2026 Honda CR-V EX: O’Fallon Buyers Guide

Quick Answer: The 2026 CR-V EX

The EX sits one rung above the LX at $33,150 MSRP ($34,650 with AWD), still on the 190-hp 1.5-liter turbo with the same 28/33 mpg city/highway rating (27/31 AWD). For $2,230 more than the LX it adds a one-touch power moonroof, heated front seats, a 10-way power driver’s seat with 2-way lumbar, dual-zone automatic climate control, Smart Entry with Walk Away Auto Lock, rear USB-C ports, and the Blind Spot Information System with Cross Traffic Monitor — the LX’s biggest safety gap, closed here. It’s the trim most CR-V shoppers at Frank Leta Honda land on once they’ve driven the base car and decided they want the moonroof and the blind-spot system in the same build.

2026 Honda CR-V EX side profile in blue-gray with alloy wheels
The 2026 CR-V EX. Photo: American Honda Motor Co., Inc.

The trim that closes the safety gap

Blind Spot Information System with Cross Traffic Monitor is the single item that pulls the most EX buyers up from the LX, and it earns the reputation. O’Fallon’s parking lots — Mid Rivers Mall, the strip centers along Highway K — are full of the exact blind angles the system is built for, and reversing out of a nose-in space with a warning chime instead of a guess is the kind of feature that stops mattering to talk about within a week of owning it. The rest of the EX list rounds out comfort rather than capability: the moonroof and heated seats change how the cabin feels on a January morning warm-up, and dual-zone climate ends the thermostat negotiation in the front seat.

What the $2,250 step to EX-L buys

One trim up, EX-L trades cloth for leather, adds a power tailgate with programmable height, front and rear parking sensors, an auto-dimming rearview mirror, driver-seat memory with a power front passenger seat, and — new for 2026 — the larger 10.2-inch digital instrument cluster. Parking sensors are the item we’d flag hardest: if your driveway or garage is tight, or you’re the one always squeezing the CR-V into a compact urban spot when visiting family in the city, that’s real daily value the EX doesn’t have. The EX-L guide lays out the rest of the case.

Turbo now, or wait for the hybrid?

The EX only comes with the 1.5-liter turbo — Honda doesn’t offer a hybrid EX, so this isn’t a trim-level choice so much as a fork in the whole lineup. If 28 city mpg is enough and you’d rather have the EX’s exact equipment list than pay the jump to Sport Hybrid, this is your trim. If your daily drive is heavy on stop-and-go — commuting into St. Louis on 70 during rush hour counts — the Sport Hybrid at $35,630 answers with 43 mpg city for about $2,480 more, and cloth seats instead of the EX’s cloth (no loss there); the real trade is losing the moonroof and blind-spot system unless you go Sport-L.

Frequently asked questions

What does the CR-V EX add over the LX?

Moonroof, heated front seats, a 10-way power driver’s seat, dual-zone automatic climate control, Smart Entry with Walk Away Auto Lock, rear USB-C ports, and Blind Spot Information System with Cross Traffic Monitor — for $2,230 more before destination.

Is the EX or LX CR-V better?

The EX is better equipped and adds the one safety feature (blind-spot monitoring) that genuinely changes daily driving. The LX is the better value if you’re comfortable without it and want to put the difference toward something else. Neither is the “wrong” choice — it comes down to whether blind-spot monitoring is worth $2,230 to you.

Does the CR-V EX come with all-wheel drive?

Yes, as a $1,500 option ($34,650 total MSRP). Front-wheel drive is standard. St. Charles County winters make AWD a reasonable add for anyone on unpaved roads or regular highway trips in bad weather; plenty of EX buyers on paved commutes skip it and are fine.

What does a 2026 CR-V EX cost with Missouri taxes?

$33,150 MSRP (or $34,650 AWD) plus $1,395 destination, then Missouri’s state and local vehicle sales tax — paid by the buyer at the license office, not collected by the dealer at signing. The pricing & leasing guide walks through the full math and current monthly offers.

The bottom line

The EX is the trim built for someone who wants the safety net closed and the comfort basics covered without paying for leather they didn’t ask for. It’s the volume seller for a reason. Compare it against an LX and an EX-L on the same visit to Frank Leta Honda and the $2,230-and-$2,250 questions answer themselves in about ten minutes behind the wheel.

All 2026 Honda CR-V guides

MSRP figures exclude the $1,395 destination charge plus taxes, title, registration, and dealer-installed accessories; the dealer sets the actual selling price. Fuel-economy figures are EPA estimates; real-world results vary. Equipment and availability subject to change — confirm current specs with Frank Leta Honda.