Honda CR-V vs Toyota HiLux

What's the difference?

What a joy it is to drive such a complete, solid, refined car. Close to three years into its life, the sixth-gen Honda CR-V remains one of, if not the best mid-size mainstream SUV in Australia. I say ‘one of’ as I am yet to drive the new-gen Toyota RAV4 so I’ll wait to test that before giving a final judgement.

The new entry-grade VTi X e:HEV is a winner and you likely won’t need much more kit than what it offers. But you wouldn't regret paying a bit more for the extra spec in higher grades.

Aside from the lack of a space-saver spare wheel in hybrid grades, most of the other negatives are forgivable.

If you are looking for a mid-size family friendly SUV, please go and test drive the CR-V. Very few brands are doing things as well as Honda right now.

The Toyota HiLux SR5 now feels nicer and more modern inside and out and it no longer lags behind some other utes – even some of the cheaper ones – in terms of comfort, refinement and all-round driveability.

Toyota has in the past been guilty of sometimes doing the bare minimum when it comes to producing a ‘new’ vehicle – especially LandCruisers or HiLuxes – but this time even though this HiLux is definitely not a new model, the exterior revamp and interior refresh have added more than enough to the HiLux package to keep fans and new buyers happy.

This is the best HiLux so far.

If you’re familiar with the sixth-generation CR-V that launched in late 2023 then you’re familiar with the 2026 version. No visual changes have been made, although the flagship RS now has gloss black mirror caps and door handles.

It is a handsome design for sure, but it doesn’t elevate the medium SUV segment, nor does it do anything different or interesting.

I remember thinking it already looked a bit old when it launched, specifically the entry-grade versions, and given there’s a lot more competition in the segment now, a nip and tuck would've helped.

Nothing has changed design-wise inside. It has an appealing but somewhat conservative design with cool elements like the honeycomb mesh horizontal panel housing the air vents, and the classy chrome dials.

This HiLux is 5320mm long (with a 3085mm wheelbase), 1885mm wide and 1865mm high. No change there.

It does, however, have a new distinctive front end incorporating a revised design, which includes LED headlights, retro-style ‘Toyota’ brand across the front, and honeycomb-style mesh grille.

Initially I wasn’t keen on the HiLux’s revised front end, but it looks a lot better in the metal than it does in photos and it has grown on me.

This ute’s profile remains the same as before, but the rear end has also been given a sly slap and tickle, giving it a squared-off look.

The interior has also undergone a glow-up – there’s a real 250 Series LandCruiser look and feel to this cabin – and it now has a 12.3-inch touchscreen multimedia system rather than the old 8.0-inch unit.

It still has plenty of hard plastic surfaces but, overall, the HiLux interior doesn’t look or feel anywhere near as old as it used to.

While it remains definitely a HiLux, the new look brings this Toyota ute closer to its rivals, such as the Ford Ranger, in terms of contemporary styling.

The CR-V is a medium-size family SUV with a long history of practicality at its core, so it has to get the fundamentals right. And, largely, it does.

Up front the CR-V is a spacious car with ample head room and decent space across. The seats are well-bolstered and comfortable across the model grades. The seats in the RS are almost sports seats with ample side bolsters and black leather-appointed trim with red stitching, but I prefer the cloth trim of the VTi X.

Storage is handled by sizeable door bottle holders, a pair of cupholders up front and a big central bin, with a few other nooks for phones and the like.

Connectivity-wise there’s a pair of USB-C ports and a wireless charging pad on all grades. The multimedia screen is small by today’s standards, but it’s hard to fault its functionality. Large menu tiles are easy to identify and swipe through, and thankfully there is a separate space on the stack for air-con with actual buttons and dials. And the dials look great! Virtually every Chinese brand (and Tesla), please take note.

Google Built-in is a solid system as it allows you to log into your own Google account and access your saved places on Maps. I used this when I reviewed the Accord and barely needed to use Apple CarPlay. On the launch we mostly used CarPlay because of time limitations, and unlike when I attended the original sixth-gen CR-V launch, the Apple connection worked without fault.

Rear-seat space is ample, especially when it comes to leg, knee and toe room, but headroom is impacted in the RS by the panoramic sunroof. There’s scalloping in the roof to help with this, but my head (I’m 6ft tall) almost scrapes the roofliner.

Sadly the CR-V doesn’t have the ‘magic’ seats of other Honda models. That system allows you to fold the base upright on all three rear seats, or even remove the seat entirely, to allow for extra cargo space in the second row. The CR-V just has standard 60-40 split-fold seats.

