2019 Honda Pilot vs 2020 Jeep Wrangler

The 3-row crossover is the king of family vehicles. Sure, minivans remain a popular choice for large families, but there has been a pendulum swing from the days of blocky old Dodge Caravans to now. Having one or two children does not immediately necessitate a minivan, and there are plenty of useful, capable, and more nimble SUVs from which to choose.

The 2019 Honda Pilot stands as one of the cornerstones of this 3-row SUV market. It’s large, versatile, and designed specifically with families in mind. It may not have the sliding doors or built-in vacuum of the Honda Odyssey, but for active families, a vehicle like this truly rivals a minivan in actual usability.

The Pilot joined the SUV market in the early 2000s, at the height of the SUV craze and in the waning days of the minivan’s rule. With plenty of cabin space, moderate ability to get off the beaten trail, and V6 power, the Pilot was perfectly positioned for rising fuel prices later in the decade. As many consumers ditched their traditional truck-based SUVs to save on fuel, the Pilot only grew in popularity.

The Pilot is now in its third generation, having received a mild refresh for 2019 that includes slightly updated front and rear styling. It also receives an updated infotainment system and, more importantly, it brings the Honda Sensing suite of driver-assistance features as standard equipment.

It’s hard to find a car with better brand recognition than Jeep's Wrangler. It is an American 4x4 icon, with military roots and millions of miles of trails traversed. As awesome as Jeeps are, they require one caveat: They are not very efficient. This has become more glaring as the rest of the industry works to improve fuel economy. Jeep has made incremental improvements in the past several years, with mild hybrids and turbocharged 4-cylinder engines, but these setups still don‘t get much better than V8-level fuel economy.

So for 2020, Jeep offers a new diesel engine in the Wrangler Unlimited. Read on to learn if this new engine actually improves the Wrangler’s fuel economy. And if not, does the Wrangler Unlimited do other things well enough to make up for its fuel thirstiness?