Compare the2026 Nissan MuranoVS 2025 Jeep Compass

Safety
Reliability
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Transmission
Brakes and Stopping
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Chassis
Passenger Space
Cargo Capacity
Towing
Servicing Ease
Ergonomics
Recommendations

Safety

© 1999 - 2025Advanta-STAR Automotive Research, all rights reserved. This vehicle comparison and all of the content in it are provided only by license from Advanta-STAR Automotive Research Corporation of America (“Advanta-STAR”). If you are not a legally licensed user of this vehicle comparison, it is against federal law to access it, copy it, forward it, or use it in any manner whatsoever. Any unauthorized use of this vehicle comparison is a violation of U.S. and international law and is punishable criminally and civilly. Removal of this watermark/notification without prior written license and approval received from Advanta-STAR is an agreement, understanding, and/or stipulation by the person(s), entities, agents, attorneys, and any other persons involved in the removal of this watermark/notification (including but not limited to Search Optics, LLC and any and all parent entities, sister entities, and subsidiary entities of Search Optics, LLC and/or any other entity, agent, attorney, and persons related in any manner to Search Optics, LLC) to: 1) an agreed upon amount of liquidated monetary damages of a minimum of $1,250,000.00 US Dollars in favor of Advanta-STAR; 2) the jurisdiction and enforcement of any legal claims associated with this matter asserted by Advanta-STAR in the United States Federal District Court in Portand, Oregon; and 3) service of process of any legal claims asserted by Advanta-STAR associated with this matter may be accomplished by First-Class Postage by the United States Postal Service or comparable service. P5DDX-4CWSY 2a06:98c0:3600::103 2025/10/27

For enhanced safety, the front and rear seat shoulder belts of the Nissan Murano have pretensioners to tighten the seatbelts and eliminate dangerous slack in the event of a collision and force limiters to limit the pressure the belts will exert on the passengers. The Jeep Compass doesn’t offer pretensioners for its rear seat belts.

The Nissan Murano has standard driver and front passenger side knee airbags mounted low on the dashboard. These airbags help prevent the driver and front passenger from sliding under their seatbelts or the main frontal airbags; this keeps them better positioned during a collision for maximum protection. Knee airbags also help keep the legs from striking the dashboard, preventing knee and leg injuries in the case of a serious frontal collision. The Compass doesn’t offer a front passenger side knee airbag.

The Murano Platinum offers an optional front seat center airbag, which deploys between the driver and front passenger, protecting them from injuries caused by striking each other in serious side impacts. The Compass doesn’t offer front seat center airbags.

Over 200 people are killed each year when backed over by motor vehicles. The Murano has standard Rear Automatic Braking that uses rear sensors to monitor for objects to the rear and automatically applies the brakes to prevent a collision. The Compass doesn’t offer backup collision prevention brakes.

Both the Murano and the Compass have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, height adjustable front shoulder belts, plastic fuel tanks, four-wheel antilock brakes, all wheel drive, 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.

The Nissan Murano weighs 670 to 766 pounds more than the Jeep Compass. The NHTSA advises that heavier vehicles are much safer in collisions than their significantly lighter counterparts.

Side impacts caused 23% of all road fatalities in 2018, down from 29% in 2003, when the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety introduced its side barrier test. In order to continue improving vehicle safety, the IIHS has started using a more severe side impact test: 37 MPH (up from 31 MPH), with a 4180-pound barrier (up from 3300 pounds). The results of this newly developed test demonstrates that the Nissan Murano is much safer than the Compass:

	Murano	Compass
Overall Evaluation	GOOD	MARGINAL
Structure	GOOD	MARGINAL
	Driver Injury Measures
Head/Neck	GOOD	GOOD
Head Injury Criterion	33	189
Neck Tension	134 lbs.	268 lbs.
Torso	GOOD	ACCEPTABLE
Shoulder Deflection	.59 in	1.02 in
Shoulder Force	156 lbs.	245 lbs.
Torso Max Deflection	.83 in	1.3 in
Torso Deflection Rate	6 MPH	9 MPH
Pelvis	GOOD	POOR
Pelvis Force	558 lbs.	1517 lbs.
Head Protection	GOOD	GOOD
	Passenger Injury Measures
Head/Neck	GOOD	GOOD
Head Injury Criterion	189	202
Neck Compression	112 lbs.	223 lbs.
Torso	GOOD	ACCEPTABLE
Shoulder Deflection	.2 in	2.13 in
Shoulder Force	22 lbs.	491 lbs.
Torso Max Deflection	.91 in	1.77 in
Torso Deflection Rate	6 MPH	14 MPH
Pelvis	GOOD	ACCEPTABLE
Pelvis Force	915 lbs.	937 lbs.
Head Protection	GOOD	GOOD

