gulshan

OP, i also cross shopped the crv vs nx. pulling trigger in next few weeks on nx.

Yes. New CRV is same price bracket as cpo NX.
If you a tree hugger type go new 2019 CRV ex. Takes regular non premium gas and way more mpg than premium guzzling NX. EX trim has remote start that works like you expect. (In the NX pain in the *** subscription and some clunky app ..shuts of in 10 mins or when you get in the car ). 3 year new car warranty. That turbo engine issue is overblown. Very few owners had that issue in 2017/2018. Quiet ride but not as quiet as NX. Many free android/ios decibel meter apps. check it out. Great visibility all around compared to the cocoon feeling NX. Rides and handles great just like the NX. Consumer reports highly recommended and top pick. If you wiling to waitl another 6 months the CRV hybrid that is coming is the way to go. Not yet selling here but I think they started selling in Europe/China

I am going with NX cause I need the Luxury feel , build and look and dont care that much about type of gas/mpg since gas is cheap. You will not regret either choice. Both reliable.

no1SomeGuy

In terms of drivetrain and mechanical, he's correct, pretty much identical. There were minor interior/feature improvements made through the years though.

Freds430

For me the decision would be based on dependability alone. J D Power has ranked Lexus #1 in reliability for 8 years in a row. Honda is ranked in 2019 18th out of 28 manufacturers. It is the trend that is more disturbing. In 2014, Honda was 6th, 2016 7th and 2018 12th. As a potential purchaser of a new Honda this would be very alarming to me. I for 25 years owned Honda's and than Acura's. Switched to Lexus six years ago and never looking back. Something has happened to Honda/Acura.

Another listing has Lexus the third least to maintain behind it's cousins Scion and Toyota. I calculated that it will cost us to maintain our 2017 RX450h and 2017 Es300h around $400 for three years.

dacommitte

I traded in a 2015 CRV Touring for my NX. The CRV had great range (420 plus miles) and 34 mpg highway but I traded it because as a young and single (at the time) professional I found it boring. The CVT also was meh, a lot of noise came from. The new design CRV retains the CVT tranny. On the NX you will obviously have a better ride, softer touch materials instead of hard plastic on inside, but then its a Lexus and much better looking vehicle than even the newer CRVs. The CRV also uses regular gas and conventional motor oil so where as the NX requires premium fuel and synthetic motor oil.

gulshan

i took a long distance trip in a friend's 2019 crv and the seat lumbar support sucked big time. I did not notice the uncomfortable seats on test drives. Even in the minimum lumbar support mode there is still a little bump in the seat. Does not flatten out like other SUV's for spine to relax..

docboy

My parents had a CRV 1-2 years ago. Mom didn't like it, she felt the interior and build quality was very cheap. They later got a NX200T when the CRV was totaled due to an accident.

I personally have a LX570, and was a big fan of Honda and Acura, but sadly they are not the same company as before. Their modern engines and transmissions are not as reliable, pretty much crap. Check out Consumer Reports, which have also reported declining reliability in Honda and Acura vehicles.

I had a 2010 Acura TL. Transmission needed to be rebuilt at 35k miles, and then had to get a new engine at ~60k miles due to excessive oil consumption. Absolutely no point in getting a Honda/Acura if it's worse off then the German's counterpart. After that experience, I traded in the Acura and went back to Toyota.

If I were you, I would look at CPO NX, CPO RX, and the new Rav4.

hjk

I too feel like the interior of the CR-V is cheap in many ways (though not all) - the one thing that bothers me a lot is the steering wheel controls. I hate the way they look and feel! However, that's not reason enough to discount the car given MPG and price.

I test-drove a Rav4 and, call it the power of suggestion, but it seemed to perform exactly like Edmunds reviews suggest: rough/uneven acceleration with squishy performance. I wanted to drive a hybrid Rav4, but apparently there are none of them to be had in the great state of Texas.

So far, it seems that our summary in this thread is that there are potential reliability issues with Hondas in general, and specifically in the I4 engine design. I've also read about some issues with the Lexus 200t engine design (in the IS forums - apparently the same engine as the NX 200t). There are some "UI" issues in the CR-V (cheap interior pieces, etc) and some UI issues in the NX (remote touch, terrible app support, no Apple Carplay in most cases requiring a third-party solution).

Significantly, the NX requires premium gas and is much less efficient - probably performing just a touch better than my ES330. The ES gets about 20mpg real-world performance in a V6, but has a 18gal tank. The NX has a 16gal tank and may get 22mpg -- meaning I will have to stop at the gas station more often (one of the chores in life I hate most!) The CR-V takes regular gas and may get 30+mpg. (I don't recall the tank size).

Driving comfort IS something to be considered. The materials and build quality of the NX are no match to Honda. But on a hot, stop-and-go, high-traffic day in Houston, am I going to be sitting in the CR-V and hating life? Similarly, on a 4-hour drive to Dallas, will I be needing a lower back transplant from the CR-V?

Finally, rain-sensing wipers! I believe every ES had them as standard equipment in 2005. So I thought that was settled (and surely by now, inexpensive) technology. But now I see them as an option on the NX? And only available in the top trim (Touring) of the CR-V? With all the pluses and minuses of these two vehicles, might the decision boil down to who can give me the best price on a car with 13+ year-old technology!

gulshan

OP, at the end of my analysis for my requirements (luxurious quite plush ride, decent mileage, relatively reliable for say 5 years) I asked myself -- if I dont end up buying an NX if no good deal what is the alternative backup option? the answer -- The mazda cx-5 grand touring. Any year 2016 thru 2019. Just the base non turbo 2.5 NA engine is more than enough. Man, what a mind blowing car for the money. Way more fun than the NX. NX is still my first choice but the cx5 is too good to ignore. Blows the CRV out of the water.

hjk

Interesting! I've not read a single word about Mazda. My gut-feel impression is that Mazdas are not good or reliable cars. My feeling is not based on any sort of fact or personal experience, and may be a hold-over from previous eras. I shall look into them as the backup option!

ross7777

How many miles do you drive a year? I don’t drive enough for the cost of premium to make a big difference. To get better gas mileage the performance aspect suffers. I don’t drive with a lead foot but when I do put the pedal down I like knowing the vehicle has some power/torque to get moving.

The Mazda is a good value but I’m suspect on the reliability and resale value. Lexus is at the top of those lists.

At the end of the day I think you just know after test driving a model a couple times and some of the things you thought were high on your list drop down.

no1SomeGuy

I've own a couple Mazda's before and generally they are fairly reliable, at least ones made in the last decade or so. Before then they did have some reliability issues and definite rust issues, most of which are fairly sorted at this point. Mazda is on a push up market (since the margins are higher and they are low volume) and so something like the new CX-5 signature with the 2.5 turbo engine is pretty damn nice for the money. The CX-5 would have been on my shopping list when I bought my NX if they had the 2.5T rather than the weak 4 cylinder's at the time.