Pontiac Torrent vs. Jeep Compass Review

Handling
The Pontiac Torrent and the Jeep have roughly comparable tires.

Drivetrain
The Jeep's engine is substantially smaller than the Pontiac's. Remember that smaller engines can be stressed more; however, smaller engines are often cheaper to fix. The Pontiac Torrent packs quite a wallop compared to the Jeep Compass with respect to torque, which is roughly equivalent to acceleration. Torque equals pickup, and the Torrent will have picked up and gone by the time the Jeep Compass finally gets moving.

Utility
There's no obvious winner between the Pontiac Torrent and the Jeep Compass regarding transporting cargo. Neither the Pontiac Torrent nor the Jeep Compass has a marked advantage regarding seating capacity. The Jeep Compass is a better choice than the Pontiac Torrent in terms of transporting cargo, especially if you frequently need to carry a lot of loot or big pets.

Comfort
While the rear of the Torrent offers a bit more head- and leg-room than the Compass, there really isn't much of a difference.

Dimensions
The Pontiac is substantially heavier than the Jeep Compass. Your wallet will hurt more every time you fill up the Pontiac Torrent than the Jeep Compass because of its more capacious tank. The Jeep Compass and the Pontiac compete for the same parking spaces. The Jeep's shorter wheelbase may produce a less-settled highway ride but a nimbler feel in daily traffic than the Pontiac Torrent.

Cost
The destination charge is a standard charge for transporting the vehicle from its point of origin to the dealer. It costs roughly the same to get the Jeep Compass to the dealership as the Pontiac Torrent. In terms of MSRP, the Jeep Compass doesn't cost much less than the Pontiac Torrent.

Overview
The Jeep and the Pontiac have the same basic warranty. In terms of after-sale protection against rust, the Pontiac Torrent has markedly better coverage than the Jeep Compass.