2022 Jeep Compass vs 2021 Kia Sorento

The 2021 Kia Sorento marked a significant departure from its previous generation's jelly-bean-inspired styling, embracing a more athletic and muscular silhouette. The SX Prestige trim with the X-Line package featured roof rails, a shark fin antenna, and a rear roof spoiler, enhancing its rugged appeal. The front showcased an expansive tiger-nose grille with a noticeable curve, complemented by squinting headlights and running lights. A silver accent between the front fender and the door added a touch of sophistication. Despite the large D-pillar, the Sorento's design was a stylish blend of modernity and practicality, with beautiful vertical taillights and a cautiously modern look that promised to age well.

Inside, the Sorento was packed with high-value features. Heated outside mirrors, second-row air vents, Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, Bluetooth connectivity, and keyless entry were standard across the lineup. The base LX trim offered six-way driver’s seat adjustment, while higher trims provided 10-way adjustment with power lumbar support. The SX Prestige trim with the X-Line package included heated and ventilated seats, and the panoramic sunroof let in ample light, though sometimes too much in hot weather. The interior materials, especially the perforated leather in the SX Prestige, exceeded expectations in comfort and quality.

The 2022 Jeep Compass, despite exterior updates and new wheel designs, retained much of its 2017 redesign look, resembling a shrunken Grand Cherokee. The High Altitude trim 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, and luxury-grade leather seats. The soft-touch surfaces and added sound deadening elevated its premium feel.

The Compass lineup started with the base Sport trim and moved up through Latitude, Latitude Lux, Limited, Trailhawk, and High Altitude models, with prices ranging from $26,020 to $35,085, excluding a $1,595 destination charge. Our High Altitude test vehicle, equipped with AWD and various option packages, had an MSRP of $40,470. The interior featured eight-way power-adjustable front seats with heating and ventilation, a heated steering wheel, and heated rear seats. The dual-pane panoramic sunroof, premium leather upholstery, and redesigned dashboard with the new Uconnect 5 infotainment system significantly improved the Compass's perceived quality and sophistication.

The 2021 Kia Sorento offered a range of powertrains, with the most common being a naturally aspirated 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine producing 191 horsepower and 181 lb-ft of torque, paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission. However, our test car featured the turbocharged 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine, delivering 281 horsepower and 311 lb-ft of torque through an eight-speed dual-clutch transmission (DCT) with a wet clutch to AWD. This setup provided ample power for merging, cruising, and passing.

The Sorento also offered a hybrid version with a turbocharged 1.6-liter four-cylinder engine and an electric motor, available only with FWD. The AWD system in our test car included torque vectoring and a center-locking differential for better traction. The X-Line package added 1.3 inches of ride height, 20-inch alloy wheels, and a roof rack. The suspension, consisting of McPherson struts up front and a multi-link setup in the rear, ensured a smooth and comfortable ride. The various drive modes, including Eco, Normal, and Sport, made a noticeable difference in performance, with Sport mode providing the best throttle response.

The 2022 Jeep Compass came with a 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine, producing 177 horsepower at 6,400 rpm and 172 lb-ft of torque at 3,900 rpm. Despite its "Tigershark" name, the engine lacked the power to compete with other SUVs. The nine-speed automatic transmission, paired with AWD, aimed to maximize fuel efficiency but often resulted in a busy and unrewarding powertrain character. The automatic stop/start system was slow to re-engage, leading to hard engagement and slow acceleration from a rolling start.

The Compass featured Jeep Selec-Terrain with Auto, Snow, and Sand/Mud driving modes, and the Active Drive AWD system could send all engine power to the rear wheels when needed. The EPA estimated 25 mpg in combined driving, but our test vehicle averaged 23.8 mpg. With 8.1 inches of ground clearance, the Compass handled light off-roading and snow well. The Trailhawk trim offered additional off-road capabilities with a different AWD system, hill descent control, skid plates, and 8.6 inches of ground clearance. The Compass High Altitude's 19-inch wheels improved grip on pavement, but the short-wheelbase SUV felt bouncy on uneven surfaces, revealing its dated architecture.

The 2021 Kia Sorento, a three-row SUV, was best considered a four-seater in its top trims due to the second-row captain's chairs and a tight third row. The cargo space behind the third row was limited to 12.6 cubic feet, making it more practical to fold those seats down. The second-row captain's chairs were comfortable, and the front and rear seats offered ample legroom at 41.4 inches and 41.7 inches, respectively. The Sorento provided good cargo space for small items, with a spot for a phone, cupholders, and a decent-sized center console bucket. The total cargo volume was 75.5 cubic feet, comparable to compact crossovers like the Honda CR-V or Toyota RAV4.

The 2022 Jeep Compass, positioned among Jeep's similarly sized SUVs, offered enough space for four adults and their luggage. The High Altitude trim featured eight-way power-adjustable front seats with heating and ventilation, a heated steering wheel, and heated rear seats. The dual-pane panoramic sunroof, premium leather upholstery, and redesigned dashboard with the new Uconnect 5 infotainment system significantly improved the Compass's perceived quality and sophistication. The new center console provided more storage, but the bin beneath the armrest remained small. The Compass offered 27.2 cubic feet of cargo space behind the rear seat and 59.8 cubic feet with the rear seat folded down, exceeding the cargo capacity of the more expensive Cherokee model.

The 2021 Kia Sorento featured an 8-inch touchscreen display on the LX, S, and EX trims, with hard buttons, volume and tuning knobs, and wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. The SX and SX Prestige trims had a larger 10.25-inch screen with haptic touch buttons and knobs, but required a physical connection for Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. The Sorento had plenty of USB ports but lacked USB-C ports. The optional Bose stereo in our test car was underwhelming, and the navigation system needed improvement. Most drivers would likely rely on Apple CarPlay or Android Auto for navigation.

The 2022 Jeep Compass introduced the Uconnect 5 infotainment system, which was five times faster than the previous generation. An 8.4-inch touchscreen was standard, with a 10.1-inch touchscreen available as an upgrade. Uconnect 5 supported wireless Apple CarPlay, wireless Android Auto, Amazon Alexa, 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. The nine-speaker Alpine premium sound system was available as an upgrade. The voice recognition system was fast and accurate, though it struggled with specific address searches.

The 2021 Kia Sorento came with a comprehensive array of standard safety features, including automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection, driver-attention warning, lane-keeping assist, lane-departure warning, lane-following assist, and auto high beams. Our test car also had a surround-view camera and adaptive cruise control. The NHTSA awarded the Sorento four out of five stars overall, while the IIHS gave it a Top Safety Pick designation, with the SX trim levels receiving perfect scores for their LED headlights.

The 2022 Jeep Compass improved its safety features, offering forward-collision warning with pedestrian and cyclist detection, automatic emergency braking, lane-departure warning, lane-keeping assistance, blind-spot monitoring, and rear cross-traffic alert as standard. The Compass would add Highway Assist later in the model year, pairing adaptive cruise control and lane-centering assistance for highway driving. A parking assistance system and 360-degree camera system were also available. The NHTSA carried over the previous three-star rollover resistance rating, and the IIHS scores indicated a need for improved headlight performance.