Compare the2023 Lexus NXVS 2023 Honda CR-V

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Brakes and Stopping
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Passenger Space
Cargo Capacity
Towing
Servicing Ease
Ergonomics
Recommendations

Safety

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The NX offers an optional Panoramic View Monitor to allow the driver to see objects all around the vehicle on a screen. The CR-V only offers a rear monitor and front and rear parking sensors that beep or flash a light. That doesn’t help with obstacles to the sides.

Both the NX and CR-V have rear cross-traffic warning, but the NX offers optional Parking Support Brake (automatically applies the brakes) to better prevent a collision when backing near traffic.

The NX has standard Safety Connect®, which uses a global positioning satellite (GPS) receiver and a cellular system to help track down your vehicle if it’s stolen or send emergency personnel to the scene if any airbags deploy. The CR-V doesn’t offer a GPS response system, so if you’re involved in an accident and you’re incapacitated help may not come as quickly.

Both the NX and the CR-V have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front 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, 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, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras, rear cross-path warning and driver alert monitors.

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, with its optional vehicle-to-pedestrian front crash prevention system, and its standard headlight’s “Good” rating, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the NX its highest rating: “Top Safety Pick Plus” for 2022, a rating granted to only 126 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The CR-V has not been fully tested, yet.

Warranty

The NX comes with a full 4-year/50,000-mile basic warranty, which covers the entire truck and includes 24-hour roadside assistance. The CR-V’s 3-year/36,000-mile basic warranty expires 1 year or 14,000 miles sooner.

Lexus’ powertrain warranty covers the NX 1 year and 10,000 miles longer than Honda covers the CR-V. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 6 years or 70,000 miles. Coverage on the CR-V ends after only 5 years or 60,000 miles.

The NX’s corrosion warranty is 1 year longer than the CR-V’s (6 vs. 5 years).

Reliability

A reliable vehicle saves its owner time, money and trouble. Nobody wants to be stranded or have to be without a vehicle while it’s being repaired. Consumer Reports rates the Lexus NX Hybrid’s reliability 14 points higher than the CR-V.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Lexus vehicles are better in initial quality than Honda vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Lexus above average in initial quality. With 26 more problems per 100 vehicles, Honda is rated below average.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Lexus vehicles are more reliable than Honda vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Lexus above average in long-term dependability. With 33 more problems per 100 vehicles in the first three years of ownership, Honda is rated below average.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2023 Auto Issue reports that Lexus vehicles are more reliable than Honda vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Lexus second in overall reliability. Honda is ranked fifth.

Engine

The NX 250’s standard 2.5 DOHC 4-cylinder produces 13 more horsepower (203 vs. 190) and 5 lbs.-ft. more torque (184 vs. 179) than the CR-V’s 1.5 turbo 4-cylinder. The NX 350h’s standard 2.5 DOHC 4-cylinder hybrid produces 50 more horsepower (240 vs. 190) than the CR-V’s 1.5 turbo 4-cylinder. The NX 350’s standard 2.4 turbo 4-cylinder produces 85 more horsepower (275 vs. 190) and 138 lbs.-ft. more torque (317 vs. 179) than the CR-V’s 1.5 turbo 4-cylinder. The NX 450h’s standard 2.5 DOHC 4-cylinder hybrid produces 112 more horsepower (302 vs. 190) than the CR-V’s 1.5 turbo 4-cylinder.

As tested in Motor Trend the NX 350h is faster than the Honda CR-V:

	NX	CR-V
Zero to 60 MPH	7 sec	8.7 sec
Quarter Mile	15.4 sec	16.7 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	89 MPH	86.4 MPH

As tested in Motor Trend the NX 450h is faster than the Honda CR-V:

	NX	CR-V
Zero to 60 MPH	5.5 sec	8.7 sec
Quarter Mile	14.1 sec	16.7 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	99.4 MPH	86.4 MPH

Fuel Economy and Range

On the EPA test cycle the NX running on electricity gets better mileage than the CR-V:

			MPGe
NX
	AWD	450h Electric Motors	93 city/75 hwy
CR-V
			MPG
	FWD	1.5 turbo 4-cyl.	28 city/34 hwy
	AWD	1.5 turbo 4-cyl.	27 city/32 hwy

On the EPA test cycle the NX running its gasoline engine gets better mileage than the CR-V:

			MPG
NX
	AWD	350h 2.5 4-cyl. Hybrid	41 city/37 hwy
		450h 2.5 4-cyl. Hybrid	38 city/33 hwy
CR-V
	AWD	1.5 turbo 4-cyl.	27 city/32 hwy

The NX 450h can travel with zero emissions for 37 miles. The CR-V can’t move without running its internal combustion engine.

Regenerative brakes improve the NX 350h/450h’s fuel efficiency by converting inertia back into energy instead of wasting it. The CR-V doesn’t offer a regenerative braking system.

Brakes and Stopping

For better stopping power the NX’s brake rotors are larger than those on the CR-V:

	NX	CR-V
Front Rotors	12.9 inches	12.3 inches
Rear Rotors	12.5 inches	12.2 inches

The NX’s standard front and rear disc brakes are vented to help dissipate heat for shorter stops with less fading. The rear discs on the CR-V are solid, not vented.

