The 2023 Mazda CX-5 and the 2023 Toyota RAV4 are both compact SUVs that can seat up to five passengers. What is the best car to buy and how do its features stack up against its competitors? The purpose of this essay is to help you decide the 2023 Toyota RAV4 vs 2023 Mazda CX-5.
Model Summary
Toyota’s RAV4 crossover utility vehicle is a top seller. The spacious cabin, smooth ride, and user-friendly controls are additional highlights of this compact SUV.
Around town, the RAV4‘s engine is eager, making passing and merging easy. The RAV4 offers an enhanced all-wheel-drive system as an option, and it comes with features like hill descent control and traction control with terrain selection.
Inside, The buttons and dials are laid out in a logical fashion, and the labels are big and clear. The large rubberized knobs for the climate controls are a great touch as well.
The RAV4’s cabin is well-made overall, with attractive layered materials and seamless, body-colour seams that are an integral part of the design. Soft and malleable, the optional RAV4 faux leather upholstery also has neat stitching.
The 2023 Mazda CX-5 upholds the brand’s legacy of agile handling while providing a near-luxury experience at a reasonable price. The Mazda CX-5 is a popular compact SUV due to its plush cabin and strong turbocharged four-cylinder engine.
All CX-5s have all-wheel drive and responsive handling. The more affordable four-cylinder model has less power (155 hp) than the more expensive one (187 hp).
It’s easy to see how the CX-5’s interior room falls short when compared to that of competitors like the Honda CR-V and Toyota RAV4. Among compact SUVs, the Mazda CX-5 has few fashionable rivals. The reason is, useful alternatives predominate in the marketplace.
Compare These Vehicles Side-by-Side
2023 Toyota RAV4 Gas | 2023 Mazda CX-5 | |
5 Configurations Available | 6 Configerations Available | |
Last Full Redesign | 2019 | 2022 |
MSRP Pricing | $32-44k (Not Confirmed) | $30-43k
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Seat Features | 2023 Toyota RAV4 Gas | 2023 Mazda CX-5
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Seat Type | Premium Fabric / SofTex Leather | Cloth / Leatherette / Leather |
Number of Seats | 5 | 5 |
Heated Seats | Front Seat (all trims), Rear Seat (top trim only) | Front seats (all trims), Rear Seats (top 3 trims) |
Power Driver Seat | 8-Way Power Adjustable Drivers Seat w/ Lumbar Support (Not on base trim) | Power Driver Seats (Not on base trim), Power Driver Lumbar (Not on basic 2 trims) |
Power Passenger Seat | 8-way Power Adjustable Passenger Seat (Top trim only) | Power Passenger Seat (Not on basic 2 trims) |
Ventilated Front Seats | Top trim only | ✔ Top 3 trims only |
Driver Seat Memory System | On 2 trims only | ✔ Top 4 trims only |
Other Notable Features | Remote folding rear seats (Not on base trim) | |
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Interior | 2023 Toyota RAV4 Gas | 2023 Mazda CX-5
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Dashboard Info Display | 12.3-inch (top trim only), 7-inch on other trims | 7-inch LCD display |
Steering Wheel Features | Leather Wrapped w/ Heating (Not on base trim) | Heated, Leather Wrapped (Not on base trim) |
Head-Up Display | ✖ | ✖ |
Rear View Mirror Features | Day and Night Mechanical (most trims), Digital Display Rearview Mirror (top trim only) | Day/night (base trim only) Auto-dimming (Not on base trim), Frameless Auto-dimming (top trim only) |
Automatic Climate Control | Air Conditioning (On basic 2 trims), Dual Zone Automatic Climate Control (all other trims) | Automatic dual-zone climate controls (Not on basic 2 trims) |
Smart Key System w/ Push-to-Start | ✔ (Not on base trim) | ✔ |
Integrated Garage Door Opener | Homelink Garage Door Opener (top trim only) | ✔ (Top 3 trims only) |
Other Notable Features |
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Infotainment | 2023 Toyota RAV4 Gas | 2023 Mazda CX-5
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Touch Screen Display | 8-inch (on most trims), 10.5-inch (on top trim) | 10.25-inch full-colour display |
Audio System | 6 Speakers (on most trims), 11 Speaker JBL Audio System (top trim only) | 4 speakers (base trim) 6 speakers (on 3 trims) 10-speaker premium Bose sound system (top 2 trims only) |
Apple CarPlay | Wireless | ✔ |
Android Auto | Wireless | ✔ |
USB Charging Ports | 5 Total (1 USB-A, 4-USB C (2 front/ 2 rear) | 2 Front (all trims), 2 Rear (top 4 trims only) |
