Starting at
Starting at
| 181-250 | Horsepower (hp) | 200 |
| 190-277 | Torque (lb-ft) | 221 |
| 65.2 | Cargo Space (cu.ft.) | 59.8 |
If you are interested in a subcompact crossover SUV, then you have no shortage of options available to you, but they are certainly not all built equally. Looking at all of the models offered to you at once can quickly become overwhelming, so it helps to take it just one or two at a time to see what they bring to the road (and to the trail). For example, if you are interested in a subcompact crossover that is perfect for any adventure you want to plan, then it is worth considering the 2023 Ford Bronco Sport vs 2023 Jeep Compass. Both of these small SUVs are great for families or groups of friends, though the Ford model simply has more to offer.
For starters, the 2023 Jeep Compass has a single engine available, while the Ford Bronco Sport has two engines for you to choose from. In fairness to Jeep, the engine in the Compass has recently been upgraded and is much better than it was previously, but it falls well behind the kind of power and performance that the available 2.0L Turbo I-4 engine for the Bronco Sport can deliver. The Jeep Compass tops out at 200 hp, while the available engine for the Ford Bronco Sport provides 250 hp, which is definitely enough of a difference for you to notice. This boost in power not only makes the Bronco Sport incredibly fun to drive but also allows it to handle greater towing capacity than Jeep’s offering.
You would expect a Jeep to be great at going off-road, and the Compass can certainly tackle its share of trails, particularly with its available Trailhawk trim. Yet, the Ford Bronco Sport delivers superior off-road capability with incredible features like its Goes Over Any Type of Terrain (G.O.A.T.) Modes terrain management system, which gives you far more terrain options than the Jeep Compass and its Traction Management System. Similarly, the Bronco Sport gives you greater ground clearance and superior water fording depth than the Jeep Compass, even when you look at the off-road-focused Trailhawk trim. When you consider that the Bronco Sport also gives you much more interior cargo space than the Jeep Compass, and more room for you to stretch out upfront, it is easy to see how the Ford model comes out on top.
The engine in a subcompact crossover can be easy to overlook; such a small vehicle does not have the kind of power as something like a full-size truck. Still, you deserve to drive something that is fun and has enough power that you look forward to getting behind the wheel each day, so even a subcompact model should have a good engine in it. This is even more important if you are interested in taking your vehicle off-road because it needs to have performance that you can count on to navigate the trail and get you home in one piece.
One of the biggest weaknesses of the 2023 Compass is that Jeep offers only a single engine on it, even though they have numerous trims for drivers to choose from. Fortunately, Jeep updated the engine for the 2023 model year, and the Compass now has a new 2.0L Turbo I-4 engine that delivers an impressive 200 hp and 221 lb-ft of torque, which comes paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission. This is far better than the 177-hp engine the Compass had last year, and it manages to surpass the standard option in the 2023 Ford Bronco Sport, but only just.
The Bronco Sport comes with a standard 1.5L EcoBoost Turbo I-3 engine that delivers 181 hp and 190 lb-ft of torque, which is a bit less powerful than Jeep’s engine. If you want greater power, however, then Ford has you covered. The Bronco Sport has an available 2.0L EcoBoost Turbo I-4 engine that provides an impressive 250 hp and 277 lb-ft of torque for a fantastic overall driving experience. Not only is this more power, making it more fun to drive, but this allows for 2,200 lbs of towing capability, while the Jeep Compass tops out at 2,000 lbs of towing—the same as the Bronco Sport with its standard engine.
One of the things that truly set the Ford Bronco Sport and Jeep Compass apart from many other small crossovers of similar size is that both of these models can function very well for going off-road. In fact, much like the larger Bronco, the Bronco Sport is one of the most capable vehicles on the market for hitting the trail, surpassing just about anything else out there in its class. The Jeep Compass has been designed a bit more for staying on the road, but the Trailhawk trim makes it a worthy competitor—although the Ford model still comes out on top.
