel drive ($3000) Premium paint ($675) |
Price as tested | $36,490 plus ORC | $43,490 plus ORC |
Inside
Mazda CX-5
Inside the cabin, the Maxx Sport gets dual-zone air-conditioning, an auto-dimming rear-view mirror and push-button start, along with robust-looking cloth trim and manual seat adjustment. The leather-trimmed steering wheel adds an ever so slight air of premium to what is the sharper end of the pricing spectrum.
This is undoubtedly a comfortable cabin for long- or short-haul driving. An important factor for the family buyer. The cloth seats look to be hard wearing and are comfortable, and the design touches – stitching, switchgear, plastic trim and soft-touch surfaces – all feel a level above the price point. While there are some touchpoints that are a little harder than CX-5 variants further up the tree, that’s to be expected and is common to most models at this price point.
Storage is catered to neatly also, with bottle holders in the large door pockets, a reasonable centre console bin, cupholders that don’t get in the driver’s way, a hinged pocket above your head for sunglasses, and a shelf for your phone ahead of the shift lever.
Where the medium-SUV segment does get tricky for families is into the second row. While vehicles like the Honda CR-V have more room than most, the CX-5 is tight if you have taller teenagers in the family. Behind my six-foot driving position, you can fit another six-footer, but you wouldn’t want that person to have to sit there for more than an hour or so. Still, for around-town duties, second-row comfort is solid.
In the second row, you get plenty of headroom, a deep glasshouse with broad visibility, air vents, and two USB points for the kids to charge their devices. The centre armrest flips down and features cupholders and a small storage bin.
Boot space is par for the course, too, with 442L with the second row in use and a sturdy luggage cover. That cover rises up with the tailgate to move out of your way – smart – and the second row can be dropped in a 40:20:40 split fold. There are levers at the rear that make this an easy move, and fast as well. A full-size spare under the cargo floor is a vital inclusion for road-tripping owners.
Toyota RAV4
There’s a solidity to the RAV4’s interior that feels like money well spent. There are enough design flourishes to please the eye, like the aluminium-coloured trim elements on the dash, around the gear selector and the door trims. They break up a sea of black plastics, a mix of mainly hard with a smattering of softer surfaces.
The seats are trimmed in what Toyota calls “Premium Embossed Fabric”, a durable-looking fabric with some nicely embossed touches. They are comfortable and supportive, and manually adjustable.
The steering wheel is wrapped in leather-look material, again dubbed “premium” by Toyota, as is the gear lever. They feel nice in hand, chunky and solid. Reassuring.
Chunky is the word to describe the RAV4’s climate controls, too, which fall easy to hand and are trimmed in a rubberised material that feels, there’s that word again, reassuring. Kudos to Toyota for sticking with manual dials, railing against a tide that sees an increasing number of manufacturers burying climate controls deep inside a screen.
There’s a decent amount of storage up front, too, with generous door pockets and a big cubby under the central armrest. Two cupholders trimmed in non-slip rubber keep your takeaways nice and secure, while secret sliding drawers under each of the front seats add a level of security for your valuables should you decide to leave them in the car.
The second row is accommodating and spacious, with plenty of room in all key areas. Make no mistake, the RAV4 is a ‘big’ medium SUV, and it shows in the second row, especially where three adults can comfortably sit three abreast.
They’ll benefit from the separate air vents back there, too, while a couple of USB points will keep second-row passengers on their devices all day long.
One of the RAV4’s key highlights is undoubtedly boot space, which measures in at 542L with the boot floor in its uppermost position. It can be lowered to expand that to 580L, although curiously Toyota doesn’t quote a cargo capacity with the second row folded away in 60:40 split-fold fashion. For context, the RAV4’s closest rival, Mazda’s CX-5, quotes a minimum cargo capacity of 442L, some 100L less than the Toyota, expanding to 1342L.
A space-saver spare wheel lives under the RAV4’s boot floor, which is increasingly the norm for most manufacturers, but not one we love.
2021 Mazda CX-5 Maxx Sport 2WD | 2021 Toyota RAV4 GXL Hybrid | |
Seats | Five | Five |
Boot volume | 442L seats up / 1342L seats folded | 580L seats up |
Length | 4550mm | 4600mm |
Width | 1840mm | 1855mm |
Height | 1675mm | 1685mm |
Wheelbase | 2700mm | 2690mm |
Infotainment and Connectivity
Mazda CX-5
Proprietary satellite navigation is standard, which will assist those of you who’d rather not rely on your smartphone. There’s also an 8.0-inch LCD (sometimes) touchscreen, but we’ll get to that in a minute. A six-speaker audio system runs DAB, with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity. One omission is the lack of a digital speedo, but with that said, the analogue gauges are neatly executed and visible.
