Compare the2024 Jeep CompassVS 2024 GMC Terrain

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

For enhanced safety, the front seat shoulder belts of the Jeep Compass are height-adjustable to accommodate a wide variety of driver and passenger heights. A better fit can prevent injuries and the increased comfort also encourages passengers to buckle up. The GMC Terrain doesn’t offer height-adjustable seat belts.

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 Terrain 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 Terrain doesn’t offer a whiplash protection system.

To provide maximum traction and stability on all roads, All-Wheel Drive is standard on the Compass. But it costs extra on the Terrain.

The Compass has a standard blind spot warning system that uses sensors to alert the driver to objects in the vehicle’s blind spots where the side view mirrors don’t reveal them. A system to reveal vehicles in the Terrain’s blind spot costs extra.

To help make backing out of a parking space safer, the Compass has standard Rear Cross Path Detection, helping the driver avoid collisions. GMC charges extra for Rear Cross Traffic Alert on the Terrain.

The Compass’ driver alert monitor detects an inattentive driver then sounds a warning and suggests a break. According to the NHTSA, drivers who fall asleep cause about 100,000 crashes and 1500 deaths a year. The Terrain doesn’t offer a driver alert monitor.

Both the Compass and the Terrain have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, plastic fuel tanks, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, rearview cameras and available around view monitors.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does side impact tests on new vehicles. In this test, which crashes the vehicle into a flat barrier at 38.5 MPH and into a post at 20 MPH, results indicate that the Jeep Compass is safer than the GMC Terrain:

	Compass	Terrain
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	102	109
Chest Movement	.8 inches	1.1 inches
Abdominal Force	134 lbs.	195 lbs.
Hip Force	335 lbs.	357 lbs.
	Rear Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	101	288
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Max Damage Depth	12 inches	13 inches
HIC	355	377
Spine Acceleration	39 G’s	40 G’s
Hip Force	663 lbs.	730 lbs.

New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.

For its top level performance in IIHS driver and passenger-side small overlap frontal, moderate overlap frontal, side impact, roof strength and head restraint tests, with its optional vehicle-to-vehicle front crash prevention system, its standard vehicle-to-pedestrian front crash prevention system, and its available headlight’s “Good” rating, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the Compass the rating of “Top Safety Pick” for 2022, a rating granted to only 163 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The Terrain has not been fully tested, yet.

The Compass’ corrosion warranty is unlimited miles longer than the Terrain’s (unlimited vs. 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). GMC only pays for the first scheduled maintenance visit on the Terrain.

There are over 43 percent more Jeep dealers than there are GMC dealers, which makes it easier should you ever need service under the Compass’ warranty.

To reliably start during all conditions and help handle large electrical loads, the Compass has a standard 850-amp battery. The Terrain’s 700-amp battery isn’t as powerful.

The Compass’ 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder produces 25 more horsepower (200 vs. 175) and 18 lbs.-ft. more torque (221 vs. 203) than the Terrain’s 1.5 turbo 4-cylinder.

On the EPA test cycle the Compass gets better mileage than the Terrain:

			MPG
Compass
	AWD	2.0 turbo 4-cyl.	24 city/32 hwy
Terrain
	FWD	1.5 turbo 4-cyl.	24 city/29 hwy
	AWD	1.5 turbo 4-cyl.	23 city/28 hwy

For better stopping power the Compass’ front brake rotors are larger than those on the Terrain:

	Compass	Terrain
Front Rotors	12 inches	11.8 inches

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 Terrain’s optional 50 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 Terrain; it requires you to depend on a temporary spare, which limits mileage and speed before replacement.

The Compass has standard front and rear stabilizer bars, which help keep the Compass flat and controlled during cornering. The Terrain’s suspension doesn’t offer a rear stabilizer bar.

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 Terrain doesn’t offer drift compensation steering.

For better maneuverability, the Compass Trailhawk’s turning circle is 2.1 feet tighter than the Terrain w/17” wheels’ (35.3 feet vs. 37.4 feet). The Compass 4x4 Sport/Latitude/Limited’s turning circle is 5.3 feet tighter than the Terrain w/19” wheels’ (36.3 feet vs. 41.6 feet).

For greater off-road capability the Compass has a 1.2 inches greater minimum ground clearance than the Terrain SLE (8.1 vs. 6.9 inches), allowing the Compass to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged. The Compass Trailhawk’s minimum ground clearance is .7 inch higher than on the Terrain SLT/AT4/Denali (8.6 vs. 7.9 inches).

The Compass is 8.9 inches shorter than the Terrain, making the Compass easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

Maximum trailer towing in the GMC Terrain is limited to 1500 pounds. The Compass offers up to a 2000 lbs. towing capacity.

The Compass’ front power windows open or close with one touch of the switches, making it more convenient at drive-up windows and toll booths, or when talking with someone outside of the car. The Terrain’s front passenger window doesn’t close automatically.

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

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

According to The Car Book by Jack Gillis, the Compass is less expensive to operate than the Terrain because it costs $836 less to do the manufacturer’s suggested maintenance for 50,000 miles. Typical repairs cost much less on the Compass than the Terrain, including $138 less for a water pump, $583 less for a muffler, $145 less for front brake pads, $84 less for a starter, $349 less for fuel injection, $304 less for a fuel pump, $319 less for a timing belt/chain and $546 less for a power steering pump.