[vattyboy]

INTRODUCTION

I want to pen down the side-by-side comparison of my 2 SUVs i.e. Jeep Compass Limited Option Diesel and Kia Seltos HTK Plus 1.5 NA Petrol. Although they are not of the same segment yeah size-wise wise they are quite similar.

In this thread, I want to discuss how Compass and Seltos compare to each other based upon my ownership i.e. what things you get when you pay approximately 10 to 15 lakhs more than the Seltos and in which aspects Seltos is better.

DRIVING EXPERIENCE

JEEP COMPASS-



1. The first thing you will notice is the hard clutch which you will have to press to start the car.

2. After pressing the push button to start the engine, it comes to life with a slight shaking of the car.

3. The moment you start the car you will realise that now you have the command over a big turbo diesel thanks to its high NVH and diesel clatter.

City -

-The first-gear ratio is very short and the second-gear ratio is high.

-On the speed breaker, if you take out 2nd gear then the vehicle starts to stop and if you take out 1st gear then the RPM becomes high which causes a jerk.

-From 3rd gear, things go great, it drives very smoothly with good torque and power.

-Due to its hard clutch and bad 1st and 2nd gear ratios, the Compass feels unsuitable to drive inside the city.

Highway - this is where the compass truly shines and feels at home.

-It is fast on open roads with a power-to-weight ratio of 110 bhp/ton and torque torque-to-weight ratio of 225 nm/ton which results in 0 to 100 kmph in 9.5 secs. .

-The suspension setup is mature and doesn't break a sweat on any undulation on the road or potholes which come your way while the car is cruising at higher triple-digit speeds.

-Highway stability is excellent, it feels like there is no limit, and it doesn't break a sweat at high speeds. 120 kmph feels like doing 80 kmph.

-The gear ratios of 4, 5, and 6th gear are very good. In fact on highways, 90% of the time all you need is 6th gear. You will beat 90% of the traffic on the highways even when you accelerate in 6th gear.

-It's a mile muncher on the highway, you can drive it at triple-digit speeds all day long with the engine spinning at 1750 rpm @ 100 kmph and 2100 rpm at 120 kmph.

-You will love to take corners at triple-digit speeds on the highways, COMPASS TELLS YOU TO PUSH IT EVEN MORE HARDER.


KIA Seltos-



1. The clutch feels so light in comparison to the compass. It feels like I am shaking my legs in the air.

2. The car starts with no vibrations and minimalistic noise, of course, it is a trait of a petrol engine.

CITY -

-Seltos is easier to drive in the city thanks to its lighter steering wheel, soft clutch and good 1st and 2nd gear ratios.

-Due to its less kerb weight approx 400 kg lighter than a compass, it feels nimble to drive in the city.

Highway -

-The moment you take out Seltos on Highway, you will notice that there is no torque in the 1.5 NA engines compared to the compass.

Now to extract more power you will downshift and floor the throttle but it will make no sense, you will keep on accelerating while waiting for the car to accelerate fast but it does not and will let you feel the thirst for more power with a sudden drop in mileage.

-But do note here that it takes a few extra seconds to accelerate but once it reaches a certain speed it can maintain that speed with ease up to 120 kmph.

-Highway stability is decent for speeds up to 100 kmph due to the stiff suspension setup.

-Cornering capability is also good, while other cars reduce their speeds while approaching the corners you glide through the corners leaving the other cars behind.

-Compass handling on highway outshines seltos after 120 kmph, if you drive below 120 kmph then both are good.

- After 120 kmph, the pace of picking up the speed drastically reduces.

- 100 kmph engine spins at @2250 rpm, at 120 kmph @ 3000 rpm.

- 0 to 100 comes in around 12.5 seconds.

[vattyboy]

SUSPENSION SETUP

COMPASS-

- Feels a little stiff at city speeds but bearable. I fill 2 psi less air than the recommended tyre pressure by the company to correct it.

-Feels best at highway speeds, absorbs undulation and gives cornering confidence.

Seltos-

- Feels bone-jarring stiff at the city speeds, feels like you are sitting on the rocks. Reducing the tyre pressure also doesn't make a difference.

-Considering mine is an HTK Plus with 16-inch higher sidewall tyres, I don't know how the owners manage the comfort with 17 or 18-inch rims.

-Highway stability is good thanks to stiff suspension, you can beat 90% of the cars on the highway in this department.

Steering Feel and Feedback

Steering feedback is better in the compass, it feels more precise and direct.

Seltos steering is dead at the centre and has some play. Seltos steering starts to give feedback after rotating it 10 to 15 degrees left or right but after that, it is nicely predictable.

Seltos steering is smaller in diameter and thin while compass steering feels thick to feel and also it is bigger in size.

MILEAGE

All mileage figures are with full timer AC on....

