Compare the2026 Honda CR-VVS 2026 BMW X1

For enhanced safety, the front and rear seat shoulder belts of the Honda CR-V have pretensioners to tighten the seatbelts and eliminate dangerous slack in the event of a collision. The BMW X1 doesn’t offer pretensioners for its rear seat belts.

For enhanced safety, the front seat shoulder belts of the Honda CR-V are height-adjustable to accommodate a wide variety of driver and passenger heights. A better fit can prevent injuries and the increased comfort also encourages passengers to buckle up. The BMW X1 doesn’t offer height-adjustable seat belts.

Using vehicle speed sensors and seat sensors, smart airbags in the CR-V deploy with different levels of force or don’t deploy at all to help better protect passengers of all sizes in different collisions. The CR-V’s side airbags will shut off if a child is leaning against the door. The X1’s side airbags don’t have smart features and will always deploy full force.

In a Vehicle-to-Vehicle Frontal Crash Prevention 2.0 test conducted by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), the Honda CR-V achieved a “Acceptable” rating - the second highest possible - for its performance in forward collision warning and automatic braking systems, demonstrating its excellent capabilities in preventing collisions. The BMW X1 has not been tested.

Both the CR-V and the X1 have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front and rear side-impact airbags, driver and front passenger knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, rearview cameras, driver alert monitors, available all-wheel drive, blind spot warning systems, rear parking sensors and rear cross-path warning.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does 35 MPH front crash tests on new vehicles. In this test, results indicate that the Honda CR-V is safer than the BMW X1:

	CR-V	X1
	Driver
STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
HIC	211	223
Neck Injury Risk	17.1%	35.1%
Neck Stress	181 lbs.	299 lbs.
Neck Compression	48 lbs.	77 lbs.
Leg Forces (l/r)	217/317 lbs.	363/373 lbs.

New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does side impact tests on new vehicles. In this test, which crashes the vehicle into a flat barrier at 38.5 MPH and into a post at 20 MPH, results indicate that the Honda CR-V is safer than the BMW X1:

	CR-V	X1
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	72	77
Chest Movement	.8 inches	.8 inches
Abdominal Force	115 lbs.	142 lbs.
	Rear Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	71	102
Hip Force	613 lbs.	676 lbs.
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Max Damage Depth	12 inches	14 inches

New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.

Side impacts caused 23% of all road fatalities in 2018, down from 29% in 2003, when the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety introduced its side barrier test. In order to continue improving vehicle safety, the IIHS has started using a more severe side impact test: 37 MPH (up from 31 MPH), with a 4180-pound barrier (up from 3300 pounds). The results of this newly developed test demonstrates that the Honda CR-V is safer than the X1:

	CR-V	X1
Overall Evaluation	GOOD	GOOD
Structure	GOOD	GOOD
	Driver Injury Measures
Head/Neck	GOOD	GOOD
Head Peak Forces	no contact	48 G’s
Neck Tension	178 lbs.	201 lbs.
Neck Compression	45 lbs.	67 lbs.
Shoulder Deflection	.91 in	.94 in
Shoulder Force	201 lbs.	245 lbs.
Torso Deflection Rate	7 MPH	7 MPH
Head Protection	GOOD	ACCEPTABLE
	Passenger Injury Measures
Head/Neck	GOOD	GOOD
Head Injury Criterion	119	173
Neck Tension	45 lbs.	134 lbs.
Neck Compression	89 lbs.	201 lbs.
Torso	GOOD	GOOD
Shoulder Force	223 lbs.	245 lbs.
Torso Max Deflection	1.06 in	1.14 in
Pelvis	GOOD	ACCEPTABLE
Pelvis Force	759 lbs.	959 lbs.
Head Protection	GOOD	GOOD

Instrumented handling tests conducted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and analysis of its dimensions indicate that the CR-V is 1.9% less likely to roll over than the X1.

Honda’s powertrain warranty covers the CR-V 1 year and 10,000 miles longer than BMW covers the X1. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 5 years or 60,000 miles. Coverage on the X1 ends after only 4 years or 50,000 miles.

There are over 3 times as many Honda dealers as there are BMW dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the CR-V’s warranty.

A reliable vehicle saves its owner time, money and trouble. Nobody wants to be stranded or have to be without a vehicle while it’s being repaired. Consumer Reports rates the Honda CR-V Hybrid’s reliability 14 points higher than the X1 and the Honda CR-V is rated 20 points higher than the X1.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2025 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Honda vehicles are better in initial quality than BMW vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Honda above average in initial quality. With 17 more problems per 100 vehicles, BMW is rated below average.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ March 2025 Auto Issue reports that Honda vehicles are more reliable than BMW vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Honda fourth in overall reliability. BMW is ranked 8th.

