2021 Toyota Highlander vs 2021 Honda CR-V
CarGurus highlights
According to CarGurus experts, the overall rating for the 2021 Toyota Highlander was 7.5 out of 10, while the 2021 Honda CR-V scored 7.8 out of 10. Given these ratings, the Honda CR-V emerged as the slightly better choice. Its efficient use of interior space, excellent safety features available across all trims, and a practical design made it a favorite for families and everyday use. Although the Highlander offered more seating and upscale finishes, the CR-V’s all-around excellence made it the preferred vehicle.
Choose the 2021 Honda CR-V if:
Shop Now- Safety features are critical, and you appreciate getting most of them standard.
- Practicality in interior space and cargo volume for five passengers suits your needs.
- You prefer a more varied infotainment setup with available advanced navigation and audio systems.
Choose the 2021 Toyota Highlander if:
Shop Now- You desire a larger SUV with additional seating and cargo capacity.
- Premium interior styling and upscale finishes are important to you.
- Safety and a wide array of advanced driver assistance features are top priorities.
Overview | |
MSRP$35,085 | MSRP$25,350 |
Average price$34,518 | Average price$26,607 |
Listings3636 | Listings3724 |
Ratings & Reviews | |
User Reviews | User Reviews |
Expert reviews7.5 out of 10 | Expert reviews7.8 out of 10 |
Pros
| Pros
|
2021 Toyota Highlander Reviews SummaryToyota hardly needs any help selling three-row Highlanders. It already sits close to the top of the sales charts for its segment, and few vehicles carry the name recognition as the Highlander, which enters into its 20th year of production. But the three-row marketplace is a competitive one, and even after a 2020 redesign, Toyota would be foolish to rest on its laurels. As such, the Highlander enters this year with additional safety-feature technology listed as standard equipment. | |
2021 Honda CR-V Reviews SummaryEven in a grim year, Honda is selling a staggering number of CR-Vs. The CR-V is the best-selling Honda by far. It’s also the second best-selling compact SUV, just behind the Toyota RAV4. And it's the fifth best-selling vehicle in the U.S., and if you take out all the commercial sales of full-size pickups it’s one of the two best-selling vehicles year in and year out. So it’s hard to argue against the CR-V formula. Honda’s been at this almost as long as crossovers have been a thing, launching the CR-V in 1997—a year after the RAV4 debuted. The funny thing is, aside from sales volume, there’s only one thing the CR-V particularly excels at. Aesthetics are subjective, but it would be hard to argue the CR-V is the best looking vehicle in its class. It’s not the cheapest. It’s not the best equipped, especially at the middle to lower trim levels. It’s not the fastest, nor is it the quietest, or the most fuel efficient. It’s not even the most reliable, showing up nowhere in J.D. Power's Most Reliable list. So what makes it so appealing to American consumers? Let’s see if we can figure that out. | |
No video found | |
Popular Features & Specs | |
Engine3.5L 295 hp V6 | Engine1.5L 190 hp I4 |
Drive TrainFWD | Drive TrainFWD |
Seating Capacity8 | Seating Capacity5 |
Horsepower295 hp @ 6600 rpm | Horsepower190 hp @ 5600 rpm |
MPG City20 | MPG City28 |
MPG Highway28 | MPG Highway34 |
Engine | |
Engine Name3.5L 295 hp V6 | Engine Name1.5L 190 hp I4 |
Torque263 lb-ft @ 4700 rpm | Torque179 lb-ft @ 2000 rpm |
Horsepower295 hp @ 6600 rpm | Horsepower190 hp @ 5600 rpm |
DrivetrainFWD | DrivetrainFWD |
Fuel Economy | |
MPG City20 | MPG City28 |
MPG Highway28 | MPG Highway34 |
Interior | |
Seating Capacity8 | Seating Capacity5 |
Safety | |
Front Crash Overall4 | Front Crash Overall5 |
Side Crash Overall5 | Side Crash Overall5 |
Dimensions & Capacity | |
Cargo Space16.0 cu ft | Cargo Space39.2 cu ft |
Curb Weight4145 lbs | Curb Weight3337 lbs |
Height68.1 in | Height66.1 in |
Length194.9 in | Length182.1 in |
Width76.0 in | Width73.0 in |
Wheelbase112.2 in | Wheelbase104.8 in |
Maximum Payload1685 lbs | Maximum Payload1358 lbs |
Number of doors4 | Number of doors4 |
Maximum Towing Capacity5000 lbs | Maximum Towing Capacity1500 lbs |
CarGurus highlights
According to CarGurus experts, the overall rating for the 2021 Toyota Highlander was 7.5 out of 10, while the 2021 Honda CR-V scored 7.8 out of 10. Given these ratings, the Honda CR-V emerged as the slightly better choice. Its efficient use of interior space, excellent safety features available across all trims, and a practical design made it a favorite for families and everyday use. Although the Highlander offered more seating and upscale finishes, the CR-V’s all-around excellence made it the preferred vehicle.
