How Safe Is the Jeep Compass?
The Jeep Compass is gaining popularity among consumers. You may be considering adding one to your garage this year. It may be important for you to have performance, fuel efficiency, or connectivity options. Perhaps you’re undecided on which trim level is best for you.
One significant aspect that might affect your buying decision is the vehicle’s overall safety. Today, we’ll take a look at ratings, equipment, and recommendations to help gauge just how safe the 2020 Jeep Compass really is.
How safety is measured and rated
The two organizations primarily responsible for rating the safety of vehicles are the National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration and the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. Their objective is to evaluate the most popular vehicles on the market by putting them through a series of tests. They seek to outline a rating for consumers that speaks to a particular vehicle’s ability to avoid crashes and mitigate damage.
The NHTSA uses a star rating system, with five stars indicating that a vehicle possesses the most injury protection. The IIHS measures safety across four factors: data collected from dummies, survival space, seat belt effectiveness, and airbags. Instead of a star rating system, the IIHS uses a ‘poor’ to ‘good’ rating on some evaluations, with ‘basic’ to ‘superior’ on others.
What the NHTSA and the IIHS have to say about the Jeep Compass
Official crash test ratings are not yet available from the NHTSA for the 2020 model. The 2019 Jeep Compass did receive a four-star rating overall, however. New for 2020, the Compass now offers advanced safety features on the lower-level trims. The Jeep Compass does have the same standard number of airbags in each vehicle, including driver and passenger side, front and rear head, and front side-impact airbags.
The IIHS gives the 2020 Jeep Compass a ‘good’ rating across most crash test evaluations. This means drivers and occupants are adequately protected with restraints and airbags from front and side collisions. The Compass also receives a ‘good’ summary based on roof strength and head restraints.
For those consumers with small children and a need to install car seats, there’s one note worth mentioning. The Compass does have two sets of LATCH connectors. The IIHS hasn’t evaluated these yet for an ‘ease of use’ rating. However, the nearly identical 2019 setup earned the lowest grade of ‘poor’ last year. Consumers complained the lower anchors were challenging to use.
The Jeep Compass comes equipped with advanced safety features
In addition to airbags and seatbelts, the 2020 Jeep Compass comes handsomely equipped with other safety and driver assistance features. The Advanced Safety Group package is available for this model in every trim level. It includes a package of grouped safety must-haves – some of which you’ve come to expect like child safety locks, daytime running lights, and 4-wheel ABS. You’ll have these along with traction control, electronic stability control, blind-spot monitoring, and more. You’ll also enjoy cross-traffic alert, lane-keeping assist, and lane departure warning systems as well.
You might not consider infotainment as a safety feature, but in fact, it can promote safer driving. The availability of hands-free connectivity options can ensure you’re at “ten and two” and connected simultaneously. The 2020 Jeep Compass comes standard with Jeep’s Uconnect system. It includes a well-organized touchscreen, Bluetooth pairing, and phone connectivity that allows for hands-free calling, texting, and more.
As you weigh all the options and configurations for a Jeep Compass this year, don’t forget to review the safety features as well. You’re sure to find a trim level and package that works perfectly for your lifestyle. But, make sure you understand how safe you and your passengers will be before you make the decision.