COMPASS gives 12-13 kmpl in the city and 18 km on highways at 100 to 120 kmph and can give 20 kmpl if driven sedately at 90 kmph.

SELTOS gives 12-13 kmpl in the city and 16 kmpl on the highway at 100 to 120 kmph, and can give 18 if driven at 90 kmph.

Note- Jeep MID shows accurate mileage same as calculated by the tank-to-tank method while seltos MID shows 2 to 3 kmpl high mileage.

After 120 kmph the mileage of seltos drastically decreases while compass mileage drops by 1 or 2 kmpl.

The full tank range in Compass is 800 to 900 km while seltos has 600 to 700 km.

NVH

I will talk about 2 things here. 1. Engine noise and 2. Outside noise

In Compass the cabin in drop dead silent, with no to minimum road and traffic noise filters inside the cabin. Engine noise comes inside the cabin due to it being a diesel unit but after 1800 rpm when the turbo kicks in you will hear a very sweet turbo whistle which is a treat for the ears.

Seltos due to its petrol engine feels silent but can't filter out the road noise as much as Compass but it is pretty decent, better than my Ciaz.
Engines sounds good after 4000 rpm, below that it is very silent.

BRAKING

Braking Is equally good in both cars, surprising that seltos have drums at the rear but still it brakes so well.

INFOTAINMENT AND SOUND QUALITY

Both cars have the same screen size i.e. 7 inches and the resolution is equally good.

Seltos comes with Arkamys sound system while Jeep Compass comes with alpine sound system.


Good in compass-In music quality Compass beat seltos for sure, it has more bass and it sounds fuller.

Compass infotainment ui is better and has more information to give you.


Good in seltos-The Seltos infotainment system is faster while the compass is a little bit slow to respond after your touch.

Seltos has wireless Android auto and Apple carplay which is missing in the compass.

BUILD QUALITY AND SAFETY

1. There is nothing to say here because everyone knows that Compass is built like a tank. It is comparable to my MERCEDES in this department.

2. Everything in the compass feels solid whether it is the door or the bonnet which is twice as heavy in comparison to seltos and gives a confidence-inspiring solid thud when you close the doors.

3. Out on the highways you will feel very safe in the compass just like everyone feels so safe in the arms of their mother.

4. One thing to notice here is that Jeep has focused on safety in case of a side collision or if the car is T boned. So to improve this see the gap between the side mouldings and seats in the picture. So in case of collision due to more gap, the passenger will be safe.

[vattyboy]

Service Cost

Seltos- Its basic 10k Service (oil, oil filter, air filter, fuel filter, cabin filter, alignment and balancing) Costs about 5k-6k.

Compass- Its 15k service (oil, oil filter, air filter, fuel filter, cabin filter, alignment and balancing) costs about 13 to 15k.
(Note- Compass service interval is 50% more than Seltos).

Boot Space

Seltos boot feels bigger and has better space management. Seltos can fit 1 more luggage (comparable to cabin bags we take on aircraft) than Compass.

Seating Comfort

Compass


Seltos

Compass seats are wide, have more cushioning and offer better under-thigh support.

The legroom at the front and the cabin width are similar in both the cars but the legroom at the rear is better in compass.

The rear seat recline angle on the compass is better.

Interiors Quality

Seltos

Seltos has hard plastics in the majority but the quality of the plastics is good, it is not an eyesore for the eyes.

Compass

Compass has soft touch leather in the majority like a whole dashboard and front doors. Rear doors only have a soft touch on the place to rest the arms.

The leather seats quality of compass is very premium and robust, the only thing is I need to get them cleaned professionally once every year.

Things better in Compass than Seltos.

1. The fuel lid opens by pressing it from outside the petrol pump attendant so there is no need to pull the lever again and again like seltos.

2. To unlock the car with the key in your pocket, simply slide your hand behind the handle and pull. Sensors placed behind the handle detect your hand & unlock the car as it contains a touch-sensitive pad while in seltos you have to push the button on the handlebar to lock and unlock it. This thing enhances the premium experience.

3. Anti-pinch power windows.

4. One touch-up and down on all 4 windows. ( rear windows only have auto down).

5. Side rearview mirror

6. Gear knob feels better to hold.



Things Better in Seltos than Compass

1. The turning diameter is good, it feels pain in the compass whenever you have to take a U-turn.

2. Ground clearance is better in seltos. The low front wind deflector in the compass scraps everywhere. Even it scraps at the places where low-slung ciaz passes with ease.

3. Mood lighting looks good in the night near the front speakers.




4. Light Steering

5. Light clutch

6. Led DRL's are lookers. They are very bright and the quality is good.



EXTERIORS

1. The Compass is designed with very less cuts and creases so it appeals more to the Mature public while the Seltos is designed for the young public who like its sporty stance.

