Compare the2025 Jeep CompassVS 2025 Nissan Kicks

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

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 Kicks 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 Kicks.

When descending a steep, off-road slope, the Compass Trailhawk’s standard Hill-descent Control allows you to creep down safely. The Kicks doesn’t offer Hill-descent Control.

Both the Compass and the Kicks have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, height adjustable front shoulder belts, four-wheel antilock brakes, 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.

There are over 2 times as many Jeep dealers as there are Nissan dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Compass’ warranty.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2024 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Jeep vehicles are more reliable than Nissan With 9 fewer problems per 100 vehicles in the first three years of ownership, J.D. Power ranks Jeep higher than Nissan.

The Compass’ 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder produces 59 more horsepower (200 vs. 141) and 81 lbs.-ft. more torque (221 vs. 140) than the Kicks’ 2.0 DOHC 4-cylinder.

The Compass has 1.7 gallons more fuel capacity than the Kicks’ standard fuel tank (13.5 vs. 11.8 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups. The Compass has 1.1 gallons more fuel capacity than the Kicks AWD’s standard fuel tank (13.5 vs. 12.4 gallons).

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

	Compass	Kicks
Front Rotors	12 inches	11.6 inches

For better traction, the Compass Limited’s optional tires are larger than the largest tires available on the Kicks (235/45R19 vs. 225/45R19).

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Compass has standard 17-inch wheels. Smaller 16-inch wheels are standard on the Kicks S.

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 Kicks; it requires you to depend on a temporary spare, which has mileage and speed limitations, or roadside assistance and a tow-truck.

For superior ride and handling, the Jeep Compass has fully independent front and rear suspensions. An independent suspension allows the wheels to follow the road at the best angle for gripping the pavement, without compromising ride comfort. The Kicks 4x2 has a rear torsion beam axle, with a semi-independent rear suspension.

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 Kicks doesn’t offer drift compensation steering.

For greater off-road capability the Compass Trailhawk has a greater minimum ground clearance than the Kicks (8.6 vs. 8.4 inches), allowing the Compass to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged.

The Compass has 3.9 cubic feet more passenger volume than the Kicks (99.6 vs. 95.7).

The Compass has 1.7 inches more front hip room, 2 inches more front shoulder room, 3.8 inches more rear legroom and .4 inches more rear shoulder room than the Kicks.

To make loading and unloading groceries and cargo easier when your hands are full, the Compass Latitude/Trailhawk/Limited’s power liftgate can be opened or closed just by kicking your foot under the back bumper, leaving your hands completely free. The Kicks doesn’t offer a power or hands-free opening liftgate.

Standard Trailer Sway Control on the Compass uses the Electronic Stability Control sensors to detect trailer sway, then uses individual brakes to counteract any swaying and help keep the tow vehicle and trailer steady. The Kicks doesn’t offer electronic trailer sway control.

When two different drivers share the Compass Limited/Trailhawk, the optional memory seats make it convenient for both. Each setting activates different, customized memories for the driver’s seat position. The Kicks doesn’t offer memory seats.

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 Kicks does not have an oil pressure gauge.

The power windows standard on both the Compass and the Kicks have locks to prevent small children from operating them. When the lock on the Compass is engaged the driver can still operate all of the windows, for instance to close one opened by a child. The Kicks prevents the driver from operating the other windows just as it does the other passengers.

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 Kicks doesn’t offer cornering lights.

The Compass’ standard outside mirrors include heating elements to clear off the mirrors for better visibility. Nissan charges extra for heated mirrors on the Kicks.

Both the Compass and the Kicks offer available heated front seats. The Compass Trailhawk/Limited also offers optional heated rear seats to keep those passengers extremely comfortable in the winter. Heated rear seats aren’t available in the Kicks.

Optional air-conditioned seats in the Compass Limited/Trailhawk keep the driver and front passenger comfortable and take the sting out of hot seats in Summer. The Kicks doesn’t offer air-conditioned seats.

The Compass (except Sport)’s optional dual zone air conditioning allows the driver and front passenger to choose two completely different temperatures so people with different temperature preferences won’t have to compromise. This makes both the driver and front passenger as comfortable as possible. The Kicks doesn’t offer dual zone air conditioning.

Both the Compass and the Kicks offer rear vents. For greater rear passenger comfort, the Compass has standard rear air conditioning vents to keep rear occupants cool in summer or warm in winter. The Kicks doesn’t offer rear air conditioning vents, only heat vents.

Compared to the Nissan Kicks, the Jeep Compass Latitude/Trailhawk/Limited eliminates the need for separate garage door openers and associated risks of losing, breaking, or having dead batteries with its optional integrated Homelink® universal remote controlled from the rear view mirror.

The Compass (except Sport) 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 Kicks doesn’t offer a house-current electrical outlet.

The Compass Latitude/Trailhawk/Limited’s optional ParkSense Park Assist can parallel park or back into a parking spot by itself, with the driver only controlling speed with the brake pedal. The Kicks doesn’t offer an automated parking system.

The Jeep Compass outsold the Nissan Kicks by 44% during 2023.