Compare the2023 Ford Escape FHEVVS 2023 Jeep Compass

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Fuel Economy and Range
Environmental Friendliness
Transmission
Brakes and Stopping
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Chassis
Passenger Space
Cargo Capacity
Towing
Ergonomics
Model Availability
Economic Advantages
Recommendations

Safety

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For enhanced safety, the front and rear seat shoulder belts of the Ford Escape FHEV have pretensioners to tighten the seatbelts and eliminate dangerous slack in the event of a collision and force limiters to limit the pressure the belts will exert on the passengers. The Jeep Compass doesn’t offer pretensioners for its rear seat belts.

The Escape FHEV has standard Post Collision Braking, which automatically apply the brakes in the event of a crash to help prevent secondary collisions and prevent further injuries. The Compass doesn’t offer a post collision braking system: in the event of a collision that triggers the airbags, more collisions are possible without the protection of airbags that may have already deployed.

Over 200 people are killed each year when backed over by motor vehicles. The Escape FHEV offers an optional Reverse Brake Assist that uses rear sensors to monitor for objects to the rear and automatically applies the brakes to prevent a collision. The Compass doesn’t offer backup collision prevention brakes.

Both the Escape FHEV and Compass have rear cross-traffic warning, but the Escape FHEV offers optional Cross Traffic Braking (automatically applies the brakes) to better prevent a collision when backing near traffic. The Compass’ Rear Cross Path Detection doesn’t automatically brake.

Both the Escape FHEV and the Compass have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, height adjustable front shoulder belts, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras, rear cross-path warning, driver alert monitors, available all wheel drive and around view monitors.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does 35 MPH front crash tests on new vehicles. In this test, results indicate that the Ford Escape FHEV is safer than the Jeep Compass:

	Escape FHEV	Compass
OVERALL STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
	Driver
STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
HIC	143	196
Neck Injury Risk	22.5%	41%
Neck Stress	185 lbs.	445 lbs.
Neck Compression	23 lbs.	38 lbs.
Leg Forces (l/r)	188/315 lbs.	326/489 lbs.
	Passenger
STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
HIC	102	172
Chest Compression	.5 inches	.8 inches
Neck Stress	181 lbs.	235 lbs.
Neck Compression	58 lbs.	92 lbs.
Leg Forces (l/r)	220/169 lbs.	299/387 lbs.

New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does side impact tests on new vehicles. In this test, which crashes the vehicle into a flat barrier at 38.5 MPH and into a post at 20 MPH, results indicate that the Ford Escape FHEV is safer than the Jeep Compass:

	Escape FHEV	Compass
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Hip Force	240 lbs.	335 lbs.
	Rear Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	97	101
Spine Acceleration	43 G’s	56 G’s
Hip Force	816 lbs.	928 lbs.
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Max Damage Depth	11 inches	12 inches
HIC	344	355
Spine Acceleration	32 G’s	39 G’s
Hip Force	462 lbs.	663 lbs.

New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.

Instrumented handling tests conducted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and analysis of its dimensions indicate that the Escape FHEV, with its four-star roll-over rating, is 3% to 3.5% less likely to roll over than the Compass, which received a three-star rating.

Warranty

There are over 25 percent more Ford dealers than there are Jeep dealers, which makes it easier should you ever need service under the Escape FHEV’s warranty.

Reliability

The Escape FHEV has a standard “limp home system” to keep drivers from being stranded if most or all of the engine’s coolant is lost. The engine will run on only half of its cylinders at a time, reduce its power and light a warning lamp on the dashboard so the driver can get to a service station for repairs. The Compass doesn’t offer a lost coolant limp home mode, so a coolant leak could strand you or seriously damage the truck’s engine.

A reliable vehicle saves its owner time, money and trouble. Nobody wants to be stranded or have to be without a vehicle while it’s being repaired. Consumer Reports rates the Escape FHEV’s reliability 12 points higher than the Compass.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Ford vehicles are better in initial quality than Jeep vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Ford above average in initial quality. With 32 more problems per 100 vehicles, Jeep is rated below average.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Ford vehicles are more reliable than Jeep vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Ford above average in long-term dependability. With 4 more problems per 100 vehicles in the first three years of ownership, Jeep is rated below average.

Fuel Economy and Range

On the EPA test cycle the Escape FHEV gets better mileage than the Compass:

			MPG
Escape FHEV
	FWD	2.5 4-cyl. Hybrid	42 city/36 hwy
	AWD	2.5 4-cyl. Hybrid	42 city/36 hwy
Compass
	AWD	2.0 turbo 4-cyl.	24 city/32 hwy

Regenerative brakes improve the Escape FHEV’s fuel efficiency by converting inertia back into energy instead of wasting it. The Compass doesn’t offer a regenerative braking system.

The Escape FHEV has a standard locking fuel door with a power remote release convenient to the driver The fuel filler door is not lockable on the Compass. A locking fuel door helps prevent fuel theft and vandalism, such as sugar in the tank.

Environmental Friendliness

In its Green Vehicle Guide, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rates the Ford Escape FHEV higher (8 out of 10) than the Jeep Compass (7). This means the Escape FHEV produces up to 5.5 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the Compass every 15,000 miles.

Transmission

The Escape FHEV has a standard continuously variable transmission (CVT). With no “steps” between gears, it can keep the engine at the most efficient speed for fuel economy, or keep it at its peak horsepower indefinitely for maximum acceleration. The Compass doesn’t offer a CVT.

