2022 Jeep Compass vs 2021 Ford Escape

The 2021 Ford Escape, a fourth-generation model, balanced the line between SUV and hatchback. Its curved snout and sleek roofline made it resemble an enlarged Focus, yet it maintained the tall ride height of a proper SUV. This design gave the Escape a less truck-like appearance compared to the Honda CR-V, Subaru Forester, or Toyota RAV4, but it also resulted in a more generic look than the Hyundai Tucson or Kia Sportage. For 2021, the Escape introduced new appearance packages for three of its four trim levels, including the SE Sport Appearance Package, SEL Stealth AWD Package, and Titanium Elite Package, which featured upgrades like 19-inch alloy wheels, ActiveX upholstery, and leather-wrapped steering wheels.

Inside, the Escape's interior design did not match the cohesive theme of its exterior. The angular instrument cluster seemed out of place, and the materials used felt low-rent. Even the top-tier Titanium model lacked standard leather upholstery, although it did offer ambient lighting. Dual-zone automatic climate control was only available starting from the SEL trim level.

The 2022 Jeep Compass, despite exterior styling updates and new wheel designs, retained much of its look from the 2017 redesign, resembling a shrunken Grand Cherokee. The High Altitude test vehicle featured 19-inch multi-spoke wheels with a dark sparkly finish, giving it an upscale appearance. Inside, the Compass High Altitude impressed with a new dashboard design, updated digital instrumentation, soft-touch surfaces, luxury-grade leather seats, and added sound deadening, enhancing its premium SUV feel.

The High Altitude was the most expensive version of the 2022 Compass, with the lineup starting from the base Sport trim and moving up through Latitude, Latitude Lux, Limited, Trailhawk, and High Altitude models. Prices ranged from $26,020 to $35,085, excluding a $1,595 destination charge. The High Altitude test vehicle came with standard AWD and option packages like the Elite Interior Group and Driver Assist Group 1, bringing the MSRP to $40,470, including destination.

The 2021 Ford Escape offered two gasoline powertrains, along with hybrid and plug-in hybrid options. The base powertrain was a 1.5-liter turbocharged three-cylinder engine from Ford’s EcoBoost range, producing 181 horsepower and 191 pound-feet of torque, paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission. It came with standard FWD or optional AWD. An upgrade to the EcoBoost 2.0-liter turbo-four engine increased output to 250 hp and 280 lb-ft of torque, available only with AWD and the same eight-speed automatic transmission.

The Escape hybrid and plug-in hybrid both used a 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine with electric assist, delivering a total system output of 200 hp. The plug-in hybrid’s larger battery pack allowed for significant electric-only driving distances. The hybrid was available with FWD or AWD, while the plug-in hybrid was FWD only. Despite the three-cylinder engine seeming inadequate for an SUV, it performed adequately. The smooth transition between electric and gasoline propulsion in the hybrid was appreciated, but the chassis tuning left much to be desired, with sloppy suspension and steering making it a chore to drive. The 2.0-liter, hybrid, and plug-in hybrid models could be equipped with a Class 2 Trailer Tow Package, with a maximum towing capacity of 3,500 pounds for the 2.0-liter engine.

The 2022 Jeep Compass came with a 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine, producing 177 horsepower at 6,400 rpm and 172 pound-feet of torque at 3,900 rpm. Dubbed the “Tigershark” engine, it lacked the accelerative power of other SUVs. A turbocharger would have significantly improved performance, especially for those planning mountain adventures. The engine was paired with a nine-speed automatic transmission for AWD models, while FWD models had a six-speed automatic.

The transmission aimed to maximize fuel efficiency but resulted in a busy, unrewarding powertrain character. The automatic stop/start system was slow to re-engage the engine, leading to hard engagement and slow acceleration from a rolling start. The drivetrain was the least appealing aspect of the Compass. However, the Jeep Selec-Terrain system offered Auto, Snow, and Sand/Mud driving modes, and the Jeep Active Drive AWD system could send all engine power to the rear wheels when necessary. The EPA estimated 25 mpg in combined driving, but testing averaged 23.8 mpg.

With 8.1 inches of ground clearance, the Compass AWD handled light off-roading and snowstorms well. The Trailhawk trim offered even greater capability with a different AWD system, low range, hill descent control, skid plates, and 8.6 inches of ground clearance. The 19-inch wheels improved grip on pavement, and the Compass felt nimble and maneuverable. However, it exhibited excessive lateral motion on uneven pavement and struggled with speed humps. The Compass was quieter than before, with satisfactory steering and braking, but overall driving dynamics needed improvement.

The 2021 Ford Escape, despite its car-like styling, compared well against more traditionally-styled compact SUVs in terms of interior space. First-row and second-row headroom and legroom were near the top of the segment, and the Escape featured a standard sliding rear seat to adjust legroom or cargo space. Sliding the bench seat all the way back provided 40.7 inches of rear legroom in non-hybrid models, second only to the 2022 Hyundai Tucson. However, the battery pack placement in hybrid and plug-in hybrid models reduced some legroom.

