2026 CR-V EX-L
Quick Answer: 2026 Honda CR-V EX-L
The EX-L tops the turbocharged side of the CR-V range at $35,400 MSRP with front-wheel drive, $36,900 with AWD, plus $1,395 destination. Over the EX it adds leather-trimmed seating, a power tailgate with programmable height, front and rear parking sensors, an auto-dimming rearview mirror, driver's-seat memory, a power front passenger seat, and, new for 2026, the 10.2-inch digital instrument cluster. Powertrain is unchanged: 190-hp turbo, 28/33 mpg front-drive. It's the pick for buyers who want the comfortable CR-V without switching to a hybrid, and Honda of Staten Island carries it at 250 Parkinson Avenue.
The comfort trim for turbo loyalists
Honda's lineup logic puts every trim above this one on the hybrid powertrain, so the EX-L holds a specific niche: it's as plush as a turbocharged CR-V gets. That matters to a real group of buyers, people who tow nothing but trust a conventional drivetrain they've known for decades, who put on too few miles to chase hybrid math, or who simply found the EX-L's combination cheaper this month than the comparable Sport-L Hybrid. Whatever the path here, the destination is the same: leather seating heated up front, a passenger seat that finally power-adjusts, and a memory function that ends the seat-position negotiation in two-driver households.
The 2026 refresh added a genuinely useful piece: the 10.2-inch digital instrument cluster, previously reserved for the top hybrids, now standard on EX-L. It's 46% larger than the old display and configurable, so the information you actually use, speed, fuel, driver-assist status, sits where you want it.
The features that earn their keep here
The power tailgate deserves its own paragraph for anyone who does the weekly warehouse-club run: arms full, hit the button, done, and the programmable height stops it from meeting a low garage ceiling in a Midland Beach carport. The front and rear parking sensors are the other quietly local feature. Between parallel spots on Forest Avenue and the tight lanes of every strip-mall lot on Hylan, audible distance warnings save bumper paint, and the auto-dimming mirror takes the sting out of the SUV headlights behind you on the Expressway at night.
One of the store's repeat CR-V customers, on picking up her EX-L: "From the moment I entered the dealership to when I picked up my 2025 CR-V EX-L, I was in excellent hands." The trim has a way of collecting owners on their third or fourth CR-V, they know exactly which features they used last time, and they re-order them.
EX-L or Sport-L Hybrid?
The natural cross-shop is the Sport-L Hybrid: nearly identical equipment, $3,325 more, and the 204-hp hybrid with 43 mpg city instead of 28. High-mileage commuters usually find the hybrid pays its premium back at the pump; sub-10,000-mile-a-year households often don't. Run your own annual mileage against the difference, that arithmetic, not the badge, should make this call. Either way the interior you're sitting in is essentially the same.
Frequently asked questions
What's the difference between the CR-V EX and EX-L?
$2,250 buys leather-trimmed seats, the power tailgate, parking sensors front and rear, auto-dimming rearview mirror, driver's-seat memory, a 4-way power passenger seat, and the 10.2-inch digital cluster. The engine, mileage, and safety suite are identical to the EX.
How much does a 2026 CR-V EX-L cost?
$35,400 MSRP front-drive, $36,900 with AWD, before $1,395 destination and New York taxes and fees. The pricing guide covers the out-the-door math and how the month's offers apply.
Is the EX-L available as a hybrid?
Not under this name. Its hybrid twin is effectively the Sport-L Hybrid, leather, power tailgate, digital cluster, with the 204-hp two-motor powertrain and sport styling in place of the turbo and chrome-accented look.
Does the EX-L have ventilated seats or a heated steering wheel?
No, heated front seats are included, but the heated steering wheel is reserved for the TrailSport Hybrid and Sport Touring Hybrid. If that's a winter must-have, the TrailSport guide is your next read.
Is the 10.2-inch digital cluster new?
On this trim, yes, for 2026 the EX-L joins the TrailSport, Sport-L, and Sport Touring Hybrids in getting the larger configurable display as standard, one of the refresh's better hand-me-downs from the top of the range.
Where can I find an EX-L near me?
Live inventory is posted here; EX-Ls in popular colors tend to turn over fast. Honda of Staten Island's sales floor at 250 Parkinson Avenue is open seven days a week.
The bottom line
The EX-L is the CR-V for people who've decided against the hybrid but not against comfort. Everything a family touches daily, seats, tailgate, sensors, screens, gets the upgrade; everything mechanical stays proven and familiar. If the badge on the fender matters less to you than the leather under you, this is the turbo CR-V to drive first.
MSRP figures exclude the $1,395 destination charge plus tax, license, registration, options, and dealer-installed accessories; the dealer sets the actual selling price. Fuel-economy figures are 2026 EPA ratings; your mileage will vary. Equipment and availability can change with configuration and production timing; confirm current specs with Honda of Staten Island. Customer quotes are excerpts from public Google reviews of Honda of Staten Island.