2019 Honda CR-V Review

Editorial Note: The editorial content on this page is not provided or commissioned by Honda or any of its partners or subsidiaries. Any opinions, analyses, reviews, statements or recommendations expressed in this article are those of the author’s alone, and may not have been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities prior to publication. 

The Honda CR-V is a compact SUV with a high reliability rating, standard Honda Sensing safety features and a basic warranty of 3 years, 36,000 miles. The CR-V sometimes gets overlooked when compared with its smaller sibling, the HR-V (a less expensive subcompact), and big brother SUVs the Pilot and all-new Passport, which offer much more room. But if Goldilocks were looking for an SUV, the CR-V might be the right fit.

In this Honda CR-V review, jump to:

• 2019 Honda CR-V pricing
• 2019 Honda CR-V safety
• 2019 Honda CR-V competitor comparison
• 2019 Honda CR-V trim comparison
• 2019 Honda model comparison
• 2019 Honda CR-V — the bottom line

2019 Honda CR-V pricing

The lowest manufacturer recommended price (MSRP) for the 2019 Honda CR-V is $24,350 — this is for the base LX trim level of the vehicle with no added options and with an automatic transmission. The highest MSRP is $32,750, for the Touring trim level and includes all automatically-added options.

You don’t necessarily have to pay MSRP for the vehicle. You may be able to get if for a lower price, depending on where and when you buy. Do shop around online for prices and check out an industry guide — Kelley Blue Book or Edmunds, for example — to find a fair market price for the CR-V, or any other vehicle you’re thinking about.

What’s next? Once you pick out the car you want, you can read about and where to find the best auto loan rates in 2019. You could also fill out an online form at LendingTree to receive up to five potential auto loan offers at once. Potential lenders could include Honda Financing, your bank, credit union or online lender.

Car dealers raise customer APRs an average of 2.47%, so shop around for a car loan like you’d shop around for a car. It doesn’t hurt your credit to apply to multiple lenders any more than it does to apply to one if you do all your applications within 14 days — and some credit scoring methods may even allow you up to 45 days.

2019 Honda CR-V safety

The 2018 Honda CR-V earned a 5 out of 5-star crash test safety rating from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA); the 2019 is not yet rated by NHTSA. But the 2019 is rated by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) as a Top Safety Pick.
Honda Sensing, which comes on the EX, EX-L and Touring trims of the 2019 CR-V, includes:

• Collision Mitigation Braking System. If the car senses it is about to run into something front-first, it will apply the brakes for you .
• Road Departure Mitigation System. If the CR-V begins to cross a lane without the turn signal on, it can brake and steer to help keep it in the lane and not leave the road.
• Adaptive Cruise Control with Low-Speed Follow. The CR-V can follow behind another car at a set interval.
• Lane Keeping Assist System. The car can adjust its steering to help keep itself in a lane.

2019 Honda CR-V competitor comparison

Compared with competitor base models, the CR-V lacks some standard features and technology. Honda does offer them, too, just at higher trim levels.

*Chart data is for base 2019 models. Expert score averages Kelley Blue Book (KBB) and Edmunds expert ratings. Standard technology refers to features included in the lowest trim level for each model at no extra cost (not an exhaustive list). Fuel economy is combined city / highway mileage as defined by the EPA.

2019 Honda CR-V trim comparison

Here are the trims available on the 2019 Honda CR-V, including some of the standard features on each. Each trim level builds upon the trim(s) before it, meaning that the highest Touring trim includes — or improves upon — all features from the three trim levels below it.

Honda, unlike some competitors, does not allow buyers to pick and choose features à la carte. For example, if you would like leather seating, you have to get the EX-L or the Touring trim; you won’t be able to get the EX or LX trim and add leather seats. Some people may find this to be a less complicated way to present vehicle options; others may find it to be restrictive.

2019 Honda model comparison

If you are loyal to the brand and want to see how the CR-V stacks up to other vehicles in Honda’s lineup, here is a comparison table of the base trims of several Honda models, including the smaller HR-V.

2019 Honda CR-V — the bottom line

You might like this car if you’re looking for a compact SUV you can depend on for basic transportation. But you might not like this car if you want a sportier vehicle with off-road capabilities or one with more standard technology, including driver assistance packages.

The information in the article is accurate as of the date of publishing. For the most up-to-date terms, please visit their website.