2026 CR-V EX

The $2,230 that answers most wish lists

Trim walks usually make you choose between comfort and safety. The EX's walk from the LX manages to cover both sides in one step. Comfort: the moonroof, seats that heat, a driver's seat that adjusts ten ways with power lumbar, climate control that lets the passenger run their own temperature, and a key that can stay in your pocket from the driveway to the diner. Safety: blind spot monitoring with cross traffic alert, which on this island earns its keep twice a day, once merging onto the Staten Island Expressway among drivers racing the bridge traffic, and once backing out of a spot at the mall while the aisle behind you does its thing.

The back seat quietly benefits too. Rear passengers get their own USB-C ports, which ends a specific genre of family argument, and the second row still reclines, splits, and folds flat when the cargo hold needs to swallow something from the garden center.

Same engine, same honest mileage

Mechanically the EX mirrors the LX: 190-hp turbocharged 1.5-liter, CVT, 28 city / 33 highway with front drive, 27/31 with the $1,500 all-wheel-drive option. Nothing about the trim changes how the car drives; what changes is how it feels to live with. If your priority is the drivetrain rather than the features, that's the fork in the road: hybrid shoppers should jump to the Sport Hybrid guide, because the EX will never be available with the two-motor system.

Who lands here

Households replacing an older CR-V or Civic who want the familiar recipe with modern equipment. Commuters who cross the Verrazzano or take the ferry lot daily and want heated seats waiting in January. Parents who read safety ratings before horsepower figures. The store's reviews describe how those deals tend to close, one longtime customer wrote of her consultant: "He was absolutely knowledge and made this an extremely easy process, from start to finish." Multiple reviewers mention taking delivery the same week they walked in, inventory allowing.

If leather and a power tailgate are on your must list, the EX-L guide covers the next rung for $2,250 more. If you stop reading feature lists after "moonroof, heated seats, blind spot," you can stop climbing here, most buyers do.

Frequently asked questions

What does the 2026 CR-V EX add over the LX?

The one-touch moonroof, heated front seats, 10-way power driver's seat, dual-zone automatic climate control, Smart Entry with Walk Away Auto Lock, rear USB-C charging, and the Blind Spot Information System with Cross Traffic Monitor. The screen, wireless CarPlay/Android Auto, and wireless charger are already standard on every 2026 trim.

How much is a 2026 CR-V EX in New York?

$33,150 MSRP front-drive or $34,650 with AWD, plus $1,395 destination, then NYC's 8.875% sales tax and registration. Month-to-month programs move the real number, check the specials page and the pricing guide for how the layers stack.

Is the EX worth it over the LX?

If you'd option even two of its additions separately, yes, $2,230 is less than the sum of its parts, and blind spot monitoring alone is worth real money on Expressway merges. If your car lives on quiet streets and comfort features leave you cold, the LX keeps $2,230 in your pocket.

Does the EX have leather seats?

No, the EX pairs its power driver's seat and heating with cloth upholstery. Leather-trimmed seating starts one rung up at the EX-L, which also brings the power tailgate and parking sensors.

Should I get the EX with AWD?

$1,500 buys Real Time AWD plus, for 2026, improved low-speed traction management. For a car that stays on-island year-round, front drive with good tires is defensible; for ski trips, upstate weekends, or a steep unplowed block, most local buyers take the AWD and stop thinking about it.

Where can I test drive an EX on Staten Island?

At Honda of Staten Island's CR-V inventory page you can see EX stock in both drivetrains, then drive one at 250 Parkinson Avenue, open seven days including Sunday 11 to 4.

The bottom line

Every lineup has a trim the engineers seem to have built first and priced around, and in the 2026 CR-V it's this one. The EX takes the base car's newly generous tech and adds exactly the comfort and safety items families actually ask for, nothing gilded, nothing missing. Drive it back to back with an LX and an EX-L and you'll see why it's the default answer.