Both the Bronco Sport and Compass come with 4x4 standard, giving you excellent traction in slippery conditions, including rough weather and dirt or gravel. As you start looking closer, however, some important differences begin to emerge. The Jeep Compass has 8.1 inches of standard ground clearance and just 16 inches of water fording. The Compass Trailhawk trim improves on these a bit with 8.6 inches of clearance and 19 inches of water fording, but it is telling that you have to choose a specific trim for better off-road capability. Similarly, the Trailhawk comes with Jeep’s Selec-Terrain Traction Management System with four modes: Auto, Snow, Sand/Mud, and Rock.
Looking at the Ford Bronco Sport, you can get 8.8 inches of ground clearance thanks to its available A/T Off-Road tires, with up to 23.6 inches of water fording capability. This is a bit more clearance than the Jeep Compass, along with significantly greater water fording, which can make a big difference when splashing through creeks and streams on the trail. Furthermore, every Bronco Sport model comes with Ford’s G.O.A.T. Modes with five standard terrain modes: Normal, Eco, Sport, Sand, and Slippery. If you choose the incredible Badlands trim, then you get two extra modes, Mud/Ruts and Rock Crawl, giving you functionality beyond anything the Jeep Compass can come close to.
Since most of your time with your vehicle will be spent with you inside of it, you should always consider the interior of any model you are interested in. Both the 2023 Ford Bronco Sport and the Jeep Compass are subcompact crossover models with two rows of seating for up to five passengers. Despite this overall similarity in size, the actual space you can find within these two vehicles and the features throughout can be quite different. For example, front-row passengers in the Jeep Compass have about 39 inches of headroom and 41 inches of legroom, while folks up front in the Bronco Sport can enjoy more than 41 inches of headroom and over 42 inches of legroom to stretch out in.
Similarly, the Jeep Compass has 27.2 cu.ft. of cargo space behind the rear seats, with 59.8 cu.ft. of total cargo volume behind the front row of seating. By comparison, if you choose a Ford Bronco Sport with its standard engine, then you get 32.5 cu.ft. of rear cargo volume to utilize, with 65.2 cu.ft. of total cargo space behind the front row. If you choose the more-powerful available engine for the Bronco Sport, then you lose a bit of space, but you still get more cargo volume than inside the Compass. While these differences might not be the only factor to consider when choosing your next vehicle, it is important that you get a crossover SUV with enough room inside for the people and things you need to bring with you.
With remarkable power, impressive towing capacity, and unbeatable off-road capability, the 2023 Ford Bronco Sport clearly demonstrates why it is one of the most popular subcompact crossover models on the market. The Jeep Compass is a fine vehicle, but it is simply showing its age compared to new models like the Bronco Sport and is overdue for a redesign to make it a true competitor for other vehicles out there. Of course, you do not simply have to take our word for it—one look at or a test drive in the Ford Bronco Sport is all it takes for you to experience what it brings to the road and the trail. No matter what you are looking for in your next SUV, the Ford lineup has something that can meet your needs and get you excited to hit the road each and every day.
Here at DePaula Ford, we are incredibly proud to be able to offer the Bronco Sport, along with the larger Bronco and the rest of Ford’s remarkable lineup of vehicles. Regardless of what you need in your next car, truck, or SUV, one of our friendly and knowledgeable salespeople will work closely with you to ensure you find it. We will listen to you, answer all of your questions, and work tirelessly to assist you in finding the right vehicle with the features you have been looking for. Plus, our certified service center and parts department will keep your vehicle running beautifully so you can depend on it for many years. Call or come visit us at DePaula Ford today to see the Bronco Sport and the rest of Ford’s lineup; then, let us help you choose the perfect vehicle.
*Images, fuel economy, and other stats, may reflect higher trim levels, options, or features that may result in a higher cost from the starting MSRP.
MSRP excludes tax, license, registration, additional options, and possible destination charges. Dealers set own prices.