The gasoline Escape offered 33.5 cubic feet of cargo space with the rear seat up and in its default position, while hybrid and plug-in hybrid models had 30.7 cubic feet. Sliding the rear seat forward increased cargo space to 37.5 cubic feet for gasoline models and 34.4 cubic feet for hybrid/plug-in hybrid models. Folding the rear seat yielded 65.4 cubic feet of cargo space in gasoline models and 60.8 cubic feet in hybrid and plug-in hybrid models. Most competitors offered more cargo space, with the Nissan Rogue and Subaru Forester exceeding 70 cubic feet with their rear seats folded.

The 2022 Jeep Compass, positioned among Jeep’s similarly sized Renegade and Cherokee models, offered enough space for four adults and their luggage but lacked extra room. The Compass High Altitude, with its 2022 upgrades, convincingly played the role of a premium-brand SUV. The test vehicle’s front seats featured eight-way power adjustment with heating and ventilation, and it included a heated steering wheel and heated rear seats. The Elite Interior Group option package added premium leather upholstery and light-gray contrast stitching.

Occupants enjoyed a dual-pane panoramic sunroof and a redesigned, soft-touch dashboard. The new Uconnect 5 infotainment screen was integrated high on the dash, with reworked primary controls and a new steering wheel and optional digital instrument cluster. The new center console offered twice the storage of the previous model, though the bin beneath the armrest remained small. The available hands-free power liftgate provided access to the cargo area, with 27.2 cubic feet of cargo space behind the rear seat and a maximum of 59.8 cubic feet with the back seat folded down, exceeding the more expensive Cherokee model.

The 2021 Ford Escape used the older Sync 3 infotainment system, with base Escape S models featuring a 4.2-inch touchscreen. Standard features included Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, and a built-in 4G LTE WiFi hotspot. Upgrading to the Escape SE added an 8-inch touchscreen with pinch-and-zoom capability and SiriusXM satellite radio. The Titanium trim level included a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster and a 10-speaker Bang & Olufsen sound system. While Sync 3 was user-friendly, it lacked the standard tech features of competitors and missed out on wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto available with the newer Sync 4 system.

The 2022 Jeep Compass featured the new Uconnect 5 infotainment system, which was five times faster to load and respond than the previous system. An 8.4-inch touchscreen was standard, with a 10.1-inch touchscreen available as an upgrade. Uconnect 5 supported pairing two devices to Bluetooth, wireless Apple CarPlay, wireless Android Auto, an Amazon Alexa skill, satellite radio, and voice text-to-reply capability. Over-the-air updates kept the system current.

The Compass also offered a navigation system, connected services, a WiFi hotspot, Alexa Built-In, and a wireless device charging pad. Buyers could upgrade to a nine-speaker Alpine premium sound system. The voice recognition system was fast and accurate, allowing for cabin temperature adjustments by voice, though it struggled with specific address-based directions. Overall, Uconnect 5 impressed but wasn’t as user-friendly as the best technology in the industry.

The 2021 Ford Escape received a “Top Safety Pick” rating from the IIHS, with top “Good” scores in all crash tests and for LATCH child-seat anchor ease of use. It earned high marks for front-crash prevention tech but only “Acceptable” and “Marginal” ratings for headlights, depending on the trim level. The NHTSA gave the Escape a five-star overall safety rating, with five stars in frontal and side crash tests, and four stars in rollover crash tests.

Standard safety features under the Ford Co-Pilot360 banner included automatic high beams, blind-spot monitoring with rear cross-traffic alert, lane-keep assist, lane-departure warning, forward collision warning, and automatic emergency braking. The optional Co-Pilot360 Assist+ package added adaptive cruise control with stop-and-go and lane centering, traffic-sign recognition, park assist, and Evasive Steering Assist.

The 2022 Jeep Compass improved its safety features, with every version now including forward-collision warning with pedestrian and cyclist detection, automatic emergency braking, lane-departure warning and lane-keeping assistance, blind-spot monitoring, and rear cross-traffic alert. The Compass would add Highway Assist later in the model year, pairing adaptive cruise control and lane-centering assistance for highway driving. A parallel and perpendicular parking assistance system and 360-degree surround-view camera system were also available.

During testing, the adaptive cruise control and lane-keeping systems mostly worked as advertised, though the lane-keep assist was too insistent at lower speeds, and the engine struggled with smooth acceleration. The forward-collision warning system occasionally gave false positives, and the Jeep braked too early and hard in some instances. As of the review, neither the IIHS nor the NHTSA had published safety ratings for the updated 2022 Compass, though the NHTSA carried over the previous three-star rollover resistance rating. Jeep needed to improve headlight performance based on the 2021 Compass' IIHS scores.