Compare the2024 Subaru ForesterVS 2024 Jeep Compass

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

Safety

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For enhanced safety, the front and rear seat shoulder belts of the Subaru Forester 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.

Over 200 people are killed each year when backed over by motor vehicles. The Forester (except Base/Premium) offers optional Reverse Automatic Braking that use rear sensors to monitor for objects to the rear and automatically apply the brakes to prevent a collision. The Compass doesn’t offer backup collision prevention brakes.

Both the Forester 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, 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, rearview cameras, available blind spot warning systems, rear parking sensors, rear cross-path warning and driver alert monitors.

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

	Forester	Compass
OVERALL STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
	Driver
STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
HIC	186	196
Neck Injury Risk	23%	41%
Neck Stress	326 lbs.	445 lbs.
Neck Compression	22 lbs.	38 lbs.
Leg Forces (l/r)	248/368 lbs.	326/489 lbs.
	Passenger
STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
Chest Compression	.7 inches	.8 inches
Neck Injury Risk	31%	36%
Neck Stress	213 lbs.	235 lbs.
Leg Forces (l/r)	105/93 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 Subaru Forester is safer than the Jeep Compass:

	Forester	Compass
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	66	102
Chest Movement	.6 inches	.8 inches
Abdominal Force	122 lbs.	134 lbs.
	Rear Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Spine Acceleration	56 G’s	56 G’s
Hip Force	670 lbs.	928 lbs.
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	121	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 Subaru Forester is safer than the Compass:

	Forester	Compass
Overall Evaluation	ACCEPTABLE	MARGINAL
Structure	ACCEPTABLE	MARGINAL
	Driver Injury Measures
Head/Neck	GOOD	GOOD
Head Injury Criterion	107	189
Neck Tension	223 lbs.	268 lbs.
Torso	ACCEPTABLE	ACCEPTABLE
Shoulder Deflection	.91 in	1.02 in
Shoulder Force	201 lbs.	245 lbs.
Torso Deflection Rate	8 MPH	9 MPH
Pelvis	ACCEPTABLE	POOR
Pelvis Force	1071 lbs.	1517 lbs.
Head Protection	GOOD	GOOD
	Passenger Injury Measures
Head/Neck	GOOD	GOOD
Torso	GOOD	ACCEPTABLE
Shoulder Force	469 lbs.	491 lbs.
Torso Max Deflection	1.26 in	1.77 in
Torso Deflection Rate	8 MPH	14 MPH
Pelvis	GOOD	ACCEPTABLE
Pelvis Force	625 lbs.	937 lbs.

Instrumented handling tests conducted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and analysis of its dimensions indicate that the Forester, with its four-star roll-over rating, is 3.5% 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, and daytime pedestrian crash prevention testing, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the Forester the rating of “Top Safety Pick” for 2023, a rating granted to only 98 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The Compass last would have qualified as a “Top Safety Pick” in 2022.

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 Forester’s reliability 37 points higher than the Compass.

J.D. Power and Associates rated the Forester third among compact suvs in their 2023 Initial Quality Study. The Compass isn’t in the top three in its category.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2023 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Subaru vehicles are better in initial quality than Jeep vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Subaru above average in initial quality. With 6 more problems per 100 vehicles, Jeep is rated lower.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2024 Auto Issue reports that Subaru vehicles are more reliable than Jeep vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Subaru 20 places higher in reliability than Jeep.

Engine

The flat cylinder configuration of the boxer engine in the Forester lowers its center of gravity, enhancing handling stability without compromising ground clearance. The Compass doesn’t offer a boxer engine configuration.

Fuel Economy and Range

On the EPA test cycle the Forester gets better fuel mileage than the Compass (26 city/33 hwy vs. 24 city/32 hwy).

The Forester has 3.1 gallons more fuel capacity than the Compass (16.6 vs. 13.5 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups.

The Forester has a standard locking fuel door which locks and unlocks with the power locks. 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 Forester 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

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

	Forester	Compass
Front Rotors	12.4 inches	12 inches
Rear Rotors	11.2 inches	10.95 inches

The Forester stops much shorter than the Compass:

	Forester	Compass
70 to 0 MPH	167 feet	195 feet	Car and Driver
60 to 0 MPH	117 feet	144 feet	Motor Trend
60 to 0 MPH (Wet)	138 feet	151 feet	Consumer Reports

Tires and Wheels

For better traction, the Forester has larger tires than the Compass (225/60R17 vs. 215/65R17).

The Forester’s standard tires provide better handling because they have a lower 60 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Compass Trailhawk’s standard 65 series tires.

Suspension and Handling

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Forester’s wheelbase is 1.3 inches longer than on the Compass (105.1 inches vs. 103.8 inches).

