Compare the2026 Jeep CompassVS 2026 Kia Sportage PHEV

The Compass’ pre-crash front seatbelts will tighten automatically in the event the vehicle detects an impending crash, improving protection against injury significantly. The Sportage PHEV doesn’t offer pre-crash pretensioners.

The Jeep Compass has a standard driver’s side knee airbag mounted low on the dashboard. The knee airbag helps prevent the driver from sliding under the seatbelts or the main frontal airbag; this keeps the driver better positioned during a collision for maximum protection. A knee airbag also helps keep the legs from striking the dashboard, preventing knee and leg injuries in the case of a serious frontal collision. The Sportage PHEV doesn’t offer knee airbags.

The Compass has standard Active Head Restraints, which use a specially designed headrest to protect the driver and front passenger from whiplash. During a rear-end collision, the Active Head Restraints system moves the headrests forward to prevent neck and spine injuries. The Sportage PHEV doesn’t offer a whiplash protection system.

In a Vehicle-to-Vehicle Frontal Crash Prevention 2.0 test conducted by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), the Jeep Compass achieved a “Acceptable” rating - the second highest possible - for its performance in forward collision warning and automatic braking systems, demonstrating its excellent capabilities in preventing collisions. The Kia Sportage PHEV has not been tested.

Both the Compass and the Sportage PHEV have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, height adjustable front shoulder belts, four-wheel antilock brakes, all wheel drive, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras, rear cross-path warning, driver alert monitors and available around view monitors.

The Compass’ 5 year corrosion warranty has no mileage limitations, but the corrosion warranty on the Sportage PHEV runs out after 100,000 miles.

Jeep pays for scheduled maintenance on the Compass for 2 years and unlimited miles. Jeep will pay for oil changes, tire rotations, air filter replacements, cabin filter replacement, brake fluid replacement, inspections, and any other required maintenance (up to 2 visits). Kia doesn’t pay scheduled maintenance for the Sportage PHEV.

There are over 3 times as many Jeep dealers as there are Kia dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Compass’ warranty.

Both the Compass and Sportage PHEV have a standard automatic start/stop engine feature to stop unnecessary fuel waste and pollution at stoplights and heavy traffic. The Compass has a standard disable switch for the system, so a driver can keep the engine from shutting off when the vehicle stops temporarily.

The Compass has a standard cap-less fueling system. The fuel filler is automatically opened when the fuel nozzle is inserted and automatically closed when it’s removed. This eliminates the need to unscrew and replace the cap and it reduces fuel evaporation, which causes pollution. The Sportage PHEV doesn’t offer a cap-less fueling system.

An eight-speed automatic is standard on the Jeep Compass, for better acceleration and lower engine speed on the highway. Only a six-speed automatic is available for the Sportage PHEV.

The Compass Limited’s optional tires provide better handling because they have a lower 45 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Sportage PHEV’s 55 series tires.

The Compass Trailhawk has a standard full size spare tire so a flat doesn’t interrupt your trip. A full size spare isn’t available on the Sportage PHEV; it requires you to depend on roadside assistance and your vehicle will have to be towed.

The Compass’ drift compensation steering can automatically compensate for road conditions which would cause the vehicle to drift from side to side, helping the driver to keep the vehicle straight more easily. The Sportage PHEV doesn’t offer drift compensation steering.

For better maneuverability, the Compass Trailhawk’s turning circle is 3.3 feet tighter than the Sportage PHEV’s (35.3 feet vs. 38.6 feet). The Compass 4x4 Sport/Latitude/Limited’s turning circle is 2.3 feet tighter than the Sportage PHEV’s (36.3 feet vs. 38.6 feet).

For greater off-road capability the Compass Trailhawk has a greater minimum ground clearance than the Sportage PHEV (8.6 vs. 8.3 inches), allowing the Compass to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged.

The Jeep Compass may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 600 to 700 pounds less than the Kia Sportage PHEV.

The Compass is 11 inches shorter than the Sportage PHEV, making the Compass easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

The Compass’ instruments include an oil pressure gauge and a temperature gauge - which could save your engine! Often ‘idiot lights’ don’t warn you until damage has been done. The Sportage PHEV does not have an oil pressure gauge.

The Compass’ 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 Sportage PHEV’s manually variable intermittent wipers have to be constantly adjusted. The Compass’ optional wipers adjust their speed and turn on and off automatically according to the amount of rainfall on the windshield.

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) conducts detailed tests on headlights for their range both straight ahead and in curves and to be certain they don’t exceed acceptable amounts of glare to oncoming drivers. The Compass’ available headlights were rated “Good” by the IIHS, while the Sportage PHEV’s headlights are rated “Acceptable.”

To help drivers avoid possible obstacles, the Compass has standard cornering lights to illuminate around corners when the turn signals are activated. The Sportage PHEV doesn’t offer cornering lights.

The Compass has a standard heated steering wheel to take the chill out of steering on extremely cold winter days before the vehicle heater warms up. A heated steering wheel is only available on the Sportage PHEV X-Line Prestige.

The Compass offers an optional 115-volt a/c outlet on the center console, allowing you to recharge a laptop or run small household appliances without special adapters that can break or get misplaced. The Sportage PHEV doesn’t offer a house-current electrical outlet.