EPA doesn't test "the RAV4" or "the CR-V." It tests each engine, drivetrain and transmission combination on its own, and the 2026 model year of each has six of them on file. Line all twelve up and the real comparison is trim-versus-trim, not RAV4-versus-CR-V: the widest fuel-cost swing in this post happens inside one model, not between the two. Every MPG figure below is EPA's own estimate from standardized lab testing, not a guarantee; your actual mileage depends on how and where you drive.
Every EPA rating for the 2026 RAV4
All six of Toyota's 2026 RAV4 configurations run on regular gasoline, and EPA's combined ratings for them run from 38 to 43 MPG.
| EPA combined MPG | City / highway | Configurations | Drivetrain |
|---|---|---|---|
| 43 | 47 / 40 | 1 | Front-wheel drive |
| 42 | 46 / 39 | 1 | All-wheel drive |
| 41 | 43-45 / 37-38 | 3 | All-wheel drive |
| 38 | 41 / 35 | 1 | All-wheel drive |
The front-wheel-drive version is the only one that reaches 43. Every other configuration is all-wheel drive, and one specific AWD build comes in at 38 combined, five MPG below the FWD version, even though EPA counts both as a "2026 RAV4."
The photo above is NHTSA's own file for this body style, from a 2019 test; it's the newest RAV4 crash test in RideTruth's library, not a 2026-specific one, and it isn't part of the fuel-economy numbers in this post.
Every EPA rating for the 2026 CR-V
Honda's 2026 CR-V lineup is more spread out. Five configurations run on gasoline, from a 1.5-liter turbo to a 2.0-liter hybrid, and EPA rates them 29 to 40 MPG combined. A sixth, the CR-V e:FCEV, runs on hydrogen and electricity and is rated separately at 39 MPGe, a unit that isn't measured the same way as the other five.
| EPA combined MPG (or MPGe) | City / highway | Powertrain |
|---|---|---|
| 40 | 43 / 36 | 2.0L hybrid, front-wheel drive |
| 39 (MPGe) | 36 / 43 | Hydrogen fuel cell, front-wheel drive |
| 37 | 40 / 34 | 2.0L hybrid, all-wheel drive |
| 35 | 38 / 33 | 2.0L hybrid, all-wheel drive |
| 30 | 28 / 33 | 1.5L turbo, front-wheel drive |
| 29 | 27 / 31 | 1.5L turbo, all-wheel drive |
The CR-V's photo is from a 2023 test, again the newest one on file for this body style rather than a 2026-specific test. Within the five gasoline CR-Vs alone, hybrid versus 1.5-liter turbo AWD is an 11-MPG-combined swing, more than twice the RAV4's own 5-MPG spread.
What that costs over a year
RideTruth's own fuel cost calculator starts a reader at 12,000 miles a year and $3.50 a gallon, numbers the tool itself labels as examples, not a current pump price, since gas varies by state and by week. Using those same two numbers with each configuration's own combined MPG (miles ÷ MPG × price per gallon), here's what a year looks like for the nine gasoline ratings, most efficient first:
| Combined MPG | Model | Annual fuel cost* |
|---|---|---|
| 43 | RAV4 | $977 |
| 42 | RAV4 | $1,000 |
| 41 | RAV4 | $1,024 |
| 40 | CR-V | $1,050 |
| 38 | RAV4 | $1,105 |
| 37 | CR-V | $1,135 |
| 35 | CR-V | $1,200 |
| 30 | CR-V | $1,400 |
| 29 | CR-V | $1,448 |
*12,000 miles ÷ combined MPG × $3.50 a gallon, RideTruth's own calculator assumptions, not a claim about current gas prices.
The CR-V e:FCEV is left off that table on purpose. Its 39 MPGe is useful for comparing it with other electrified vehicles, but multiplying it by a per-gallon gasoline price doesn't tell you what it costs to fuel, since hydrogen isn't sold by the gallon or priced anything like regular gas.
The gap that matters is inside the CR-V, not between the two SUVs
Sort that table and the pattern from the two charts above holds up in dollars. The CR-V's five gasoline configurations span $1,050 to $1,448 a year, a $398 difference between the hybrid and the 1.5-liter turbo AWD. The RAV4's six configurations span $977 to $1,105, a $128 difference of their own.
Compare across the two nameplates instead and the gaps shrink. The most efficient RAV4 ($977) costs $73 a year less to fuel than the most efficient gasoline CR-V ($1,050). The least efficient RAV4 ($1,105) costs $343 a year less than the least efficient gasoline CR-V ($1,448). Either way, which specific trim and drivetrain you pick inside the CR-V lineup swings your fuel bill more than picking the RAV4 over the CR-V, or the other way around.
None of this is a full ownership-cost comparison; it's fuel only, at one set of assumptions. Put in your own annual miles and the price you're actually paying at RideTruth's fuel cost calculator, above, since the ranking between models can shift once you're not filling up at $3.50 a gallon. For the full spec sheet behind these numbers, see the 2026 RAV4 and 2026 CR-V report pages, or browse every RAV4 model year on its hub page. If you're weighing these two on complaints and recalls instead of fuel, our other RAV4-CR-V comparison covers that ground, and the Tucson too.