You also get map pockets on the rear of both front seats, two more USB-C ports, fold-down armrest with cupholders, knee-level air vents and enough space for a small bottle in the doors.

The boot measures a healthy 589 litres for the five-seat petrol, as well as VTi X and L hybrid grades. That drops ever so slightly to 581L for the VTi LX and RS hybrids. And it’s just 150L for the seven-seater with the rear rows in place. The boot in the five-seat versions has a flat floor for easier loading of heavy items, as well as a 12V outlet, hooks, nooks and lights. It’s a decent, practical space.

Only the five-seat petrol grade has a full-size spare wheel. The seven-seat petrol has a space saver spare, while the hybrid has none at all - just a dismal tyre repair kit. That’s not good enough, Honda. Many of your hybrid rivals have at least a space-saver these days.

The HiLux cabin is very familiar – you know where everything is and how to use it and that’s reassuring – but besides some minor changes and the introduction of an electric park brake the most noticeable change is that aforementioned new 12.3-inch unit.

Apple CarPlay is easy to get working via the multimedia system, and the screen is now big enough and clear enough to operate with ease.

Beyond that, there are plenty of durable hard plastic surfaces, numerous storage spaces, a reasonable number of charging points up front – two USB ports as well as a wireless charging pad and two 12V sockets and a 240V socket inside the centre console.

The driver’s seat is power-adjustable and comfortable without ever being at risk of being described as “plush”.

The rear seat is on the wrong side of squeezy across the shoulders and is best suited to accommodating three children, three jockeys or two adults.

People seated back there have access to two USB-C ports, bottle holders in each door and a dual cupholder in the fold-down centre armrest.

In terms of packability for touring, the SR5’s tub is 1550mm long (1100mm between the wheel arches), 1520mm wide and the load space itself is 490mm deep. Load height is 830mm.

There is nothing extra-special going on in the SR5’s tub – no marine-grade carpet, LED strip lighting, or hidden storage compartments – but it does have four tie-down points.

In terms of practicality, the HiLux, while it does have a barebones approach, still holds its own against the likes of the Ford Ranger.

The SR5 sits in the middle of the HiLux line-up. This version – with a six-speed manual gearbox – has pricing starting at $63,990 before on-road costs. Our test vehicle has Toyota’s premium interior pack ($2500) and premium paint ($675).

Standard features include a 12.3-inch touchscreen multimedia system (with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto plus wireless charging), eight-speaker stereo, dual-zone climate control, and 18-inch alloy wheels.

Other features include high-grade LED headlights, a “comfort-oriented” leaf-spring rear suspension tune, larger front brake discs, power-folding, heated exterior mirrors, an integrated tow-bar, as well as LED tail-lights and LED rear fog lights.

Exterior paint choices include 'Glacier White', 'Frosted White', 'Ash Slate', 'Eclipse Black', Feverish Red' and 'Sunglow'. Some – like 'Stunning Silver' on our test vehicle – cost $675.

The HiLux offers reasonable value for money when cross-shopped against the likes of Ford Ranger, especially the XLT (approx. $64,000) or Sport (approx. $72,000) variants.

Pure petrol powered CR-Vs use Honda’s 1.5-litre four-cylinder turbocharged engine that’s also found in the HR-V and ZR-V SUVs. In the CR-V, it pumps out 140kW of power and 240Nm of torque.

It is paired with a continuously variable transmission (CVT) driving the front wheels only.

The hybrid uses a 2.0-litre petrol engine combined with a hybrid setup and a shift-by-wire E-CVT. The total system output for the hybrid is 135kW and 335Nm. There’s a choice of two front- and two all-wheel-drive hybrid grades.

The CR-V’s power output is less than the RAV4 (143kW) and Forester (145kW), but it offers more torque than the latter (212Nm).

This SR5 has a 2.8-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel engine, producing 150kW at 3400rpm and 420Nm at 1400-3400rpm and a six-speed manual gearbox; the six-speed auto SR5 gets 500Nm at 1600-2800rpm and auto HiLuxes also have the 48-volt mild-hybrid technology onboard.

This is a proven engine-and-gearbox combination, with plenty of lowdown torque, and it’s more than a match for the likes of Ranger and D-Max/BT-50 in terms of overall performance.

This SR5 has part-time four-wheel drive and a rear diff-lock.

