Mazda CX-50 vs Toyota RAV4: MPG, Fuel Cost, Recalls and Safety
On EPA ratings the 2025 Toyota RAV4's best version gets 39 mpg combined against 38 mpg for the Mazda CX-50.
Mazda CX-50
38mpg
Best 2025 version: 2.5L 4-cyl hybrid · 4WD · CVT
Toyota RAV4
39mpg
Best 2025 version: 2.5L 4-cyl hybrid · AWD · CVT
The cheapest Toyota RAV4 to fuel costs $1,650 a year at EPA's prices, $50 less than the cheapest CX-50. NHTSA lists 5 recalls for the 2025 CX-50 and 4 recalls for the RAV4.
Side by side
| 2025 model year | CX-50 | RAV4 |
|---|---|---|
| Fuel economy (EPA) | ||
Best combined rating | 38 mpg 2.5L 4-cyl hybrid · 4WD · CVT | 39 mpg 2.5L 4-cyl hybrid · AWD · CVT |
Best gas rating Gas engines only; hybrids and diesels excluded | 28 mpg | 30 mpg (clearly better) |
Hybrid or plug-in available | Hybrid 38 mpg | Hybrid and plug-in 39 mpg; plug-in 94 MPGe |
AWD or 4WD available | Yes | Yes |
Lowest annual fuel cost 15,000 miles at EPA fuel prices | $1,700 | $1,650 |
5-year fuel cost vs average new vehicle Cheapest-to-fuel version (EPA) | Saves $3,000 | Saves $3,250 |
| Safety (NHTSA) | ||
Safety recalls, 2025 model year Counts depend on sales and time on sale | 5 | 4 |
Owner complaints, 2025 model year Filed with NHTSA so far | 47 | 102 |
NHTSA overall crash rating Range across tested versions | 5 stars | 5 stars |
Rollover risk Range across tested versions; lower is better | Not rated | 13.3% to 15.5% |
Marks the clearly better figure. Small gaps (under 2 mpg or 5%, $100 a year in fuel) and overlapping crash-test ranges are not marked, and recall and complaint counts are not scored because they depend on how many were sold.
Best combined rating by model year
The best-rated version of each, every model year since 2016. The RAV4 rated higher in every one of the 4 years both were sold.
- Mazda CX-50
- Toyota RAV4
2025: Mazda CX-50 38 mpg · Toyota RAV4 39 mpgTap or drag across the chart for other years.
Show as a table
| Model year | Mazda CX-50 | Toyota RAV4 |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | – | 32 |
| 2017 | – | 32 |
| 2018 | – | 32 |
| 2019 | – | 40 |
| 2020 | – | 40 |
| 2021 | – | 40 |
| 2022 | – | 40 |
| 2023 | 27 | 40 |
| 2024 | 27 | 39 |
| 2025 | 38 | 39 |
| 2026 | 38 | 43 |
Recalls by model year
Safety recalls NHTSA lists for each model year. Counts depend on how many were sold and how long each model year has been on the road.
- Mazda CX-50 (left bar)
- Toyota RAV4 (right bar)
2026: Mazda CX-50 0 recalls · Toyota RAV4 1 recallTap or drag across the chart for other years.
Show as a table
| Model year | Mazda CX-50 | Toyota RAV4 |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | – | 3 |
| 2017 | – | 3 |
| 2018 | – | 3 |
| 2019 | – | 8 |
| 2020 | – | 6 |
| 2021 | – | 5 |
| 2022 | – | 3 |
| 2023 | 2 | 3 |
| 2024 | 1 | 4 |
| 2025 | 5 | 4 |
| 2026 | 0 | 1 |
More on each model
- 2025 Mazda CX-50 MPGEvery version and a fuel cost calculator
- Mazda CX-50 by yearMPG, recalls and complaints
- 2025 Toyota RAV4 MPGEvery version and a fuel cost calculator
- Toyota RAV4 by yearMPG, recalls and complaints
Questions
Which gets better gas mileage, the CX-50 or the RAV4?
For 2025, the RAV4. Its best version is rated 39 mpg combined; the CX-50's best is 38 mpg.
Which is cheaper to fuel?
The RAV4. At EPA's assumptions its cheapest version costs $1,650 a year against $1,700, a $250 difference over five years.
How do they compare in NHTSA crash tests?
The 2025 CX-50 is rated 5 stars overall and the RAV4 is rated 5 stars overall. Rollover risk is 13.3% to 15.5% for the RAV4.
Sources and method
- US EPA fuel economy data (fueleconomy.gov), file dated Sep 18, 2026, and EPA fuel prices.
- NHTSA recall file dated Sep 29, 2026 and owner complaint file dated Sep 28, 2026; NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings.
We compare the best-rated version of each model unless a row says otherwise. How we build these pages. Spotted an error? Tell us.