They are better - I bought a Crickett several years ago for my older son. The trigger on the crickett is rather stiff and course compared to the Rascal. Otherwise they are very comparable - if anything I'd say that the Savage is slightly better in overall quality.
My younger son is using the rifle that I originally got for his big brother but I'm seriously considering picking up a Rascal and having him use that one instead of the Crickett.
Here is an article that I wrote earlier this year. It has a comparison of several children-sized rifles.