One Clear Winner & Loser: 2023 Ford Bronco Sport vs. 2023 Jeep Compass AWD Torture Test! 

$46k for these two is absolutely insane. Crossovers like these used to be the "accessible" option

I can’t work out why Ford don’t sell the Maverick and Bronco Sport in Europe, they’re the right size for over here.

I could watch roller slip test videos all day

Bronco had a lot more articulation than the Jeep going through the trenches too. Good god cars are expensive now, almost 50k for a compact crossover is complete madness...

I’d be curious to see how an older Grand Cherokee compares to a new one on the slip tests.

This makes me miss my '09 Escape Hybrid AWD. Ford nailed it with the original Escapes (up to '12), and the traction control even back then was fantastic offroad. The only offroad limitation on mine was the limited torque from a stop. I'd still have it if not for an uninsured, unlicensed driver who never paid up.

Imagine paying 46 grand for a compass 💀💀💀

I like that Bronco Sport, but wow, $46K? I also love that they’re building a top-of-the-line model that looks like it’s a base-model. Maybe I can increase the value of my Ranger XL just by painting my steelies white…

Problem with the drivers today is they are over confident that 4wd will allow them to drive faster than they should during snowy slippery conditions.

I appreciate you defending traction control. Sure there are times to turn it off when off-road. But, as you say, there are many times where having it on is better. As with most things off-road, different conditions require different methods. That's part of the fun of driving off-road, experimenting to see what works best.

In Iowa at this moment you can get a fairly well loaded 2023 Jeep Compass for $34,000. In Iowa City the most expensive one I have seen on a lot is $42K. Not sure who...or where you are paying $46K?

I’m so torn on the heritage trim. Sometimes I think it looks good and sometimes I think it’s a total miss.

Another test that would be interesting is the Escape vs. Bronco Sport. They are based on the same platform, so I wonder how much difference the programming on the Bronco Sport makes. I agree they should bring the Bronco Sport to the UK. We get the Escape (called the Kuga) but I think the Bronco Sport could do well too.

I wouldn’t pay 46 grand for either one of them but the Compass is a better looking vehicle in my opinion. We’ve had a Cherokee KL trail hawk in the past and that was one of my favorite vehicles I’ve ever owned.

I’d definitely choose the bronco sport. The Compass isnt worth buying at any price; it’s just a fiat with a different body. It would be cool if the Bronco sport badlands came with solid axles.

I had a 2018 Compass Latitude 4x4 and really enjoyed it. My only complaint was the Tigershark engine - which they’ve thankfully resolved that issue. It was great in the snow and on the backroads. But I didn’t pay anywhere near $46k for it! Sheesh! It was like $29k with green paint and black roof. Nice little SUV for about $30,000.

46k for those is nuts. I bought a Cherokee Trailhawk in 2015 for 31k and it would've blown both of these out of the water off road, but being a typical Jeep product I traded it in before the powertrain warranty expired. The Bronco Sport would be on a par with the Cherokee TH if it had a real low range (the Cherokee had a real 2.56:1 low range and a real locker out back)

I would love to see a video of all generations on Grand Cherokee. How they’ve improved (or not) over the years

Interesting comparison and nice job Ford. One comment is that you should compare current market price compared to MSRP. Ford is selling over MSRP for that model and Jeep is about 10% less. It does make a difference to the “average” buyer.

When performing the slip test, I think you should put a chalk mark on the tires so we can see revolutions.

You do a lot with the Trailhawk but I think it would be worth comparing the Cherokee Active Drive 1 vs Active Drive 2

I'm a bit surprised by the Bronco Sport. My work purchased one for off road access and I've had it with one wheel in the air a few times. Going up a steep hill, a Tacoma that went up before me was spinning tires. The Bronco Sport made it up the hill with hardly any effort. If they didn't make it so low to the ground, it could be a decent SUV. My work one only has two GOAT modes.