To the point on the touchscreen. The older MZD system is starting to feel dated, but it does what it needs to do without issue. Where it does need a change is the methodology behind controlling it. At rest, you can use the touchscreen, but once moving you need to revert to the completely incongruous rotary dial. Yes, you can work it out, but we’re all so acclimatised to using touchscreens now, it just makes more sense to more people to have that system working at all times.
Our CarPlay connection was faultless throughout, and the MZD system is mostly sharp enough to respond. Sometimes it seems to take a breath, but that pause is not so long that it is annoying either. The Bluetooth connection also provides a solid alternative if smartphone mirroring isn’t something you want or need to be using.
Toyota RAV4
While Toyota’s native operating system isn’t the most glamorous to look at, it is at once functional and intuitive. An 8.0-inch colour touchscreen anchors the RAV4’s infotainment and it wants for little. Standard are satellite navigation with SUNA live traffic updates, Bluetooth connectivity, smartphone mirroring via Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, as well as AM/FM radio and DAB+ digital radio.
The graphics appear a generation old, as does the mapping of the sat-nav. But thanks to a range of shortcut buttons and a simple interface, the system is easy to navigate and use. Smartphone mirroring works easily, and is quick to connect via a USB cable.
Wireless charging keeps devices topped up. Although, if you’re plugged into one of the two USB points up front, you won’t need the charging pad.
Like the rest of the graphics on the screen, the rear-view camera can be a bit grainy, but it works well enough in most circumstances.
A regular six-speaker sound system offers decent, if not high-end audio clarity. Models higher up in the range come equipped with a nine-speaker premium JBL sound system.
A smallish 4.2-inch digital info display is flanked by a traditional analogue speedo and a power gauge, akin to a tachometer, that displays how the RAV4 is spending its energy – from recharging the battery to Eco and then Power.
The display panel toggles through various screens, including at its most basic a digital speedo, and at its most elaborate the state of the RAV4’s battery and powertrain routing. There’s also a variety of trip data available including fuel consumption.
Safety and Technology
Mazda CX-5
As you’d expect from Mazda, safety has been comprehensively catered to. There’s lane-keep assist, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, adaptive cruise control, a rear-view camera, rear parking sensors, and a tyre pressure monitoring system. Six airbags are standard, along with two ISOFIX points and three top-tether points. The CX-5 was rated at the full five-star ANCAP level back in 2017.
Toyota RAV4
The RAV4 was awarded a five-star ANCAP safety rating when this model launched in 2019. It achieved excellent scores in all four key areas as assessed by the safety body with scores of 93 per cent for adult occupant protection, 89 per cent for child occupant protection, 85 per cent for vulnerable road user protection, and 83 per cent for its included safety-assist technologies.
The RAV4 carries Toyota’s Safety Sense suite of technologies that bundles in lane-departure alert along with lane-keeping assist in this model (not included in RAV4s with manual gearboxes), autonomous emergency braking with pedestrian and daytime cyclist detection, road sign recognition, automatic high-beam headlights, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, and adaptive cruise control.
ANCAP highlighted the RAV4’s autonomous emergency braking system’s “good performance in highway-speed scenarios with collisions avoided or mitigated in most tests”.
A complement of nine airbags covers both rows, although it should be noted the second-row seats score side head protection, but miss out on side chest protection ’bags.
At a glance | 2021 Mazda CX-5 Maxx Sport 2WD | 2021 Toyota RAV4 GXL Hybrid |
ANCAP rating & year tested | Five stars (tested 2017) | Five stars (tested 2019) |
Safety report | Link to ANCAP | Link to ANCAP |
Value for Money
Mazda CX-5
Mazda’s range is covered by a five-year, unlimited-kilometre warranty, with services required every 12 months/10,000km. For the average Aussie buyer that means a service every six months or so.
Across the first 50,000km, the cost of those services as per Mazda’s capped-price scheme ranges from $330 to $360, with a few small costs for cabin air filters and brake fluid when required. Compared to the bulk of the competitor set, the running costs for the CX-5 are right where we’d expect them to be.
