2019 Jeep Compass vs Honda CR-V

What's the difference?

The rebooted Compass Limited is the best proof so far of how far Jeep as come in terms of design and value, but the asking price is still harsh when you consider active safety items remain on the options list and what is offered by competitors.

Regardless, thanks to its overtly 'Jeep' style, posh cabin and off-road capability, it remains a unique choice in a crowded SUV marketplace.

The CR-V VTi-E7 is super practical, comfortable and great value from its standard features to the cost of ownership. That said, the lack of advanced safety equipment can't be excused, but it's something Honda Australia is acutely aware of and we have no doubt that the company is doing everything to rectify the situation. We'll keep you up to date at CarsGuide if and when that situation changes.

What you’ll notice immediately about the new Compass is how much it carries that distinct Jeep style. 

Everything is there from the seven-slot grille, to the soft-but-definitely-square angles, to the 'Murica-style 18-inch alloy wheels. The whole package genuinely channels the best parts of the Grand Cherokee, just… shrunken down a full size and a half. It even has matching miniaturized light fixtures in the front.

Our car’s two-tone colour scheme of 'Vocal White' with a black roof looks the business and suits this car to a tee, although at $595 for the premium paint plus $495 for the contrast roof, it adds a sizable bit of hurt to the final bill.

The rear three quarter is not this SUV’s most flattering angle, but I would still argue it looks more resolved than the Cherokee which sits above it and less zany than the Renegade below.

Inside, things are good, too. There are soft-touch materials pretty much everywhere and the dash has a classy sculpted look.

The American-style of the Compass rears its head here with the chunky, leatherbound steering wheel and big bolded fonts strewn about the switchgear. Gloss plastics are mostly tastefully applied throughout, and the matt silver highlights are far better than chrome finish.

My mind wanders to the previous Compass and indeed, generations of Jeep models before which had cabins comprised of unappealing right angles, sub-par leather trim, and truly awful grey plastics.

I’d argue the rebooted Compass – being one of the most recent additions to Jeep’s line-up – has the best cabin the brand offers. It’s more modern and elegantly executed than the Cherokee, while deploying fewer nasty finishes than the smaller Renegade. 

There are some not-so-good parts. The transmission tunnel could do with a little extra padding for the driver’s left leg, the seats are far less comfortable than they appear, and the thick C-pillars combined with the small rear window for a noticeable blind-spot.

The new-generation Honda CR-V arrived in mid-2017 looking bigger, more muscular and more attractive than the previous one. Yes, it seems all mid-sized SUVs look the same, but a closer inspection of the CR-V will reveal an excellent fit and finish to the exterior and interior.

The VTi-E7 looks almost identical to the grades above it in the CR-V range with its 18-inch wheels, roof rails and twin exhaust. Higher grades do have privacy glass and a sun roof, however.

The cabin of the VTi-E7 is also similar to the grades above it with a black leather interior, leather-wrapped steering wheel, power adjustable driver's seat and 7.0-inch screen which isn't as big as the frame around might make it seem.

Take a look at the interior images – this is a luxurious-looking cabin, and it feels it with padded touch points which make for a comfortable place to spend time.

What are the dimensions of the Honda CR-V VTi-E7? End-to-end it's 4596mm long, while its width is 1855mm and height is 2660mm.

Being a not-quite-small SUV the Compass provides decent space for front and rear seat passengers alike. Headroom is a tad tight, making me wonder how much worse it could get with the panoramic sunroof option ($1950) but front passenger space is otherwise great. 

The seats are leather bound, but perhaps through lack of padding, side bolstering or some other design flaw, they simply weren’t as comfortable as the average-looking ones from my previous test car, the Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross.

One thing of particular note in the Compass is its plethora of storage areas. There are big cupholders in the doors and centre console, an armrest storage box, a decent sized glove box, netting on the inside of the transmission tunnel on the passenger’s side and, my favourite feature, a hidden compartment under the passenger’s seat. It is small, but perfect for securing small objects that you don’t want loose around the cabin.

Rear passengers are treated to the same good-looking but average comfort seats, two air vents in the back of the centre console (big win) and impressively a fully-sized 240-volt power outlet alongside a USB port.

Legroom back there is decent, I had plenty of room behind my (182cm) driving position, while headroom is still questionable for taller specimens.

The boot comes in at a rather generous 438 litres, It’s one of the largest in the class, slightly bigger than the Nissan Qashqai and Eclipse Cross. Although, the Eclipse Cross can best it with its variable second-row seating boosting its available space to 448L.

Due to the boot’s design, the solid cargo cover is a nightmare. Even with IKEA-style instructions stickered to it, it took me about 10 minutes to figure out how to pry it out of its position.

Max capacity with the seats down isn’t stated but shouldn’t present an issue. Space is hampered slightly by the audio system’s base taking up a corner portion behind the right-hand wheelarch.

