cars news 10: 2018 Honda CR-V LX: 5 Things We Love About Our Base CR-V and 2 We Don’t

A few months after the Honda CR-V was crowned MotorTrend’s 2018 SUV of the Year, I was lucky enough to be handed the keys to a 2018 CR-V LX for the whole year. Why get the base trim? Before we named the CR-V our SUV of the Year, we were already driving a CR-V Touring, so we decided to get an LX with the 2.4-liter naturally aspirated engine and front-wheel drive. That’s how we ended up with a $25,125 CR-V LX on our hands. Now that we’re near the end of our testing cycle, here are a few things we’ve learned from it, with five reasons we love the crossover and two areas of improvement.

Good Power

With 184 hp and 180 lb-ft of torque, the 2.4-liter engine is decent. The base engine accelerates quickly when merging onto the freeway and provides enough push when you want to pass at speeds around 45 mph.

Excellent Interior Space

Even with five adults on board, the CR-V provides great interior space. Second-row passengers will appreciate the leg- and shoulder room, as well as the standard air vents. Although the floor is almost flat, there’s a slight hump that shouldn’t affect the person sitting in the middle.

I Miss Apple CarPlay

Going for the LX means you won’t get Apple CarPlay or even a touchscreen, something I’ve missed all year. The quick fix is buying a magnet or any other phone holder, but I do miss all the Siri voice commands and being able to see Google Maps on the big screen. Also, having only one USB port for the entire cabin is inadequate in today’s world.

Get the Rubber Mats, Not the Cargo Tray

Honda sells rubber mats for the CR-V, which are great if you have kids, dogs, or even if you’re solo and just messy. I also got the cargo tray, which costs $114 and doesn’t perform ideally. Yes, it protects the cargo floor, but it’s too small for the cargo area and moves around quite a bit as you drive.

Good reliability

After almost a full year and more than 17,000 miles, the CR-V has had zero issues. We’ve taken it to the dealer a couple of times for its regular service appointments and paid just over $90 for each. Although that might seem a bit expensive, $180 for maintenance in one year is not bad.

Great (Base-Model) Looks

Although previous base-trim Hondas have looked significantly different from the higher trims, that’s not the case with the CR-V. The LX model gets alloy wheels, LED daytime running lights, and LED taillights. If you take a closer look, however, you’ll notice some black plastic on the door handles, mirror caps, and rear spoiler. Besides that, it looks pretty much like any other CR-V.

Four Speakers Can Sound Great

The LX trim’s audio system only has four speakers, but that doesn’t mean audio quality will be bad. On the contrary, whether you’re playing the radio or your music through Bluetooth or USB, the cabin will be popping.

2018 Honda CR-V LX: 5 Things We Love About Our Base CR-V and 2 We Don’t