Toyota RAV4
One of the key reasons Toyota sells so many cars, not just in Australia but worldwide, has always been its value equation. Affordable pricing married to low ongoing maintenance costs are a drawcard.
For its part, the RAV4 Hybrid range enjoys Toyota’s capped-price servicing costs for the first five years/75,000km of ownership, a measly $230 every 12 months or 15,000km, whichever comes first. And Toyota covers the RAV4 with its standard five-year/unlimited-kilometre warranty – par for the course, but with up to seven years engine and driveline, and 10 years hybrid battery warranty applied when Toyota's service conditions are met.
But you’ll be hard-pressed to find a more frugal medium SUV when it comes to fuel consumption. For its part, Toyota claims the RAV4 Hybrid in AWD trim like the GXL on test here will use just 4.8L/100km of regular 91RON unleaded petrol. Our week with the RAV4 saw an indicated 5.9L/100km over a variety of conditions, including longer highway runs, not a hybrid’s happiest hunting ground.
While not meeting Toyota’s claim overall, we did achieve consumption in the low 5s during particularly heavy traffic situations, where hybrid technology really begins to shine. The stop-start, low-speed nature of traffic and a light right foot on the throttle are conducive to electric-only motoring.
At a glance | 2021 Mazda CX-5 Maxx Sport 2WD | 2021 Toyota RAV4 GXL Hybrid |
Warranty | Five years / unlimited km | Five years / unlimited km |
Service intervals | 12 months / 10,000km | 12 months / 15,000km |
Servicing costs | $1020 (3yrs) | $1710 (5yrs) | $690 (3yrs) | $1150 (5yrs) |
Fuel cons. (claimed) | 6.9L/100km | 4.7L/100km |
Fuel cons. (on test) | 9.8L/100km | 5.9L/100km |
Fuel type | 91-octane petrol | 91-octane petrol |
Fuel tank size | 56L | 55L |
Driving
Mazda CX-5
The naturally aspirated 2.0-litre, four-cylinder petrol engine is par for the 2WD course in this segment really, generating 115kW and 200Nm, and while there are more powerful offerings from other manufacturers, they come with an associated climb in cost. The ADR fuel claim on the combined cycle is 6.9L/100km, and on test we used an indicated 9.8L/100km. While most of the segment hovers around a similar fuel number, the hybrid RAV4 blows everything out of the water as the segment benchmark.
As you’d expect from a Mazda of any kind, there’s a sporty edge to the way it feels from behind the wheel. Stop/start works snappily enough not to be intrusive, and not to leave us wanting to switch it off constantly either. While the engine does need to rev out to really get the CX-5 cranking, it doesn’t mind doing that, and never sounding like it's gasping for air.
Both around town and on the highway, the engine does the job asked of it pretty easily, even though you do feel like a bit more grunt might be welcome. It’s not that the CX-5 is slow by any means, more that others do it a little easier. The sporty, sometimes raspy engine note is a little at odds with the refinement elsewhere in the CX-5. Things like the ride quality and cabin refinement feel a step above the asking price, but the engine note and intrusion into the cabin don’t. It’s a minor gripe, but a gripe nonetheless.
The engine is well-matched by the smoothness of the gearbox, which once again puts forward the case for less ratios and a torque converter. It’s smooth and effective around town at any speed, and it does its work with relative ease.
The sporting credentials are aided by responsive and meaty steering, which could easily be controlling the front wheels of a much sportier vehicle than a medium SUV, but to be fair, we expect that from Mazda. There’s MX-5 DNA and smarts in there somewhere isn’t there? While the ride errs toward the firmer side of the segment, it’s never uncomfortable, harsh or crashy. Mazda has struck an impressive balance between insulation and performance here, and it’s a balance that makes for an enjoyable drive around town.
Toyota RAV4
Toyota has had nearly 25 years to perfect its petrol-hybrid powertrain, the first Prius rolling off the production line in 1997.
Today’s RAV4 – as well as every hybrid vehicle in Toyota’s contemporary range – is the beneficiary of that long history, at once frugal on fuel without compromising performance.
Power for the RAV4 comes from a petrol-hybrid 2.5-litre four-cylinder engine running on the fuel-efficient Atkinson cycle. It makes, on its own, 131kW at 5700rpm and 221Nm at 3600-5200rpm.