The Compass Limited has a space-saver spare under the boot floor. Unfortunate for a vehicle with off-road capabilities.

Diesel all-wheel drive Compass variants are capable of towing 1500kg with a braked trailer or 450kg unbraked.

Honda cabins are generally known for their clever use of space and the CR-V is no different with excellent and adaptable storage and smart, folding seats.

Up front is spacious for the driver and co-pilot, between them there's enormous and configurable centre console storage area, two cupholders and the doors have giant pockets, too.

You'll find two USB ports up there, too (one for media and the other for charging, and two 12-volt power outlets.

The second row is also roomy. I'm 191cm tall and can sit with plenty of room behind my driving position, and because this grade doesn't have a sun roof headroom is good, too.

Second rowers also have two cupholders and large door pockets. There are directional vents and two USB charging ports there, too.

Third row access is easy thanks to moulded hand grips and a second row which folds and tumbles forward. Back there both third row passengers have a drink holder and storage pocket each. There are also directional air vents with a fan speed controller back there, too.

Remarkably I can sit in the third row without my head touching the roof and while legroom is tight I could probably handle a short trip back there. Yup, like all mid-sized seven-seaters, the third row really is for kids.

Talking of tiny humans one of the interesting practical features of the VTi-E7 was pointed out straight away by my four-year-old son as he climbed in – the floor is completely flat in the second row.

I used the CR-V to drop him at daycare, do the shopping and a weekend trip away and we all found the space to be practical for getting him in and out, and the boot's low load lip was great for putting bags in without hoisting them high.

Boot size of the CR-V VTi-E7 with all seats in place is 150 litres (VDA) and with that third row down the cargo capacity is 472 litres.

Making life even easier is the proximity key which will lock the car automatically as you walk away from it. Parents with full hands will know how amazing this is.

The spare is full-size, and for those keen on towing the braked trailer capacity is 1000kg.

Is the CR-V VTi-E7 good value? Nope, it's great value. No, it's better than great, it's terrific value. The list price is $34,490, which is good for two reasons.

First, until 2019 if you wanted a seven-seat CR-V there was only the VTi-L grade which was $38,990. Then, in January this year Honda brought out the more affordable VTi-E7.

Second, while this is a less expensive seven-seater CR-V, the VTi-E7 still has a mountain of standard features. Exterior features include 18-inch alloy wheels, LED running lights, front fog lights and roof rails.

Inside you'll get leather upholstery, dual-zone climate control, proximity unlocking with push-button start, plus a 7.0-inch display with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

There's a reversing camera, but no front and rear parking sensors, though.

What are you missing out on by not stepping up to the $38,990 VTi-L7?

You don't get a sunroof (but that's a blessing in disguise, I'll explain in the Practicality section), nor do you get the 'Lane Watch' camera, (but the system is a bit distracting anyway).

You also don't get sat nav (that's a bummer, but use your maps from your iPhone or Android device) and there's no power tailgate (they're slow and annoying, so don't worry).

Oh and you also don't get rain sensing wipers (come on, how lazy are we getting?) nor heated front seats (since when did we become so spoilt to demand these?).

None of those features from the VTi-L7 that you're missing out on are essential which makes the VTi-E7 the smart choice, and to me, the sweet spot in the range in terms of value-for-money.

What I believe is essential on a new car today isn't offered on either the VTi-E7 or VTi-L7. You can skip ahead to the Safety section to find out what I'm talking about or get there in your own time – either way, as a parent it's something which could be a deal breaker when buying a new car.

Most mid-sized rivals with seven seats, such as the Mazda CX-8, Peugeot 5008 or Skoda Kodiaq, cost at least $4000 more than the VTi-E7 and if you're considering something for about their price then you may as well check out the Hyundai Santa Fe, too.

For a true model comparison based on price there's only the Nissan X-Trail ST seven-seater.

There is a choice of two engines in the Compass range, a 2.4-litre 'Tigershark' turbo-petrol, or the 2.0-litre 'MultiJet II' turbo-diesel engine.

Our car was fitted with the latter. It produces 125kW/350Nm which stands up pretty well against its thin list of rivals. 

Limited and Trailhawk variants have their engines mated to a nine-speed torque converter automatic and are '4x4' via Jeep’s 'Active Drive' all-wheel drive system.

The system disconnects the rear axle when it is not in use for fuel economy but is capable of sending 100 per cent of drive to any wheel if need be. It has four off-road modes plus the ability to permanently engage the 4x4 system. A significant addition.

The CR-V VTi-E7 has the same engine as every grade above it in the range: a 1.5-litre 140kW/240Nm turbo-petrol four-cylinder engine with a CVT auto.

While that's adequate grunt, the CVT is a let down from a driving perspective lacking the responsive nature of a traditional automatic. Acceleration is also on the lacklustre side of things thanks to the CVT.

