Compare the2024 Jeep CompassVS 2024 Audi Q3

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

Safety

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In the past twenty years hundreds of infants and young children have died after being left in vehicles, usually by accident. When turning the vehicle off, drivers of the Compass are reminded to check the back seat if they opened the rear door before starting out. The Q3 doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.

The Compass has standard Active Head Restraints, which use a specially designed headrest to protect the driver and front passenger from whiplash. During a rear-end collision, the Active Head Restraints system moves the headrests forward to prevent neck and spine injuries. The Q3 doesn’t offer a whiplash protection system.

The Compass’ driver alert monitor detects an inattentive driver then sounds a warning and suggests a break. According to the NHTSA, drivers who fall asleep cause about 100,000 crashes and 1500 deaths a year. The Q3 doesn’t offer a driver alert monitor.

Both the Compass and the Q3 have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, height adjustable front shoulder belts, 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 and available around view monitors.

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 Jeep Compass is safer than the Audi Q3:

	Compass	Q3
	Rear Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	101	159
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Max Damage Depth	12 inches	13 inches
HIC	355	504
Spine Acceleration	39 G’s	47 G’s

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, with its optional vehicle-to-vehicle front crash prevention system, its standard vehicle-to-pedestrian front crash prevention system, and its available headlight’s “Good” rating, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the Compass the rating of “Top Safety Pick” for 2022, a rating granted to only 163 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The Q3 last would have qualified as a “Top Safety Pick” in 2019.

Warranty

Jeep’s powertrain warranty covers the Compass 1 year and 10,000 miles longer than Audi covers the Q3. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 5 years or 60,000 miles. Coverage on the Q3 ends after only 4 years or 50,000 miles.

Jeep pays for scheduled maintenance on the Compass for 2 years and unlimited miles. Jeep will pay for oil changes, tire rotations, air filter replacements, cabin filter replacement, brake fluid replacement, inspections, and any other required maintenance (up to 2 visits). Audi only pays for the first scheduled maintenance visit on the Q3.

There are almost 8 times as many Jeep dealers as there are Audi dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Compass’ warranty.

Reliability

To reliably power the ignition and other systems and to recharge the battery, the Compass has a standard 180-amp alternator. The Q3’s 140-amp alternator isn’t as powerful.

To reliably start during all conditions and help handle large electrical loads, the Compass has a standard 850-amp battery. The Q3’s 680-amp battery isn’t as powerful.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2023 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Jeep vehicles are better in initial quality than Audi vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Jeep above average in initial quality. With 30 more problems per 100 vehicles, Audi 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 Jeep vehicles are more reliable than Audi With 31 fewer problems per 100 vehicles in the first three years of ownership, J.D. Power ranks Jeep higher than Audi.

Engine

The Compass’ 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder produces 16 more horsepower (200 vs. 184) than the Q3 40 TFSI’s standard 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder.

As tested in Motor Trend the Jeep Compass is faster than the Q3 45 TFSI:

	Compass	Q3
Zero to 60 MPH	7.9 sec	8.5 sec
Quarter Mile	16.1 sec	16.5 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	88.6 MPH	85.4 MPH

Fuel Economy and Range

On the EPA test cycle the Compass gets better mileage than the Q3:

			MPG
Compass
	AWD	2.0 turbo 4-cyl.	24 city/32 hwy
Q3
	AWD	40 TFSI 2.0 turbo 4-cyl.	22 city/29 hwy
		45 TFSI 2.0 turbo 4-cyl.	20 city/28 hwy

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Jeep Compass uses regular unleaded gasoline. The Q3 requires premium for maximum efficiency, which can cost on average about 82.8 cents more per gallon.

The Compass has a standard cap-less fueling system. The fuel filler is automatically opened when the fuel nozzle is inserted and automatically closed when it’s removed. This eliminates the need to unscrew and replace the cap and it reduces fuel evaporation, which causes pollution. The Q3 doesn’t offer a cap-less fueling system.

Environmental Friendliness

In its Green Vehicle Guide, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rates the Jeep Compass higher (7 out of 10) than the Audi Q3 (6 to 7). This means the Compass produces up to 1.1 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the Q3 every 15,000 miles.

Tires and Wheels

The Compass Trailhawk has a standard full size spare tire so a flat doesn’t interrupt your trip. A full size spare isn’t available on the Q3; it requires you to depend on a temporary spare, which limits mileage and speed before replacement.

Suspension and Handling

The Compass’ drift compensation steering can automatically compensate for road conditions which would cause the vehicle to drift from side to side, helping the driver to keep the vehicle straight more easily. The Q3 doesn’t offer drift compensation steering.

