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Identifying the First-Gen Ford Mustang2024 Jeep Compass vs Kia Sportage
The Jeep Compass is a rugged-looking SUV that’ll go most places. The Kia Sportage is a value-focused crossover with dapper styling. We tell you which is better.
Jeep Compass takes on Kia’s matured Sportage
In the highly competitive compact crossover segment, the Jeep Compass and Kia Sportage gather several fans. They each have their own niche and their own character, and each made our list of the top ten compact SUVs of 2024. At the same time, they offer similar pricing, similar fuel economy, and a lot of technology. Today, we’re going to break them down even further and find out which is best. It’s time for the Jeep Compass and Kia Sportage to go head-to-head.
Specs
The Kia Sportage came out all the way back in 1995 and today, it remains one of the brand’s most well-known models. It starts at $28,415 and can cost north of $45,000 depending on options. The base powertrain is a 2.5-liter four-cylinder that makes 187 horsepower and 178 lb-ft of torque. It’ll get up to 25 mpg in the city and 32 on the highway with its eight-speed gearbox.
It’s also available in two hybrid flavors starting with a traditional hybrid that makes 226 horsepower. It leverages a six-speed automatic transmission and, like the gas-only version, is available with front or all-wheel drive. It’ll get up to 42 mpg in the city and 44 on the highway. Finally, a plug-in hybrid is also available but comes standard with all-wheel drive, 261 horsepower, and up to 34 miles of all-electric range. It gets 36 mpg in the city and 35 on the highway.
The Jeep Compass offers a decidedly simpler lineup that kicks off at $29,995 and reaches as high as $37,990. It comes standard with all-wheel drive and a 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine that makes 200 horsepower and 221 lb-ft of torque. That force gets to the wheels via an eight-speed automatic gearbox. The entire package achieves up to 24 mpg in the city and 32 on the highway. Notably, Jeep offers the Trailhawk trim, a more off-road-focused version of its AWD system on the Compass with a simulated crawling gear.
Driving and Performance
Driving the Sportage is about as easy as pouring a glass of milk. It’s simple, straightforward, and a bit bland overall. The gas-only engine is decidedly down on power compared to everything else here, but the experience is a smooth one which we appreciate. The steering and pedals are responsive and communicative enough but far from what we’d call sharp. As one might expect, the hybrid versions offer a bit more engagement. The traditional hybrid, with its six-speed gearbox, feels faster right out of the box. The PHEV powertrain is the quickest, with a 0-60 mph time of just under seven seconds.
The Jeep Compass manages the same feat in about 7.5 seconds despite being way down on power compared to all but the gas-only Kia. That’s impressive and is no-doubt bolstered by the 221 lb-ft of torque that it arrives with. It’s also sharper, albeit not a performance vehicle, than the Kia when driving around bends. Some of that likely is how much lighter (hundreds of pounds) it is than the hybrid Sportage options. In addition, it has some decent off-road chops for such an on-road-focused model. If we’re picking the winner solely based on driving engagement, it’s the Jeep every time.
Comfort and Interior
Where the Sportage really shines is in the cabin. Sure, the exterior might be super sharp and futuristic, but the interior is plush, comfortable, and relaxing. The dash splits the visual field for occupants in the front seats. It’s wide but low and unobtrusive. The seats throughout the cabin are supportive and nicely bolstered for lateral grip. The infotainment system and gauge cluster are integrated screens in most Sportage models.
They look great and offer excellent experience. At the same time, the Sportage is far from perfect. As we pointed out in our main review of the car, it doesn’t feel as premium as other Kia and Hyundai products. That’s not to say that it feels cheap, but the pricing feels less like a huge value and more of an appropriate figure given the materials. It offers just under 40 cubic feet of cargo space in the back.
The Jeep Compass feels smaller inside because it just is. For example, it comes with just 27.2 cubic feet of storage space in the trunk and while you can technically transport five people in it, just like the Kia, they’ll be more cramped. The front seats are the best place to be by some margin. The dash and door cards appear more luxurious than the price tag would suggest. Jeep integrates the infotainment system, gauge cluster, and climate controls beautifully.
Jeep also offers some great optional features like self-parking technology, a panoramic sunroof, and a nine-speaker sound system. Again, like this Kia, this isn’t a perfect cabin. We like the seating but don’t love it. The rear seats are especially flat and that can get uncomfortable over long distances, never mind the lack of lateral support for corners.
Trims and Features
The Sportage is available in eight trims starting with the LX. It’s configurable with gas or hybrid engine and 17-inch wheels, LED exterior lighting, and an 8-inch infotainment system. The EX comes next and adds 18-inch wheels, heated mirrors, dual-zone climate control, and a 12.3-inch infotainment system.
Above that is the X-Line with either the gas-only engine or the PHEV option. It also has 19-inch wheels, standard all-wheel drive, and a locking center differential. Then there’s the SX which is a gas-only trim. It comes with 18-inch wheels, a panoramic sunroof, a 12.3-inch digital gauge cluster, and eight speakers. The SX Prestige opens up the optional hybrid engine and adds 19-inch wheels, premium faux leather upholstery, ventilated front seats, and a surround-view camera system
Then there are the X-Pro trims starting with the base version that gets the gas-only engine, 17-inch wheels, all-terrain tires, multi-terrain driving modes, a heated steering wheel, and alloy pedal covers. The X-Pro Prestige combines those features with the luxury items from the SX Prestige trim. Then, the top trim, the X-Line Prestige comes only as a PHEV with the same top-notch content from the other Prestige trims.
Jeep offers the Compass in five trims starting with the Sport. It gets 17-inch wheels, heated mirrors, and a 10.1-inch infotainment system. Next is the Latitude with remote start, fog lights, faux-leather upholstery, and automatic high beams. The Latitude Lux includes 18-inch wheels, a power-adjustable driver’s seat, and heated front seats.
Consider the Limited trim as the luxury-focused one as it gets dual-zone automatic climate control, ambient interior lighting, and adaptive cruise control. Finally, the Trailhawk includes the fancy AWD system mentioned above, underbody skid plates, all-terrain tires, and hill descent control.
The Verdict
The Jeep Compass is by far the most enjoyable vehicle to drive in this competition. Beyond that though, the Kia Sportage offers a lot more for the money. Buyers can choose from three powertrains, front or all-wheel drive, and they get more interior space too. In fact, it’s features like these that made us call it out in our full review of the Compass. On top of all that, the Kia comes with a five-year bumper-to-bumper warranty and 10 years of powertrain coverage. The Jeep is good, but the Kia is better.
