Choosing between a new Kia Seltos and a used Jeep Compass

Lots of very good options of the Compass are available at 15 lakhs and above making new ones just not worth the full price.

BHPian AMG Power recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

This is a tricky one.

I am looking at picking up either a Kia Seltos GTX Turbo Petrol Manual or a pre owned Jeep Compass 2.0L 4x2 Manual. Lots of very good options of the Compass are available at 15 lakhs and above making new ones just not worth the full price.

Requirements from the car

• Effortless highway cruising
• Good high speed stability
• Good handling
• Reasonable ride comfort on highways.
• Reasonable FE - 13/14 km/l on highways
• City usage isn’t a requirement as there’s another car for that.
• Rear seat comfort / space not an issue.
• Boot space in both are sufficient.
• Reliability
• Good in-gear acceleration

Pros and Cons as I see them

Kia Seltos

Pros

• It is almost as fast as an Octavia 1.8 TSI to 100 kmph, and a whopping 7 seconds faster than the Jeep Compass 2.0L 4x2 to 140 kmph. It has the same in-gear acceleration as the Jeep which says a lot as the real advantage of diesels lie in roll on speeds and this equals the Jeep on that front.
• The black interiors with red accents are great and look more upmarket than more expensive cars - one of the reasons that got me looking at the car.
• Not a features guy but the Kia has some that will not hurt.
• The turbo manual has the highest top speed among all the variants - almost 20 kmph more than the DCT and 30 kmph more than the diesel.

Cons

• The Seltos will look horribly dated very very soon. Styling that is in your face and is the flavor of the month never ever lasts. Think Hyundai fluidic Verna - at one point it was the best looking car - but now is an ugly duckling. In comparison the (original) Vento never looked great but now doesn’t look as old as the fluidic Verna does either.
• Sunroof - not a fan of this “feature” which is intended to bring in sun in cold countries and is completely out of place under Indian conditions. It can leak, rattle, and squeal it’s way to glory over time and when the seals wear out under the hot Indian sun, will bring in dust and water into the cabin.
• Fuel efficiency in turbo petrols can never be depended on - the single largest minus. It would depend on your mood and the mood of the car. Take any FE figure of a turbo petrol only as a broad reference point.
• The 3 star crash test ratings. Not a deal breaker though.
• Various niggles - teething troubles happen with any new car - some have more, some have less - as long as the company is addressing it, it’s not an issue.

Pre owned Jeep Compass: BS IV

Pros

• Rock solid stability at speeds, does not lose composure under most situations.
• European handling - takes corners better
• Fuel efficiency being a diesel can be relied on to not fall below 14 on highways.
• BS IV engine isn’t dumbed down so will provide the pleasure of a turbo diesel.

Cons

• It’s a Fiat product and that gives it an uncertain future.
• Not a fan of its white / beige interiors
• Engine gets noisy and boomy after 3000 rpm.
• Turbo lag at lower rpms which gives it the same in-gear acceleration of the petrol engined 140 bhp Seltos even though the Seltos is down on power by 33 bhp and 650cc in engine size. Outright acceleration of the Seltos will leave the Jeep Compass way behind.

Here's what GTO had to say on the matter:

Knowing your taste & preferences (from your posts), the Compass indisputably. While the Seltos is also fun to drive, the Compass is more so. It is built for long distance, high speed cruising and you'll have a permanent smile plastered on your face on long drives. While the India-spec Compass hasn't been crash-tested, I'm willing to bet it'll do better than the Seltos' disappointing result. Added bonus = you'll have a big FE advantage on the highway.

Fiat continues to invest in India, the latest rounds include CKD operations for the Wrangler too. I think they are around for a while; however, in the longer-term, you never know as the FCA Group & Peugeot face a lot of challenges. Still, being a reasonably popular model, you shouldn't have any part supply worries.

Here's what BHPian landcruiser123 had to say on the matter:

If you have to pick between the 2, I'd go for the Compass based on what you've mentioned. If it is an exclusive highway cruiser, I'd pick a diesel assuming you're going to put some serious mileage on it. Also, tubro petrols don't have proven long term reliability whereas turbo diesels are pretty robust. I don't think spare parts will be an issue.

If ground clearance is not an issue, why not go Honda City/Toyota Corolla?

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.