In this video I will go over the reliability and resale value of the 2021 Honda CR-V.
Did you know that the Honda CR-V only trails the Toyota RAV4 in terms of sales for all passenger cars and SUVs in 2020? Not bad for an SUV that had its last major redesign in 2017. The 2021 CR-V received no major changes compared to the 2020 model.
Reliability: The expected reliability for the Honda CR-V is average according to CR. The one problem that has plagued this generation of CR-Vs is the engine oil dilution issue with the 1.5L turbocharged engines. It’s definitely not a widespread problem but there is a class action lawsuit regarding this particular engine for the 2017 to 2018 CR-Vs.
Oil dilution occurs when excess fuel vapor in the turbo engine is not burning off correctly and the fuel vapors would condense and mix in with the engine oil. This was primarily occurring in cold environments.
Honda claims to have fixed this issue with a 2019 engine update getting new software so we’ll have to see if that holds true.
Now, let’s talk about resale value and depreciation for the CR-V. The CR-V has excellent resale value. The Honda CR-V will still maintain 71% of its original value in 3 years. That’s better than the Toyota RAV4 which is at 65.5%. After 5 years, it’s still worth 58.4% of its original price and 46.9% of its original value in 7 years.
Compared to the RAV4, the CR-V’s resale value is very close. The CR-V easily beats the Chevy Equinox in resale value in 3, 5, and 7 years.
You may pay a little bit more when you buy the CR-V but you’ll get it back and more when it comes to reselling your vehicle.
Now, let’s talk about why you might want to buy the CR-V over the RAV4 since most people cross shop those two top sellers. One, the CR-V offers more space inside than the RAV4. The RAV4 has 37.6 cu.ft. of cargo space behind the rear seats vs the CR-V which has 39.2 cu.ft. Also, the rear leg room for the CR-V is 40.4 inches vs the 37.8 inches for the RAV4. The CR-V would be more roomy if you have tall people sitting in the back or have child seats.
The CR-V also is a bit quicker than the RAV4 gasoline version. The 0 to 60mph is 8.2 seconds for the CR-V vs 8.3 seconds for the RAV4.
Finally, the CR-V starts at $25,050 vs the $26,050 for the RAV4. So it’s a little less expensive.
I think the Trim to buy for the Honda CR-V is the EX. The EX starts at $27,660 which is an additional $2500 over the base LX trim. It adds a larger 7” infotainment system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. The EX also adds a 6 speaker stereo, HondaLink, 3 more USB ports, dual zone climate control, push button start, cargo cover, power adjustable driver’s seat, heated seats, moonroof, blind spot monitoring, rear cross traffic alert, LED fog lights, and remote start.