Compare the2026 Mazda CX-5 VS 2026 Toyota Rav4

The Mazda CX-5 has standard driver and front passenger side knee airbags mounted low on the dashboard. These airbags help prevent the driver and front passenger from sliding under their seatbelts or the main frontal airbags; this keeps them better positioned during a collision for maximum protection. Knee airbags also help keep the legs from striking the dashboard, preventing knee and leg injuries in the case of a serious frontal collision. The Rav4 doesn’t offer a front passenger side knee airbag.

In a Vehicle-to-Vehicle Frontal Crash Prevention 2.0 test conducted by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), the Mazda CX-5 achieved a “Good” rating - the highest possible - for its performance in forward collision warning and automatic braking systems, demonstrating its excellent capabilities in preventing collisions. The Toyota Rav4 has not been tested.

To provide maximum traction and stability on all roads, All-Wheel Drive is standard on the CX-5. But it costs extra on the Rav4.

To help make backing out of a parking space safer, the CX-5 has standard Rear Cross Traffic Alert with Smart Braking Support - Rear Crossing, systems which detect vehicles approaching from the sides and can automatically apply the brakes to prevent a collision. Only the Rav4 SE/Woodland/XLE/XSE/Limited/GR Sport offers Parking Support Brake.

Both the CX-5 and the Rav4 have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, front and rear seatbelt pretensioners, height adjustable front shoulder belts, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, post-collision automatic braking systems, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras, rear cross-path warning and available around view monitors.

Side impacts caused 23% of all road fatalities in 2018, down from 29% in 2003, when the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety introduced its side barrier test. In order to continue improving vehicle safety, the IIHS has started using a more severe side impact test: 37 MPH (up from 31 MPH), with a 4189-pound barrier (up from 3300 pounds). The results of this newly developed test demonstrates that the Mazda CX-5 is safer than the Rav4:

	CX-5	Rav4
Overall Evaluation	GOOD	ACCEPTABLE
Structure	GOOD	GOOD
	Driver Injury Measures
Head/Neck	GOOD	GOOD
Head Injury Criterion	86	120
Torso Deflection Rate	6 MPH	7 MPH
Pelvis	GOOD	ACCEPTABLE
Pelvis Force	781 lbs.	1093 lbs.
Head Protection	GOOD	GOOD
	Passenger Injury Measures
Head/Neck	GOOD	GOOD
Head Injury Criterion	67	542
Head Peak Forces	no contact	104 G’s
Neck Tension	89 lbs.	312 lbs.
Neck Compression	45 lbs.	223 lbs.
Torso	GOOD	GOOD
Shoulder Deflection	.87 in	.94 in
Shoulder Force	134 lbs.	290 lbs.
Torso Max Deflection	.79 in	.83 in
Torso Deflection Rate	4 MPH	8 MPH
Pelvis	GOOD	GOOD
Head Protection	GOOD	MARGINAL

The Mazda CX-5 has achieved the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety’s (IIHS) highest rating of “Top Safety Pick Plus” for the 2026 model year. This distinction is based on its exceptional performance in IIHS’ rigorous battery of safety tests. Specifically, it earned a “Good” rating in the latest, more stringent moderate overlap front crash test, a “Good” result in the updated side impact test, a “Good” score in the revised pedestrian crash prevention test, and a “Good” score in the revised vehicle-to-vehicle crash prevention test. The Rav4 is not even a standard “Top Safety Pick” for 2026.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2025 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the statistics that show that Mazda vehicles are more reliable than Toyota vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Mazda third in reliability, above the industry average. With 1 more problem per 100 vehicles, Toyota is ranked fourth.

The CX-5 has more powerful engines than the Rav4:

	Torque
CX-5 2.5 DOHC 4-cylinder	186 lbs.-ft.
Rav4 2.5 DOHC 4-cylinder hybrid
Rav4 2.5 DOHC 4-cylinder hybrid
Rav4 2.5 DOHC 4-cylinder hybrid

For better stopping power the CX-5’s brake rotors are larger than those on the Rav4:

	CX-5	Rav4
Front Rotors	12.9 inches	12 inches
Rear Rotors	11.8 inches	11.1 inches

The CX-5 stops shorter than the Rav4:

	CX-5	Rav4
70 to 0 MPH	173 feet	182 feet	Car and Driver

The CX-5 has engine speed sensitive variable-assist power steering, for low-effort parking, better control at highway speeds and during hard cornering, and a better feel of the road. The Rav4 doesn’t offer variable-assist power steering.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the CX-5’s wheelbase is 4.8 inches longer than on the Rav4 (110.7 inches vs. 105.9 inches).

The CX-5 S Premium Plus handles at .83 G’s, while the Rav4 Woodland pulls only .78 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

For better maneuverability, the CX-5’s turning circle is .1 feet tighter than the Rav4’s (36.8 feet vs. 36.9 feet). The CX-5’s turning circle is .5 feet tighter than the Rav4 GR Sport’s (36.8 feet vs. 37.3 feet).

For greater off-road capability the CX-5 S/Select has a greater minimum ground clearance than the Rav4 GR Sport (8 vs. 7.5 inches), allowing the CX-5 to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged.

As tested by Car and Driver while cruising at 70 MPH, the interior of the CX-5 S Premium Plus is quieter than the Rav4 GR Sport (67 vs. 70 dB).

The CX-5 has 5.2 cubic feet more passenger volume than the Rav4 (106.5 vs. 101.3).

The CX-5 has 1.8 inches more front headroom, .7 inches more front legroom, .6 inches more front shoulder room, .7 inches more rear headroom, 2.1 inches more rear legroom and 2.8 inches more rear hip room than the Rav4.

While the Rav4 GR Sport is not recommended to tow, any CX-5 can tow a minimum of 1500 pounds.

The CX-5’s rain-sensitive wipers adjust their speed and turn on and off automatically based on the amount of rainfall on the windshield. This allows the driver to concentrate on driving without constantly adjusting the wipers. The Rav4 LE’s standard fixed intermittent wipers only have one fixed delay setting, so the driver will have to manually switch them between slow and intermittent.

To help drivers see further while navigating curves, the CX-5 Premium Plus has standard adaptive headlights to illuminate around corners automatically by reading vehicle speed and steering wheel angle. The Rav4 doesn’t offer cornering lights.

When the CX-5 Preferred/Premium is put in reverse, both rearview mirrors tilt from their original position. This gives the driver a better view of the curb during parallel parking maneuvers. Shifting out of reverse puts the mirrors into their original positions. The Rav4’s mirrors don’t automatically adjust for backing.

Both the Mazda CX-5 and Toyota Rav4 offer exterior mirrors that can be folded to provide convenience. The CX-5 offers available power folding mirrors, which allow for easy, one-touch folding or unfolding at the driver’s discretion. This provides added convenience when maneuvering or parking, as well as when walking past the parked vehicle. In comparison, the Rav4’s foldable mirrors are manual, requiring the driver to get out and physically fold them once parked and unfold them before getting in.

Consumer Reports® recommends both the Mazda CX-5 and the Toyota Rav4, based on reliability, safety and performance.