Compare the2022 Honda CR-VVS 2021 BMW X1

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Fuel Economy and Range
Transmission
Brakes and Stopping
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Chassis
Passenger Space
Cargo Capacity
Towing
Ergonomics
Economic Advantages
Recommendations

Safety

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For enhanced safety, the front seat shoulder belts of the Honda CR-V are height-adjustable to accommodate a wide variety of driver and passenger heights. A better fit can prevent injuries and the increased comfort also encourages passengers to buckle up. The BMW X1 doesn’t offer height-adjustable seat belts.

Using vehicle speed sensors and seat sensors, smart airbags in the CR-V deploy with different levels of force or don’t deploy at all to help better protect passengers of all sizes in different collisions. The CR-V’s side airbags will shut off if a child is leaning against the door. The X1’s airbags don’t have smart features and will always deploy full force.

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety tests front crash prevention systems. With a score of 6 points, IIHS rates the Collision Mitigation Braking System in the CR-V as “Superior.” The X1 scores only 4 points and is rated only “Advanced.”

The CR-V EX/EX-L/Touring’s blind spot warning system uses sensors to alert the driver to objects in the vehicle’s blind spots where the side view mirrors don’t reveal them. The X1 doesn’t offer a system to reveal objects in the driver’s blind spots.

To help make backing out of a parking space safer, the CR-V EX/EX-L/Touring’s standard cross-path warning system uses sensors in the rear bumper to alert the driver to vehicles approaching from the side, helping the driver avoid collisions. The X1 doesn’t offer a cross-path warning system.

Both the CR-V and the X1 have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, front wheel drive, plastic fuel tanks, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, rearview cameras and available all wheel drive.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does 35 MPH front crash tests on new vehicles. In this test, results indicate that the Honda CR-V is safer than the BMW X1:

	CR-V	X1
OVERALL STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
	Driver
STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
HIC	141	328
Neck Injury Risk	27%	32%
Neck Stress	175 lbs.	360 lbs.
Leg Forces (l/r)	65/19 lbs.	257/329 lbs.

New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does side impact tests on new vehicles. In this test, which crashes the vehicle into a flat barrier at 38.5 MPH and into a post at 20 MPH, results indicate that the Honda CR-V is safer than the BMW X1:

	CR-V	X1
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	71	143
Chest Movement	.6 inches	.8 inches
Abdominal Force	142 G’s	154 G’s
Hip Force	310 lbs.	486 lbs.
	Rear Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	143	193
Spine Acceleration	50 G’s	65 G’s
Hip Force	567 lbs.	637 lbs.
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Max Damage Depth	13 inches	13 inches
Spine Acceleration	35 G’s	39 G’s
Hip Force	543 lbs.	815 lbs.

New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.

For its top level performance in IIHS driver and passenger-side small overlap frontal, moderate overlap frontal, side impact, roof strength and head restraint tests, its standard vehicle-to-vehicle front crash prevention system, its standard vehicle-to-pedestrian front crash prevention system, and its available headlight’s “Good” rating, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the CR-V the rating of “Top Pick” for 2021, a rating granted to only 128 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The X1 last would have qualified as a “Top Pick” in 2019.

Warranty

Honda’s powertrain warranty covers the CR-V 1 year and 10,000 miles longer than BMW covers the X1. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 5 years or 60,000 miles. Coverage on the X1 ends after only 4 years or 50,000 miles.

There are over 3 times as many Honda dealers as there are BMW dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the CR-V’s warranty.

Reliability

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2021 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Honda vehicles are better in initial quality than BMW vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Honda 17th in initial quality. With 2 more problems per 100 vehicles, BMW is ranked 20th.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2021 Auto Issue reports that Honda vehicles are more reliable than BMW vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Honda 7 places higher in reliability than BMW.

Fuel Economy and Range

On the EPA test cycle the CR-V gets better mileage than the X1:

			MPG
CR-V
	FWD	1.5 turbo 4-cyl.	28 city/34 hwy
	AWD	1.5 turbo 4-cyl.	27 city/32 hwy
X1
	FWD	2.0 turbo 4-cyl.	24 city/33 hwy
	AWD	2.0 turbo 4-cyl.	23 city/31 hwy

The CR-V has a standard cap-less fueling system. The fuel filler is automatically opened when the fuel nozzle is inserted and automatically closed when it’s removed. This eliminates the need to unscrew and replace the cap and it reduces fuel evaporation, which causes pollution. The X1 doesn’t offer a cap-less fueling system.

Transmission

The CR-V has a standard continuously variable transmission (CVT). With no “steps” between gears, it can keep the engine at the most efficient speed for fuel economy, or keep it at its peak horsepower indefinitely for maximum acceleration. The X1 doesn’t offer a CVT.

