2018 Honda CR-V Prices: MSRP vs Dealer Invoice vs True Dealer Cost w/ Holdback

After being fully redesigned for 2017, there was not much left to tweak on the 2018 Honda CR-V. Last year, Honda went all-out on making a massive amount of necessary changes to the CR-V and gave us a fantastic compact SUV. This vehicle is well-behaved on any road surface, provides an ample amount of interior creature comforts, and is the pinnacle of utility with its plentitude of small item storage spaces and best-in-class cargo space (39.2 feet with all seats in place, which blows all other compact SUVs out of the water).

What's New For 2018?

As the CR-V was redesigned for 2017, changes to the 2018 Honda CR-V were minimal. The most noticeable differences are the 1.5 inches of extra ground clearance and extended wheelbase, which keeps in line with Honda's new global platform design.

Available Styles

The 2018 Honda CR-V comes exclusively as a compact SUV. This places the CR-V above the crossover HR-V and below the midsize Pilot SUV.

Available Trims

There are four different trim levels available for the Honda CR-V. The base LX trim comes with a 2.4-L 4-cylinder engine that generates 184 hp and 180 lb-ft of torque. It features 17-inch alloy wheels, automatic climate control, and a 5-inch LCD touchscreen display. The next level up is the EX trim, which has a stronger 4-cylinder turbocharged engine that is able to get 190 hp and 179 lb-ft of torque. The EX-L has more power adjustment abilities, chic leather upholstery, and an 8-speaker sound system that includes HD radio. The line-topping trim is the Touring, which features a hands-free power liftgate, subwoofer, navigation, and rooftop rails.

Driving Impressions

The 1.5-L 4-cylinder engine that comes in the CR-V is surprisingly powerful and provides this SUV with an unexpectedly good amount of get-up-and-go power. The CR-V can easily navigate slower city roads or high-speed highway stretches. The brakes provide a lot of peace-of-mind for drivers and respond with ease to soft and hard stops. In fact, the CR-V comes to a stop from 60 mph in 116 feet, which is more than adequate for a vehicle in its class. Steering and handling both feel natural and precise, providing a lot of stability at high speeds and keeping body roll to a bare-bones minimum. With the extra 1.5 inches of ground clearance, the CR-V can handle difficult road surfaces and a little bit of mild off-roading. If you opt for an all-wheel drive version, you get a 8.2 inches of ground clearance, which makes driving down dirt roads a breeze. The only downfall is that hill descent control is not an available feature on the CR-V.

Fuel Economy

As is typical of a Honda vehicle, the 2018 Honda CR-V gets a decent fuel economy. The best fuel economy you can get is from the 1.5-L engine with front-wheel drive, which will garner you 30 mpg combined (28 mpg city and 34 mpg highway). The all-wheel drive configurations drop slightly, landing them at 29 mpg combined (27 mpg city and 33 mpg highway). If you opt for the LX, the 2.4-L inline-4 engine will get you 28 mpg combined (26 mpg city and 32 mpg highway) on the front-wheel drive and 27 mpg combined (25 mpg city and 31 mpg highway) on the all-wheel drive. Regardless of which configuration you choose, these are some pretty good numbers for a vehicle in this class.

The 2018 Honda CR-V provides you with a solid and secure performance regardless of which configuration you buy. The ride is smooth and only occasionally impaired by the usual road noise you get with Hondas. Overall, the CR-V is worthy of taking out for a spin before settling on which compact SUV you wish to purchase.

How to Calculate The Dealer Cost of a Honda CR-V

Formula for Calculating Dealer Cost:

• Example: Base Honda CR-V invoice price + the dealer Invoice price of all the options + destination - Holdback = Total Dealer Cost.
• What is Holdback? A hidden amount that manufacturers give back to a dealer. It is a percentage of the MSRP or the Invoice price.

Total Dealer Cost - Rebate and Incentive + Taxes / Licensing Fees = True Dealer Cost. (You can get rebates and incentives here)

Note: All Honda CR-V MSRP, invoice and dealer cost dollar figures above are approximate amounts. Prices are subject to change without notice.

A note about rebates: Most rebates are subtracted from the "on the road" figure. In most cases, you can have the rebate if you are arranging your own financing or you are paying cash. If you decide to use the manufacturer’s low interest financing, you do not usually get the rebate. Ask your dealer for details.