Compare the2023 Hyundai Santa Fe Plug-In HybridVS 2023 Jeep Compass

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Environmental Friendliness
Brakes and Stopping
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Passenger Space
Cargo Capacity
Towing
Servicing Ease
Ergonomics
Economic Advantages
Recommendations

Safety

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Both the Santa Fe Plug-In Hybrid and Compass have child safety locks to prevent children from opening the rear doors. The Santa Fe Plug-In Hybrid has power child safety locks, allowing the driver to activate and deactivate them from the driver's seat and to know when they're engaged. The Compass’ child locks have to be individually engaged at each rear door with a manual switch. The driver can’t know the status of the locks without opening the doors and checking them.

Over 200 people are killed each year when backed over by motor vehicles. The Santa Fe Plug-In Hybrid Limited has standard Parking Collision Avoidance Assist that uses rear sensors to monitor and automatically apply the brakes to prevent a rear collision. The Compass doesn’t offer backup collision prevention brakes.

Both the Santa Fe Plug-In Hybrid and the Compass have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, height adjustable front shoulder belts, plastic fuel tanks, four-wheel antilock brakes, all wheel drive, 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 and available around view monitors.

The Hyundai Santa Fe Plug-In Hybrid weighs 767 to 895 pounds more than the Jeep Compass. The NHTSA advises that heavier vehicles are much safer in collisions than their significantly lighter counterparts.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does 35 MPH front crash tests on new vehicles. In this test, results indicate that the Hyundai Santa Fe Plug-In Hybrid is safer than the Jeep Compass:

	Santa Fe Plug-In Hybrid	Compass
OVERALL STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
	Driver
STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
Neck Injury Risk	16%	41%
Neck Stress	149 lbs.	445 lbs.
Neck Compression	13 lbs.	38 lbs.
Leg Forces (l/r)	50/51 lbs.	326/489 lbs.
	Passenger
STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
Chest Compression	.4 inches	.8 inches
Neck Injury Risk	27%	36%
Neck Stress	99 lbs.	235 lbs.
Neck Compression	89 lbs.	92 lbs.
Leg Forces (l/r)	222/167 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 Hyundai Santa Fe Plug-In Hybrid is safer than the Jeep Compass:

	Santa Fe Plug-In Hybrid	Compass
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	61	102
	Rear Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Spine Acceleration	54 G’s	56 G’s
Hip Force	736 lbs.	928 lbs.
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Hip Force	576 lbs.	663 lbs.

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

For its top level performance in IIHS driver and passenger-side small overlap frontal, moderate overlap frontal, side impact, roof strength and head restraint tests, its standard vehicle-to-vehicle front crash prevention system, its standard vehicle-to-pedestrian front crash prevention system, and its standard headlight’s “Good” rating, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the Santa Fe Plug-In Hybrid its highest rating: “Top Safety Pick Plus” for 2022, a rating granted to only 112 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The Compass is only a standard “Top Safety Pick” for 2022.

Warranty

The Santa Fe Plug-In Hybrid comes with a full 5-year/60,000-mile basic warranty, which covers the entire truck and includes 24-hour roadside assistance. The Compass’ 3-year/36,000-mile basic warranty expires 2 years or 24,000 miles sooner.

Hyundai’s powertrain warranty covers the Santa Fe Plug-In Hybrid 5 years and 40,000 miles longer than Jeep covers the Compass. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 10 years or 100,000 miles. Coverage on the Compass ends after only 5 years or 60,000 miles.

The Santa Fe Plug-In Hybrid’s corrosion warranty is 2 years longer than the Compass’ (7 vs. 5 years).

Reliability

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 Santa Fe Plug-In Hybrid’s reliability 49 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 Hyundai vehicles are better in initial quality than Jeep vehicles. With 14 fewer problems per 100 vehicles, JD Power ranks Hyundai higher than Jeep.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the statistics that show that Hyundai vehicles are more reliable than Jeep vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Hyundai third in reliability, above the industry average. With 53 more problems per 100 vehicles, Jeep is ranked 19th.

Engine

The Santa Fe Plug-In Hybrid’s 1.6 turbo 4-cylinder hybrid produces 61 more horsepower (261 vs. 200) and 37 lbs.-ft. more torque (258 vs. 221) than the Compass’ 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder.

Fuel Economy and Range

On the EPA test cycle the Santa Fe Plug-In Hybrid running on electricity gets better mileage than the Compass (79 city/72 hwy MPGe vs. 24 city/32 hwy).

On the EPA test cycle the Santa Fe Plug-In Hybrid running its gasoline engine gets better fuel mileage than the Compass (33 city/32 hwy vs. 24 city/32 hwy).

The Santa Fe Plug-In Hybrid can travel with zero emissions for 31 miles. The Compass can’t move without running its internal combustion engine.

Regenerative brakes improve the Santa Fe Plug-In Hybrid’s fuel efficiency by converting inertia back into energy instead of wasting it. The Compass doesn’t offer a regenerative braking system.

Environmental Friendliness

In its Green Vehicle Guide, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rates the Hyundai Santa Fe Plug-In Hybrid higher (7 out of 10) than the Jeep Compass (6). This means the Santa Fe Plug-In Hybrid produces up to 1.1 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the Compass every 15,000 miles.