Brakes and Stopping

For better stopping power the Escape FHEV’s brake rotors are larger than those on the Compass:

	Escape FHEV	Compass
Front Rotors	13 inches	12 inches
Rear Rotors	11.9 inches	10.95 inches

The Escape FHEV stops much shorter than the Compass:

	Escape FHEV	Compass
60 to 0 MPH	122 feet	144 feet	Motor Trend
60 to 0 MPH (Wet)	135 feet	151 feet	Consumer Reports

Tires and Wheels

For better traction, the Escape FHEV has larger tires than the Compass (225/65R17 vs. 215/65R17).

Suspension and Handling

The Escape FHEV has standard front and rear gas-charged shocks for better control over choppy roads. The Compass’ suspension doesn’t offer gas-charged shocks.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Escape FHEV’s wheelbase is 2.9 inches longer than on the Compass (106.7 inches vs. 103.8 inches).

For better handling and stability, the track (width between the wheels) on the Escape FHEV is 1.7 inches wider in the front and 1.5 inches wider in the rear than on the Compass.

The Escape FHEV AWD handles at .77 G’s, while the Compass Trailhawk pulls only .73 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

The Escape FHEV AWD executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver 1.3 seconds quicker than the Compass Trailhawk (28.3 seconds @ .6 average G’s vs. 29.6 seconds @ .53 average G’s).

Chassis

The front grille of the Escape FHEV uses electronically controlled shutters to close off airflow and reduce drag when less engine cooling is needed. This helps improve highway fuel economy. The Compass doesn’t offer active grille shutters.

Passenger Space

The Escape FHEV has 2.6 cubic feet more passenger volume than the Compass (102.2 vs. 99.6).

The Escape FHEV has .8 inches more front headroom, 1.2 inches more front legroom, 1.1 inches more front hip room, .9 inches more front shoulder room, .8 inches more rear headroom, .6 inches more rear legroom, 4.1 inches more rear hip room and .9 inches more rear shoulder room than the Compass.

Cargo Capacity

The Escape FHEV has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat up than the Compass with its rear seat up (34.4 vs. 27.2 cubic feet). The Escape FHEV has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat folded than the Compass with its rear seat folded (60.8 vs. 59.8 cubic feet).

A low lift-over cargo hatch design makes loading and unloading the Escape FHEV easier. The Escape FHEV’s cargo hatch lift-over height is 27.9 inches, while the Compass’ liftover is 31.1 inches.

The Escape FHEV’s cargo area is larger than the Compass’ in every dimension:

	Escape FHEV	Compass
Length to seat (2nd/1st)	36.7”/68.3”	32.4”/65.7”
Max Width	57.3”	53.8”
Min Width	41.4”	38.1”
Height	32.8”	29.6”

Towing

The Escape FHEV’s standard towing capacity is much higher than the Compass’ (1500 vs. 0 pounds).

The Escape FHEV can be flat towed on all four wheels (dinghy towed), allowing recreational vehicle owners to bring it with them on the road. When they reach their destination, the Escape FHEV can be unhitched and driven around locally. The Compass can’t be towed flat on the ground.

Ergonomics

The Escape FHEV’s optional easy entry system glides the driver’s seat back when the door is unlocked or the ignition is switched off, making it easier for the driver to get in and out. The Compass doesn’t offer an easy entry system.

The Escape FHEV Elite/Platinum offers an optional heads-up display that projects speed and navigation instruction readouts in front of the driver’s line of sight, allowing drivers to view information without diverting their eyes from the road. The Compass doesn’t offer a heads-up display.

The Escape FHEV SEL/Titanium’s front and rear power windows all open or close fully with one touch of the switches, making it more convenient at drive-up windows and toll booths, or when talking with someone outside the car. The Compass’ rear power window switches have to be held the entire time to open or close them fully.

In case you lock your keys in your vehicle, or don’t have them with you, you can let yourself in using the Escape FHEV’s available exterior PIN entry system. The Compass doesn’t offer an exterior PIN entry system, and its extra cost SiriusXM Guardian can’t unlock the doors if the vehicle doesn’t have cell phone reception or the driver can’t contact the service.

The Escape FHEV’s standard speed-sensitive wipers speed up when the vehicle does, so that the driver doesn’t have to continually adjust the speed of the wipers. The Compass’ standard manually variable intermittent wipers have to be constantly adjusted.

The Escape FHEV has a standard dual zone air conditioning allows the driver and front passenger to choose two completely different temperatures so people with different temperature preferences won’t have to compromise. This makes both the driver and front passenger as comfortable as possible. Dual zone air conditioning costs extra on the Compass and isn’t available on the Compass Sport.

The Escape FHEV’s standard automatic temperature control maintains the temperature you set, automatically controlling fan speed, vents and temperature to maintain a consistent, comfortable environment. The Compass Sport doesn’t offer automatic air conditioning.

The Escape FHEV Elite/Platinum’s optional Active Park Assist 2.0 can parallel park or back into a parking spot by itself, starting, stopping and changing direction automatically. The Compass Latitude/Trailhawk/Limited’s automatic parking system requires operating the brakes and transmission to safely park.

Model Availability

The Escape FHEV is available in both front-wheel drive and four-wheel drive configurations. The Compass doesn’t offer a two-wheel drive configuration.

Economic Advantages

IntelliChoice estimates that five-year ownership costs (depreciation, financing, insurance, fuel, fees, repairs and maintenance) for the Ford Escape FHEV will be $16 to $2468 less than for the Jeep Compass.

Recommendations

Consumer Reports® recommends the Ford Escape FHEV, based on reliability, safety and performance. The Jeep Compass isn't recommended.

The Ford Escape outsold the Jeep Compass by 59% during 2022.