Ford Explorer vs Honda CR-V: Which Used Buy Wins?
As used buys (October 2026), the Ford Explorer typically lists for $38,205 against $31,667 for the Honda CR-V (same model years — 2024–2026 — national medians from live listings). The Honda CR-V takes fuel economy (27 MPG combined vs 20 MPG). Overall medians mix very different trims — at the cheapest common trims it's the XLT at $30,694 vs the LX at $28,000; see the trim-by-trim tables for a fair match. Every figure below is live market data, not book values.
Head to head
Trim-by-trim prices (last 4 model years)
A fair comparison matches equivalent trims, not overall medians. Like for like: at the cheapest common trims, the Ford Explorer XLT ($30,694) faces the Honda CR-V LX ($28,000); the most common trims on the market are the XLT (33.7% of Ford Explorer listings) and the EX-L (28.4% of Honda CR-V listings); at the top of the market, the ST ($45,995) faces the SPORT TOURING ($35,906). Share = portion of the model's trim-labeled used listings (a supply-side popularity signal: what the market actually stocks and sells most). “Cheapest”/“Priciest” mark the ends of the quotable trim range — trim ladders don't map one-to-one across brands, so this is not a factory base-model claim.
| Ford Explorer | Honda CR-V | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Trim | Typical price | Share | Trim | Typical price | Share |
| XLTMost popularCheapest | $30,694 | 33.7% | LXCheapest | $28,000 | 9.9% |
| LIMITED | $32,215 | 5.9% | EX | $30,381 | 20.6% |
| TIMBERLINE | $34,860 | 2.7% | SPORT | $31,580 | 15.4% |
| ST-LINE | $38,000 | 17.7% | EX-LMost popular | $32,425 | 28.4% |
| ACTIVE | $38,563 | 17.1% | SPORT-L | $34,717 | 14.0% |
| PLATINUM | $44,900 | 6.3% | SPORT TOURINGPriciest | $35,906 | 10.8% |
| STPriciest | $45,995 | 12.7% | TRAILSPORT | $38,422 | 0.8% |
| TREMOR | $54,836 | 2.6% | — | ||
Rows are aligned by price position (both sides sorted cheapest-first), not by equivalent equipment — trim names never map one-to-one across brands. Full per-trim detail (price ranges, mileage) is on each model's price page: Ford Explorer prices · Honda CR-V prices.
Used price by model year
| Year | Ford Explorer typical | Honda CR-V typical | Difference | Ford Explorer MPG | Honda CR-V MPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | $44,493 | $36,846 | Ford Explorer +$7,647 | 19–24 MPG | 29–40 MPG |
| 2025 | $38,205 | $32,955 | Ford Explorer +$5,250 | 20–24 MPG | 28–40 MPG |
| 2024 | $34,089 | $31,667 | Ford Explorer +$2,422 | 20–24 MPG | 29–40 MPG |
| 2023 | $30,995 | $29,486 | Ford Explorer +$1,509 | 20–27 MPG | 29–30 MPG |
| 2022 | $27,484 | $26,697 | Ford Explorer +$787 | 19–27 MPG | 29–30 MPG |
| 2021 | $23,390 | $24,589 | Honda CR-V +$1,199 | 19–27 MPG | 29–30 MPG |
| 2020 | $21,418 | $22,921 | Honda CR-V +$1,503 | 19–28 MPG | 29–30 MPG |
| 2019 | $16,998 | $20,709 | Honda CR-V +$3,711 | 18–22 MPG | 27–30 MPG |
| 2018 | $15,670 | $18,836 | Honda CR-V +$3,166 | 18–22 MPG | 27–30 MPG |
| 2017 | $13,695 | $17,500 | Honda CR-V +$3,805 | 18–22 MPG | 27–30 MPG |
| 2016 | $11,995 | $15,795 | Honda CR-V +$3,800 | 18–22 MPG | 27–29 MPG |
| 2015 | $9,999 | $14,429 | Honda CR-V +$4,430 | 18–23 MPG | 28–29 MPG |
| 2014 | $8,995 | $12,990 | Honda CR-V +$3,995 | 18–23 MPG | 25–26 MPG |
| 2013 | $8,190 | $11,917 | Honda CR-V +$3,727 | 18–23 MPG | 25–26 MPG |
| 2012 | $7,950 | $10,995 | Honda CR-V +$3,045 | 19–23 MPG | 25–26 MPG |
| 2011 | $7,399 | $9,594 | Honda CR-V +$2,195 | 19–20 MPG | 23–24 MPG |
| 2010 | $6,321 | $8,990 | Honda CR-V +$2,669 | 15–17 MPG | 23–24 MPG |
| 2009 | $6,109 | $7,995 | Honda CR-V +$1,886 | 15–17 MPG | 22–23 MPG |
| 2008 | $5,995 | $7,695 | Honda CR-V +$1,700 | 15–16 MPG | 22–23 MPG |
| 2007 | $5,003 | $7,220 | Honda CR-V +$2,217 | 15–16 MPG | 22–23 MPG |
| 2006 | $4,995 | $6,288 | Honda CR-V +$1,293 | 15–16 MPG | 21–23 MPG |
| 2005 | $4,570 | $5,999 | Honda CR-V +$1,429 | 14–16 MPG | 21–23 MPG |
| 2004 | $5,077 | $5,700 | Honda CR-V +$623 | 15–16 MPG | 21–22 MPG |
| 2003 | $4,672 | $5,666 | Honda CR-V +$994 | 15–16 MPG | 21–22 MPG |
| 2002 | $4,400 | $5,738 | Honda CR-V +$1,338 | 14–17 MPG · 39 MPGe | 21–23 MPG |
Typical price = national median asking price of live listings for that model year (October 2026); MPG = EPA combined range across rated versions.
Frequently asked questions
Which is cheaper to buy used — Ford Explorer or Honda CR-V?
Comparing the same model years (2024–2026), the Honda CR-V is cheaper: it typically lists for $31,667 versus $38,205 for the Ford Explorer (national medians, October 2026).
Which gets better fuel economy — Ford Explorer or Honda CR-V?
The Honda CR-V: its typical rated version returns 27 MPG combined versus 20 MPG for the Ford Explorer (median across EPA-rated versions of the compared years).
Which is more reliable — Ford Explorer or Honda CR-V?
NHTSA lists an average of 10.7 recalls per model year for the Ford Explorer and 2.6 for the Honda CR-V — an edge for the Honda CR-V. Recall and complaint counts scale with sales volume, so treat them as context and check any specific car's VIN history.
Which trims should I actually compare?
Like for like: at the cheapest common trims, a Ford Explorer XLT typically lists for $30,694 vs $28,000 for a Honda CR-V LX; the most common trims on the market are the XLT ($30,694, 33.7% of Ford Explorer listings) and the EX-L ($32,425, 28.4% of Honda CR-V listings); at the top of the market, the ST ($45,995) faces the SPORT TOURING ($35,906). Overall medians hide this trim mix — use the trim tables above for a fair match. Trim names never map one-to-one across brands, so "cheapest" means the least expensive trim with a real market share, not the factory base.
https://vehisales.com/research/compare/ford/explorer/vs/honda/cr-v.
Dig deeper
Ford Explorer — live listings & specs Honda CR-V — live listings & specs Ford Explorer prices by year Honda CR-V prices by year Ford Explorer MPG by year Honda CR-V MPG by year
See also: All model comparisons · Best used cars by budget · Used car prices by model.