Integrated Remote Engine Start | $9.95/mth after 3-Year Trial (no trial on base trim) | ✔ |
Embedded Navigation System | $19.95/mth Subscription Required (on most trims), 3-Year Trial on top trim | ✔ (Top 3 trims only) |
Wireless Charging | On top 2 trims only | ✔ (Top 3 trims only) |
Other Notable Features |
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Power | 2023 Toyota RAV4 Gas | 2023 Mazda CX-5
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Engine | 2.5 Litre, 4-Cylinder | Skyactiv-G 2.5 with Cylinder Deactivation, 4-cylinder (most trims), Skyactiv-G 2.5 T with Dynamic Pressure Turbo (DPT) 4-cylinder (Top trim only) |
Transmission | Direct Shift 8-speed Automatic | Skyactiv-Drive 6-speed automatic transmission with manual shift mode |
Drivetrain | AWD | i-Activ all-wheel-drive system |
Horsepower | 203 | 187 @ 6,000 rpm (most trims), 256 @ 5,000 rpm (with 93 octane fuel) 227 @ 5,000 rpm (with 87 octane fuel) (Top trim only) |
Towing Capacity | 1,499 lb on most trims, 3,501 lb on 1 trim | 907 kg (2,000 lbs) |
Fuel Economy (city/hwy/combined) | 8.7/6.7/7.9 L/100km (most trims), 9.5/7.1/8.4 L/100km (top 2 trims) Regular, 57L Litre Tank | 8.8/7.9/8.4 L/100km (most trims), 10.8/8.7/9.8 L/100km (top trim only) Regular, 58L Tank |
Special Drive Modes | Multi-Terrain Select, Eco and Sport Mode | ✖ |
Other Notable Features | Dynamic Torque Vectoring All Wheel Drive with Rear Driveline Disconnect (on top 2 trims only) |
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Safety Features | 2023 Toyota RAV4 Gas | 2023 Mazda CX-5
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Backup Camera | ✔ (all trims), Panoramic View Monitor on top trim | Rearview camera (wide angle) (all trims), w/ 360° View Monitor (top trim only) |
Anti-Collision System w/ Auto-Braking Capability | Pre-Collision System w/ Cyclist Detection and Night Time Pedestrian Detection | w/ Pedestrian Detection (forward sensing) |
Lane Departure Alert | Lane Departure Alert w/ Steering Assist and Lane Tracing Assist | ✔ |
Dynamic Radar Cruise Control | Full-Speed Dynamic Radar Cruise Control | with Stop & Go function |
Automatic High Beam | ✔ | ✔ |
Tire Pressure Monitoring System | ✖ | ✔ |
Blind Spot Monitor System w/ Rear Cross Traffic Alert | Alert (all trims), w/ Auto-Braking on top trim | ✔ (All trims), w/ Smart City Brake Support Rear (top trim only) |
Parking Clearance System w/ Sonar Detection | Top trim only | Top trim only |
Other Notable Features |
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Exterior | 2023 Toyota RAV4 Gas | 2023 Mazda CX-5
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Wheel Size | 17" Steel / 17" Alloy / 19" Alloy | 17in / 19in alloy |
Power Sunroof | ✔ (not on base trim) | ✔ (Not on basic 2 trims) |
Power Backdoor Open/Close | ✔ (not on base trim), w/ Kick Sensor on top trim | ✔ (Not on base trims) |
Side Mirrors Features | Power-Adjustable Heated Mirrors | Heated, Power-Adjustable (all trims), Power folding (top 3 trims only) |
Window Wiper Features | Variable Intermittent Wipers (all trims), w/ Rain Sensor (Not on base trim) | Rain-sensing intermittent windshield wipers |
Roof Rail | ✔ (Not on base trim) | ✖ |
Temporary Spare Tire | ✔ | ✔ |
Other Notable Features |
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Light System | 2023 Toyota RAV4 Gas | 2023 Mazda CX-5
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Headlights | Parabola LED Headlights (basic 2 trims) LED Projector Headlights (on 3 trims) Bi-LED Headlights (on top trim) | LED headlights |
Core Light systems | LED Fog Lights (top 3 trims only) | LED daytime running lights |
Other Notable Features | Automatic headlight levelling (Not on base trim) | |
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Dimensions | 2023 Toyota RAV4 Gas | 2023 Mazda CX-5
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Length | 459.6 cm/ 180.9 in on most trims, 460.1 cm/ 181.1 in (on 1 trim) | 1,679 (17-inch wheels) 1,684 (19-inch wheels) |
Width | 185.4 cm/ 73 in | 1,845 mm 2,116 mm (mirror to mirror) |
Height | 170.2 cm / 67 in (on most trims) 170.7 cm / 67.2 in (on 2 trims), 174.3 cm/ 68.6 in (on 1 trim) | 1,679 (17-inch wheels) 1,684 (19-inch wheels) |
Ground Clearance | 21.1 cm/ 8.3 in | 193 (17-inch wheels)/201 (19-inch wheels) |
Comparing the 2023 Toyota RAV4 vs 2023 Mazda CX-5
Below is a quick summary of what the RAV4 trims offer. To learn more, visit our full RAV4 configurations page and 2023 Mazda CX-5 features page to learn more about these vehicles!