For better maneuverability, the Compass Trailhawk’s turning circle is 3.4 feet tighter than the Q3’s (35.3 feet vs. 38.7 feet). The Compass 4x4 Sport/Latitude/Limited’s turning circle is 2.4 feet tighter than the Q3’s (36.3 feet vs. 38.7 feet).

For greater off-road capability the Compass has a 2.6 inches greater minimum ground clearance than the Q3 (8.1 vs. 5.5 inches), allowing the Compass to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged. The Compass Trailhawk’s minimum ground clearance is 3.1 inches higher than on the Q3 (8.6 vs. 5.5 inches).

Chassis

The Jeep Compass may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 300 pounds less than the Audi Q3.

The Compass is 3.2 inches shorter than the Q3, making the Compass easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

Passenger Space

The Compass has 15.6 cubic feet more passenger volume than the Q3 (99.6 vs. 84).

The Compass has 1.2 inches more front legroom, .9 inches more rear headroom and 2.2 inches more rear legroom than the Q3.

Cargo Capacity

The Compass has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat up than the Q3 with its rear seat up (27.2 vs. 23.7 cubic feet). The Compass has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat folded than the Q3 with its rear seat folded (59.8 vs. 48 cubic feet).

Towing

Maximum trailer towing in the Audi Q3 is limited to 1500 pounds. The Compass offers up to a 2000 lbs. towing capacity.

Standard Trailer Sway Control on the Compass uses the Electronic Stability Control sensors to detect trailer sway, then uses individual brakes to counteract any swaying and help keep the tow vehicle and trailer steady. The Q3 doesn’t offer electronic trailer sway control.

Ergonomics

The Compass offers a remote vehicle starting system, so the vehicle can be started from inside the driver's house. This allows the driver to comfortably warm up the engine before going out to the vehicle. The climate system will also automatically heat or cool the interior. The Q3 doesn’t offer a remote starting system.

The Compass’ instruments include an oil pressure gauge and a temperature gauge - which could save your engine! Often ‘idiot lights’ don’t warn you until damage has been done. The Q3 does not have an oil pressure gauge.

The Compass’ power window, power lock, power mirror and cruise control switches are lit from behind, making them plainly visible and easier to operate at night. The Q3’s cruise control switches are unlit, making them difficult to find at night and operate safely.

To improve rear visibility by keeping the rear window clear, the Compass has a standard rear variable intermittent wiper with a full on position. The rear wiper standard on the Q3 only has an intermittent setting, so in a hard rain visibility isn’t as good.

Consumer Reports rated the Compass’ headlight performance “Good,” a higher rating than the Q3’s headlights, which were rated “Fair.”

Both the Compass and the Q3 offer available heated front seats. The Compass Trailhawk/Limited also offers optional heated rear seats to keep those passengers extremely comfortable in the winter. Heated rear seats aren’t available in the Q3.

Optional air-conditioned seats in the Compass Limited/Trailhawk keep the driver and front passenger comfortable and take the sting out of hot seats in Summer. The Q3 doesn’t offer air-conditioned seats.

On extremely cold winter days, the Compass’ optional (except Sport) heated steering wheel provides comfort, allowing the driver to steer safely and comfortably before the vehicle heater warms up. The Q3 doesn’t offer a heated steering wheel.

The Compass (except Sport) offers an optional 115-volt a/c outlet on the center console, allowing you to recharge a laptop or run small household appliances without special adapters that can break or get misplaced. The Q3 doesn’t offer a house-current electrical outlet.

The Compass Latitude/Trailhawk/Limited’s optional ParkSense Park Assist can parallel park or back into a parking spot by itself, with the driver only controlling speed with the brake pedal. The Q3 doesn’t offer an automated parking system.

Economic Advantages

Insurance will cost less for the Compass owner. The Complete Car Cost Guide estimates that insurance for the Compass will cost $345 less than the Q3 over a five-year period.

According to The Car Book by Jack Gillis, the Compass is less expensive to operate than the Q3 because it costs $527 less to do the manufacturer’s suggested maintenance for 50,000 miles. Typical repairs cost much less on the Compass than the Q3, including $318 less for a water pump, $13 less for front brake pads, $363 less for a starter, $283 less for fuel injection, $307 less for front struts, $264 less for a timing belt/chain and $899 less for a power steering pump.

IntelliChoice estimates that five-year ownership costs (depreciation, financing, insurance, fuel, fees, repairs and maintenance) for the Jeep Compass will be $3430 to $5421 less than for the Audi Q3.

Recommendations

The Jeep Compass outsold the Audi Q3 by over three to one during 2022.