2026 Compact SUVs Compared: Mazda CX-5 vs Toyota RAV4 vs Honda CR-V

Three of the best-selling compact SUVs for 2026, compared on price, fuel economy, power, and cargo space — with the actual trade-off each one makes.

Vehicle	Starting price	Horsepower	MPG combined	Drivetrain
2026 Mazda CX-5	$31,485 w/ dest.	187 hp	27 mpg	AWD-standard	Dealer links coming soon
2026 Toyota RAV4	$33,350 w/ dest.	226 hp	43 mpg	FWD	Dealer links coming soon
2026 Honda CR-V	$32,370 w/ dest.	190 hp	30 mpg	FWD	Dealer links coming soon

These three account for most of what shoppers cross-compare in the compact-SUV class for 2026, and each one wins on a different axis — there isn’t a single “best,” just a best fit for what you’re actually optimizing for.

The short version

Want the best fuel economy, by a wide margin? RAV4. Every 2026 trim is a hybrid now, and it’s not close — up to 43 mpg combined vs. the CR-V’s 30 and the CX-5’s high-20s.
Want the most cargo space? CR-V. 76.5 cubic feet maximum, genuinely ahead of both rivals here.
Want the nicest interior and don’t want to think about drivetrain options? CX-5. Standard AWD on every trim, and reviewers consistently rate its cabin above both the RAV4 and CR-V at this price point — the trade-off is it’s the only one of the three without a hybrid option this year (that’s coming for 2027).

Where they land on price

The CX-5 starts lowest, the RAV4 starts highest — but the RAV4’s price gets easier to justify once you factor in it being hybrid-only, where the other two either charge extra for a hybrid trim (CR-V) or don’t offer one yet (CX-5).

What we didn’t cover here

Trim-level pricing, safety ratings, and infotainment feature comparisons aren’t in this article yet — this is a first pass focused on the decision most shoppers actually make first (price, efficiency, power, space). We’ll expand this as the site grows.