For better handling and stability, the average track (width between the wheels) on the Forester is .8 inches wider in the front and 1.4 inches wider in the rear than the track on the Compass.

The Forester Touring handles at .83 G’s, while the Compass Sport pulls only .81 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

The Forester Limited executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver 2.3 seconds quicker than the Compass Trailhawk (27.3 seconds @ .63 average G’s vs. 29.6 seconds @ .53 average G’s).

For greater off-road capability the Forester has a greater minimum ground clearance than the Compass (8.7 vs. 8.1 inches), allowing the Forester to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged. The Forester Wilderness’ minimum ground clearance is .6 inch higher than on the Compass Trailhawk (9.2 vs. 8.6 inches).

Chassis

To almost totally eliminate engine vibration in the passenger area, the Forester has liquid-filled engine mounts. The liquid helps further dampen engine harshness. The Compass uses conventional solid rubber engine mounts.

The front grille of the Forester uses electronically controlled shutters to close off airflow and reduce drag when less engine cooling is needed. This helps improve highway fuel economy. The Compass doesn’t offer active grille shutters.

Passenger Space

The Forester has 12 cubic feet more passenger volume than the Compass (111.6 vs. 99.6).

The Forester has 2 inches more front headroom, 2.1 inches more front legroom, 1.4 inches more front shoulder room, 1.1 inches more rear headroom, 1.1 inches more rear legroom, 4.4 inches more rear hip room and 2.1 inches more rear shoulder room than the Compass.

For enhanced passenger comfort on long trips the Forester Premium/Sport/Wilderness/Limited/Touring’s rear seats recline. The Compass’ rear seats don’t recline.

The front step up height for the Forester is 3.9 inches lower than the Compass (15.5” vs. 19.4”). The Forester’s rear step up height is 3.5 inches lower than the Compass’ (17.25” vs. 20.7”).

Cargo Capacity

The Forester has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat up than the Compass with its rear seat up (28.9 vs. 27.2 cubic feet). The Forester has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat folded than the Compass with its rear seat folded (74.2 vs. 59.8 cubic feet).

A low lift-over cargo hatch design makes loading and unloading the Forester easier. The Forester’s cargo hatch lift-over height is 28.5 inches, while the Compass’ liftover is 31.1 inches.

The Forester’s cargo area is larger than the Compass’ in almost every dimension:

	Forester	Compass
Length to seat (2nd/1st)	35.7”/69.9”	32.4”/65.7”
Max Width	51.2”	53.8”
Min Width	43.3”	38.1”
Height	34.8”	29.6”

A control in the cargo area automatically lowers the Forester Wilderness/Limited/Touring’s rear seats, to make changing between passengers and cargo easier. The Compass doesn’t offer automatic folding seats.

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

Towing

The Forester’s standard towing capacity is much higher than the Compass’ (1500 vs. 0 pounds).

Servicing Ease

The engine in the Forester is mounted longitudinally (North-South), instead of sideways, as in the Compass. This makes it easier to service and maintain, because the accessory belts are in front.

Ergonomics

The Forester Touring’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.

In case you lock your keys in your vehicle, or don’t have them with you, you can let yourself in using the Forester Premium/Sport/Wilderness/Limited/Touring’s exterior PIN entry system. The Compass doesn’t offer an exterior PIN entry system, and its extra cost SiriusXM Guardian can’t unlock the doors if the vehicle doesn’t have cell phone reception or the driver can’t contact the service.

The Compass Latitude/Trailhawk/Limited’s cornering lamps activate a lamp on the front corner when the turn signal is activated. The Forester’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 Forester Touring is put in reverse, the passenger rearview mirror tilts from its original position. This gives the driver a better view of the curb during parallel parking maneuvers. Shifting out of reverse puts the mirror into its original position. The Compass’ mirror doesn’t automatically adjust for backing.

The Forester’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 Forester’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.

Economic Advantages

Insurance will cost less for the Forester owner. The Complete Car Cost Guide estimates that insurance for the Forester will cost $740 less than the Compass over a five-year period.

According to The Car Book by Jack Gillis, the Forester is less expensive to operate than the Compass because typical repairs cost less on the Forester than the Compass, including $65 less for a muffler, $6 less for front brake pads and $18 less for front struts.

IntelliChoice estimates that five-year ownership costs (depreciation, financing, insurance, fuel, fees, repairs and maintenance) for the Subaru Forester will be $2615 to $3668 less than for the Jeep Compass.

Recommendations

Consumer Reports® chose the Subaru Forester as its “Top Pick,” the highest scoring vehicle in its category, based on reliability, safety and performance. The Jeep Compass isn't recommended.

The Subaru Forester outsold the Jeep Compass by 59% during 2023.

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