What's The Difference Between The Honda CR-V LX Vs. EX?

The Honda CR-V has an enduring popularity whatever the market environment. Year after year, it's been recognized as one of the best-selling crossovers in America since it first went on sale at U.S. dealerships in 1997, which serves as an impressive testament to the attractiveness of the trim levels and features it offers. The sixth CR-V generation, for instance, has many cool features the modern car buyer would want, including a comfortable, tech-laden, and spacious interior with versatile 60/40 split-folding rear seats, generous cargo space, as well as an in-your-face front fascia that's as eye-catching as it is unique.

However, as with any multi-trim vehicle, the features available on the Honda CR-V vary depending on the specific model you choose. The 2025 Honda CR-V gives you the option to select from six different trims, with the LX being the entry-level grade, the EX following next, then there's the Sport, EX-L, Sport-L, and range-topping Sport Touring model. Obviously, that sort of arrangement means that the base LX has fewer features than the slightly higher-placed EX, but just how different are the two models? We've compared the lower Honda CR-V trims below to help give you an idea.

The CR-V was the first in-house SUV from Honda, and understandably, it was initially available in just one trim, which later came to be known as the LX. The original CR-V had a 2.0-liter DOHC inline four-cylinder engine that made 126 hp and 133 lb-ft of torque, AM/FM stereo, air conditioning, as well as power windows and power door locks. When the sport-ute ultimately grew into a range with the addition of more packages, the LX kept its place as the base trim while also offering more functions and capabilities than before.

As a case in point, the 2025 Honda CR-V LX offers a standard 1.5-liter turbo four-cylinder engine that generates 190 hp and 179 lb-ft of torque, 17-inch wheels, LED headlights, a 7-inch touchscreen infotainment system, a 7-inch digital gauge cluster, wired Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, as well as a four-speaker sound system. The LX also has remote keyless entry, automatic climate control, push-button start, a USB port, cloth upholstery, manually adjustable front seats, as well as reclining rear seatback. The CR-V LX has a starting MSRP of $30,100.

The EX is the more loaded of the lower Honda CR-V trims. It builds on the LX's features with numerous niceties, including heated front seats, power driver's seat, and dual-zone automatic climate control. While the base LX has just one USB port on offer, the EX provides up to three, along with a six-speaker sound system. The standard EX package also includes proximity keyless entry, remote start, a moonroof, and 18-inch wheels.

Like the LX, the more decked-out Honda CR-V EX comes standard with the Honda Sensing suite of safety and driver-assistive technology, which bundles a rearview camera, lane-keep assist, a rear-seat alert, forward collision warning, adaptive cruise control, forward automatic emergency braking, lane-departure warning, traffic-sign recognition, as well as automatic high-beam headlights. However, it does add blind-spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert, which are not available on the LX. 

In terms of space, both vehicles seat up to five and offer 39.3 cubic feet of cargo area with all seats upright and a whopping 76.5 cubic feet with the rear seats folded down. Front legroom, front shoulder room, rear headroom, and rear legroom are also similar in both models at 41.3, 57.9, 38.2, and 41.0 inches, respectively. However, the LX trim has more front headroom, with 40.0 inches versus 38.2 inches for the EX trim. The Honda EX starts at $32,350 (MSRP).