2021 Jeep Wrangler vs 2021 Honda CR-V

The Jeep Wrangler is an icon. Sports cars like the Ford Mustang and Chevrolet Corvette may often be described as icons, but they can’t hold a candle to the Wrangler’s bona fides. It harkens back to the original Willys Jeep and has evolved through the years to be an instantly recognizable fixture of the American motoring landscape.

What makes this all the more incredible is how the industry has changed through the years. The best-selling SUVs on the market are all based on car platforms, and emphasize efficiency and comfort. Yet the rugged, comparatively inefficient Wrangler, which also rides like a truck, is still popular.

Part of that comes from being different from everyone else, but another part is Jeep’s commitment to continually update the Wrangler to meet the demands of its buyers. The four-door 2021 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited accomplishes both, by now offering a Wrangler 4xe plug-in hybrid (changing with the times) and a potent Hemi V8 (beating to its own drum). Both powertrains are exclusive to the four-door Wrangler; neither is available with the two-door Wrangler body style.

Even in a grim year, Honda is selling a staggering number of CR-Vs. The CR-V is the best-selling Honda by far. It’s also the second best-selling compact SUV, just behind the Toyota RAV4. And it's the fifth best-selling vehicle in the U.S., and if you take out all the commercial sales of full-size pickups it’s one of the two best-selling vehicles year in and year out.

So it’s hard to argue against the CR-V formula. Honda’s been at this almost as long as crossovers have been a thing, launching the CR-V in 1997—a year after the RAV4 debuted.

The funny thing is, aside from sales volume, there’s only one thing the CR-V particularly excels at. Aesthetics are subjective, but it would be hard to argue the CR-V is the best looking vehicle in its class. It’s not the cheapest. It’s not the best equipped, especially at the middle to lower trim levels. It’s not the fastest, nor is it the quietest, or the most fuel efficient. It’s not even the most reliable, showing up nowhere in J.D. Power's Most Reliable list.

So what makes it so appealing to American consumers? Let’s see if we can figure that out.