Compare the2024 Jeep CompassVS 2024 Subaru Forester

The Compass’ pre-crash front seatbelts will tighten automatically in the event the vehicle detects an impending crash, improving protection against injury significantly. The Forester doesn’t offer pre-crash pretensioners.

The Compass Latitude/Trailhawk/Limited offers an optional Surround View Camera to allow the driver to see objects all around the vehicle on a screen. The Forester only offers a rear monitor and front and rear parking sensors that beep or flash a light. That doesn’t help with obstacles to the sides.

The Compass has a standard blind spot warning system that uses sensors to alert the driver to objects in the vehicle’s blind spots where the side view mirrors don’t reveal them. A system to reveal vehicles in the Forester’s blind spot costs extra.

To help make backing out of a parking space safer, the Compass has standard Rear Cross Path Detection, helping the driver avoid collisions. Subaru charges extra for Rear Cross Traffic Alert on the Forester and its not available on the Base.

Compared to metal, the Compass’ plastic fuel tank can withstand harder, more intrusive impacts without leaking; this decreases the possibility of fire. The Subaru Forester has a metal gas tank.

Both the Compass and the Forester 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 and rearview cameras.

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 Subaru Forester:

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

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). Subaru doesn’t pay scheduled maintenance for the Forester.

There are almost 4 times as many Jeep dealers as there are Subaru dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Compass’ warranty.

To reliably start during all conditions and help handle large electrical loads, the Compass has a standard 850-amp battery. The Forester’s 620-amp battery isn’t as powerful.

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 Subaru With 25 fewer problems per 100 vehicles in the first three years of ownership, J.D. Power ranks Jeep higher than Subaru.

The Compass’ 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder produces 18 more horsepower (200 vs. 182) and 45 lbs.-ft. more torque (221 vs. 176) than the Forester’s 2.5 DOHC 4-cylinder.

As tested in Motor Trend the Jeep Compass is faster than the Subaru Forester:

On the EPA test cycle the Compass gets better fuel mileage than the Forester Wilderness (24 city/32 hwy vs. 25 city/28 hwy).

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 Forester doesn’t offer a cap-less fueling system.

For better stopping power the Compass’ standard front brake rotors are larger than those on the Forester:

The Compass stops shorter than the Forester:

For better traction, the Compass Limited’s optional tires are larger than the largest tires available on the Forester (235/45R19 vs. 225/60R17).

The Compass Limited’s optional tires provide better handling because they have a lower 45 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Forester Sport/Limited/Touring’s 55 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Compass Limited offers optional 19-inch wheels. The Forester’s largest wheels are only 18-inches.

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 Forester doesn’t offer drift compensation steering.

The Compass Sport handles at .81 G’s, while the Forester Wilderness pulls only .77 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

The Compass is 9.3 inches shorter than the Forester, making the Compass easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

To make loading groceries and cargo easier when your hands are full, the Compass’ liftgate can be opened and closed just by kicking your foot under the back bumper, leaving your hands completely free. The Forester doesn’t offer a hands-free gesture to open its liftgate, forcing you to put cargo down if your hands are full.

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 Forester does not have an oil pressure gauge.

The power windows standard on both the Compass and the Forester have locks to prevent small children from operating them. When the lock on the Compass is engaged the driver can still operate all of the windows, for instance to close one opened by a child. The Forester prevents the driver from operating the other windows just as it does the other passengers.

The Compass’ front power windows 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 Forester’s standard passenger windows don’t open or close automatically. The Forester Premium/Sport/Wilderness/Limited/Touring’s rear windows don’t close automatically.

The Compass’ optional wipers adjust their speed and turn on and off automatically according to the amount of rainfall on the windshield. The Forester’s manually variable intermittent wipers have to be constantly adjusted.

The Compass’ standard outside mirrors include heating elements to clear off the mirrors for better visibility. Subaru only offers heated mirrors on the Forester Premium/Sport/Wilderness/Limited/Touring.

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 Forester doesn’t offer air-conditioned seats.

To quickly and conveniently keep personal devices charged without cables tangling and wearing out, the Jeep Compass (except Sport) offers an optional wireless phone charging system (Qi) in the center console. The Forester doesn’t offer wireless personal charging.

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 Forester 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 Forester doesn’t offer an automated parking system.

According to The Car Book by Jack Gillis, the Compass is less expensive to operate than the Forester because it costs $581 less to do the manufacturer’s suggested maintenance for 50,000 miles. Typical repairs cost much less on the Compass than the Forester, including $124 less for a water pump, $234 less for a starter, $422 less for fuel injection, $11 less for a fuel pump, $123 less for a timing belt/chain and $121 less for a power steering pump.