What Does Honda's LX Label Actually Mean?

Like any carmaker, Honda offers its cars in select trims, such as the LX, EX, EX-L, Touring, Elite, among many other grades. If you're shopping for a Honda car, you may have noticed this and are probably curious what the LX designation actually means. When mentioned in relation to the Japanese brand, LX refers to the base model in Honda's range of trim levels.

The LX trim isn't available on all Honda cars, however. Currently, it is only offered on the Honda HR-V, CR-V, Civic Sedan, and the Accord. That's not a lot of cars, but it's also because the number of Honda models offering the LX grade are quickly shrinking as Honda bids to offer lots of standard amenities for relatively little money in order to better compete with rivals. For example, back in 2022, it dropped the base LX trim from the 2023 Odyssey lineup, with the EX becoming the new base model.

Honda also recently removed the option of an LX trim from its Pilot range for the 2025 model year, leaving the Sport grade as the new base model. While it certainly has its advantages, the downside of discontinuing the base LX trim is that it raises the starting price of the affected models. That means, if you're exploring a lower cost way to own a Honda vehicle, you're likely looking at a model with the LX trim. But what does it cost, and how does it compare with the next step up on the trim ladder?

Prices for the Honda LX trims vary depending on the Honda model you're considering. The Honda Civic Sedan offers the cheapest LX grade, with pricing for the 2025 model starting from $24,250. For the money, you're getting power mirrors, 16-inch wheels, LED headlights, cloth upholstery, a seven-inch touchscreen infotainment system, a seven-inch digital instrument cluster, wired Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, as well as a four-speaker sound system.

The next step up from the LX is the Sport. It starts from $26,250 and offers more standard features that you won't find on the base LX trim. They include 18-inch alloy wheels, a heating function for the outside mirrors, a leather-covered steering wheel and shift knob, sport pedals, an eight-speaker audio system, as well as blind spot monitoring with rear cross traffic alert. While the LX and Sport trims both make 150 hp and 133 lb-ft from a 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine, the LX trim is only available with two drive modes: Econ and Normal. The Honda Civic Sport, meanwhile, offers the driver an additional mode: Sport.

On the HR-V side of the equation, the LX begins from $25,400, making it the second-cheapest LX trim you can buy. It is equipped similarly to the Civic LX, with a 7-inch touchscreen display, a 7-inch digital instrument cluster, a four-speaker audio system, wired Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, and cloth upholstery all coming standard. You also get LED headlights, 17-inch alloy wheels, as well as body-colored power side mirrors. The higher Sport trim level charges a base MSRP of $27,500 and offers upgrades such as 18-inch gloss black alloy wheels, heated side mirrors, a leather-wrapped steering wheel and shift knob, and heated front seats.

As part of the trim changes, Honda removed the Honda Accord EX model from its 2025 model lineup, with the new SE trim level taking its spot. The SE trim features similar tech and amenities to the discontinued EX model, as both trims add to the LX trim with dual-zone climate control, standard heated front seats, power-adjustable driver's seat, a power sunroof, an eight-speaker sound system as well as blind-spot monitoring with rear cross-traffic alert. 

However, it distinguishes itself with unique styling cues that kit the car out with 17-inch black alloy wheels, black window trim, gloss-black B-pillar trim, and black mirror caps. These differ from the base-spec Honda Accord LX, which offers 17-inch silver alloy wheels, a basic automatic climate control, a four-speak sound system, a manually-adjustable driver's seat, as well as a fold-down rear seatback with center armrest (the SE offers 60/40-split-folding seats). 

For its part, the CR-V is Honda's most expensive LX model, with pricing starting at $30,100. That amount gets you 17-inch steel wheels, a four-speaker sound system, automatic climate control, manual height adjustment for the driver's seat. If that's not enough, you can upgrade to the higher end EX grade for an additional $2,250. Starting at $32,250, the EX grade adds a power moonroof, 18-inch silver alloy wheels, heated exterior mirrors, keyless entry, dual-zone automatic climate control, heated front seats, power-adjustable driver's seat, and a six-speaker audio system.