While the top two grades of the CR-V are all-wheel drive, the VTi-E7 is front-wheel drive.

Over almost two weeks of testing including a 300km round trip to Wollombi from Sydney I landed on a fuel figure of 8.0L/100km against the official combined figure of 5.7L/100km.

 A miss for sure, but about an average real-world figure for most SUVs in this segment.

You can fill the Compass with 60-litres of diesel. There's also a stop-start system which was not too intrusive, but unlike most other systems on the market you don't have to turn it off every time you switch the car on.

As much as I'm not a fan of CVT automatics they sure are fuel efficient and Honda says that after a combination of open and urban roads the CR-V VTi-E7 should use 7.3L/100km.

After mainly city and suburban testing my test car was reporting 9.4L/100km which is only 0.2L/100km above the official claim for urban-only driving.

The Compass makes for a reasonably comfortable, but surprisingly quiet and refined drive.

The diesel engine is so quiet and distant, it is actually difficult to tell it apart from its petrol equivalent behind the wheel. Road noise, too, is well filtered out giving the excellent audio system exclusive domain over passenger’s eardrums.

Although the seat could have been more comfortable, the suspension is excellent. 

The Compass has struts all around and Jeep has paid special attention to the shock absorbers, with the car featuring a 'frequency selective damping system'.

It truly works. The Compass feels good in the corners and absorbs bumps without shudders making their way into the cabin. I wouldn’t describe the feel as ‘stiff’, it’s more of a comfort tune.

While the engine has suitable amounts of power, it requires a solid prod of the accelerator to extract it. There’s something about the throttle response which feels reluctant.

After some driving, I put this down to the transmission. It feels as though it lingers for too long in the first three or so gears. While this is great down hills (and, I imagine, off-road) it’s frustrating in traffic where the Compass will suddenly start engine braking the moment you let your foot of the accelerator. It makes for an unnecessarily jerky drive experience in low-speed situations.

Out on the open road though, the Compass behaves well and is a pleasure to helm. The steering is linear and responsive, and the cruise control system does a fantastic job of sticking to its prescribed speed. 

The CR-V does feels big to drive, especially if you're piloting it through tight car parks and narrow streets, but visibility is excellent front and rear, while steering is light and has a great feel.

Sure, that CVT auto makes this SUV feel sluggish at times, but there is a Sport mode which does seem to improve acceleration.

The VTi-E7 comes with active noise cancelling which emits a frequency through the stereo speakers that cancels out any resonating road noise in the cabin. You're unlikely to notice it working, but the result is a quieter and more serene environment inside.

So, while the CR-V may not be superb dynamically and as fun to drive as some rivals it does have a composed ride, comfortable seating and a high-driving position buyers will like.

Okay, I've mentioned that the VTi-E7 grade is missing something your life could depend on. So, here's the deal.

While the CR-V scored the maximum five-star ANCAP rating when it was tested in 2017, the VTi-E7 grade certainly wouldn't achieve that score today.

The VTi-E7 doesn't come standard with items essential for a current five-star rating such as AEB with pedestrian and cyclist detection. It doesn't even have the simplest form of AEB which is available on cars half its price. You're not even able to option it. Nor does it have rear cross-traffic alert.

The 'Honda Sensing' safety package, which adds advanced safety technology such as AEB, lane keeping assistance and adaptive cruise control, is only available on the VTI-S and VTi-LX grades.

I contacted Honda for clarification on this and a spokesperson confirmed that Honda Sensing is only available on all-wheel drive CR-Vs. The VTi-E7 is a front-wheel drive grade like the VTi-L7.

Honda said that in May 2018 it was working to have AEB made standard across the range. It's now a year on and the CR-V that would be most appropriate from a price and seating perspective for a parent to buy has the least amount of safety equipment in the range.

That said, the car itself has curtain airbags that cover the third row and performed with outstanding results in its 2017 crash test, receiving a perfect score in its side impact test and a high marks for the frontal offset test.

For child seats you find two ISOFIX mounts and three top tether points in the second row, while the third row has two top tether points. Can't see the top tether points in the images? Look at the roof liner.

The VTi-E7's lack of advanced safety equipment can't be overlooked, especially on a family orientated SUV and when technology like this is becoming common place. It's for this reason that the VTi-E7 has scored so low in this category.

Jeep covers the Compass with a five-year/100,000km warranty. That’s about the same length as major competitors, although most offer unlimited kilometres on top.

Servicing is required once a year or 20,000km, whichever comes first. It costs $425 and $850 every second year, averaging out to an expensive $595 yearly average over the life of the five-year warranty.

The CR-V VTi-E7 is covered by Honda's five-year/unlimited kilometre warranty. Servicing is recommended ever 12 months/10,000km and is capped for 10 years at $295 per service.