The Nissan Murano has achieved the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety’s (IIHS) highest rating of “Top Safety Pick Plus” for the 2025 model year. This distinction is based on its exceptional performance in IIHS’ rigorous battery of safety tests. Specifically, it earned a “Good” rating in the latest, more stringent moderate overlap front crash test, a “Good” result in the updated side impact test, and a “Good” score in the revised pedestrian crash prevention test. The Compass is not even a standard “Top Safety Pick” for 2025.

Reliability

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2025 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Nissan vehicles are better in initial quality than Jeep vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Nissan second in initial quality, above the industry average. With 17 more problems per 100 vehicles, Jeep is ranked 11th.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2025 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Nissan vehicles are more reliable than Jeep With 60 fewer problems per 100 vehicles in the first three years of ownership, J.D. Power ranks Nissan higher than Jeep.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ March 2025 Auto Issue reports that Nissan vehicles are more reliable than Jeep vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Nissan 7 places higher in reliability than Jeep.

Engine

The Murano’s 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder produces 41 more horsepower (241 vs. 200) and 39 lbs.-ft. more torque (260 vs. 221) than the Compass’ 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder.

As tested in Motor Trend the Nissan Murano is faster than the Jeep Compass:

	Murano	Compass
Zero to 60 MPH	7.7 sec	8.1 sec
Quarter Mile	16 sec	16.2 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	91.2 MPH	87.5 MPH

Fuel Economy and Range

The Murano has 5.2 gallons more fuel capacity than the Compass (18.7 vs. 13.5 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups.

Transmission

A nine-speed automatic is standard on the Nissan Murano, for better acceleration and lower engine speed on the highway. Only an eight-speed automatic is available for the Compass.

Brakes and Stopping

For better stopping power the Murano’s brake rotors are larger than those on the Compass:

	Murano	Compass
Front Rotors	13.8 inches	12 inches
Rear Rotors	13 inches	10.95 inches

The Murano’s standard front and rear disc brakes are vented to help dissipate heat for shorter stops with less fading. The rear discs on the Compass are solid, not vented.

The Murano stops much shorter than the Compass:

	Murano	Compass
60 to 0 MPH	127 feet	144 feet	Motor Trend

Tires and Wheels

For better traction, the Murano has larger tires than the Compass (255/55R20 vs. 215/65R17). The Murano’s tires are larger than the largest tires available on the Compass (255/55R20 vs. 235/45R19).

The Murano’s standard tires provide better handling because they have a lower 55 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Compass Trailhawk’s standard 65 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Murano has standard 20-inch wheels. Smaller 17-inch wheels are standard on the Compass Sport/Latitude. The Murano Platinum’s 21-inch wheels are larger than the 19-inch wheels optional on the Compass Limited.

The Murano has a standard easy tire fill system. When inflating the tires, the vehicle’s integrated tire pressure sensors keep track of the pressure as the tires fill and tell the driver when the tires are inflated to the proper pressure. The Compass doesn’t offer vehicle monitored tire inflation.

Suspension and Handling

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Murano’s wheelbase is 7.4 inches longer than on the Compass (111.2 inches vs. 103.8 inches).

For better handling and stability, the track (width between the wheels) on the Murano is 6 inches wider in the front and 6.4 inches wider in the rear than on the Compass.

The Murano Platinum handles at .77 G’s, while the Compass Trailhawk pulls only .73 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

The Murano Platinum executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver 1.6 seconds quicker than the Compass Trailhawk (28 seconds @ .62 average G’s vs. 29.6 seconds @ .53 average G’s).

For greater off-road capability the Murano has a greater minimum ground clearance than the Compass (8.3 vs. 8.1 inches), allowing the Murano to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged.

Chassis

The Murano uses computer-generated active noise cancellation to help remove annoying noise and vibration from the passenger compartment, especially at low frequencies. The Compass doesn’t offer active noise cancellation.

Passenger Space

The Murano has 12.4 cubic feet more passenger volume than the Compass (112 vs. 99.6).

