Compare the2023 Honda CR-V HybridVS 2022 Lexus RX

In the past twenty years hundreds of infants and young children have died after being left in vehicles, usually by accident. When turning the vehicle off, drivers of the CR-V Hybrid are reminded to check the back seat if they opened the rear door before starting out. The RX doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.

Both the CR-V Hybrid and the RX have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front and rear side-impact airbags, driver and front passenger knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, front and rear seatbelt pretensioners, front wheel drive, height adjustable front shoulder belts, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras, rear cross-path warning, driver alert monitors, available all wheel drive and rear parking sensors.

Honda pays for scheduled maintenance on the CR-V Hybrid for 1 year and 14,000 miles longer than Lexus pays for maintenance for the RX (2/24,000 vs. 1/10,000).

There are over 4 times as many Honda dealers as there are Lexus dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the CR-V Hybrid’s warranty.

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

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Honda CR-V Hybrid uses regular unleaded gasoline. The RX 450h requires premium, which can cost 20 to 55 cents more per gallon.

The CR-V Hybrid 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 RX doesn’t offer a cap-less fueling system.

In its Green Vehicle Guide, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rates the Honda CR-V Hybrid higher (7 out of 10) than the Lexus RX (5 to 7). This means the CR-V Hybrid produces up to 8 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the RX every 15,000 miles.

The CR-V Hybrid’s standard tires provide better handling because they have a lower 60 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the RX’s standard 65 series tires.

The CR-V Hybrid Sport Touring AWD handles at .79 G’s, while the RX 450h pulls only .78 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

For better maneuverability, the CR-V Hybrid’s turning circle is 1.5 feet tighter than the RX’s (37.3 feet vs. 38.8 feet).

The Honda CR-V Hybrid may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 450 to 800 pounds less than the Lexus RX.

The CR-V Hybrid is 7.7 inches shorter than the RX, making the CR-V Hybrid easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

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

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

The CR-V Hybrid has .1 inches more front shoulder room and 2.4 inches more rear legroom than the RX.

The CR-V Hybrid has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat up than the RX with its rear seat up (39.3 vs. 16 cubic feet). The CR-V Hybrid has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat folded than the RX with its rear seat folded (76.5 vs. 32.6 cubic feet).

The CR-V Hybrid’s standard towing capacity is much higher than the RX’s (1000 vs. 0 pounds).

The CR-V was chosen as one of Car and Driver’s “Top Five/10Best Trucks” for 3 of the last 21 years. The RX has never been a Car and Driver “Top Five/10Best Truck” pick.

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

The Honda CR-V outsold the Lexus RX by over two to one during the 2022 model year.