2020 Honda CR-V vs 2021 Lexus NX

The 2020 Honda CR-V, in its fifth generation, had a design that was both familiar and enjoyable. Its exterior featured soft, curvy lines that gave it a car-like appearance, closely resembling Honda’s sedan lineup. The CR-V’s styling leaned more towards a station wagon than an SUV, making it a modern family transportation staple. Inside, the CR-V’s interior was a mix of textures and materials. While the wood-look trim and leather upholstery in higher trims were appealing, they clashed with the low-quality plastics, reminding drivers that even the pricier CR-V models were upgrades of a commodity car rather than premium products.

The base CR-V LX, starting at $26,270, came with a three-year or 36,000-mile warranty. The lineup included four trims: LX, EX ($28,720), EX-L ($31,270), and Touring ($24,470), with AWD available for an additional $1,500. Standard 17-inch alloy wheels adorned the base model, while EX trims featured 18-inch wheels, and the Touring model came with optional 19-inchers. Fabric seating was standard on lower trims, with leather available on higher trims. A retractable moonroof was included on all but the LX trim, and roof rails were exclusive to the Touring model.

The 2021 Lexus NX, available in NX 300, NX 300 F Sport, and NX 300h hybrid versions, carried over Lexus’s familial design attributes. Its sharp exterior lines gave it a familiar appearance, similar to the smaller UX and larger RX models. Standard features included power-folding outside mirrors and 17-inch wheels. The NX F Sport variant added sportier elements like a honeycomb grille, triple-beam LED headlights, and 18-inch F Sport wheels.

Inside, the NX F Sport featured exclusive quilted NuLuxe sport seats with optional Circuit Red interior color schemes. The material fit and finish were excellent, with a familiar gauge cluster featuring a sculpted metal-faced four-dial setup and a 4.2-inch multi-information display. The F Sport also included a G-Force meter, though it was more of a gimmick. The center stack, with its elevated climate-control buttons and rare CD player, showed its age but remained functional. However, the layout left little room for open small-item storage between the driver and passenger.

For 2020, the Honda CR-V simplified its lineup by replacing the base 2.4-liter engine with a 1.5-liter turbocharged engine, producing 190 horsepower and 179 pound-feet of torque, paired with a CVT. This powertrain provided a responsive and quick driving experience, especially in Sport mode. The CR-V’s car-like demeanor extended to its road manners, offering excellent handling and a firm yet comfortable ride. Its low curb weight of 3,337 pounds for the FWD LX model contributed to its nimble performance and impressive fuel economy, with FWD models achieving 30 mpg combined and AWD models 29 mpg.

The 2021 Lexus NX 300 and 300 F Sport were powered by a turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine, delivering 235 horsepower and 258 pound-feet of torque, paired with a six-speed automatic transmission. The NX accelerated from zero to 60 mph in around seven seconds, with a relatively quiet ride despite some engine noise under hard acceleration. The F Sport variant included Active Sound Control to enhance the engine note electronically. FWD was standard, with AWD available on all trims, allowing up to 50 percent of torque to be transferred to the rear axle.

The NX’s fuel economy was decent, with FWD models achieving 22 mpg city, 28 mpg highway, and 25 mpg combined, while AWD models had similar figures but slightly lower combined efficiency at 24 mpg. The NX also featured an adaptive-suspension system for a smooth and comfortable driving experience, though its steering lacked feedback. The NX offered three drive modes—Eco, Normal, and Sport—each influencing throttle response and power-steering assist.

The 2020 Honda CR-V excelled in interior space and clever storage solutions. Its cabin was roomy, with excellent head- and legroom for both front and rear passengers. The center console featured a deep well with a sliding cover, inspired by the Odyssey minivan, providing ample storage space. The rear offered a two-position load floor, allowing for 75.8 cubic feet of cargo space with the seats folded. Even the door pockets were spacious, making the CR-V highly practical for everyday use.

The 2021 Lexus NX boasted an upscale interior with comfortable front seats and adequate legroom for rear passengers. Heated and ventilated seats were available, and the rear seats offered a 60/40 split-folding configuration. However, the NX’s cargo space was limited, with just 17.7 cubic feet behind the second row and 54.6 cubic feet with the seats folded. The NX featured a power liftgate with kick sensor technology and optional power-folding rear seats.

The 2020 Honda CR-V’s infotainment system showed its age, with a standard 5-inch screen on the LX trim offering limited features like Bluetooth and Pandora compatibility. Higher trims featured a 7-inch touchscreen, which still felt small compared to competitors. The system lacked hard buttons, making it challenging to operate, and even Apple CarPlay and Android Auto integration felt tacked on. However, the CR-V did offer plenty of USB ports in higher trims, with two in the front and two high-powered ports in the backseat. The Touring trim added a wireless phone charger for 2020.

The 2021 Lexus NX featured an 8-inch touchscreen as standard, with a 10.3-inch screen available in the Navigation package, which included predictive traffic information and fuel station guidance. New for 2021, the system added HomeLink and Lexus Enform Destination Assist. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto were standard, though the Lexus infotainment system was not user-friendly, relying on a touchpad. Other standard features included keyless entry, dual-zone automatic climate control, Bluetooth, a USB port, HD Radio, and a WiFi hotspot. The NX also offered a moonroof, heated steering wheel, and various audio system upgrades, including a Mark Levinson 14-speaker system.

The 2020 Honda CR-V came standard with the “Honda Sensing” system, including forward-collision warning with automatic emergency braking, pedestrian detection, road-departure mitigation, and adaptive cruise control with lane-keeping assist. Automatic high beams were standard, while blind-spot monitoring and cross-traffic monitoring were available on EX trims and above. The CR-V earned five stars from NHTSA and a Top Safety Pick designation from IIHS, with the Touring model’s LED headlights improving nighttime visibility.

The 2021 Lexus NX included Lexus Safety System+ 2.0 as standard, featuring a rearview camera, lane-departure warning, lane-keep assist, traffic-sign recognition, automatic high beams, forward-collision warning, automatic emergency braking, pedestrian detection, and adaptive cruise control. Blind-spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert were also standard. Optional safety features included park assist, a surround-view camera system, and adaptive headlights. The NX received top scores from IIHS and a five-star overall rating from NHTSA, with no recalls reported.