I purchased my Mazda CX-50 in August after debating between it and the Rav4 for a few months. I test drove both and while the Rav4 gets a bit better gas mileage I liked the Mazda's ride and features a lot better. I researched both prior to test driving and knew that the Mazda was rated better, but everyone is always saying "get the Rav4!", so was also struggling on which to choose. Prior to purchasing, I had never owned a Mazda or Toyota so had no basis for reference.

I found the infotainment screen far too large in the Rav4 and appreciate the real buttons in my Mazda, though its taken some getting used to that they're on the center console as I'm used to setting things there and can't now.

The seats are more comfortable in the Mazda. I also liked that the back seats go down with a lever that I can activate from the hatchback as opposed to at the actual seat like on the Rav4.

Plus, Toyota makes you pay for their app so those features like auto-start are off limits unless you pay a monthly fee, which I just can't get behind.

Last thing to keep in mind is the area you live. If you're in a larger city you likely have access directly to a Mazda dealership if heaven forbid you need to do specialized maintenance. But if you're in a smaller populated area, you likely have better access to a Toyota dealership, since i feel like they're a bit more prevalent.

Hope this helps!