Ford Explorer vs Honda CR-V: Which Used Buy Wins?
As used buys (August 2026), the Ford Explorer typically lists for $39,617 against $32,094 for the Honda CR-V (same model years — 2024–2026 — national medians from live listings). The Honda CR-V takes fuel economy (28 MPG combined vs 20 MPG). Overall medians mix very different trims — at the cheapest common trims it's the XLT at $31,567 vs the LX at $28,898; 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 ($31,567) faces the Honda CR-V LX ($28,898); the most common trims on the market are the XLT (34.6% of Ford Explorer listings) and the EX-L (27.3% of Honda CR-V listings); at the top of the market, the ST ($46,340) faces the SPORT TOURING ($36,528). 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 | $31,567 | 34.6% | LXCheapest | $28,898 | 9.5% |
| LIMITED | $33,632 | 5.4% | EX | $30,900 | 19.8% |
| TIMBERLINE | $35,795 | 2.6% | SPORT | $32,152 | 16.3% |
| ST-LINE | $39,245 | 18.3% | EX-LMost popular | $32,998 | 27.3% |
| ACTIVE | $39,449 | 16.5% | SPORT-L | $34,998 | 14.4% |
| PLATINUM | $44,990 | 6.6% | SPORT TOURINGPriciest | $36,528 | 11.6% |
| STPriciest | $46,340 | 12.6% | TRAILSPORT | $38,998 | 1.1% |
| TREMOR | $54,652 | 2.0% | — | ||
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 | $45,021 | $37,900 | Ford Explorer +$7,121 | 19–24 MPG | 29–40 MPG |
| 2025 | $39,617 | $33,402 | Ford Explorer +$6,215 | 20–24 MPG | 28–40 MPG |
| 2024 | $35,275 | $32,094 | Ford Explorer +$3,181 | 20–24 MPG | 29–40 MPG |
| 2023 | $31,992 | $30,224 | Ford Explorer +$1,768 | 20–27 MPG | 29–30 MPG |
| 2022 | $28,436 | $27,016 | Ford Explorer +$1,420 | 19–27 MPG | 29–30 MPG |
| 2021 | $23,989 | $24,998 | Honda CR-V +$1,009 | 19–27 MPG | 29–30 MPG |
| 2020 | $22,166 | $23,469 | Honda CR-V +$1,303 | 19–28 MPG | 29–30 MPG |
| 2019 | $17,500 | $21,060 | Honda CR-V +$3,560 | 18–22 MPG | 27–30 MPG |
| 2018 | $15,995 | $18,994 | Honda CR-V +$2,999 | 18–22 MPG | 27–30 MPG |
| 2017 | $13,990 | $17,990 | Honda CR-V +$4,000 | 18–22 MPG | 27–30 MPG |
| 2016 | $12,250 | $15,852 | Honda CR-V +$3,602 | 18–22 MPG | 27–29 MPG |
| 2015 | $9,999 | $14,500 | Honda CR-V +$4,501 | 18–23 MPG | 28–29 MPG |
| 2014 | $9,500 | $12,999 | Honda CR-V +$3,499 | 18–23 MPG | 25–26 MPG |
| 2013 | $8,495 | $11,990 | Honda CR-V +$3,495 | 18–23 MPG | 25–26 MPG |
| 2012 | $7,997 | $11,195 | Honda CR-V +$3,198 | 19–23 MPG | 25–26 MPG |
| 2011 | $6,997 | $9,495 | Honda CR-V +$2,498 | 19–20 MPG | 23–24 MPG |
| 2010 | $6,850 | $8,995 | Honda CR-V +$2,145 | 15–17 MPG | 23–24 MPG |
| 2009 | $5,995 | $7,995 | Honda CR-V +$2,000 | 15–17 MPG | 22–23 MPG |
| 2008 | $6,495 | $7,201 | Honda CR-V +$706 | 15–16 MPG | 22–23 MPG |
| 2007 | $5,007 | $7,499 | Honda CR-V +$2,492 | 15–16 MPG | 22–23 MPG |
| 2006 | $5,500 | $6,333 | Honda CR-V +$833 | 15–16 MPG | 21–23 MPG |
| 2005 | $4,990 | $5,973 | Honda CR-V +$983 | 14–16 MPG | 21–23 MPG |
| 2004 | $4,799 | $6,394 | Honda CR-V +$1,595 | 15–16 MPG | 21–22 MPG |
| 2003 | $4,869 | $5,500 | Honda CR-V +$631 | 15–17 MPG | 21–22 MPG |
| 2002 | $4,995 | $4,999 | Honda CR-V +$4 | 14–17 MPG · 39 MPGe | 21–23 MPG |
Typical price = national median asking price of live listings for that model year (August 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 $32,094 versus $39,617 for the Ford Explorer (national medians, August 2026).
Which gets better fuel economy — Ford Explorer or Honda CR-V?
The Honda CR-V: its typical rated version returns 28 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 10.4 recalls per model year for the Ford Explorer and 4.4 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 $31,567 vs $28,898 for a Honda CR-V LX; the most common trims on the market are the XLT ($31,567, 34.6% of Ford Explorer listings) and the EX-L ($32,998, 27.3% of Honda CR-V listings); at the top of the market, the ST ($46,340) faces the SPORT TOURING ($36,528). 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.