The NX stops shorter than the CR-V:

	NX	CR-V
60 to 0 MPH	124 feet	130 feet	Motor Trend
60 to 0 MPH (Wet)	138 feet	145 feet	Consumer Reports

Tires and Wheels

The NX’s optional tires provide better handling because they have a lower 50 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the CR-V’s 60 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the NX offers optional 20-inch wheels. The CR-V’s largest wheels are only 18-inches.

Changing a flat tire near traffic can be dangerous and inconvenient. The run-flat tires standard on the NX can be driven up to 50 miles without any air pressure, allowing you to drive to a service station for a repair. The CR-V doesn’t offer run-flat tires.

Suspension and Handling

The NX has standard front and rear gas-charged shocks for better control over choppy roads. The CR-V’s suspension doesn’t offer gas-charged shocks.

The NX offers an available driver-adjustable suspension system. It allows the driver to choose between an extra-supple ride, reducing fatigue on long trips, or a sport setting, which allows maximum control for tricky roads or off-road. The CR-V’s suspension doesn’t offer adjustable shock absorbers.

The NX 350 AWD executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver quicker than the CR-V EX-L AWD (27.3 seconds @ .63 average G’s vs. 28 seconds @ .59 average G’s).

Passenger Space

The NX has .1 inches more front headroom, .7 inches more front hip room, .3 inches more rear headroom and 3 inches more rear hip room than the CR-V.

Cargo Capacity

Pressing a switch automatically lowers or raises the NX’s optional rear seats, to make changing between cargo and passengers easier. The CR-V doesn’t offer automatic folding seats.

To make loading groceries and cargo easier when your hands are full, the NX Premium/Luxury Packages’ liftgate can be opened and closed just by kicking your foot under the back bumper, leaving your hands completely free. The CR-V doesn’t offer a hands-free gesture to open its liftgate, forcing you to put cargo down if your hands are full.

Towing

Maximum trailer towing in the Honda CR-V is limited to 1500 pounds. The NX offers up to a 2000 lbs. towing capacity.

Standard Trailer Sway Control on the NX uses the Vehicle Stability Control sensors to detect trailer sway, then uses individual brakes to counteract any swaying and help keep the tow vehicle and trailer steady. The CR-V doesn’t offer electronic trailer sway control.

Servicing Ease

J.D. Power and Associates surveys of service recipients show that Lexus service is better than Honda. J.D. Power ranks Lexus first in service department satisfaction. With a 62% lower rating, Honda is ranked 25th.

Ergonomics

The NX’s instruments include an oil pressure gauge and a temperature gauge - which could save your engine! Often ‘idiot lights’ don’t warn you until damage has been done. The CR-V has neither an oil pressure gauge nor a temperature gauge.

The NX offers an optional heads-up display that projects speed, tachometer, warning and navigation instruction readouts in front of the driver’s line of sight, allowing drivers to view information without diverting their eyes from the road. The CR-V doesn’t offer a heads-up display.

The NX’s front and rear power windows all open or close fully with one touch of the switches, making it more convenient at drive-up windows and toll booths, or when talking with someone outside the car. The CR-V’s standard rear power window switches have to be held the entire time to open or close them fully.

The NX’s optional wipers adjust their speed and turn on and off automatically according to the amount of rainfall on the windshield. The CR-V’s intermittent wipers change speed with vehicle speed, but can’t turn on and off or change speed based on changing rainfall.

In poor weather, headlights can lose their effectiveness as grime builds up on their lenses. This can reduce visibility without the driver realizing. The NX offers available headlight washers to keep headlight output high. The CR-V doesn’t offer headlight washers.

To help drivers avoid possible obstacles, the NX offers optional cornering lights to illuminate around corners when the turn signals are activated. The CR-V doesn’t offer cornering lights. The NX also offers optional adaptive headlights to illuminate around corners automatically by reading vehicle speed and steering wheel angle.

When the NX is put in reverse, both rearview mirrors tilt from their original position. This gives the driver a better view of the curb during parallel parking maneuvers. Shifting out of reverse puts the mirrors into their original positions. The CR-V’s mirrors don’t automatically adjust for backing.

The NX’s standard rear and side view mirrors have an automatic dimming feature. These mirrors can be set to automatically darken quickly when headlights shine on them, keeping following vehicles from blinding or distracting the driver. The CR-V offers an automatic rear view mirror, but its side mirrors don’t dim.

Both the NX and the CR-V have standard heated front seats. The NX also offers optional heated rear seats to keep those passengers extremely comfortable in the winter. Heated rear seats aren’t available in the CR-V.

Optional air-conditioned seats in the NX keep the driver and front passenger comfortable and take the sting out of hot seats in Summer. The CR-V doesn’t offer air-conditioned seats.

On extremely cold winter days, the NX’s optional heated steering wheel provides comfort, allowing the driver to steer safely and comfortably before the vehicle heater warms up. The CR-V doesn’t offer a heated steering wheel.

To direct the driver from any location to a given street address, a GPS navigation system is available on the NX. The NX’s navigation system also has a real-time traffic update feature that offers alternative routes to automatically bypass traffic problems. (Service not available in all areas.) The CR-V doesn’t offer a navigation system.

The NX 350h/450h+’s optional Advanced Park can parallel park or back into a parking spot by itself, starting, stopping and changing direction automatically. The CR-V doesn’t offer an automated parking system.

Recommendations

Both are recommended, but Consumer Reports® chose the Lexus NX 350h as its “Top Pick,” the highest scoring vehicle in its category, based on reliability, safety and performance.

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