2019 Honda CR-V Gets Updates, Small Price Bump

The 2019-edition Honda CR-V goes on sale today, but you’ll need to look at the model year on the window sticker to tell it apart from the 2018s still on the lot. One additional paint color and a small price increase for most versions are the only real changes for 2019 in the compact SUV that was redesigned for the 2017 model year.

Related: 2019 Honda Pilot First Drive: Tweaked, Not Transformed

You can see why Honda wouldn’t want to mess with success. Mainstream compact SUVs have emerged as a huge and very competitive piece of the overall U.S. car market, and the CR-V remains a sales leader. Wild cards in that market this year, however, include a redesigned 2019 Toyota RAV4 and 2019 Subaru Forester. And Volkswagen’s 2018 redesign of the Tiguan has taken it from being invisible to a player in the market. We’re eager to see how the CR-V matches up against its newer rivals, but in our most recent Compact SUV Challenge, the CR-V took on the redone Tiguan and they finished just 2 points apart, substantially ahead of the other five challengers.

Here’s what you need to know about the 2019 Honda CR-V:

• There’s a new white paint. Platinum White Pearl replaces White Diamond Pearl as one of the 10 paint colors in the CR-V palette, but it’s still white. And fear not, conservative Honda shoppers: Four of the 10 still are black or shades of gray.
• As smartphones rule, a trim level is dropped. There are now four 2019 CR-V trim levels: the LX, EX, EX-L and Touring. The former EX-L with navigation is gone, and the Touring is your choice to get an in-car navigation system. Honda spokesman Chris Naughton explained that “based on consumer demand, we’ve adjusted the models’ trim structures to better align them to the market.” He specifically noted that the EX trim level and above have a standard Display Audio multimedia system with 7-inch touchscreen that supports Apple CarPlay and Android Auto and their navigation apps. Expect to see more of this in mainstream vehicles, particular now that CarPlay has incorporated Google Maps and Waze.
• The base price is creeping up. The initial 2018 model prices, which rose from 2017, already got a bump on May 1, and the 2019 price list shows similar price creep-up. The base LX with front-wheel drive will start for 2019 at $25,345, including a $995 destination charge, and $26,745 with all-wheel drive, each an increase of $100. The next-level EX models rise $200 each to $28,245 (FWD) and $29,645 (AWD), as do the EX-L models at $30,745 and $32,145. At the top end though, the 2019 Touring models are unchanged at $33,745 (FWD) and $35,145 (AWD).

What also isn’t changing about the 2019 CR-V is the adult-roomy interior (in front and in back) and a big cargo area for compact SUVs, with 39.2 cubic feet behind the second row and 75.8 cubic feet with the rear seat folded. The interior also is notably family-friendly, with lots of storage spaces, a big center console bin, wide-opening rear doors and a low cargo lift height. Multimedia includes a standard 5-inch touchscreen on the base LX and the 7-inch touchscreen (with a volume knob) for EX and above.

Related: Civic Renewal: 3 Ways Honda Is Refreshing the Civic for 2019

There also is an extensive package of Honda Sensing safety technology that is standard with the EX trim level and above, including a full-speed front collision system with automatic braking, lane departure warning with road departure mitigation, and adaptive cruise control with low-speed follow and lane-keeping assist. Blind spot warning and rear cross-traffic alert are available.

The powertrains continue to be a 184-horsepower, 2.4-liter four-cylinder for the base LX model and  a 190-horsepower, turbocharged 1.5-liter for the EX trim level and above. Both are mated to continuously variable automatic transmissions. Mileage ratings for the various configurations are the same and can be found here.

Which should you buy, a 2018 or 2019? If you get a good enough deal to compensate for the earlier model year, you are getting essentially the same vehicle in a 2018. And if you’re one of the decreasing number of shoppers who demand an in-car navigation system, you can get it in a  2018 EX-L with navigation at a lower price than a 2019 Touring.

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