Brakes and Stopping

The CR-V stops much shorter than the X1:

	CR-V	X1
70 to 0 MPH	165 feet	180 feet	Car and Driver

Tires and Wheels

For better traction, the CR-V has larger tires than the X1 (235/65R17 vs. 225/50R18).

Suspension and Handling

For better handling and stability, the average track (width between the wheels) on the CR-V is 1.5 inches wider in the front and 2 inches wider in the rear than the track on the X1.

For greater off-road capability the CR-V has a greater minimum ground clearance than the X1 (8.2 vs. 7.2 inches), allowing the CR-V to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged.

Chassis

The Honda CR-V may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 150 to 250 pounds less than the BMW X1.

The front grille of the CR-V uses electronically controlled shutters to close off airflow and reduce drag when less engine cooling is needed. This helps improve highway fuel economy. The X1 doesn’t offer active grille shutters.

The CR-V uses computer-generated active noise cancellation to help remove annoying noise and vibration from the passenger compartment, especially at low frequencies. The X1 doesn’t offer active noise cancellation.

Passenger Space

The CR-V has 4.7 cubic feet more passenger volume than the X1 (105.9 vs. 101.2).

The CR-V has .9 inches more front legroom, 2.3 inches more front shoulder room, 3.4 inches more rear legroom and .4 inches more rear shoulder room than the X1.

Cargo Capacity

The CR-V has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat up than the X1 with its rear seat up (39.2 vs. 27.1 cubic feet). The CR-V has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat folded than the X1 with its rear seat folded (75.8 vs. 58.7 cubic feet).

A low lift-over cargo hatch design makes loading and unloading the CR-V easier. The CR-V’s cargo hatch lift-over height is 26 inches, while the X1’s liftover is 28.5 inches.

The CR-V’s cargo area is larger than the X1’s in every dimension:

	CR-V	X1
Length to seat (2nd/1st)	37.5”/71”	35.1”/69”
Max Width	54”	51.5”
Min Width	41.5”	39.5”
Height	41”	33”

Pulling a handle automatically lowers the CR-V’s rear seats, to make changing between passengers and cargo easier. The X1 doesn’t offer automatic folding seats.

Towing

The CR-V has a 1500 lbs. towing capacity. The X1 has no towing capacity.

Ergonomics

The CR-V SE/EX/EX-L/Touring has a standard remote vehicle starting system, so the vehicle can be started from inside the driver's house. This allows the driver to comfortably warm up the engine before going out to the vehicle. The climate system will also automatically heat or cool the interior. The X1 doesn’t offer a remote starting system.

The CR-V EX-L/Touring’s standard easy entry system glides the driver’s seat back when the door is unlocked or the ignition is switched off, making it easier for the driver to get in and out. The X1 doesn’t offer an easy entry system.

To improve rear visibility by keeping the rear window clear, the CR-V has a standard rear fixed intermittent wiper with a full on position. The rear wiper standard on the X1 only has an intermittent setting, so in a hard rain visibility isn’t as good.

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) conducts detailed tests on headlights for their range both straight ahead and in curves and to be certain they don’t exceed acceptable amounts of glare to oncoming drivers. The CR-V’s available headlights were rated “Good” by the IIHS, while the X1’s headlights are rated “Acceptable.”

Economic Advantages

Insurance will cost less for the CR-V owner. The Complete Car Cost Guide estimates that insurance for the CR-V will cost $390 to $1080 less than the X1 over a five-year period.

The CR-V will cost the buyer less in the long run because of its superior resale value. The IntelliChoice estimates that the CR-V will retain 51.86% to 55.49% of its original price after five years, while the X1 only retains 47.84% to 48.12%.

According to The Car Book by Jack Gillis, the CR-V is less expensive to operate than the X1 because it costs $282 less to do the manufacturer’s suggested maintenance for 50,000 miles. Typical repairs cost much less on the CR-V than the X1, including $536 less for a water pump, $673 less for a muffler, $108 less for front brake pads, $106 less for a starter, $204 less for fuel injection, $142 less for a fuel pump, $193 less for front struts, $900 less for a timing belt/chain and $593 less for a power steering pump.

IntelliChoice estimates that five-year ownership costs (depreciation, financing, insurance, fuel, fees, repairs and maintenance) for the Honda CR-V will be $8270 to $12354 less than for the BMW X1.

Recommendations

The Honda CR-V has won recognition from these important consumer publications:

	CR-V	X1
Consumer Reports® Recommends	TRUE	TRUE
Car Book “Best Bet”	TRUE	FALSE

Motor Trend selected the CR-V as their 2018 Sport Utility of the Year. The X1 has never been chosen.