Choose the 2021 Honda CR-V if:
Shop Now- Safety features are critical, and you appreciate getting most of them standard.
- Practicality in interior space and cargo volume for five passengers suits your needs.
- You prefer a more varied infotainment setup with available advanced navigation and audio systems.
Choose the 2021 Toyota Highlander if:
Shop Now- You desire a larger SUV with additional seating and cargo capacity.
- Premium interior styling and upscale finishes are important to you.
- Safety and a wide array of advanced driver assistance features are top priorities.
Overview | ||
MSRP | $35,085 | $25,350 |
Average price | $34,518 | $26,607 |
Listings | ||
Ratings & Reviews | ||
User reviews | 4.9 | 4.5 |
Expert reviews | 7.5 out of 10Read full review | 7.8 out of 10Read full review |
Pros & cons | Pros
| Pros
|
Summary | Toyota hardly needs any help selling three-row Highlanders. It already sits close to the top of the sales charts for its segment, and few vehicles carry the name recognition as the Highlander, which enters into its 20th year of production. But the three-row marketplace is a competitive one, and even after a 2020 redesign, Toyota would be foolish to rest on its laurels. As such, the Highlander enters this year with additional safety-feature technology listed as standard equipment. | Even in a grim year, Honda is selling a staggering number of CR-Vs. The CR-V is the best-selling Honda by far. It’s also the second best-selling compact SUV, just behind the Toyota RAV4. And it's the fifth best-selling vehicle in the U.S., and if you take out all the commercial sales of full-size pickups it’s one of the two best-selling vehicles year in and year out. So it’s hard to argue against the CR-V formula. Honda’s been at this almost as long as crossovers have been a thing, launching the CR-V in 1997—a year after the RAV4 debuted. The funny thing is, aside from sales volume, there’s only one thing the CR-V particularly excels at. Aesthetics are subjective, but it would be hard to argue the CR-V is the best looking vehicle in its class. It’s not the cheapest. It’s not the best equipped, especially at the middle to lower trim levels. It’s not the fastest, nor is it the quietest, or the most fuel efficient. It’s not even the most reliable, showing up nowhere in J.D. Power's Most Reliable list. So what makes it so appealing to American consumers? Let’s see if we can figure that out. |
Video | No video found | |
Popular Features & Specs | ||
Engine | 3.5L 295 hp V6 | 1.5L 190 hp I4 |
Drive Train | FWD | FWD |
Seating Capacity | 8 | 5 |
Horsepower | 295 hp @ 6600 rpm | 190 hp @ 5600 rpm |
MPG City | 20 | 28 |
MPG Highway | 28 | 34 |
Engine | ||
Engine Name | 3.5L 295 hp V6 | 1.5L 190 hp I4 |
Torque | 263 lb-ft @ 4700 rpm | 179 lb-ft @ 2000 rpm |
Horsepower | 295 hp @ 6600 rpm | 190 hp @ 5600 rpm |
Drivetrain | FWD | FWD |
Fuel Economy | ||
MPG City | 20 | 28 |
MPG Highway | 28 | 34 |
Interior | ||
Seating Capacity | 8 | 5 |
Safety | ||
Front Crash Overall | 4 | 5 |
Side Crash Overall | 5 | 5 |
Dimensions & Capacity | ||
Cargo Space | 16.0 cu ft | 39.2 cu ft |
Curb Weight | 4145 lbs | 3337 lbs |
Height | 68.1 in | 66.1 in |
Length | 194.9 in | 182.1 in |
Width | 76.0 in | 73.0 in |
Wheelbase | 112.2 in | 104.8 in |
Maximum Payload | 1685 lbs | 1358 lbs |
Number of doors | 4 | 4 |
Maximum Towing Capacity | 5000 lbs | 1500 lbs |
By: CarGurus + AI
This car comparison has been created with using generative AI. It is based entirely on CarGurus expert review content, ratings and data, and leverages our extensive library of hands-on product tests to create thousands of unique comparisons to help shoppers choose the right car.