I have a ‘22 Compass Product (Red). It’s quite slower than any other vehicle I’ve owned in a long time, but it’s not that bad. I got over 30 MPG on a recent trip from Gettysburg to my house at the beach in Delaware. Admittedly it’s downhill most of the way through Maryland. I love this car. One of my favorite “daily driver” cars by far. I can control most in-car functions by simply saying things like “hey Jeep, find the nearest McDonalds” or “set the driver temperature to 68”. Etc. And with wireless Apple CarPlay I simply ask Siri to make calls or send messages or play my playlists. And the adaptive cruise control is so awesome. And IMO it looks infinitely better than the Bronco sport. And since this is a 22, my fully loaded Product (Red) Compass was about $35K I’ve owned 85 cars. 5 Vipers, 5 Vettes, a Prowler, Challenger SRT, Grand Cherokee SRT, Etc. But for a little daily driver that uses regular gas, and has all these features, this is at the top of the daily driver list.

I owned a 2015 Jeep Cherokee Sport which was, in my opinion, an abandoned vehicle by Jeep. It was recalled early for a defective catalytic converter and only after 7-years did it receive the work order ... after I sold it. I decided to cut my investment short and bought a fully loaded Bronco. I am Happy

The Compass Trailhawk is amazing offroad. Way better than expected. Not quite as good as my Cherokee Trailhawk, because of less power, but it's amazingly capable for it's class. I love them both.

The Jeep gets it done OK, but that Ford is impressive!

I just brought a new laser blue 2023 jeep compass trailhawk fully loaded for 39000 because jeep has compass on sale till july 2023. Was also looking at the bronco sport badlands, but had trouble finding one in the color I wanted and would have has to pay at least 47000 for it. So I'm super happy with my trailhawk compass and can't wait to test it on easy to mod trails.

Bronco Sport all the way! I was there last September and mt Big Bend way outperformed that Jeep Compass and the Big Bend was $36,000 and does not have the lockers etc.

So, after getting slapped around by wranglers and forerunners,the new Bronco goes and picks on the poor jeep Compass 😆

I just picked up a loaded Outerbanks for way less, and am very impressed with traction/ drive ability- compared in day to day I drove home the Bronco Sport vs the Jeep…not having a/c ventilation in the Bronco Sport seats is weird and Jeep has - the only negative so far…20-29 mpg avg depending on driving - much better than my RAM 5.7!

Just bought a 2021 Bronco Sport Badlands Edition with 55K in great condition for about 30K. Happy to give up 55K of mainly highway miles from the prior owner, in order to save about 16K on the price of a new one.

I have an Escape with the 3 cylinder engine and AWD (less than $30K new). I feel like it is a price hack for its capabilities. Would love to see how it does on this... but I am in California.

I was considering both of these for my GF. But the prices were too much to swallow for a 3rd vehicle. We ended up getting her a 2019 Cherokee Limited with AD1 and the 2.0 turbo. Bonus, with the rear seat folded down we can both sleep in the back.

I think the issue at hand here is the fact that the auto mode in the Compass behaves like an actual auto mode, while the auto mode in the Bronco is much more aggressively tuned than necessary. This discrepancy makes the the Compass "appear" worse and puts much more emphasis on choosing the correct drive program. The tuning of the Bronco makes the GOAT modes seem less significant.

Buy the Compass in 2 years, gently used for $20K less then its a decent deal. I drove one for a couple of months and spent alot of time on trails, It did very well and was a nice daily driver. But definitely wouldn't buy one new for $46K

I'm actually looking into getting a new car this year. Currently the only solid contender is the Bronco Sport Badlands (with the upgraded off road system). I'm waiting on some more info on the new Tacoma to see if I should do that instead, but right now I've been super impressed with the Bronco Sport with not just it's offroad capability, but overall a great vehicle. Good mileage, AMAZING safety, good look, haven't heard any serious issues (unlike the bigger Bronco), love the analog speedometer still existing, simple clean designed interior.

I’m still trying to wrap my head around the price of these tiny crossovers when there’s a 2021 Lexus GX for the exact same price at a local dealership.

Wow, $46,000 for that Heritage Edition? I just traded my 2021 Big Bend in for the 2023 Badlands and paid $36,000. The Badlands listed for $40,000, but the dealer gave me $2000 more than I owed on the trade-in, another thousand off on the price of the Badlands because they were running a special, and another thousand because this was my third vehicle purchased from that dealership. Mine doesn't have leather seats, but it's the same truck. I love it. It's got plenty of power, is nice to look at, and handles the trails with ease.

I test drove the Bronco Sport when it came out. I really liked it. It reminded me of the Discovery II with the seating position and many other features, except it cranked when I turned the key, didn’t rattle, and didn’t leak oil so it wasn’t exactly like a Disco 2. But was too small. I bought a Trail Boss instead and have never been happier with my decision.