Brakes and Stopping

For better stopping power the Santa Fe Plug-In Hybrid’s brake rotors are larger than those on the Compass:

	Santa Fe Plug-In Hybrid	Compass
Front Rotors	12.8 inches	12 inches
Rear Rotors	12 inches	10.95 inches

Tires and Wheels

For better traction, the Santa Fe Plug-In Hybrid has larger tires than the Compass (235/55R19 vs. 215/65R17).

The Santa Fe Plug-In Hybrid’s tires provide better handling because they have a lower 55 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Compass Trailhawk’s standard 65 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Santa Fe Plug-In Hybrid has standard 19-inch wheels. Smaller 17-inch wheels are standard on the Compass Sport/Latitude.

Suspension and Handling

The Santa Fe Plug-In Hybrid 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 Santa Fe Plug-In Hybrid’s wheelbase is 5.1 inches longer than on the Compass (108.9 inches vs. 103.8 inches).

For better handling and stability, the track (width between the wheels) on the Santa Fe Plug-In Hybrid is 4.1 inches wider in the front and 4.9 inches wider in the rear than on the Compass.

Passenger Space

The Santa Fe Plug-In Hybrid has 2 inches more front headroom, 2.9 inches more front legroom, 3.4 inches more front hip room, 2.4 inches more front shoulder room, .5 inches more rear headroom, 1.2 inches more rear legroom, 7.1 inches more rear hip room and 3.2 inches more rear shoulder room than the Compass.

For enhanced passenger comfort on long trips the Santa Fe Plug-In Hybrid’s rear seats recline. The Compass’ rear seats don’t recline.

The front step up height for the Santa Fe Plug-In Hybrid is 1.9 inches lower than the Compass (17.5” vs. 19.4”). The Santa Fe Plug-In Hybrid’s rear step up height is 2.4 inches lower than the Compass’ (18.3” vs. 20.7”).

Cargo Capacity

The Santa Fe Plug-In Hybrid has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat up than the Compass with its rear seat up (36.4 vs. 27.2 cubic feet). The Santa Fe Plug-In Hybrid has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat folded than the Compass with its rear seat folded (72.1 vs. 59.8 cubic feet).

A low lift-over cargo hatch design makes loading and unloading the Santa Fe Plug-In Hybrid easier. The Santa Fe Plug-In Hybrid’s cargo hatch lift-over height is 29 inches, while the Compass’ liftover is 31.1 inches.

The Santa Fe Plug-In Hybrid’s cargo area is larger than the Compass’ in every dimension:

	Santa Fe Plug-In Hybrid	Compass
Length to seat (2nd/1st)	42.4”/77.4”	32.4”/65.7”
Max Width	54”	53.8”
Min Width	43.4”	38.1”
Height	31”	29.6”

Pressing a button automatically lowers the Santa Fe Plug-In Hybrid’s rear seats, to make changing between passengers and cargo easier. The Compass doesn’t offer automatic folding seats.

Towing

The Santa Fe Plug-In Hybrid’s standard towing capacity is much higher than the Compass’ (2000 vs. 0 pounds).

Servicing Ease

The Santa Fe Plug-In Hybrid uses gas struts to support the hood for easier service access. The Compass uses a prop rod to support its heavy hood. It takes two hands to open the hood and set the prop rod, the prop rod gets in the way during maintenance and service, and the prop rod could be knocked out, causing the heavy hood to fall on the person maintaining or servicing the car.

Ergonomics

The Santa Fe Plug-In Hybrid Limited’s standard 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 Santa Fe Plug-In Hybrid has a standard locking fuel and charge port door with a remote release located convenient to the driver. A locking fuel door helps prevent fuel theft and vandalism, such as sugar in the tank. The Compass doesn’t offer a locking fuel door.

Manual rear side window sunshades are available in the Santa Fe Plug-In Hybrid to help block heat and glare for the rear passengers. The Compass doesn’t offer rear side window sunshades.

When the Santa Fe Plug-In Hybrid Limited is put in reverse, both rearview mirrors tilt from their original position. This gives the driver a better view of the curb during parallel parking maneuvers. Shifting out of reverse puts the mirrors into their original positions. The Compass’ mirrors don’t automatically adjust for backing.

The Santa Fe Plug-In Hybrid 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 Santa Fe Plug-In Hybrid’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.

To quickly and conveniently keep personal devices charged without cables tangling and wearing out, the Hyundai Santa Fe Plug-In Hybrid has a standard wireless phone charging system (Qi) in the center console. Wireless charging costs extra on the Compass and isn’t available on the Compass Sport.

The Santa Fe Plug-In Hybrid Limited’s Smart Parking Assist can parallel park or back into a parking spot by itself, with the driver only controlling the transmission and speed with the brake pedal. With its available fully controlled system, the driver just activates it and it parks autonomously, starting, stopping and changing direction automatically. Remote Smart Parking Assist will park and retrieve your car remotely: press a button and watch it park itself. This is ideal for tight locations. The Compass Latitude/Trailhawk/Limited’s automatic parking system does not offer parking by remote control.

Economic Advantages

The Santa Fe Plug-In Hybrid will cost the buyer less in the long run because of its superior resale value. The IntelliChoice estimates that the Santa Fe Plug-In Hybrid will retain 49.58% to 49.67% of its original price after five years, while the Compass only retains 48.2% to 49.34%.

Recommendations

Consumer Reports® recommends the Hyundai Santa Fe Plug-In Hybrid, based on reliability, safety and performance. The Jeep Compass isn't recommended.

The Hyundai Santa Fe outsold the Jeep Compass by 39% during 2022.