2021 Jeep Wrangler 4xe vs 2022 Honda Odyssey

The 2022 Honda Odyssey was a minivan that consistently appealed to families due to its practical design and features. Its sliding side doors made it easy to load children into car seats, even in tight parking spaces, and its spacious third-row seating comfortably accommodated additional passengers like grandparents or carpoolers. The Odyssey also offered significant cargo space, rivaling that of larger SUVs when the seats were folded down or removed. Despite its utilitarian design, the Odyssey managed to maintain a sense of style, particularly in the Elite trim with its dark gray 19-inch aluminum wheels and quality interior materials.

In contrast, the 2021 Jeep Wrangler 4xe was notable for its rugged appearance and unique hybrid powertrain. The vehicle's design was largely similar to the traditional Wrangler, with the addition of a power port and blue accents to signify its hybrid nature. The Wrangler 4xe was equipped with a turbocharged four-cylinder engine and electric motors, allowing for silent electric driving when the battery was charged. Inside, the Wrangler maintained its classic, utilitarian look, with some modern touches like blue stitching and special gauges for the hybrid system. Despite its off-road capabilities, the Wrangler 4xe offered a comfortable ride for passengers, though its cargo space was somewhat limited due to the hybrid components.

The 2022 Honda Odyssey was powered by a 3.5-liter V6 engine, producing 280 horsepower and 262 pound-feet of torque. It featured a front-wheel-drive system and a 10-speed automatic transmission. While it lacked the all-wheel-drive and hybrid options available in some competitors, the Odyssey delivered a respectable EPA fuel economy estimate of 22 mpg in combined driving. During testing, the Odyssey averaged 22.6 mpg on a varied driving route. The minivan was praised for its responsive handling and quick acceleration, though its brakes were noted to heat up and vibrate during extended downhill driving.

The 2021 Jeep Wrangler 4xe combined a turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine with two electric motors and a 17-kilowatt-hour battery pack, offering a total of 375 horsepower and 470 pound-feet of torque. The Wrangler 4xe could travel an estimated 21 miles on electric power alone, with a combined efficiency rating of 49 MPGe. In hybrid mode, it achieved 20 mpg combined, with a total driving range of 370 miles. The Wrangler 4xe featured three powertrain modes: Hybrid, Electric, and e-Save, allowing drivers to optimize performance based on their needs. The vehicle's off-road capabilities were enhanced by its upgraded four-wheel-drive system and electronic lockers, making it a versatile choice for adventurous drivers.

The 2022 Honda Odyssey offered a spacious and versatile interior, with easy access due to its low ride height and wide-opening doors. The Elite trim featured quality leather seats with power adjustments, heating, and ventilation, as well as a tri-zone climate control system. The Odyssey's Magic Slide second-row seats provided flexibility for families, allowing for easy access to the third row or improved safety in side-impact collisions. The minivan boasted 32.8 cubic feet of cargo space behind the third row, expanding to 144.9 cubic feet with the seats removed, making it ideal for family road trips.

The 2021 Jeep Wrangler 4xe required some effort to enter and exit due to its high door sills and lack of side steps. Once inside, passengers found the Wrangler comfortable, with a high driving position and clear visibility. The interior featured manual seat height adjusters, heated front seats, and a heated steering wheel. However, storage space was limited due to the center console's design. The Wrangler 4xe offered 27.7 cubic feet of cargo space behind the rear seats, with a maximum of 72.4 cubic feet when the seats were folded down. The vehicle's design included a swing-out tailgate and flip-up rear glass window, adding to its rugged charm.

The 2022 Honda Odyssey Elite was equipped with a range of technology features, though its infotainment system was considered outdated compared to competitors. Starting with the EX trim, the Odyssey included an 8-inch touchscreen, satellite radio, Apple CarPlay, and Android Auto. Higher trims added navigation, WiFi hotspot access, and CabinWatch and CabinTalk systems for monitoring and communicating with rear-seat passengers. The rear-seat entertainment system featured a 10.2-inch display, but it was seen as behind the times. The Elite trim added a premium audio system and wireless charging pad, but the overall infotainment experience was underwhelming.

The 2021 Jeep Wrangler 4xe Rubicon featured a Uconnect infotainment system with an 8.4-inch touchscreen, Bluetooth connectivity, Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, and navigation. The system was intuitive but showed signs of aging in terms of load time and responsiveness. The Wrangler 4xe also included helpful features like a Trip Summary data panel and charging indicator lights. The Alpine sound system provided good audio quality, though wind noise on the freeway could be a challenge. Overall, the Wrangler's technology package was comprehensive but in need of an update to the latest Uconnect 5 system.

The 2022 Honda Odyssey was well-equipped with safety features, including the Honda Sensing suite, which offered adaptive cruise control, forward-collision warning, automatic emergency braking, lane-departure warning, and lane-keeping assist. The Odyssey also included automatic high-beam headlights and a rear-seat reminder system. However, the Honda Sensing system was noted for its lack of refinement, with some features responding too sharply or issuing invalid warnings. The Odyssey received a five-star overall rating from the NHTSA and a Top Safety Pick+ rating from the IIHS.

The 2021 Jeep Wrangler 4xe offered advanced driving assistance systems through the Safety Group and Advanced Safety Group packages. These included blind-spot warning, rear cross-traffic warning, adaptive cruise control, and forward-collision warning. The Wrangler's LED headlights were rated Marginal by the IIHS, while its standard headlights received a Poor rating. The Wrangler earned a four-star frontal-impact rating from the NHTSA but had a Marginal rating for small-overlap frontal-impact protection for the driver from the IIHS, with the vehicle tipping over in some tests.