Toyota RAV4 vs Honda CR-V: which costs less to own?
RAV4 Hybrid comes out cheaper in 20 of 20 ways the next 8 years could go — by about $50 a month. That’s at US average prices and 12,000 miles a year, as of Sep 7, 2026.
Each mark is one way the next 8 years could go.
Live source
Weekly retail gasoline prices by state and region
U.S. Energy Information Administration
Data as of Sep 7, 2026.
Weekly average for the state where EIA reports one, otherwise for its region.
Research source
2026 Toyota RAV4 starting price
Edmunds
Checked Sep 14, 2026.
LE, including $1,450 destination. Dealers may charge more or less; type your own price for a better answer.
Research source
2026 Honda CR-V starting price
Edmunds
Checked Sep 14, 2026.
LX, $30,920 plus $1,395 destination. Dealers may charge more or less; type your own price for a better answer.
Cars you’re comparing
2026 Toyota RAV4 Hybrid
43 city / 37 hwy mpg
Buy new for about $33,400 · maker’s starting price
2026 Honda CR-V
28 city / 33 hwy mpg
Buy new for about $32,300 · maker’s starting price
Two questions
What would change the answer
- If you can get CR-V for under $28,000, it comes out ahead.
Why it comes out this way
Typical amounts over 8 years. Everything counts: the car losing value, gas or charging, insurance, repairs, taxes, and loan interest.
Pay now, then every month
| Car | Up front | A month, all-in | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| RAV4 Hybrid | $36,240 | $744 | $71,397 |
| CR-V | $35,063 | $792 | $76,068 |
“A month, all-in” spreads every cost, including the value the car loses, over the months you keep it.
Where the money goes
The biggest difference is gas & charging: RAV4 Hybrid saves about $3,880 there.
Gas & charging
RAV4 Hybrid: $11,881CR-V: $15,761Upkeep & repairs
RAV4 Hybrid: $13,056CR-V: $14,124Value lost
RAV4 Hybrid: $21,139CR-V: $21,963Insurance
RAV4 Hybrid: $14,471CR-V: $13,663Loan interest
RAV4 Hybrid: $6,263CR-V: $6,057Taxes & fees
RAV4 Hybrid: $5,004CR-V: $4,927
Show as a table
| Cost | RAV4 Hybrid | CR-V |
|---|---|---|
| Gas & charging | $11,881 | $15,761 |
| Upkeep & repairs | $13,056 | $14,124 |
| Value lost | $21,139 | $21,963 |
| Insurance | $14,471 | $13,663 |
| Loan interest | $6,263 | $6,057 |
| Taxes & fees | $5,004 | $4,927 |
Year by year
RAV4 Hybrid earns back its extra up-front cost by year 1 in 20 of 20 futures.
Big repair risk, out of 100
About how many owners in 100 pay for a new battery within 8 years.
Fewer than 1 in 100: RAV4 Hybrid needs a new battery
What we assumed, and where it came from
- Gas, regular
- $4.16 a gallon
Live source
Weekly retail gasoline prices by state and region
U.S. Energy Information Administration
Data as of Sep 7, 2026.
Weekly average for the state where EIA reports one, otherwise for its region.
- Premium and diesel
- $5.17 and $5.97
Live source
National average fuel prices
U.S. Department of Energy (fueleconomy.gov)
Data as of Sep 14, 2026.
Premium and diesel are priced from how they compare with regular nationally.
- Insurance, state average
- $1,704 a year
Research source
Auto Insurance Database Report (2023 data)
National Association of Insurance Commissioners
Checked Jan 1, 2023.
2023 state averages brought to today with the BLS insurance price index (×1.18).
- Sales tax
- 7.00%
Research source
State and local sales tax rates, midyear 2026
Tax Foundation
Checked Jul 2026.
Combined state and average local rate; some states tax cars at a different rate.
- Loan rate
- 8.1%; 5 years and 15% down are our typical terms
Live source
Average 60-month new car loan rate at commercial banks
Federal Reserve Board, via FRED
Data as of May 2026.
Average 60-month new car loan rate at banks, plus 1 point for a typical borrower.
- Weather, for battery range in cold and heat
- Monthly averages
Live source
Statewide monthly temperatures and heating/cooling degree days
NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information
Data as of Dec 2025.
Average temperature for each month over the last 10 years.
- Car prices you didn’t type
- Segment averages
Our estimate
Average transaction prices by segment, August 2026
Kelley Blue Book / Cox Automotive
Checked Aug 2026.
Average price paid for cars in the same segment, adjusted by powertrain. Type your own price for a better answer.
No federal clean vehicle credit is counted: it ended for cars bought after September 30, 2025. Internal Revenue Service, checked Sep 14, 2026. State and utility rebates vary; add one where the tool asks.
Every number the model uses, with its source, is on the math page.
For the curious: all the numbers
We play out 1,000 futures. Each draws its own gas and electricity prices, miles, repair bills, insurance, and resale prices, and every car lives through the same ones. The 20 dots on the answer card are evenly spaced picks from those futures.
| Option | A good case | Typical | A bad case | Per mile |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| RAV4 Hybrid | $64,148 | $71,397 | $80,101 | $0.74 |
| CR-V | $68,463 | $76,068 | $85,276 | $0.79 |
What moves the gap most
The unknowns whose ups and downs most change which option comes out ahead. A good or bad case is 1 future in 10 at that end.
- How much you actually drivesome
- Future gas pricesa little
- Your insurance ratesa little
- Used EV prices when you sella little
- Used-car prices when you sella little
Try other assumptions
Each change replays every future. Watch which coins move.
What goes into it
| Cost | RAV4 Hybrid | CR-V |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | $33,400 | $32,300 |
| Value lost | $21,139 | $21,963 |
| Gas & charging | $11,881 | $15,761 |
| Insurance | $14,471 | $13,663 |
| Upkeep & repairs | $13,056 | $14,124 |
| Taxes & fees | $5,004 | $4,927 |
| Loan interest | $6,263 | $6,057 |
| All-in, each month | $744 | $792 |
Questions people ask
Which costs more up front, the RAV4 Hybrid or the CR-V?
The RAV4 Hybrid starts at about $33,000 and the CR-V at about $32,000 before tax and fees. RAV4 Hybrid costs $1,200 more up front, once tax, fees, and financing are in.
How long does the RAV4 Hybrid take to pay for itself?
RAV4 Hybrid earns back its extra up-front cost by year 1 in 20 of 20 futures.
Which uses less fuel, the RAV4 Hybrid or the CR-V?
The EPA rates the 2026 RAV4 Hybrid at 43 city / 37 hwy mpg and the 2026 CR-V at 28 city / 33 hwy mpg. At 12,000 miles a year, fuel comes to about $11,881 versus $15,761 over 8 years.
What would change the answer?
If you can get CR-V for under $28,000, it comes out ahead.
How sure is this?
We ran 1,000 possible futures of prices, repairs, and resale over 8 years. In 8 of 10, the result falls between RAV4 Hybrid $2,000 cheaper and RAV4 Hybrid $7,500 cheaper. In the middle one, RAV4 Hybrid comes out $4,600 cheaper.