Love my 2023 Bronco Sport Badlands. Sticker was $40k but they had it for $38k.

Tommy, you guys need to figure a way to test durability… that’d be a game changer in off-road testing.

i think the main gripe ppl have with traction control, is so often we simply don't have a choice to engage it, disengage it, or alter how it behaves. sometimes ur simply not gonna go anywhere with out some wheel speed. and with some traction control implementations, that's something you're not going to get.

I bought a laser blue 2023 compass latitude trim with all the bells and whistles for $38K and I love it!

Trouble is, you have to spend to get away from the 1.5 3-cylinder, a gutless engine that deliver slow speed, sub-par mpg, and sounds like a John Deere tractor. The 2.0 is only available with Heritage Limited Edition or Badlands trims. From my test drives, none of the Bronco Sports are really much fun to be in. And for this trim level, the price exceeds what it offers.

Holly cow! I paid less for my wife's 2 door 2023 Bronco Basesquatch with the V6 and a few extra options... In Ford, "Heritage"=ton of money for some white paint...

Numerical score for this test like you do for the Ike gantlet would be useful.

I had a Jeep Liberty I bought new in 2002. A lot of people said the Libby was a joke, but I never got stuck in any New England winter in the 65K miles I had it.

Cherokee is a 4x4, with a transfer case and locking diffs. It definitely wins lol

Why would Jeep put street tires on a off-road trim on the Compass?

I wouldn't spend 46 grand for both.

Who is spending $46k on these tiny cars?

I'll never understand why people spend over $40k on an economy car...

$46,000!!?!???!!??!?!?!

Yeah, the video is great but we also have to remember that the bronco sport competes in the size category of the (now discontinued) jeep cherokee. The compass may still be a compact crossover, but the category is not the same. Cherokee came in the trailhawk trim that offerrd lockable 4wd and lockable rear diff just as the bronco and that would actually be a fair comparisson (same size, same off road equipped options and a fairly similar price too). Too bad there are no more cherokees made

They're just $1k cheaper than a model y before incentives!?! 🤯 Who the heck is buying these!?!

Put the Bronco Tires on the Jeep. They look wider and sidewall traction too.

Despite the enormous price tag, the Bronco Sport just embarrassed about 90% of the car's you test. Just saying, awesome job FORD 👍

I have a 2021 Badlands BS. I can tell you, I have had it in situations where people said I couldn’t. I have seen this in action where I saw jeeps spinning, and it walked right through. The biggest limitation I have run into is my 10.25in clearance, and lack of mud section armor (which I plan to fix the armor situation eventually). I have a 1.25in lift over factory. Overall, I haven’t had to turn back from anywhere I wanted to go so far. Could I go where the big 32in guys go vertical? Nope. Do I want to? Nope. Not right now.

I guess I was expecting the Bronco Sport to be compared to the Cherokee, not the Compass

That compass being 46k nearly caused me to spit out my coffee. We bought a loaded Cherokee Trailhawk in 2015 for 39k. (Not the Grand, just the little Cherokee.) So is a trailhawk Cherokee now 50+?? Truly shocked at these prices lol

I suppose I'm too old school. Off-roading to me it's not driving across the front yard. This video was like, when Grandma does off road test. Video should have said comparing electronic traction control between two vehicles. When we say off-roading that's mud in the Headlights, are you need to roll the window up to keep the water from running in. We call these 7-Eleven trucks. Cz's parked at the 7-Eleven parking lot while they're riding with your buddies that has off-road trucks

Have y’all thought about comparing the 2023 and explore vs 2023 pilot

I would say the Cherokee compares more to a Bronco Sport than the Compass.

I owned and offroaded a 2021 Bronco Sport Badlands before i traded for a used 2021 Black Diamond Sasquatch. I loved it very capable It never felt scary to offroad. People were very impressed how capable it was.

Next test. See how the wife manages to navigate streets, grocery store parking lots, driving off curbs, driving over curbs, stopping, going, and unloading groceries. These cars will only see dirt when there is no pavement. Though they will do well in New York City during the recent floods.

Lol. I love how Tommy and Soyfen had the exact same take on bothering with GOAT mode versus just let the computer do it for you. Awesome.

Hey trying opening the doors on these vehicles while in full flex mode to see if there built well ??????

