Compare the2024 Jeep CompassVS 2023 Fiat 500X

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

Safety

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The Compass’ pre-crash front seatbelts will tighten automatically in the event the vehicle detects an impending crash, improving protection against injury significantly. The 500X doesn’t offer pre-crash pretensioners.

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 500X doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety tests front crash prevention systems. With a score of 6 points, IIHS rates the Active Braking optional in the Compass as “Superior.” The 500X scores only 4 points and is rated only “Advanced.”

When descending a steep, off-road slope, the Compass Trailhawk’s standard Hill-descent Control allows you to creep down safely. The 500X doesn’t offer Hill-descent Control.

The Compass’ standard lane departure warning system alerts a temporarily inattentive driver when the vehicle begins to leave its lane and gently nudges the vehicle back towards its lane. A lane departure warning system costs extra on the 500X and is only available on 500X Sport.

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 500X 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 500X’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. Fiat charges extra for Rear Cross Path Detection on the 500X, and only on the Sport.

Both the Compass and the 500X 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 and rearview cameras.

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 500X last would have qualified as a “Top Safety Pick” in 2017.

Warranty

Jeep’s powertrain warranty covers the Compass 1 year and 10,000 miles longer than Fiat covers the 500X. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 5 years or 60,000 miles. Coverage on the 500X 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). Fiat doesn’t pay scheduled maintenance for the 500X.

There are almost 7 times as many Jeep dealers as there are Fiat 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 500X’s 150-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 500X’s 500-amp battery isn’t as powerful.

Engine

The Compass’ 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder produces 23 more horsepower (200 vs. 177) and 11 lbs.-ft. more torque (221 vs. 210) than the 500X’s 1.3 turbo 4-cylinder.

Fuel Economy and Range

On the EPA test cycle the Compass gets better fuel mileage than the 500X (24 city/32 hwy vs. 24 city/30 hwy).

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Jeep Compass uses regular unleaded gasoline. The 500X requires premium for maximum efficiency, which can cost on average about 82.8 cents more per gallon.

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 Fiat 500X (6). This means the Compass produces up to 1.1 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the 500X every 15,000 miles.

Tires and Wheels

For better traction, the Compass Limited’s optional tires are larger than the largest tires available on the 500X (235/45R19 vs. 225/55R18).

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 500X; it requires you to depend on a temporary spare, which has mileage and speed limitations, or roadside assistance and a tow-truck.

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 500X doesn’t offer drift compensation steering.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Compass’ wheelbase is 2.6 inches longer than on the 500X (103.8 inches vs. 101.2 inches).

The Compass Sport handles at .81 G’s, while the 500X pulls only .78 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

For better maneuverability, the Compass Trailhawk’s turning circle is 1 foot tighter than the 500X’s (35.3 feet vs. 36.3 feet).

For greater off-road capability the Compass has a greater minimum ground clearance than the 500X (8.1 vs. 7.9 inches), allowing the Compass to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged. The Compass Trailhawk’s minimum ground clearance is .7 inch higher than on the 500X (8.6 vs. 7.9 inches).

Passenger Space

The Compass has 7.9 cubic feet more passenger volume than the 500X (99.6 vs. 91.7).

The Compass has .1 inches more front headroom, .8 inches more front hip room, 2.4 inches more front shoulder room, .7 inches more rear headroom, 3.5 inches more rear legroom and 2.3 inches more rear shoulder room than the 500X.

Cargo Capacity

The Compass has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat up than the 500X with its rear seat up (27.2 vs. 14.1 cubic feet). The Compass has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat folded than the 500X with its rear seat folded (59.8 vs. 39.8 cubic feet).

The Compass’ cargo area is larger than the 500X’s in every dimension:

	Compass	500X
Length to seat (2nd/1st)	32.4”/65.7”	n/a
Max Width	53.8”	41.3”
Min Width	38.1”	37.8”
Height	29.6”	28.8”

To make loading and unloading groceries and cargo easier when your hands are full, the Compass Latitude/Trailhawk/Limited’s power liftgate can be opened or closed just by kicking your foot under the back bumper, leaving your hands completely free. The 500X doesn’t offer a power or hands-free opening liftgate.

Towing

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 500X doesn’t offer electronic trailer sway control.

Ergonomics

When two different drivers share the Compass Limited/Trailhawk, the optional memory seats make it convenient for both. Each setting activates different, customized memories for the driver’s seat position. The 500X doesn’t offer memory seats.

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 500X does not have an oil pressure gauge.

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) conducts detailed tests on headlights for their range both straight ahead and in curves and to be certain they don’t exceed acceptable amounts of glare to oncoming drivers. The Compass’ available headlights were rated “Good” by the IIHS, while the 500X’s headlights are rated “Poor.”

The Compass has a standard automatic headlight on/off feature. When the ignition is on, the headlights automatically turn on at dusk and off after dawn. When the ignition turns off, the headlights turn off after a delay timed to allow you to securely get to your front door. The 500X only offers an automatic headlight on/off feature as an extra cost option.

Both the Compass and the 500X 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 500X.

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 500X 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 500X doesn’t offer a heated steering wheel.

The Compass has a standard center folding armrest for the rear passengers. A center armrest helps make rear passengers more comfortable and it can provide a boundary between children. The 500X doesn’t offer a rear seat center armrest.

For greater rear passenger comfort, the Compass has standard rear a/c vents to keep rear occupants more comfortable. The 500X doesn’t offer rear vents.

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 500X 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 500X 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 500X doesn’t offer an automated parking system.

Economic Advantages

According to The Car Book by Jack Gillis, the Compass is less expensive to operate than the 500X because it costs $181 less to do the manufacturer’s suggested maintenance for 50,000 miles. Typical repairs cost much less on the Compass than the 500X, including $122 less for a water pump, $290 less for fuel injection, $137 less for a fuel pump and $324 less for a power steering pump.

Recommendations

The Jeep Compass outsold the Fiat 500X by over 98 to one during 2022.