2026 Mazda CX-5 vs. Toyota RAV4: The Redesigned RAV4 Trades a Proven Safety Record for Hybrid Efficiency

Mazda's all-new CX-5 just earned IIHS's top safety award and undercuts the RAV4 by thousands of dollars, while Toyota's redesigned hybrid outguns it on power and efficiency — but hasn't been crash-tested in its new form yet.

The CX-5 and RAV4 have been cross-shopped for over a decade as two of America's best-selling compact SUVs, and 2026 brings all-new versions of both — but the two automakers took the redesign in opposite directions. Mazda kept the CX-5 gas-only and leaned further into the driving character that has always set it apart from the segment. Toyota went the other way entirely, dropping the RAV4's conventional gas engine altogether and selling it exclusively as a hybrid for the first time.

That split shows up immediately in price and output. The CX-5 starts at $29,990 with all-wheel drive standard, powered by a 2.5-liter Skyactiv-G four-cylinder making 187 horsepower and 186 lb-ft of torque through a six-speed automatic. The RAV4 starts lower on paper at $31,900, but that's front-wheel drive only — all-wheel drive adds $1,400, bringing it to $33,300, or $3,310 more than an equivalent AWD CX-5. In exchange, the RAV4's fifth-generation hybrid system produces 226 horsepower in front-drive form and 236 with all-wheel drive, and returns an EPA-estimated 43 mpg combined against the CX-5's 26 mpg — a real, everyday-relevant gap for anyone doing meaningful commuting miles, not just a spec-sheet curiosity.

Rear-seat space produces a genuinely counterintuitive result. Mazda stretched the CX-5's wheelbase by 4.6 inches to 110.8 inches for 2026, and that extra length goes straight into the back seat: 39.9 inches of rear legroom, over 2 inches more than the RAV4's 37.8 inches, despite the RAV4 being the vehicle most buyers associate with maximizing interior space. The RAV4 answers back on outright cargo room — 37.8 cubic feet behind the rear seats to the CX-5's 33.7 — though both max out at an identical 66.5 cubic feet with the second row folded.

Behind the wheel, the two still feel like they're chasing different buyers, per outlets that have driven both. Edmunds found the redesigned CX-5's steering recalibrated to be direct and nicely weighted, with new shock tuning described as inspired by the MX-5 roadster, and called the ride smooth and well composed even on 19-inch wheels — the kind of result that keeps the CX-5's reputation as an "abnormally enjoyable" mainstream crossover to drive. The RAV4's own first-drive coverage from The Drive and HotCars describes its steering as light and crisp with a firm, well-controlled ride, a real improvement over the outgoing generation — but multiple reviewers flag that even top RAV4 trims like the Limited and GR Sport still show "huge swaths of inexpensive-looking hard plastic" inside, while the CX-5's cabin is described as a deliberately "calm, serene space" with materials to match. The RAV4 counters on tech: a new 12.9-inch tablet-style touchscreen and 12.3-inch digital gauge cluster, versus the CX-5's available 15.6-inch display, the largest Mazda has ever offered.

Safety is where the redesign timing actually matters, not just as a formality. The all-new third-generation CX-5 has already earned a 2026 IIHS Top Safety Pick+ award — Mazda's 100th Top Safety Pick honor overall — with the institute noting the redesigned structure held up well in both frontal-overlap and side-impact testing. The redesigned RAV4, by contrast, does not appear anywhere on IIHS's 2026 Toyota Top Safety Pick list (which does include the Prius, Camry and Tundra), and IIHS's own model-specific rating page for the current RAV4 generation returns no results at all. That doesn't mean the new RAV4 performed poorly — it means the institute hasn't finished testing this specific redesign yet, and Toyota's outgoing RAV4 ratings don't carry over to a structurally different car.

Put together, the choice comes down to what's actually provable today versus what's likely to arrive later. The CX-5 is cheaper to start, roomier in the back seat than its reputation suggests, more engaging to actually drive, and already carries the industry's top independent safety verdict for its new generation. The RAV4 is quicker, dramatically more fuel-efficient, and packs newer screens — but a buyer picking it up before IIHS finishes its testing is, for now, taking that safety performance on faith rather than on a published result.