Can you compare an SUV like the Honda CR-V and a sedan like the Accord? If brand loyalty means anything, a comparison can be made. Is there a reason drivers purchase the CR-V over the Honda Accord? At first glance, the CR-V has a slight edge in safety, and it offers more trims.

Honda CR-V and Accord sales numbers

According to GoodCarBadCar, the Honda Accord sold 267,567 units in 2019 and 199,458 units in 2020. Thus far, in 2021, the Accord has sold 46,591 units. For the CR-V, the popular SUV sold 384,168 units in 2019 and 323,502 units in 2020. In 2021, the CR-V has sold 93,766 units.

If we are only looking at the sales numbers, it is clear the CR-V is more popular. Perhaps drivers are more interested in a larger car like the CR-V, and the Accord is too small.

If we look at the prices, the two are only $380 apart for the two base trims (more on that later). Both automobiles have room for five passengers and offer enough cargo space for most situations.

Consumer Reports recommends both Hondas

Consumer Reports gave the 2021 Honda CR-V an overall score of 82. On the list of compact sport utility vehicles, the CR-V ranked at number three overall. The predicted reliability came in at a four out of five, which is still an excellent score.

The CR-V has many standard safety features like forward collision warning, emergency braking, pedestrian detection, and lane departure. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) gave the SUV five out of five stars for the overall crash, frontal crash, and side crash ratings.

The one area that fell short was the frontal-crash rating for the passenger. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) rated the crash and rollover tests “good” throughout.

For the Accord, Consumer Reports gave the midsize car an overall score of 84. It came in second out of 11 other midsize cars on the list. The Accord has all of the same standard safety features but scored better in some areas.

The routine handling and emergency handling both scored four out of five. The crash ratings from the NHTSA were all five stars. This includes all of the frontal-crash, side-crash, and pole-crash options. From the IIHS, all of the crash and rollover tests were also rated “good.”

What’s the price difference?

The 2021 Honda CR-V LX starts at $25,350 and gets 28 miles per gallon in the city and 34 on the highway. The EX starts at $27,860 and has Apple CarPlay, blind-spot monitoring, and dual-zone climate control.

There is also an EX-L version that starts at $30,450 and a Touring trim priced at $33,650. All of these have upgraded features to set the trim apart.

The starting MSRP for the 2021 Honda Accord is $24,970. According to Honda, the mileage is 38 miles on the highway and 30 in the city. There is also a hybrid Accord option priced at $26,570. This option gets 48 miles per gallon in the city and on the highway.

Overall, there isn’t much of a discernible difference between the two. One is a reliable and reasonably priced SUV, and the other is a reasonably priced sedan.