Fuel consumption for the petrol grades is 7.1 litres per 100 kilometres for the five seat VTi X, while the VTi L7 is a tad thirstier at 7.3L. CO2 emissions for the petrol SUV is 162-167g/km.

Front-wheel-drive hybrids sip 5.5L and all-wheel-drive versions consume 5.7L. CO2 emissions for the hybrids range from 125-131g/km.

Hybrid versions of the Kia Sportage drink between 4.9-5.3 litres, while the new-gen RAV4 sips just 4.5-4.6L. The CR-V is not the most efficient hybrid in the medium SUV segment, but it’s more frugal than most petrol engines.

The theoretical driving range of the CR-V hybrid is close to 1040km, while the petrol CR-V is 804km.

Both powertrains are rated for Euro 6b and they can both drink 91 RON fuel.

Official fuel consumption for the manual is listed as 7.1L/100km on a combined cycle. The auto is 7.4L/100km.

Fuel consumption on this test was 9.1L/100km, which is pretty good because I have done a lot of low-range 4WDing.

The SR5 has a 80-litre fuel tank so, going by that fuel figure, you could reasonably expect a driving range of about 879km out of a full tank

It’s been about two-and-a-half years since I attended the CR-V launch and it’s always good to reacquaint yourself with a car, particularly one I was so impressed with.

The CR-V has a few more rivals than when it first went on sale. A lot of them are from Chinese brands. But even with the fierce competition in the segment, the CR-V remains an absolute standout.

Honda didn’t have any petrol grades at the launch, which isn’t surprising given the Japanese carmaker expects hybrids will make up a whopping 85 per cent of CR-V sales by the end of this year.

The two-wheel-drive VTi X e:HEV is the most affordable hybrid grade and it should appeal to a lot of potential buyers. This does not feel like a base grade car in terms of the cabin or how it drives. The cloth seats are the only giveaway that it’s not a higher grade.

Honda engineers have managed to produce something rare - a silky-smooth hybrid system. The company is using the word ‘smooth’ in its TV ads for this car, but for once the ad execs got it right.

The powertrain operates on electric power until highway speeds but the transition to the petrol engine is seamless. If you floor the throttle you’ll hear the engine, but it’s a pleasant note. Certainly more appealing than the sound of Toyota’s petrol-electric hybrid on the go.

Acceleration is brisk enough for a car like this. Not overly quick, but it’s linear and the build up to higher speeds feels natural yet still urgent when required.

There is no whine from the electric CVT, in fact it is virtually unclockable. I don’t love the shift-by-wire transmission buttons. I’m fine with buttons rather than a traditional shifter generally, but it’s the layout of the Honda buttons that’s unnecessarily confusing.

When it comes to ride and handling, the CR-V excels.

The launch drive from Melbourne up through the Yarra Valley to Marysville features some of the best driving roads within an hour or so of the city. A carmaker would only include these roads in a test loop if it was confident of the vehicle’s dynamic ability.

In both two- and all-wheel drive guise, the CR-V hybrid exhibits excellent body control, thanks to a well-balanced chassis. It carves through tight, twisty sections like a car half its size and never feels like it will lose control.

The ride quality is hard to fault. Those roads are littered with shockingly large potholes, the sort that could damage a lesser car. The CR-V eats them up with barely a hint of disruption in the cabin. Given the rough ride of some newer rivals it’s a pleasure to drive a car with such a well-sorted suspension setup.

The cabin is well-insulated from external noise, but that engine note will be evident if you switch to Sport mode and give it a bootful.

There’s an overall feeling of quality behind the wheel of the CR-V. This company has been building cars for 60 years and it shows. I would happily live with a CR-V as my daily drive.

As mentioned, there have been no major mechanical upgrades to the HiLux, but it does now have electric power steering (rather than the hydraulic assistance it’s had in the past). Result? There’s a smoother, more precise feeling to the steering, with a nice weight and balance to it, on sealed and unsealed surfaces.

The HiLux, with a listed kerb weight of 2215kg and a turning circle of 12.6m, is not an insubstantial vehicle but, at the same time, it’s not unwieldy either and manages to feel quite nimble on and off the road.

On sealed surfaces it yields a surprisingly high level of ride and comfort. It’s actually quite compliant, controlled and somewhat refined. That’s largely because this SR5 has multi-purpose suspension on board rather than the heavy-duty suspension, which is on lower-spec, work-focussed HiLux variants for load-carrying duties.

