Compare the2023 Lexus UXVS 2023 Jeep Compass

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

Safety

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For enhanced safety, the front and rear seat shoulder belts of the Lexus UX 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 Lexus UX has standard driver and front passenger side knee airbags mounted low on the dashboard. These airbags helps prevent the driver and front passenger from sliding under their seatbelts or the main frontal airbags; this keeps them better positioned during a collision for maximum protection. Knee airbags also help keep the legs from striking the dashboard, preventing knee and leg injuries in the case of a serious frontal collision. The Compass doesn’t offer a front passenger side knee airbag.

Using vehicle speed sensors and seat sensors, smart airbags in the UX deploy with different levels of force or don’t deploy at all to help better protect passengers of all sizes in different collisions. The UX’s side airbags will shut off if a child is leaning against the door. The Compass’ side airbags don’t have smart features and will always deploy full force.

The UX has a standard Secondary Collision Brake, which automatically applies 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 UX offers an optional Parking Support Brake 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 UX 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, plastic fuel tanks, 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 rear parking sensors.

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

	UX	Compass
	Driver
STARS	4 Stars	4 Stars
HIC	116	196
Neck Injury Risk	33%	41%
Neck Stress	371 lbs.	445 lbs.
Neck Compression	17 lbs.	38 lbs.
Leg Forces (l/r)	376/433 lbs.	326/489 lbs.
	Passenger
STARS	4 Stars	4 Stars
Chest Compression	.7 inches	.8 inches
Neck Injury Risk	36%	36%
Neck Stress	163 lbs.	235 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 Lexus UX is safer than the Jeep Compass:

	UX	Compass
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	52	102
Chest Movement	.8 inches	.8 inches
Hip Force	323 lbs.	335 lbs.
	Rear Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	96	101
Spine Acceleration	46 G’s	56 G’s
Hip Force	633 lbs.	928 lbs.
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	292	355

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

Side impacts caused 23% of all road fatalities in 2018, down from 29% in 2003, when the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety introduced its side barrier test. In order to continue improving vehicle safety, the IIHS has started using a more severe side impact test: 37 MPH (up from 31 MPH), with a 4180-pound barrier (up from 3300 pounds). The results of this newly developed test demonstrates that the Lexus UX is much safer than the Compass:

	UX	Compass
Overall Evaluation	GOOD	MARGINAL
Structure	GOOD	MARGINAL
	Driver Injury Measures
Head/Neck	GOOD	GOOD
Head Injury Criterion	166	189
Neck Tension	223 lbs.	268 lbs.
Torso	GOOD	ACCEPTABLE
Shoulder Deflection	.83 in	1.02 in
Shoulder Force	223 lbs.	245 lbs.
Torso Max Deflection	1.02 in	1.3 in
Torso Deflection Rate	7 MPH	9 MPH
Pelvis	GOOD	POOR
Pelvis Force	892 lbs.	1517 lbs.
Head Protection	GOOD	GOOD
	Passenger Injury Measures
Head/Neck	GOOD	GOOD
Head Injury Criterion	150	202
Neck Compression	67 lbs.	223 lbs.
Torso	GOOD	ACCEPTABLE
Shoulder Deflection	1.69 in	2.13 in
Shoulder Force	402 lbs.	491 lbs.
Torso Max Deflection	1.46 in	1.77 in
Torso Deflection Rate	6 MPH	14 MPH
Pelvis	ACCEPTABLE	ACCEPTABLE
Head Protection	GOOD	GOOD

Instrumented handling tests conducted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and analysis of its dimensions indicate that the UX, with its four-star roll-over rating, is 6.4% less likely to roll over than the Compass, which received a three-star rating.

For its performance in IIHS driver-side and passenger-side small overlap frontal, moderate overlap frontal, updated side impact, headlight, daytime pedestrian crash prevention, and nighttime pedestrian crash prevention testing, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the UX its highest rating: “Top Safety Pick Plus” for 2023, a rating granted to only 29 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The Compass was last a “Top Safety Pick Plus” in 2019 but no longer qualifies.

Warranty

The UX comes with a full 4-year/50,000-mile basic warranty, which covers the entire truck and includes 24-hour roadside assistance. The Compass’ 3-year/36,000-mile basic warranty expires 1 year or 14,000 miles sooner.

Lexus’ powertrain warranty covers the UX 1 year and 10,000 miles longer than Jeep covers the Compass. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 6 years or 70,000 miles. Coverage on the Compass ends after only 5 years or 60,000 miles.