The Murano has 1.9 inches more front headroom, 3.1 inches more front legroom, 2.8 inches more front hip room, 4.1 inches more front shoulder room, 1.2 inches more rear headroom, 7.7 inches more rear hip room and 3.4 inches more rear shoulder room than the Compass.

Cargo Capacity

The Murano has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat up than the Compass with its rear seat up (32.9 vs. 27.2 cubic feet). The Murano has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat folded than the Compass with its rear seat folded (63.5 vs. 59.8 cubic feet).

The Murano’s cargo area is larger than the Compass’ in every dimension:

	Murano	Compass
Length to seat (2nd/1st)	38.2”/73.7”	32.4”/65.7”
Max Width	55.9”	53.8”
Min Width	43.7”	38.1”
Height	31.7”	29.6”

Pulling a handle automatically lowers the Murano’s rear seats, to make changing between passengers and cargo easier. The Compass doesn’t offer automatic folding seats.

A standard locking glovebox (which can’t be accessed with the valet key) keeps your small valuables safer in the Murano. The Compass doesn’t offer locking storage for small valuables.

Towing

The Murano’s standard towing capacity is much higher than the Compass’ (1500 vs. 0 pounds).

Servicing Ease

The Murano uses gas struts to support the hood for easier service access. The Compass uses a prop rod to support its heavy hood. It takes two hands to open the hood and set the prop rod, the prop rod gets in the way during maintenance and service, and the prop rod could be knocked out, causing the heavy hood to fall on the person maintaining or servicing the car.

Ergonomics

The Murano SL/Platinum’s standard easy entry system raises the steering wheel and glides the driver’s seat back when the door is unlocked or the ignition is switched off, making it easier for the driver to get in and out. The Compass doesn’t offer an easy entry system.

The Murano Platinum has a standard heads-up display that projects speed, navigation instruction, incoming text message, infotainment and driver assistance information readouts in front of the driver’s line of sight, allowing drivers to view information without diverting their eyes from the road. The Compass doesn’t offer a heads-up display.

The Murano’s front and rear power windows all open or close fully with one touch of the switches, making it more convenient at drive-up windows and toll booths, or when talking with someone outside the car. The Compass’ rear power window switches have to be held the entire time to open or close them fully.

On a hot day the Murano’s driver can lower all the windows from a distance using the keyless remote. The driver of the Compass can only operate the windows from inside the vehicle, with the ignition on.

The Murano’s standard Intelligent Key allows you to unlock the doors from either front door handle, open the cargo door, and start the engine, all without removing the key from the pocket or purse. Push Button Start standard on the Compass only offers hands-free access for the ignition, none to unlock the vehicle. Push Button Start is not available on the Compass Latitude/Trailhawk/Limited.

Manual rear side window sunshades are available in the Murano to help block heat and glare for the rear passengers. The Compass doesn’t offer rear side window sunshades.

When the Murano SL/Platinum is put in reverse, both rearview mirrors tilt from their original position. This gives the driver a better view of the curb during parallel parking maneuvers. Shifting out of reverse puts the mirrors into their original positions. The Compass’ mirrors don’t automatically adjust for backing.

Both the Nissan Murano and Jeep Compass offer exterior mirrors that can be folded to provide convenience. The Murano offers available power folding mirrors, which allow for easy, one-touch folding or unfolding at the driver’s discretion. This provides added convenience when maneuvering or parking, as well as when walking past the parked vehicle. In comparison, the Compass’ foldable mirrors are manual, requiring the driver to get out and physically fold them once parked and unfold them before getting in.

The Murano (except SV) offers optional massaging front seats in order to maximize comfort and eliminate fatigue on long trips. Massaging seats aren’t available in the Compass.

The Murano has a standard 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. Dual zone air conditioning costs extra on the Compass and isn’t available on the Compass Sport.

The Murano’s standard automatic temperature control maintains the temperature you set, automatically controlling fan speed, vents and temperature to maintain a consistent, comfortable environment. The Compass Sport doesn’t offer automatic air conditioning.

To quickly and conveniently keep personal devices charged without cables tangling and wearing out, the Nissan Murano has a standard wireless phone charging system (Qi) in the center console. Only the Compass Latitude/Trailhawk/Limited offers wireless charging and it costs extra.

Recommendations

J.D. Power and Associates rated the Murano first among midsize suvs in owner reported satisfaction. This includes how well the vehicle performs and satisfies its owner’s expectations. The Compass isn’t in the top three.

See Available Inventory