2021 Toyota Venza vs 2022 Jeep Compass

The 2021 Toyota Venza, when it was revealed, was noted for its resemblance to a Lexus, particularly the Lexus LF-1 Limitless concept. Critics highlighted its sleek design, from the grille to the elongated profile, which blurred the lines between the Toyota and Lexus brands. The Venza was available in three trim levels: LE, XLE, and Limited, with a choice of seven paint colors. Standard features included dual chrome-tipped exhaust, LED headlights and taillights, automatic high beams, puddle lights, and 18-inch alloy wheels. The base LE model came with a wireless charging pad, 4.2-inch driver’s information display, leather-trimmed steering wheel, Bluetooth, dual-zone automatic climate control, and an 8-inch infotainment touch screen. The top-tier Limited trim added a digital rearview mirror, illuminated footwells, a backup camera washer, and a 12.3-inch infotainment screen, with the option to add the Star Gaze panoramic roof.

The 2022 Jeep Compass, despite exterior styling updates and new wheel designs, retained much of its look from the 2017 redesign. 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, and infotainment systems. The cabin featured soft-touch surfaces, luxury-grade leather seats, and added sound deadening, enhancing its premium feel. The High Altitude trim, the most expensive version, included standard all-wheel drive (AWD) and option packages like the Elite Interior Group and Driver Assist Group 1, bringing the MSRP to $40,470.

The 2021 Toyota Venza came standard with a 2.5-liter four-cylinder gasoline engine paired with a lithium-ion battery pack and electric motors, resulting in a combined 219 horsepower and 163 pound-feet of torque. The hybrid system, coupled with an electronically-controlled continuously-variable transmission (eCVT), provided smooth acceleration, though it was not rapid. The Venza's handling was confident, and its all-wheel drive (AWD) system performed well. The Venza excelled in fuel economy, achieving an EPA-estimated 40 mpg on the highway, 37 mpg in the city, and 39 mpg combined. Toyota backed its hybrid powertrain with a 10-year/150,000-mile hybrid battery warranty and an eight-year/100,000-mile Hybrid System warranty.

The 2022 Jeep Compass was equipped 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. The engine, known as the “Tigershark,” was paired with a nine-speed automatic transmission for AWD models and a six-speed automatic for FWD models. The transmission aimed to maximize fuel efficiency but resulted in a busy and unrewarding powertrain character. The Compass averaged 23.8 mpg in combined driving, slightly below the EPA's estimate of 25 mpg. The Jeep Selec-Terrain system offered Auto, Snow, and Sand/Mud driving modes, and the Compass AWD had 8.1 inches of ground clearance, suitable for light off-roading. The Trailhawk trim provided additional off-road capabilities with a different AWD system, hill descent control, skid plates, and 8.6 inches of ground clearance.

The 2021 Toyota Venza was practical and well-appointed for its price point. The interior featured premium appointments, including a deep center console with resizable cup holders, a traditional stick shifter, drive mode buttons, and a wireless charging pad. The driver and passenger seats were accommodating, and the rear seats were comfortable for two adults. The Venza offered nearly the same passenger volume as the RAV4 but had around 60 percent of the RAV4's cargo space, with a maximum of 55.1 cubic feet. The cargo space was easy to arrange with quick-flip releases on the 60/40 split-folding rear seatbacks.

The 2022 Jeep Compass, positioned among Jeep's similarly sized SUVs, provided 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 cabin included a dual-pane panoramic sunroof, a redesigned soft-touch dashboard, and a new Uconnect 5 infotainment screen. The center console offered twice the storage of the previous model, though the bin beneath the armrest remained small. The Compass had a cargo capacity of 27.2 cubic feet behind the rear seat and 59.8 cubic feet with the rear seat folded down, exceeding the cargo space of the more expensive Cherokee model.

The 2021 Toyota Venza featured an 8-inch infotainment system on the LE and XLE trims, while the Limited trim had a 12.3-inch touchscreen. The Entune infotainment system, though improved, was not the best in the industry. The Venza included Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, Amazon Alexa, AM/FM/HD Radio, Bluetooth, and a six-speaker audio system as standard. A Wi-Fi hot spot, a nine-speaker JBL premium audio system, and various Toyota connected services were also available. The larger infotainment screen offered dynamic navigation with cloud-based route guidance.

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. Uconnect 5 supported wireless Apple CarPlay, wireless Android Auto, Amazon Alexa, satellite radio, and voice text-to-reply capability. The system also offered over-the-air updates, a navigation system, connected services, a WiFi hotspot, and a wireless device charging pad. The voice recognition system was fast and accurate, though it had some limitations in specific scenarios.

The 2021 Toyota Venza came with the Toyota Safety Sense 2.0 suite, which included eight airbags, a rearview camera, hill start assist, parking distance sensors, tire pressure monitoring, and adjustable front seatbelt anchors. Additional features included a pre-collision warning system with pedestrian detection, automatic emergency braking, lane-departure alert with steering assist, lane-tracing assist, automatic high beams, adaptive cruise control, and road sign assist. Blind-spot monitoring with rear cross-traffic alert was standard, with an upgrade to automatic braking available on the XLE and Limited trims. The Venza had two full sets of LATCH connections on the rear outboard seats.

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 was set to add Highway Assist later in the model year, pairing adaptive cruise control and lane-centering assistance for highway driving. Additional available features included a parallel and perpendicular parking assistance system and a 360-degree surround-view camera system. The adaptive cruise control and lane-keeping systems worked well, though the lane-keep assist was too insistent at lower speeds. The forward-collision warning system occasionally gave false positives.