2. I think the Compass will age better than the seltos thanks to its much cleaner lines similar to how the Polos, Ventos and Jettas still look very handsome today.

3. The chrome below the number plate gives a very premium feel. When you are waiting and the car approaches you chrome shines and reflects light which looks very good.


4. Side Profile- The compass looks longer than seltos.

5. Height- On paper it is similar but in the real world the Seltos feel taller.

6. The front wind deflector is a pain in the compass, it scrapes everywhere.

7. Compass has yellow DRLs which look very bad and not at all accepted in a car of this price while Seltos DRLs look very good, they are bright and definitely head turner for sure.

I read many comments where people say that the size of Compass is not proportionate to the price but they don't say the same thing for A Mini Cooper.
Many people fail to understand that Compass is one segment above Creta, Seltos, GV, Hyryder etc Do a blind test of interiors, hear door thud noise, and feel the weight of bonnet and doors. and it is miles ahead of these cars.

[Aditya]

Thread moved out from the Assembly Line. Thanks for sharing!

[CArspeed]

That was a very detailed comparison analysing each and every aspect of the car and lon-term driving experience.
I am in a dilemma between the new Compass 4x2 AT, Taigun 1.5 DSG and the Ioniq 5 too. Your observations on Compass really helped me to understand the dynamics of the car much better.

[padmrajravi]

Thank you. This is a great comparison. Can you also comment on any niggles or manufacturing defects you have faced on either of them ? Has there been service centre visits other than the scheduled ones in any of them?

[Raghav07]

Quite an interesting thread! First time I have seen a side by side ownership and review of two cars at once.

I also have three questions regarding your Compass and Seltos, if you dont mind:

1. When did you take delivery of both of these cars?
2. Why didnt you opt for one of these cars to be automatic? I feel like if one of these cars would be automatic, it would have been more convenient.
3. What is the odometer readings on both of the car?

I would be eagerly waiting for your response!

The review is a 10/10 though. Good photos and the small comparisons between the two made it more detailed. Hope you continue to put both of those great machines through its paces.

[ramnaresh_2000]

Originally Posted by vattyboy

I read many comments where people say that the size of Compass is not proportionate to the price but they don't say the same thing for A Mini Cooper.
Many people fail to understand that Compass is one segment above Creta, Seltos, GV, Hyryder etc Do a blind test of interiors, hear door thud noise, and feel the weight of bonnet and doors. and it is miles ahead of these cars.

100% agree with these observations. I even wrote similar comment in one of the thread. It's like dejavu . Compass ages well, the design is very mature. Even after the facelift, the pre-facelift version is still a looker. My only grudge is no auto dimming IRVM or Cruise Control in a vehicle which costed 24 lakhs in 2019. Cars which are 2 segment below Compass get them and it really irritates me.

[sapien]

Originally Posted by vattyboy

NVH

I will talk about 2 things here. 1. Engine noise and 2. Outside noise

In Compass the cabin in drop dead silent, with no to minimum road and traffic noise filters inside the cabin. Engine noise comes inside the cabin due to it being a diesel

Thanks for the detailed comparison,

Question specifically w.r.t nvh, for predominant city drive, would you prefer compass over seltos given the overall nvh and refinement or other way round?
I am asking because we are actively looking for options in this segment and zeroed on xuv700 petrol AT.
The recent introduction of 4*2 diesel AT in compass has added jeep back into consideration. I did a short TD but overall vibrations were not very appreciable compared to xuv.
Seeking your thoughts on same.

[vattyboy]

Originally Posted by CArspeed

I am in a dilemma between the new Compass 4x2 AT, Taigun 1.5 DSG and the Ioniq 5 too. Your observations on Compass really helped me to understand the dynamics of the car much better.

Thanks! Since you are considering Compass AT, It will be good for both city and highway drives.
If your driving is solely in the city then even Taigun 1.0 Tsi would be sufficient, the only problem is its size. Taigun looks like a sub 4m car when I see it on the roads.

Originally Posted by padmrajravi

Thank you. This is a great comparison. Can you also comment on any niggles or manufacturing defects you have faced on either of them ? Has there been service centre visits other than the scheduled ones in any of them?

Yes!
Seltos-
1. I bought the car from Shreenath Kia, Surat. I did a thorough PDI before taking the delivery of the car and told them to fit some Accessories like seat covers and sun visors.
But on the day of delivery, I noticed there were very tiny white paint dots all over the car and they agreed and got it removed by rubbing from a professional detailer.
The root cause of the paint on the new car- " When I went to ASS for 1st service I noticed that all the places where they install the accessories was near to their Body shop paint booth and they were not painting inside vacuum packed room instead they are painting outside it, so while painting tiny dots fly with the air and settle down on the paint of the new car.

