Compare the2025 Honda CR-VVS 2024 Jeep Compass

For enhanced safety, the front and rear seat shoulder belts of the Honda CR-V have pretensioners to tighten the seatbelts and eliminate dangerous slack in the event of a collision. The Jeep Compass doesn’t offer pretensioners for its rear seat belts.

The Honda CR-V 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.

Using vehicle speed sensors and seat sensors, smart airbags in the CR-V deploy with different levels of force or don’t deploy at all to help better protect passengers of all sizes in different collisions. The CR-V’s side airbags will shut off if a child is leaning against the door. The Compass’ side airbags don’t have smart features and will always deploy full force.

Over 200 people are killed each year when backed over by motor vehicles. The CR-V EX-L/Sport-L/Sport Touring has a standard Low-Speed Braking Control 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 CR-V 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, plastic fuel tanks, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, rearview cameras, driver alert monitors, available all wheel drive, blind spot warning systems, rear parking sensors and rear cross-path warning.

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 Honda CR-V is much safer than the Compass:

The Honda CR-V achieved a “Top Safety Pick” rating from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) for the 2024 model year. This recognition was based on its impressive performance in the small overlap frontal crash test, updated side impact crash test, headlight evaluations, and pedestrian crash prevention testing. The Compass is not a “Top Safety Pick” for 2024.

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 Honda CR-V’s reliability 33 points higher than the Compass.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2023 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Honda vehicles are better in initial quality than Jeep vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Honda above average in initial quality. With 1 more problems per 100 vehicles, Jeep is rated lower.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2024 Auto Issue reports that Honda vehicles are more reliable than Jeep vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Honda 21 places higher in reliability than Jeep.

The CR-V Hybrid’s standard 2.0 DOHC 4-cylinder hybrid produces 4 more horsepower (204 vs. 200) and 26 lbs.-ft. more torque (247 vs. 221) than the Compass’ 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder.

As tested in Motor Trend the CR-V Hybrid 2.0 DOHC 4-cylinder hybrid is faster than the Jeep Compass:

On the EPA test cycle the CR-V gets better mileage than the Compass:

Regenerative brakes improve the CR-V Hybrid’s fuel efficiency by converting inertia back into energy instead of wasting it. The Compass doesn’t offer a regenerative braking system.

The CR-V 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 CR-V 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 CR-V’s brake rotors are larger than those on the Compass:

The CR-V stops much shorter than the Compass:

For better traction, the CR-V has larger tires than the Compass (235/60R18 vs. 215/65R17).

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the CR-V’s wheelbase is 2.5 inches longer than on the Compass (106.3 inches vs. 103.8 inches).

For better handling and stability, the average track (width between the wheels) on the CR-V is 2.6 inches wider in the front and 3.7 inches wider in the rear than the track on the Compass.

The CR-V EX-L AWD handles at .82 G’s, while the Compass Sport pulls only .81 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

The CR-V EX-L AWD 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 CR-V has a greater minimum ground clearance than the Compass (8.2 vs. 8.1 inches), allowing the CR-V to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged.

The front grille of the CR-V 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 CR-V uses computer-generated active noise cancellation to help remove annoying noise and vibration from the passenger compartment, especially at low frequencies. The Compass doesn’t offer active noise cancellation.

The CR-V has 6.4 cubic feet more passenger volume than the Compass (106 vs. 99.6).

The CR-V has .8 inches more front headroom, .1 inches more front legroom, 1.5 inches more front hip room, 1.2 inches more front shoulder room, 2.7 inches more rear legroom, 3.4 inches more rear hip room and .8 inches more rear shoulder room than the Compass.

For enhanced passenger comfort on long trips the CR-V’s rear seats recline. The Compass’ rear seats don’t recline.

The CR-V has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat up than the Compass with its rear seat up (39.3 vs. 27.2 cubic feet). The CR-V has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat folded than the Compass with its rear seat folded (76.5 vs. 59.8 cubic feet).

A low lift-over cargo hatch design makes loading and unloading the CR-V easier. The CR-V’s cargo hatch lift-over height is 28 inches, while the Compass’ liftover is 31.1 inches.

The CR-V’s cargo area is larger than the Compass’ in every dimension:

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

The CR-V’s minimum standard towing capacity is much higher than the Compass’ (1000 vs. 0 pounds).

The CR-V uses gas struts to support the hood for easier service access. The Compass uses a prop rod to support its heavy hood. It takes two hands to open the hood and set the prop rod, the prop rod gets in the way during maintenance and service, and the prop rod could be knocked out, causing the heavy hood to fall on the person maintaining or servicing the car.

The CR-V EX-L/Sport-L/Sport 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.

The CR-V EX-L/Sport L/Sport Touring’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.

On a hot day the CR-V’s driver can lower all the windows from a distance with the keyless remote or at the outside door handle. The driver of the Compass can only operate the windows from inside the vehicle, with the ignition on.

The CR-V’s 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.

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

Insurance will cost less for the CR-V owner. The Complete Car Cost Guide estimates that insurance for the CR-V will cost $210 to $1140 less than the Compass over a five-year period.

The CR-V will cost the buyer less in the long run because of its superior resale value. The IntelliChoice estimates that the CR-V will retain 57.72% to 58.67% of its original price after five years, while the Compass only retains 53.94% to 56.47%.

IntelliChoice estimates that five-year ownership costs (depreciation, financing, insurance, fuel, fees, repairs and maintenance) for the Honda CR-V will be $1238 to $4761 less than for the Jeep Compass.

Consumer Reports® recommends the Honda CR-V, based on reliability, safety and performance. The Jeep Compass isn't recommended.

The CR-V was chosen as a Car and Driver’s “5Best Trucks/10Best” for 2024 and 4 more times in the last 23 years. The Compass has never been chosen by Car and Driver in their “10Best” issue.

Motor Trend selected the CR-V as their 2018 Sport Utility of the Year. The Compass has never been chosen.

The Honda CR-V outsold the Jeep Compass by almost four to one during 2023.