The UX’s corrosion warranty is 1 year longer than the Compass’ (6 vs. 5 years).

Reliability

The battery on the UX is in the trunk, which protects it from hot underhood temperatures that can degrade battery life. By keeping the UX’s battery 20 to 30 degrees cooler, its life is increased by years. The Compass’ battery is in the hot engine compartment.

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 UX’s reliability 34 points higher than the Compass.

J.D. Power and Associates rated the UX second among small premium suvs in their 2022 Initial Quality Study. The Compass isn’t in the top three in its category.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Lexus vehicles are better in initial quality than Jeep vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Lexus above average in initial quality. With 42 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 Lexus vehicles are more reliable than Jeep vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Lexus above average in long-term dependability. With 33 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 UX gets better mileage than the Compass:

			MPG
UX
	FWD	2.0 4-cyl. Hybrid	43 city/41 hwy
	AWD	2.0 4-cyl. Hybrid	41 city/38 hwy
Compass
	AWD	2.0 turbo 4-cyl.	24 city/32 hwy

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

The UX has a standard locking fuel door with a remote release located 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.

Transmission

The UX 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

The UX stops much shorter than the Compass:

	UX	Compass
60 to 0 MPH	128 feet	144 feet	Motor Trend
60 to 0 MPH (Wet)	143 feet	151 feet	Consumer Reports

Tires and Wheels

For better traction, the UX has larger tires than the Compass (225/50R18 vs. 215/65R17).

The UX’s tires provide better handling because they have a lower 50 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 UX has standard 18-inch wheels. Smaller 17-inch wheels are standard on the Compass Sport/Latitude.

Changing a flat tire near traffic can be dangerous and inconvenient. The run-flat tires standard on the UX can be driven up to 50 miles without any air pressure, allowing you to drive to a service station for a repair. The Compass doesn’t offer run-flat tires.

Suspension and Handling

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

The UX 250h F Sport Handling AWD handles at .80 G’s, while the Compass Trailhawk pulls only .73 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

The UX 250h F Sport Handling AWD executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver 1.5 seconds quicker than the Compass Trailhawk (28.1 seconds @ .62 average G’s vs. 29.6 seconds @ .53 average G’s).

For better maneuverability, the UX’s turning circle is 1.1 feet tighter than the Compass Trailhawk’s (34.2 feet vs. 35.3 feet). The UX’s turning circle is 2.1 feet tighter than the Compass 4x4’s (34.2 feet vs. 36.3 feet).

Passenger Space

The UX has .9 inches more front legroom and 3.1 inches more rear hip room than the Compass.

Cargo Capacity

A standard locking glovebox (which can’t be accessed with the valet key) keeps your small valuables safer in the UX. The Compass doesn’t offer locking storage for small valuables.

Servicing Ease

J.D. Power and Associates surveys of service recipients show that Lexus service is better than Jeep. J.D. Power ranks Lexus first in service department satisfaction. With a 63% lower rating, Jeep is ranked 26th.

Ergonomics

The UX’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 UX offers an optional heads-up display that projects speed, tachometer, warning 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 UX’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.

If the windows are left open on the UX the driver can close them all at the outside door handle. On a hot day the driver can lower the windows at the outside door handle or from a distance using the keyless remote. (This window function must be activated by your Lexus service department.) The driver of the Compass can only operate the windows from inside the vehicle, with the ignition on.

In poor weather, headlights can lose their effectiveness as grime builds up on their lenses. This can reduce visibility without the driver realizing. The UX offers available headlight washers to keep headlight output high. The Compass doesn’t offer headlight washers.

The Compass Latitude/Trailhawk/Limited’s cornering lamps activate a lamp on the front corner when the turn signal is activated. The UX F Sport’s standard adaptive cornering lights turn the actual headlight unit up to several degrees, depending on steering wheel angle and vehicle speed. This lights a significant distance into corners at any speed.

When the UX F Sport Handling 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 UX’s optional rear and side view mirrors have an automatic dimming feature. These mirrors can be set to automatically darken quickly when headlights shine on them, keeping following vehicles from blinding or distracting the driver. The Compass offers an automatic rear view mirror, but its side mirrors don’t dim.

The UX 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 UX’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.

Model Availability

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

Economic Advantages

The UX will cost the buyer less in the long run because of its superior resale value. The IntelliChoice estimates that the UX will retain 50.29% to 53.08% of its original price after five years, while the Compass only retains 48.2% to 49.34%.

Recommendations

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

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