2. One horn stopped working so they replaced it under warranty.

3. After a major service oil change, the technicians didn't fully close the oil drain bolt which resulted in oil leakage which I got to know when I was driving on the highway 400 km away from my home. So I took the car to nearby Bardoli Kia where they declined to change the oil drain bolt and top up the engine oil. So I called Udaipur Kia SA and made Bardoli Kia SA talk with him. After some discussions, Bardoli Kia agreed to do the needful.

4. The gum of the sun visor was very bad, they tend to come out every month.

Compass-
1. The USB charging port went kaput so they replaced it under warranty.

2. Diesel Injectors were blocked. SA told me it was because of the bad quality of the fuel and were replaced under warranty.
After this, I never top up fuel at highway gas stations.

Originally Posted by Raghav07

Quite an interesting thread! First time I have seen a side by side ownership and review of two cars at once.

I also have three questions regarding your Compass and Seltos, if you dont mind:

1. When did you take delivery of both of these cars?
2. Why didnt you opt for one of these cars to be automatic? I feel like if one of these cars would be automatic, it would have been more convenient.
3. What is the odometer readings on both of the car?

I would be eagerly waiting for your response!

The review is a 10/10 though. Good photos and the small comparisons between the two made it more detailed. Hope you continue to put both of those great machines through its paces.

Thanks!
Me and my family members are regular gymgoers and we train legs regularly. So we can enjoy driving the manual for a few more years and Yes we have the Mercedes CLA which is Automatic DCT. Compass is of 2019 and Seltos of 2021. Compass odo is at 87 and seltos is at 55.

Originally Posted by ramnaresh_2000

100% agree with these observations. I even wrote similar comment in one of the thread. It's like dejavu . Compass ages well, the design is very mature. Even after the facelift, the pre-facelift version is still a looker. My only grudge is no auto dimming IRVM or Cruise Control in a vehicle which costed 24 lakhs in 2019. Cars which are 2 segment below Compass get them and it really irritates me.

Thank you so much.
I agree with you, not having cruise control is a pain.

Originally Posted by sapien

Thanks for the detailed comparison. Question specifically w.r.t nvh, for predominant city drive, would you prefer compass over seltos given the overall nvh and refinement or other way round?
I am asking because we are actively looking for options in this segment and zeroed on xuv700 petrol AT.
Seeking your thoughts on same.

NVH is better in compass, it filters out traffic noise much better.
If my compass was an AT then it would be my choice for the city drives also.

Xuv700 and Compass both are good cars.
Telling you my personal opinion-
Nowadays the crowd of Mahindra owners is very bad and they do ****** kind of activities on the road.
( NOTE: This is not about my fellow bhpians. We are literate, sensible and true enthusiasts).

In my city, I see some thar or Scorpio owners driving rashly.
1. They put hazard lights On then
Open all their windows then
Turn the music volume to full then
Take their hand out and start shouting with music to show other people they are so cool and they are some goons.

2. Some come out of the sunroof and dance with full volumes.

3. As Mahindra is giving a good amount of power in their engines they are always ready to race on the streets.

While Jeep Customers are sophisticated and mostly i have seen them driving sensibly.

Consider my observations before finalizing between the two.

[sapien]

Originally Posted by vattyboy

NVH is better in compass, it filters out traffic noise much better.
If my compass was an AT then it would be my choice for the city drives also.

XUV700 and Compass both are good cars.

Thanks for sharing your insights. I plan to do back to back test drives of xux700 & Jeep to get a hands on experience & compare the vibrations on steering, driver's seat & pedals. Will observe the traffic noise & overall insulation as well.

One other benefit of XUV is maintainability - specifically,

1. Petrol engine - Given current laws & changes happening so frequently, feeling more assured about its usability for long term ~15 years
2. Long term service experience & cost - Overall Mahindra is on a upward trajectory, not sure of Jeep.

Although the desirability factor of Jeep is hard to beat!

[rosh_aveo1.4]

Spot on observations on the Compass! I don't own a Seltos to compare but it does sound right. I have the petrol version and that's its major weak spot (just like the diesel engine city usage. Horrible lag and one digit mileage (irony that they gave a smaller capacity engine thinking it can get more milage compared to a larger engine). And I also feel the stock headlamps aren't good. But other than that, love the solid feel and its comfort and interiors, slow system but makes up for it with a lovely very well balanced sound quality. Since I have the pre-facelift, I don't have the rattling issues which I heard is common from the facelift.

[evil_grin]

Originally Posted by vattyboy

In this thread, I want to discuss how Compass and Seltos compare to each other based upon my ownership

Thank you. Your comparison helps better describe both the vehicles.

Your point about the Compass suspension and gearing not being great for city use, sadly puts a damper on my plans of eventually replacing my City with the Diesel MT BS4 Compass (I love it's steering wheel more than the BS6). I've been enchanted with the Compass ever since I test drove one!