2019 Jeep Compass vs Toyota RAV4

What's the difference?

Now is Jeep’s time in history.

Or rather, its second time in history… Sure, there was that rather significant period of history which built the Jeep name in 1941, but no time since has embraced the SUV so wholeheartedly until 2019.

Naturally, the SUV-only Jeep is now on a roll, largely credited with propping up its parent company, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles with ever-improving global sales figures reaping the benefits of an SUV-hungry world. 

The brand now seeks to plug the gaps with the relatively recently arrived small SUV, the Renegade, and now, its bigger brother – and the car you’re looking at here - the re-booted Compass.

So, does Jeep actually offer anything that other SUV brands can’t? I spent some time in the Limited 4x4 diesel to find out.

Five generations in, it's hard to believe the RAV4 has something to prove. I don't think my opinion has kept Toyota awake at night, but I have not once warmed to a RAV4.

I've recommended them to people as low-fuss transport, especially those who wanted a car with big, easy to use buttons and a drama-free ownership experience.

Thing is, most cars deliver all of that stuff (okay, maybe not the big buttons) these days. The idea that the shell is designed to last longer than your average dictatorship doesn't excite buyers anymore. They want looks, tech, performance and the suggestion of a rugged lifestyle.

But the new RAV4 is different - it's not a reheat of the previous model with some new panels and a slightly different touchscreen. The fifth-generation RAV4 is on Toyota's new global platform that has delivered a series of quite good cars. Quite good indeed. Let's see what the top-of-the-range Edge has to offer.