2019 Volvo XC40 vs 2019 Subaru Forester

If any brand is experiencing a revival in terms of both form and function, it's Volvo. The Swedish automaker is experiencing a renaissance, delivering new cars that are not only breathtaking to look at inside and out, but that also provide fantastic technology, safety, and performance.

Volvo was once the Safety Brand, but with the advent of advanced safety technology, many other brands have caught up. Volvo has found its niche in high fashion, backed by continually improving safety technology that rivals the best in the world.

This recent trend started with the XC90 SUV and was followed by the V90 wagon. These are world-class vehicles, but they also fetch high prices.

Enter the 2019 Volvo XC40. It scales down much of what makes those high-end models so great, offering it in a (comparatively) more affordable subcompact SUV package. The XC40 offers ingenious cargo solutions, incredibly advanced technology, and even a new way to go about car ownership. Is that enough to make it stand out compared to other subcompact SUVs? Read on to find out.

Consumers are hungry for all-weather capability, plenty of space for passengers, and plenty of space for the gear that comes with those passengers. Crossovers can offer all of this, while also providing solid fuel economy. So, it makes sense that crossovers of different sizes and price ranges are dominating the new car market. Nearly every automaker out there today offers at least one, if not multiple crossovers, in their showrooms.

But while this is a new trend for some brands, Subaru has been offering multiple vehicles that fit the crossover formula for decades.

In particular, the Subaru Forester has been around since 1997. When it arrived, the Forester provided standard all-wheel drive, reasonable fuel economy, plenty of cargo space, and an affordable base price. It was not the first vehicle to come standard with all-wheel drive—that would be the AMC Eagle of the 1970s. But the AMC brand is no more, and the '97 Forester offered all these attributes while also being incredibly reliable, and thus set the blueprint for the modern crossover craze.

The modern compact SUV market includes popular vehicles like the Honda CR-V, Toyota RAV4, Mazda CX-5, Volkswagen Tiguan, and more. With all these rivals, can the all-new 2019 Subaru Forester once again set the curve in this segment?