Jeep Compass vs Nissan Pathfinder: Specs Compared

Running cost over five years: at the EPA's 15,000-mile-a-year assumption the Jeep Compass burns about $2,300 of fuel annually against $2,350 for the Nissan Pathfinder. That $50 yearly gap compounds to roughly $250 over five years and $400 over eight — often more than the price difference between two trims of the same vehicle, and the single largest running-cost line item separating these two.

City versus highway split: the Nissan Pathfinder is the stronger commuter at 25 mpg city, while the Jeep Compass pulls ahead on the interstate at 32 mpg highway. If most of your driving is stop-and-go traffic the city figure is the one to weigh; for long-distance highway mileage the reverse is true, and the two vehicles effectively swap places depending on how you drive.

Powertrain choice: the Jeep Compass is recorded with 3 distinct engine configurations (SIDI, 2.4, 2.0), the Nissan Pathfinder with 3 (SIDI, 3.5, 2.5). Across 45 recorded Jeep Compass configurations and 39 for the Nissan Pathfinder, the wider the engine spread the more the real-world fuel efficiency depends on which version you actually buy, so check the specific model year and drivetrain rather than the headline number.

Drivetrain and class: the Jeep Compass is offered with All-Wheel Drive, Front-Wheel Drive, 4-Wheel Drive, the Nissan Pathfinder with 4-Wheel Drive, Front-Wheel Drive. All-wheel drive typically costs one to two mpg combined against the same vehicle in front- or rear-wheel drive, which is worth remembering when the gap between these two is small. The EPA classes them as Small Sport Utility Vehicle 4WD and Small Sport Utility Vehicle 4WD respectively — the class drives the interior volume, cargo space and passenger space each one is measured against.

Tailpipe emissions: at their cleanest configurations the Jeep Compass emits 330 g/mile of CO2 versus 342 g/mile for the Nissan Pathfinder. Emissions track fuel consumption almost exactly, so the cleaner vehicle here is also the cheaper one to fuel.