On the EPA test cycle the CR-V gets better mileage than the X1:

			MPG
CR-V
	FWD	2.0 4-cyl. Hybrid	43 city/36 hwy
		1.5 turbo 4-cyl.	28 city/33 hwy
	AWD	2.0 4-cyl. Hybrid	40 city/34 hwy
		TrailSport 2.0 4-cyl. Hybrid	38 city/33 hwy
		1.5 turbo 4-cyl.	27 city/31 hwy
X1
	AWD	xDrive28i 2.0 turbo 4-cyl.	25 city/34 hwy
		M35i 2.0 turbo 4-cyl.	24 city/32 hwy

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Honda CR-V uses regular unleaded gasoline (premium recommended with the 1.5 turbo 4-cylinder engine for maximum performance). The X1 M35i xDrive requires premium, which can cost on average about 84.9 cents more per gallon.

The CR-V has a standard cap-less fueling system. The fuel filler is automatically opened when the fuel nozzle is inserted and automatically closed when it’s removed. This eliminates the need to unscrew and replace the cap and it reduces fuel evaporation, which causes pollution. The X1 doesn’t offer a cap-less fueling system.

The CR-V has a standard continuously variable transmission (CVT). With no “steps” between gears, it can keep the engine at the most efficient speed for fuel economy, or keep it at its peak horsepower indefinitely for maximum acceleration. The X1 doesn’t offer a CVT.

The CR-V stops shorter than the X1:

	CR-V	X1
70 to 0 MPH	163 feet	167 feet	Car and Driver
60 to 0 MPH	118 feet	119 feet	Motor Trend

For better traction, the CR-V has larger tires than the X1 (235/60R18 vs. 225/55R18).

For better handling and stability, the average track (width between the wheels) on the CR-V is 1.1 inches wider in the front and 1.8 inches wider in the rear than the average track on the X1.

For better maneuverability, the CR-V Hybrid’s turning circle is 1.4 feet tighter than the X1’s (37 feet vs. 38.4 feet). The CR-V 1.5T’s turning circle is 1.1 feet tighter than the X1’s (37.3 feet vs. 38.4 feet).

For greater off-road capability the CR-V has a greater minimum ground clearance than the X1 (8.2 vs. 8.1 inches), allowing the CR-V to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged.

The Honda CR-V may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs up to about 300 pounds less than the BMW X1.

The CR-V uses computer-generated active noise cancellation to help remove annoying noise and vibration from the passenger compartment, especially at low frequencies. The X1 doesn’t offer active noise cancellation.

The CR-V has .9 inches more front legroom, 1.8 inches more front shoulder room, 4 inches more rear legroom and .8 inches more rear shoulder room than the X1.

The CR-V has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat up than the X1 with its rear seat up (39.3 vs. 25.7 cubic feet). The CR-V has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat folded than the X1 with its rear seat folded (76.5 vs. 57.2 cubic feet).

J.D. Power and Associates surveys of service recipients show that Honda service is better than BMW. J.D. Power ranks Honda 7th in service department satisfaction (above the industry average). With a 5% lower rating, BMW is ranked 10th.

To improve rear visibility by keeping the rear window clear, the CR-V has a standard rear fixed intermittent wiper with a full on position. The rear wiper standard on the X1 only has an intermittent setting, so in a hard rain visibility isn’t as good.

The CR-V’s standard side window demisters help clear frost or condensation from the side windows in the winter. The X1 doesn’t even offer side window demisters, so the driver may have to wipe the windows from the outside to gain side vision.

To shield the driver and front passenger’s vision over a larger portion of the windshield and side windows, the CR-V has standard extendable sun visors. The X1 doesn’t offer extendable visors.

The CR-V is available in both front-wheel drive and four-wheel drive configurations. The X1 doesn’t offer a two-wheel drive configuration.

According to iSeeCars.com the 2026 Honda CR-V retains 61.29% to 65.48% of its original value after 5 years, significantly more than the 49.64% resale value of the 2026 BMW X1 after five years, which can save the Honda’s owner up to $10881 in depreciation.

Consumer Reports® recommends both the Honda CR-V and the BMW X1, based on reliability, safety and performance.

The CR-V was chosen as a Car and Driver’s “5Best Trucks/10Best” for 2025 and 5 more times in the last 25 years. The X1 hasn’t been picked since 2019, and the X1 has only been chosen 3 times.

The Honda CR-V outsold the BMW X1 by almost 15 to one during 2025.