But performance and economy boosts come from electric motors at each axle. The front motor is good for 88kW and 202Nm, while the less powerful rear motor outputs 40kW and 121Nm. Toyota doesn’t claim total output numbers, other than a combined 163kW (or 160kW combined with FWD). That’s because not all three motors are working on full power all the time.
Instead, the RAV4 uses a combination of petrol only, petrol-electric, or pure-electric energy to provide its momentum. And it’s an excellent combination.
Around town, the RAV4 glides silently from standstill using only the electric motors. Depending on throttle application, the RAV4 can reach speeds of around 60km/h on electric power only before the petrol engine kicks in. That said, you have to be pretty light with the right foot to achieve this.
A more realistic scenario, mirroring everyday driving, sees the petrol engine kick in to help the electric motors at around 30km/h. Still, that’s plenty good enough for decent fuel savings.
The transition between the forms of power is seamless, too, and barely noticeable when it kicks in while on the move. Around town, the RAV4 feels light on its wheels despite its 1730g kerb weight. At slower speeds, such as urban traffic, the RAV4 is happy enough to roll along using just electrons. That changes once the speed picks up and the rate of acceleration demanded is increased, the 2.5-litre petrol kicking in to add some assistance and power.
Only on the highway does the petrol engine do the bulk of the heavy lifting, with highway speeds the natural enemy of hybrid powertrains. But, even then, it can work in combination with the electric motor at each axle to minimise fuel consumption, while foot-off-throttle coasting provides short bursts of electric-only motivation and also allows the battery to recharge.
Drive is sent to all four wheels, but the rears are electrically driven only, with no connection to the engine or transmission. Front wheels can be powered by engine, electric motor, or both, channelled via a CVT automatic. It’s an excellent application of the technology that hasn’t always been seen favourably. ‘Shifts’ are imperceptible, while the CVT does a decent job of ensuring the right amount of torque and power is sent to the wheels in any situation. Only harder acceleration, like merging on to a freeway and picking a gap in traffic, will elicit that tell-tale CVT drone. Instead, for the most part, the transmission works quietly and harmoniously with the rest of the powertrain.
That driving experience is only enhanced by how the RAV4 handles the detritus of our modern roads. The ride is, in a word, excellent. On average roads, the RAV4 remains unflustered by the pockmarked streets that make up our road network. Even bigger hits, such as speed bumps, are dispatched with ease, the RAV4 quickly settling back on its wheels with little in the way of wobbling.
Out on the highway, the cabin remains nicely insulated from road noise, while road joins can be heard but aren’t felt from the driver’s seat.
Key details | 2021 Mazda CX-5 Maxx Sport 2WD | 2021 Toyota RAV4 GXL Hybrid |
Engine | 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol | 2.5-litre four-cylinder petrol-electric hybrid |
Power | 115kW @ 6000rpm | 131kW @ 5700rpm (combined 160kW FWD, 163kW AWD) |
Torque | 200Nm @ 4000rpm | 221Nm @ 3600-5200rpm |
Drive type | Front-wheel drive | All-wheel drive |
Transmission | Six-speed torque convertor automatic | Continuously variable automatic |
Power to weight ratio | 73.8kW/t | 97.6kW/t |
Weight | 1558kg | 1695kg (tare, AWD) |
Tow rating | 750kg unbraked / 1800kg braked | 480kg braked, 480kg unbraked FWD 1500kg braked, 750kg unbraked AWD |
Turning circle | 11.0m | 11.0m |
Conclusion
Picking a winner in this comparison was no easy task. Both the RAV4 and CX-5 are compelling packages.
The Mazda continues to dazzle with its stylish and sleek design, while inside that design-led philosophy gives it an advantage over the interior of the RAV4, even if the Toyota is more spacious, especially in the second row.
But, as it has done and continues to do, the Toyota stands tall in practicality, comfort and fuel economy thanks to the Japanese brand’s excellent hybrid powertrain. Throw in more affordable ongoing ownership costs, long a hallmark of Toyota in Australia, and you have, once again, a medium SUV that ticks an awful lot of boxes for Australian buyers.
Medium SUVs have become the default family car in Australia, blending high-riding comfort with interior practicality, safety smarts and, in the case of the RAV4, fuel economy. And that was enough to give the win to the Toyota this time around, cementing its status as the family car of choice.