Michael Simari | Car and Driver
Michael Simari | Car and Driver
Michael Simari | Car and Driver
Michael Simari | Car and Driver
Michael Simari | Car and Driver
$27,495–$33,990 At a Glance DrivetrainFour Wheel Drive
Limited Warranty3 Years/36,000 Miles
With the Cherokee on hiatus, Jeep is now down to one compact SUV offering. Thankfully, the Compass was always the more attractive of the two, with greater interior space and tidier dimensions. The Compass is powered by a relatively efficient 200-hp four-cylinder backed by an unobtrusive eight-speed automatic, and while not as fun to drive as many of its competitors it does have polite on-road manners and a comfortable ride. The Trailhawk model has the extra gear to tackle real off-roading, although that’s of little interest to the majority of prospective buyers; we’d prefer tighter steering and sharper handling for daily use. Standard all-wheel drive and a low starting price may be enticing, but competitors like the Honda CR-V and Mazda CX-5 are better all-rounders for those who plan to be spending most of their time on paved roads rather than in the boondocks.
The Compass lineup shrinks to four trims for 2025, jettisoning the Latitude Lux. The only addition is a new limited-edition hue called Joose. It will be available later in the year, so we can’t yet tell you what flavor juice it's supposed to represent—but we're betting on orange. Pomegranate, maybe?
The price of the 2025 Jeep Compass starts at $27,495 and goes up to $33,990 depending on the trim and options.
The most affordable Compass comes acceptably equipped with all-wheel drive and an 8.4-inch infotainment touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, but we recommend going one step up to the Latitude. It adds standard heated seats, a heated steering wheel, automatic high beams, proximity keyless entry, and remote start and opens the door to several options packages. Unfortunately, the only no-cost paint color the Compass offers is white. Factor in another $595 if you want something else.
Every Compass is powered by a 200-hp 2.0-liter turbocharged inline-four that's bolted to an eight-speed automatic transmission and shuttles power through an all-wheel-drive system. The off-road-ready Trailhawk model gets a more serious all-wheel-drive system with a "crawler" gear ratio and an additional Rock mode for the Selec-Terrain system. On pavement, the Compass is reasonably agile, although its steering is vague and offers little feedback. There is some lean during tight cornering, but overall, the compact sport-ute feels well-controlled. Competitors like Mazda's CX-5 and CX-50, however, offer a type of satisfying driver engagement that the Compass can't match. Our brief time with a Compass on an off-road course, however, revealed that it can easily traverse moderate obstacles, and we noticed nary a stumble from the all-wheel-drive system.
At our test track, the Compass reached 60 mph in 7.5 seconds. That puts it roughly in line with competitors, just ahead of a nonhybrid Honda CR-V or Toyota RAV4 (8.1 and 8.3 seconds, respectively) and slower than a Mazda CX-50 with the turbocharged engine (6.4 seconds).
The compact Jeep Compass isn't a great choice for folks with demanding trailering needs, but it does offer 2000 pounds of maximum towing capacity when properly equipped. This is a 500-pound advantage over the Honda CR-V and Volkswagen Tiguan, and it's tied with the Mazda CX-5.
The EPA rates the Compass at 24 mpg city and 32 mpg highway. When we get a chance, we'll take the Compass on our 75-mph highway fuel-economy test route and update this story with results. For more information about the Compass's fuel economy, visit the EPA's website.
The Compass's interior is comfortable and has enough space for four adult passengers. The back seat is neither the largest nor the smallest of the crossovers in this diverse class but its high seat bottoms mean that passengers' legs are fully supported, making even long rides comfortable. Despite its boxy exterior and what on paper appears to be competitive cargo volume, the Compass is not the roomiest of its set. It has enough luggage space for an airport run but long trips could be a squeeze. The rear seatbacks remain angled slightly upward when folded, and the last Compass we tested held only 17 carry-on suitcases with the seats stowed. A Ford Escape, for instance, swallows 21 carry-ons.
Michael Simari | Car and DriverThe Compass’s standard touchscreen measures 8.4 inches and offers natural voice recognition and navigation, in addition to Apple CarPlay and Android Auto smartphone compatibility. A 10.1-inch screen adds wireless smartphone mirroring and is available on the Latitude trim and included on the Trailhawk and Limited.
Jeep offers an impressive array of driver-assistance technology on the Compass. For more information about the Compass's crash test results, visit the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) websites. Key safety features include:
The Compass's warranty approximates the coverage provided by several of its competitors, but Kia's extraordinarily long powertrain warranty handily trumps Jeep's. However, all models do come with three years of free maintenance.
Specifications
2023 Jeep Compass 4x4
Vehicle Type: front-engine, all-wheel-drive, 5-passenger, 4-door wagon
PRICE
Base/As Tested: $29,995/$41,270
Options: Latitude trim, $3995; Sun and Sound group (Alpine stereo, panoramic roof), $2695; Convenience group (remote start system, auto dimming rearview mirror, heated steering wheel and front seats, wiper de-icer, eight-way power driver seat, power liftgate), $2095; Driver Assistance group (adaptive cruise control, surround-view camera system, inductive charging pad, automatic wipers), $1895; Sting-Gray Clearcoat paint, $595
ENGINE
turbocharged and intercooled DOHC 16-valve inline-4, aluminum block and head, direct fuel injection
Displacement: 122 in 3 , 1995 cm 3
Power: 200 hp @ 5000 rpm
Torque: 221 lb-ft @ 1750 rpm
TRANSMISSION
8-speed automatic
CHASSIS
Suspension, F/R: struts/multilink
Brakes, F/R: 12.0-in vented disc/10.9-in disc
Tires: Firestone Destination LE2
225/60R-17 99T M+S
DIMENSIONS
Wheelbase: 103.8 in
Length: 173.4 in
Width: 73.8 in
Height: 64.6 in
Passenger Volume, F/R: 52/47 ft 3
Cargo Volume, Behind F/R: 60/27 ft 3
Curb Weight: 3717 lb
C/D TEST RESULTS
60 mph: 7.5 sec
1/4-Mile: 15.8 sec @ 89 mph
100 mph: 20.8 sec
Results above omit 1-ft rollout of 0.3 sec.
Rolling Start, 5–60 mph: 7.9 sec
Top Gear, 30–50 mph: 4.4 sec
Top Gear, 50–70 mph: 5.4 sec
Top Speed (C/D est): 118 mph
Braking, 70–0 mph: 195 ft
Roadholding, 300-ft Skidpad: 0.81 g
C/D FUEL ECONOMY
Observed: 23 mpg
EPA FUEL ECONOMY
Combined/City/Highway: 27/24/30 mpg