This set-up is intended to offer a softer ride on road – and it does – but off-road it's a different story. Even on minor imperfections (small potholes, minor corrugations and the like) on dirt tracks it tends to thump and bump in and out and it doesn't offer such a comfortable all-round ride as you might be hoping.

I didn’t have much weight onboard – vehicle-recovery gear, a first-aid kit, four Maxtrax and an air compressor – and it will, of course, settle down with more of a load but I was expecting the multi-purpose suspension to be better than it was at soaking up a track’s lumps and bumps – it’s not terrible, but it is noticeable.

However, in terms of pure off-road effectiveness, the HiLux is impressive.

It's never been an underperforming 4WD, it’s simply never been as refined or as comfortably capable as others, such as the Ranger, but it is much more comfortably capable now than it used to be.

There is plenty of power and torque in this HiLux and while this six-speed manual version has 80Nm less than the auto version, it uses what it has really well. The 2.8-litre is a tractable engine and works well as part of an effective powertrain that is well suited to low-range 4WDing. There is a heap of torque at low revs, which is great for low-speed, technical off-roading.

Low-speed throttle response is also impressive, offering nice control when you need it.

I have driven auto HiLuxes in the past and the auto is very clever and it may be your better bet, but I like the manual.

Ground clearance is listed as 224mm and while the HiLux doesn’t have any trouble clearing most jagged rock steps or tree roots you’ll likely encounter on a weekend trip, I didn’t have the opportunity to seriously scrutinise the 700mm wading depth because our testing area was pretty dry. Next time.

Off-road angles – 29-degree approach and 26-degree departure (no rampover is listed) – all check out, even though they are a little shallower than the Rugged or the Rogue variants, they are fine for light-to-moderate 4WDing.

The off-road traction control system in this HiLux is well calibrated and if you do need more dirt-grabbing ability, then this ute does have a rear diff lock.

The only real off-roading weaknesses in the HiLux package are the tyres (Dunlop Grandtrek A/T 31, 265/60R18 110H). They’re not well suited for anything more than light to moderate 4WDing. If you’re planning anything rougher than a well-maintained dirt road in dry weather then consider replacing the showroom tyres with a set of decent all-terrain tires, light-truck construction preferably and away you go.

In terms of towing capacity the SR5 is rated to tow 750kg unbraked, and 3500kg braked.

Payload is a listed 900kg, Gross Vehicle Mass is 3090kg and Gross Combined Mass is 6300kg (a 450kg increase).

While nothing mechanical has changed onboard this vehicle, the combination of 4WD set-up, driver-assist tech, rear diff lock, as well as structural modifications (such as thicker steel in the ladder-frame chassis, a stiffer roll-bar, and reinforced side rails) and suspension tweaks (including retuned dampers and re-rated coil springs at the front, and new dampers and softer spring rates on the live-axle rear) all works well together in this current HiLux package.

The HiLux has now drawn closer to the Ranger in terms of comfortable capability, if not matched it.

The Toyota HiLux SR5 has the maximum five-star ANCAP safety rating, as a result of testing in 2025.

As standard, it has eight airbags (now with a front-centre airbag) and an upgraded suite of driver-assist tech including improved auto emergency braking (AEB), lane-keep assist, adaptive cruise control, and blind-spot monitoring.

Honda’s ownership proposition is solid, thanks to renowned reliability and an extensive dealer network across the country (more than 80).

The CR-V is covered by a five-year/unlimited kilometre warranty.

Yes, that term length looks a bit average by today’s standards when so many have seven and 10-year terms. However, Honda offers an additional three years - bringing it to eight - if you service with Honda dealers.

Nissan and Mitsubishi advertise a 10-year warranty, but it’s conditional, as long as you service with their dealer network. The difference is Honda promotes it as an add-on, whereas Nissan and Mitsubishi splash the 10-year figure first and foremost, with caveats. Honda’s marketing of its warranty just feels a bit more authentic. 

Hybrids come with an eight-year battery warranty, too.

The service schedule is every 12 months or 10,000km. That would be more competitive if it was 15,000km.

But the rest of the aftersales offer is excellent. It includes five years of roadside assistance and services are capped at just $199 per visit for the first five years.

The HiLux has a five-year/unlimited kilometre warranty.

Service intervals are scheduled for every six months or 10,000km and cost $395 per service.

Toyota Australia has about 300 dealerships across the country.

This type of warranty is pretty standard among the HiLux's rivals so the Toyota ute does remain competitive, in terms of these ownership costs.