Compare the2024 Mitsubishi OutlanderVS 2024 Jeep Compass

For enhanced safety, the front and second-row seat shoulder belts of the Mitsubishi Outlander 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 Mitsubishi Outlander 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.

The Outlander has a standard front seat center airbag, which deploys between the driver and front passenger, protecting them from injuries caused by striking each other in serious side impacts. The Compass doesn’t offer front seat center airbags.

Over 200 people are killed each year when backed over by motor vehicles. The Outlander has a standard Rear Automatic Emergency 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 Outlander 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, 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 around view monitors.

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 Mitsubishi Outlander is much safer than the Compass:

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 Outlander 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.

The Outlander comes with a full 5-year/60,000-mile basic warranty, which covers the entire truck and includes 24-hour roadside assistance. The Compass’ 3-year/36,000-mile basic warranty expires 2 years or 24,000 miles sooner.

Mitsubishi’s powertrain warranty covers the Outlander 5 years and 40,000 miles longer than Jeep covers the Compass. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 10 years or 100,000 miles. Coverage on the Compass ends after only 5 years or 60,000 miles.

The Outlander’s corrosion warranty is 2 years longer than the Compass’ (7 vs. 5 years).

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 Outlander’s reliability 25 points higher than the Compass.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Mitsubishi vehicles are more reliable than Jeep vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Mitsubishi above average in long-term dependability. With 9 more problems per 100 vehicles in the first three years of ownership, Jeep is rated below average.

The Outlander has a gallon more fuel capacity than the Compass (14.5 vs. 13.5 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups.

The Outlander 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.

The Outlander 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.

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

The Outlander’s standard front and rear disc brakes are vented to help dissipate heat for shorter stops with less fading. The rear discs on the Compass are solid, not vented.

The Outlander stops much shorter than the Compass:

For better traction, the Outlander has larger standard tires than the Compass (235/60R18 vs. 215/65R17). The Outlander SE/Black Edition/SEL’s tires are larger than the largest tires available on the Compass (255/45R20 vs. 235/45R19).

The Outlander ES’ 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.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Outlander ES has standard 18-inch wheels. Smaller 17-inch wheels are standard on the Compass Sport/Latitude. The Outlander SE/Black Edition/SEL’s 20-inch wheels are larger than the 19-inch wheels optional on the Compass Limited.

The Outlander has a standard easy tire fill system. When inflating the tires, the vehicle’s integrated tire pressure sensors keep track of the pressure as the tires fill and tell the driver when the tires are inflated to the proper pressure. The Compass doesn’t offer vehicle monitored tire inflation.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Outlander’s wheelbase is 2.7 inches longer than on the Compass (106.5 inches vs. 103.8 inches).

For better handling and stability, the track (width between the wheels) on the Outlander is 2 inches wider in the front and 2.8 inches wider in the rear than on the Compass.

The Outlander SEL AWC handles at .85 G’s, while the Compass Sport pulls only .81 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

The Outlander SEL AWC executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver 2.2 seconds quicker than the Compass Trailhawk (27.4 seconds @ .61 average G’s vs. 29.6 seconds @ .53 average G’s).

For greater off-road capability the Outlander ES has a greater minimum ground clearance than the Compass (8.3 vs. 8.1 inches), allowing the Outlander to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged.

The front grille of the Outlander 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.

The Outlander has standard seating for 7 passengers; the Compass can only carry 5.

The Outlander has 25.9 cubic feet more passenger volume than the Compass (125.5 vs. 99.6).

The Outlander has 1.4 inches more front headroom, .5 inches more front legroom, 1.2 inches more front shoulder room, .6 inches more rear headroom, 1.6 inches more rear legroom, 4.1 inches more rear hip room and .8 inches more rear shoulder room than the Compass.

For enhanced passenger comfort on long trips the Outlander’s middle and third row seats recline. The Compass’ rear seats don’t recline.

The Outlander’s cargo area provides more volume than the Compass.

Pulling a handle automatically lowers the Outlander’s second row seats, to make changing between passengers and cargo easier. The Compass doesn’t offer automatic folding seats.

The Outlander’s standard towing capacity is much higher than the Compass’ (2000 vs. 0 pounds).

The Outlander SEL’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.

The Outlander SEL offers an optional heads-up display that projects speed 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 Outlander SE/SEL’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.

The Outlander ES’ standard speed-sensitive wipers speed up when the vehicle does, so that the driver doesn’t have to continually adjust the speed of the wipers. The Compass’ standard manually variable intermittent wipers have to be constantly adjusted.

In poor weather, headlights can lose their effectiveness as grime builds up on their lenses. This can reduce visibility without the driver realizing. The Outlander S-AWC has standard headlight washers to keep headlight output high. The Compass doesn’t offer headlight washers.

Manual rear side window sunshades are available in the Outlander to help block heat and glare for the rear passengers. The Compass doesn’t offer rear side window sunshades.

When the Outlander SEL 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 Outlander 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 Outlander’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.

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

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