Ford Explorer vs Honda CR-V: Which Used Buy Wins?
As used buys (July 2026), the Ford Explorer typically lists for $40,927 against $32,347 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 $32,146 vs the LX at $28,764; 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 ($32,146) faces the Honda CR-V LX ($28,764); the most common trims on the market are the XLT (33.8% of Ford Explorer listings) and the EX-L (27.8% of Honda CR-V listings); at the top of the market, the ST ($47,722) faces the SPORT TOURING ($36,800). 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 | $32,146 | 33.8% | LXCheapest | $28,764 | 8.9% |
| LIMITED | $33,840 | 5.5% | EX | $30,734 | 19.1% |
| TIMBERLINE | $36,271 | 2.5% | SPORT | $31,999 | 16.7% |
| ACTIVE | $39,995 | 17.4% | EX-LMost popular | $32,802 | 27.8% |
| ST-LINE | $39,999 | 17.6% | SPORT-L | $35,130 | 13.0% |
| PLATINUM | $45,910 | 7.0% | SPORT TOURINGPriciest | $36,800 | 12.8% |
| STPriciest | $47,722 | 12.8% | TRAILSPORT | $39,162 | 1.8% |
| TREMOR | $55,325 | 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 | $45,790 | $38,331 | Ford Explorer +$7,459 | 19–24 MPG | 29–40 MPG |
| 2025 | $40,927 | $33,699 | Ford Explorer +$7,228 | 20–24 MPG | 28–40 MPG |
| 2024 | $35,786 | $32,347 | Ford Explorer +$3,439 | 20–24 MPG | 29–40 MPG |
| 2023 | $32,791 | $30,499 | Ford Explorer +$2,292 | 20–27 MPG | 29–30 MPG |
| 2022 | $29,354 | $27,386 | Ford Explorer +$1,968 | 19–27 MPG | 29–30 MPG |
| 2021 | $24,698 | $25,289 | Honda CR-V +$591 | 19–27 MPG | 29–30 MPG |
| 2020 | $22,795 | $23,605 | Honda CR-V +$810 | 19–28 MPG | 29–30 MPG |
| 2019 | $18,058 | $21,274 | Honda CR-V +$3,216 | 18–22 MPG | 27–30 MPG |
| 2018 | $16,653 | $19,488 | Honda CR-V +$2,835 | 18–22 MPG | 27–30 MPG |
| 2017 | $14,488 | $17,998 | Honda CR-V +$3,510 | 18–22 MPG | 27–30 MPG |
| 2016 | $12,509 | $15,997 | Honda CR-V +$3,488 | 18–22 MPG | 27–29 MPG |
| 2015 | $10,752 | $14,996 | Honda CR-V +$4,244 | 18–23 MPG | 28–29 MPG |
| 2014 | $9,746 | $13,889 | Honda CR-V +$4,143 | 18–23 MPG | 25–26 MPG |
| 2013 | $8,499 | $12,495 | Honda CR-V +$3,996 | 18–23 MPG | 25–26 MPG |
| 2012 | $7,850 | $11,304 | Honda CR-V +$3,454 | 19–23 MPG | 25–26 MPG |
| 2011 | $7,900 | $9,498 | Honda CR-V +$1,598 | 19–20 MPG | 23–24 MPG |
| 2010 | $6,000 | $9,490 | Honda CR-V +$3,490 | 15–17 MPG | 23–24 MPG |
| 2009 | $5,466 | $8,259 | Honda CR-V +$2,793 | 15–17 MPG | 22–23 MPG |
| 2008 | $6,120 | $7,495 | Honda CR-V +$1,375 | 15–16 MPG | 22–23 MPG |
| 2007 | $5,007 | $7,499 | Honda CR-V +$2,492 | 15–16 MPG | 22–23 MPG |
| 2006 | $5,000 | $6,500 | Honda CR-V +$1,500 | 15–16 MPG | 21–23 MPG |
| 2005 | $4,443 | $6,999 | Honda CR-V +$2,556 | 14–16 MPG | 21–23 MPG |
| 2003 | $5,375 | $5,570 | Honda CR-V +$195 | 15–17 MPG | 21–22 MPG |
Typical price = national median asking price of live listings for that model year (July 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 $32,347 versus $40,927 for the Ford Explorer (national medians, July 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 10.2 recalls per model year for the Ford Explorer and 7.2 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 $32,146 vs $28,764 for a Honda CR-V LX; the most common trims on the market are the XLT ($32,146, 33.8% of Ford Explorer listings) and the EX-L ($32,802, 27.8% of Honda CR-V listings); at the top of the market, the ST ($47,722) faces the SPORT TOURING ($36,800). 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.