2019 Buick Envision vs 2020 Jeep Compass

The 2019 Buick Envision was considered one of the most attractive vehicles in Buick's SUV lineup. It had a more athletic and taut vibe compared to the subcompact Buick Encore and the full-size Buick Enclave. The strong body lines along the sides and the upright rear section of the side windows gave it proportions similar to a BMW X1. Inside, the cabin initially appeared attractive with a clean and straightforward layout, but closer inspection revealed that it fell short of the luxury billing Buick aimed for. The matte-finish materials used for some controls and the bezel around the radio and navigation system looked cheap, especially when combined with chrome and light-colored leather. The cabin's shortcomings were highlighted by small details like the one-touch power windows, which were only available for the driver’s door, indicating some corners were cut in the design.

The 2020 Jeep Compass, like the Grand Cherokee, was a handsome SUV reflecting the more refined side of the Jeep brand. It came in four core trim levels: Sport, Latitude, Limited, and Trailhawk, with various packages and special edition trim upgrades available. Prices started at $22,280 for a Compass Sport with FWD and a six-speed manual transmission, while the High Altitude upgrade for the Compass Limited with AWD was priced from $32,645. Our test vehicle, a Compass Limited with AWD and numerous options, totaled $39,755. Despite the high price, Jeep often offered significant discounts on the Compass. The vehicle featured soft-touch surfaces, premium leather, and sophisticated technology, but also had low-rent glossy plastic pieces and flimsy-feeling parts that detracted from its overall appeal. However, compared to the original Compass, the 2020 model was a significant improvement.

The 2019 Buick Envision offered two engine options. The FWD, Preferred, and Essence trims came with a 2.5-liter inline 4-cylinder engine producing 197 horsepower, paired with an outdated 6-speed automatic transmission. This setup felt underpowered and sluggish in many driving situations. The Premium and Premium II trims featured a 2.0-liter turbocharged 4-cylinder engine, making 252 horsepower and 295 pound-feet of torque, coupled with a new 9-speed automatic transmission. This engine provided solid acceleration and came standard with AWD. The Envision's steering was responsive and tight, though the vehicle could feel top-heavy in corners. It was best suited for town driving, where its ride was smoothest, and it was notably quiet due to extensive sound-deadening materials. Fuel economy for the 2.5-liter engine with FWD was 22 mpg city, 29 highway, and 25 combined, while the turbo AWD model was rated at 20/25/22, with our test achieving 21.3 mpg.

The 2020 Jeep Compass was powered by a 2.4-liter 4-cylinder engine, known as the Tigershark, producing 180 horsepower and 175 pound-feet of torque. Despite its name, the engine was loud, slow, and thirsty, with sluggish acceleration and nearly non-existent passing power. Our test vehicle averaged 23.1 mpg, falling short of the EPA rating of 25 mpg combined. The nine-speed automatic transmission often shifted harshly and resisted downshifts, and the automatic engine stop/start system could make the air conditioning swampy on warm days. The Compass’s suspension controlled body roll well but allowed too much vertical motion and impact harshness. The steering was heavy and vague, and the brake pedal was sensitive until acclimated. However, the Compass excelled in off-road capability, especially in Trailhawk trim with added ground clearance and an Active Drive Low AWD system. Our Compass Limited test vehicle handled a moderately difficult trail without issues, despite lacking some off-road features.

The 2019 Buick Envision offered plenty of room in the driver's seat, with a high seating position providing excellent visibility. The second row also had ample head- and legroom, with seats that could recline to a couple of positions. With the rear seats up, the Envision provided 27 cubic feet of cargo space, expanding to 57 cubic feet with the seats folded down, comparable to the Acura RDX. The Envision featured helpful cargo tie-downs, deep pockets in all four doors, and a cargo tray above the glove box, making good use of its space.

The 2020 Jeep Compass, equipped with the new-for-2020 Luxury Seat Group, offered premium leather, ventilated front seats, a power-adjustable front passenger seat, and a memory function for the driver’s settings. The back seat was roomy, with air conditioning vents, a USB charging port, and a 115-volt power outlet for rear passengers. The Compass provided 27.2 cubic feet of cargo space behind the rear seat, expanding to 59.8 cubic feet with the seats folded down, surpassing both the Jeep Renegade and Cherokee in volume. However, the optional spare tire and Alpine subwoofer housing took up some cargo space. The cabin had scant storage room and awkwardly positioned cupholders, which could be aggravating for those carrying many personal items.

The 2019 Buick Envision came standard with GM's Intellilink infotainment system, featuring an 8-inch touchscreen with a straightforward layout. The system included hard buttons and dials below the screen, with a dock of icons for music, connectivity, and navigation. It also supported Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and our test vehicle had wireless charging for compatible smartphones, though the charging pocket design was unconventional. Below the touchscreen, touch-capacitive controls for the climate and heated/cooled front seats were less useful, as they were not very sensitive and responded only half the time.

The 2020 Jeep Compass offered an excellent Uconnect infotainment system with an 8.4-inch touchscreen display, Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, Bluetooth connectivity, and 4G LTE WiFi. It also supported SiriusXM Guardian connected services, including emergency calling, a vehicle finder, and remote engine starting. Our test vehicle had a navigation system and an Alpine premium audio system. Uconnect was intuitive and featured appealing graphics, though some features were embedded in menus that should have been more accessible. The voice recognition system worked well with natural requests, but navigation required specific prompts. Overall, Uconnect impressed for the segment.

The 2019 Buick Envision came standard with ten airbags, including side-curtain and knee airbags, and a reversing camera with Rear Park Assist. The Premium and Premium II trims included GM’s Safety Alert Seat, which vibrated to alert the driver to potential hazards. Essence and Premium trims had blind-spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert, while the Premium trim also included lane-keep assist, lane-departure warning, and forward-collision alert. The Driver Confidence Package on the Premium II trim added adaptive cruise control, automatic front braking, and a 360-degree camera. However, many of these features were extra-cost options, unlike competitors like the Toyota RAV4, which included similar features as standard. The Envision also had a feature where the reversing lights stayed on for about a minute after locking the car, which could be confusing.

The 2020 Jeep Compass extended the availability of its driving assistance and collision avoidance technology to the base Sport trim level. Optional in the Safety and Security Group and the Advanced Safety Group, our test vehicle included adaptive cruise control with stop-and-go capability, forward-collision warning, automatic emergency braking, lane departure warning, lane-keeping assist, blind-spot monitoring, and rear cross-traffic warning. These systems performed to average expectations, with the adaptive cruise control overreacting to traffic changes and the lane-keeping assist occasionally being too insistent. The Compass earned Good ratings in most IIHS crash tests, except for headlight performance, and received mixed ratings from NHTSA.