2019 Mazda CX-5 Sport vs 2019 Toyota RAV4 LE

Toyota was the gold standard in the Japanese auto import market for a long while. In the past few years though, it has been resistant to change, allowing competitors to challenge Toyota for its title. One such challenger is Mazda.

Today, we’ll put the 2019 Mazda CX-5 Sport head-to-head with the 2019 Toyota RAV4 in order to see which is worth your time.

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Confidence-Instilling Drivability

The RAV4 is inoffensive to drive. It’ll get you where you need to go, and you’ll feel in control in most all conditions. If that sounds bland or boring to you, well, that’s because it is. The CX-5 rebukes all of that. Where the RAV4 has floaty and vague steering, the CX-5 is weighty and responsive. Figuring out exactly what your tires are doing in the RAV4 is guesswork. The CX-5 gives you perfect feedback, letting you know exactly how you’re situated on the road. The RAV4 handles fine enough, but the CX-5 completely crushes it by comparison. The CX-5 is so communicative about what it’s doing that even hairpin turns are easy and fun to navigate.

Intuitive Technology

If you’ve ever sat through a PowerPoint presentation where those awful, clunky transition animations are used on every slide, then you know how it feels to use the RAV4 interface. It’s functional, but the UI is terribly outdated. Also, the RAV4 only has Apple Carplay™, so Android users are out of luck. In contrast, the CX-5—with its Mazda Connect infotainment system—is sleek and intuitive. It is compatible with both Apple Carplay™ and Android Auto. The Mazda Connect universal controller is placed near the shifter and feels natural to operate without looking.

Need to take a CX-5 for a test drive? Contact us at Hall Cars in Brookfield, WI, and we’ll schedule a time for you to experience the CX-5 for yourself.