Increasing demand for the Bronco Sport has prompted Ford to release dealership demonstrators for retail purchase, and the Blue Oval isn’t stopping here. After comparing the Escape-based model to the Honda CR-V, the Dearborn-based company takes a jab at the 2021 Jeep Compass.
The following head-to-head video, which doesn’t feature a single image of the Compass or any information that would come in handy for a customer, is centered around six features of which five are listed as “available.” These are 8.8 inches of ground clearance, terrain management with G.O.A.T. Modes, best-in-class horsepower, trail control, and 65 cubic feet of cargo area. As for the only standard item on the list, that would be all-wheel drive.
Priced from $25,415 with all-wheel drive, the Compass Sport is $1,405 more affordable than a Bronco Sport. Level up to the Trailhawk, which comes with standard 4x4 for $31,060 excluding freight, and you’re looking at a $1,760 difference to the detriment of the Ford Bronco Sport Badlands.
Jeep can further set you up with hill descent control and a 20:1 gear-reduction feature that operates like a two-speed transfer case but without the weight of a two-speed transfer case. In Ford’s defense, the Compass Trailhawk doesn’t have the same ground clearance at 8.5 inches and cargo capacity lags behind with 59.8 cubic feet behind the second row of seats.
Be that as it may, Jeep has the better breakover and departure angles thanks to a slightly shorter wheelbase (103.8 versus 105.1 inches). Jeep has also secured the front bumper’s black plastic cover ahead and slightly above the front crossmember while Ford wrapped it underneath the Bronco Sport.
While on the subject of driving off the beaten path, the blocky hood of the Bronco Sport isn’t as practical for the driver as the sloping hood of the Compass. Oh, and by the way, Jeep also has the upper hand in terms of rear-seat legroom with an extra 1.4 inches, hence the smaller cargo capacity.
After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well. Full profile
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