2020 Honda CR-V vs 2020 Toyota RAV4
Two compact SUVs, compared on what actually matters when you're buying used:
what breaks, when it breaks, and what it costs you.
2020 Honda
CR-V
6/10
Best-in-class practicality and comfort undercut by the 1.5L turbo's oil dilution issue — get the Hybrid and this becomes an easy 8.
VS
2020 Toyota
RAV4
8/10
Not exciting, but it's the compact SUV everyone else is trying to beat, and the 2020 hits the sweet spot of updated tech and dropped early bugs.
Milo scores the 2020 Toyota RAV4 higher — 8/10 against 6/10.
By the numbers
Green is the better number — higher on every score, lower on failures, complaints and recalls.
| Honda CR-V |
Toyota RAV4 |
| Known failure points | 6 | 6 |
| NHTSA complaints | 346 | 628 |
| Safety recalls | 7 | 6 |
| Service bulletins | 12 | 12 |
| Reliability | 68 | 78 |
| Cheap to own | 72 | 80 |
| Fun factor | 38 | 38 |
| Holds value | 80 | 82 |
| Enthusiast cred | 22 | 30 |
The most expensive thing that goes wrong
2020 Honda CR-V
CVT shudder/hesitation under load, especially in AWD models towing or climbing grades
$3,000–$4,50040k–80k mi
2020 Toyota RAV4
Rare but reported transmission (Direct-Shift 8-speed) rough-shifting and oil leak cases showing up around this mileage on high-mile examples
$2,500–$4,500100k–140k mi
If you buy one, buy this one
✅ 2020 Honda CR-V
2020 CR-V Hybrid EX or EX-L — sidesteps the 1.5T oil dilution issue entirely, gets better real-world fuel economy, and has stronger low-end torque than the turbo.
✅ 2020 Toyota RAV4
2020 RAV4 Hybrid XLE or XLE Premium — best combination of the more powerful/efficient hybrid powertrain, AWD standard, and reasonable price without unnecessary tech-heavy trims that add failure points.
Narrowed it down? Get the full report
This comparison is model-level.
Milo's report goes car-level — the one you're actually looking at:
- A line-by-line negotiation script
- The pre-purchase inspection checklist
- VIN-specific open recalls
- What it's really worth right now
- Your next 15,000 miles, forecast
- Hidden features & money-savers
Run my free report →
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Scores and findings blend documented NHTSA recalls and complaints with
patterns synthesized from owner communities. Always inspect the specific vehicle and
verify open recalls by VIN before buying.