You lost me at 46k 😢😢😢

I understand what people are saying about prices. But these are basically fully loaded models folks. I don't check all the options boxes, and then complain that something is expensive. That's the same logic as eating everything about the buffet table and saying, that's a ton of calories.

I dont know if you guys read my comment on a previous video, but thanks for making this comparison. Im sure there are a lot of people looking at both of these and needed aome honest testing to help make a choice.

We have a 2019 Compass. It has just over 40000km. We have had to replace the stop start battery over 400$ front brakes. It has had a anti freeze leak from day one normally shows up when the temp hits -20 but onecan smell it when hot. It has a noise in the rear which sounds like a old truck..dealer said it's normal.

Your mom didnt wreck because she forgot to put the vehicle in 4wd. She wrecked because she was driving way too fast for the conditions. Any idiot can get any vehicle moving in the snow and ice. It's the stopping and turning that are the hard parts.

What's the reliability of a Jeep compass? What are the common issues?

46k for these???? WTF

The Bronco Sport got thru the course with much less wheel spinning.

I just bought a bronco big bend sport I love it

Hearing the prices of these stopped me in my tracks. Just based on looks these look like a 21-25k MSRP vehicles

Tommy is a god nobody in the world can slip test so accurately

In my opinion a closer comparison tot he Bronco Sport would actually be the Jeep Cherokee Trailhawk, as the Bronco Sport is based off of the Ford Escape platform, and the Escape is much closer in size to the Cherokee. Plus, the Cherokee Trailhawk can come with a 3.2L v6 or 2.0L turbo i4 both making 270 HP, which is closer to the Bronco Sport's 250HP.

What's going to make EVs price competitive is not just that they're getting cheaper, but that gasoline cars are getting so expensive. $46,000 can buy you a lot of EV nowadays.

You mention the infotainment system, but I think you named them backwards. The Jeep should have a UConnect system, not SYNC as you mentioned verbally. (SYNC is Ford's brand name system.)

I wonder how the outgoing Cherokee compares? IIRC the Compass doesn’t have anywhere near the motor that the Cherokee has. Is the 4WD system any better?

Expensive fake bronco vs expensive fake jeep

Even though I'm a Wrangler owner, if I have to choose between the Compass and the Bronco Sport, I'll pick the Bronco Sport. It's american made, way cooler, better quality and more capable than the Italian Compass.

Traction control sucks essentially you’re constantly trying to keep momentum in deep mud, deep snow and when you cut power you’re gonna get stuck. Even with it shut off it comes back on when the wheel speed factory Nanny setting is hit it cuts power and your stuck. Unless you know how to temporarily disable it then you got a real machine 😊

what does it say about Tommy's driving style that he seems to always be "driving up on snowy curbs?"

I want the Bronco's steelies under my Jeep Renegade Trailhawk! Black painted tho

That Heritage Edition Bronco is so beautiful.

Really great video with someone that knows how to test the off road modes of the vehicle!

$46K?!!! 'sound of needle scratching across a record'.

You cant engage 1st gear manually on the Jeep. What you think is 1st gear is really 2nd gear. The granny gear is only for the low mode

Heritage limited all day long...great vehicle!!!

Wow. That is the “trail hawk” version and the bronco sport made it look silly.

The big thing no reviewer brings up is Jeep offers rebates on the Compass that drop the price thousands less than the BS. And when it’s in “rock” mode it seemed to be about the same off road although I think the BS would ultimately perform better because you can “lock” the rear end but it does cost more for that and the more powerful engine. And the interior decision could go either way but to me it’s much nicer in the Compass.

Outrageous 46 grand for a jeep compass I'd rather buy a used 2020 grand Cherokee trailhawk for a little less

$46k for a trail hawk? That has a lot of options as u can get a almost base model trail hawk for $34k and still have good features. This one has probably every option. Not needed imo. I have a ‘24 compass altitude and it has everything I need for daily commute.

Very impressed by the Bronco Sport!

46 grand!??! Lol remember when you could get full spec rubicon for that price. Jeez

my issue when someone says that a ford has a "nice" or "better" interior, what they actually mean is it looks nicer but when you touch it, it feel like cheap hard plastic I can snap off by touching it too hard.

$46k for a compact crossover? $34k for the new BASE Ranger? Cars and trucks are going to become toys for the rich if something doesn’t change.