How the 2023 Mazda CX-5 stands out from the 2023 Toyota RAV4
October 24 2022,
The Toyota RAV4 and the Mazda CX-5 are both very good, very popular crossovers. They have legions of buyers and fans, and they sit at or near the top of the sales charts for each of their respective manufacturers. You could make an argument for each one being the better of the other, but the Mazda has a few tricks up its sleeve that sets it apart.
The first – and this is a big one for Canadians – is the standard availability of Mazda’s i-Activ AWD system on the base GX model. With the RAV4, you need to upgrade to an LE AWD model, and that’s going to cost you about $1,000 more to get than if you were to opt for the CX-5.
It gets better; upgrading to the LE AWD is fine, but you still don’t get heated seats, cylinder deactivation, the infotainment display is smaller and there’s radar-based adaptive cruise control.
How about styling? The RAV4, in it current iteration, looks as good as it ever has, but it has taken a while for it to get there – just a bit square and chunky, but not over-the-top. The CX-5, however, takes the cake not jus there in the compact crossover class, but in the luxury compact crossover class and beyond. The headlight lenses, five-point-grille, LED taillights, the wheel choices, the body colours – effortlessly gorgeous styling, this is, and one has to wonder just how they’re going to improve omit going forward.
Then there’s the drive. It’s well-documented how Mazda loves their “Zoom Zoom” mantra, and that carries over here. You immediately fell how the steering is weighted just right, responsive, and even provides a little feel through the wheel. Add technologies like G-Vectoring control to not just keep the CX-5’s weight in-check, but to actually use it to provide more traction and chassis response. The RAV4 will get you there, to be sure, but the CX-5 will get you there with that much more of a smile on your face.
