2019 Volvo XC40 vs 2020 Jeep Wrangler

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.

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?