Pros

• Both the space for cargo and the space for people to sit are bigger than normal.
• A smartphone with a wireless touchscreen and the power to customize getting in touch.
• Off-road, the Trailhawk trim is a potent car.

Cons

• The setup of the controls on the inside could be more precise.
• There is a lot of engine noise in the room.
• It is tough to see outside.
• Some of the more advanced features that help you drive are annoying.

How do you move the Compass? The base engine in the Jeep Compass is a step up for the class. Our test car went from 0 to 60 mph in 8.3 seconds, faster than most ultra-compact SUVs. Unfortunately, that powerful engine is paired with a transmission that changes gears quickly when going up and slowly when going down. This makes the car feel more vital than it is in everyday driving.

The Compass could be better on roads with sharp turns. Because the body rolls, it never looks stable when it is turning. Even though it took longer to stop from 60 to 0 mph than we would have thought for a car without off-road tires, the brakes can feel grabby when driving at low speeds.

If you want to go off-road, the Compass is a good pick. This is excellent news because the Trailhawk trim is better at going off-road than almost every other car in its class, except for the Subaru Crosstrek.

What kind of relaxation does the Compass offer? Even though the ride is surprising, the Compass is less fun to drive for long distances. The head restraints in the front are too far forward, and the seat pillows are comfortable but do not offer enough support. Especially for more significant drivers, they can make you tilt your head forward. Even though the suspension smooths out potholes and bigger bumps, the ride is still rough enough that you can feel the imperfections in the road.

Even though the climate control system extensively regulates the temperature inside the car, the fan can be loud, especially in a small car. But that noise will not be kept out of the Compass: On the highway, there is a lot of noise from the wind and the road, and the engine noise is almost always there. The sound on your podcasts will likely be turned up.

How does the inside look? The Compass has much more room than many other small subcompact SUVs. There is a lot of space and legroom up front. Even though there is little headroom in the back, there is a lot of legroom. The form of the door openings can also make it hard to get in and out.

Another problem is that driving is not made easier by the Compass. The way the many options are set up can be confusing. For example, the controls for the infotainment system are lower in the center stack, next to the climate controls. However, the rules for the driver aids are right next to the multimedia screen. Some commands can only be used through the touchscreen, and the menus on the driver information system need to be explained.

The thick frames, high beltline, and square hood make it hard to see where such a small car is. The extra camera that can see all around is helpful.

How good is the tech? Our test car had a 10.1-inch tablet that was surprisingly big and bright, but it sometimes felt slow and unresponsive. (Now and then, we even saw a waiting screen.) It also took a lot of work to understand and use because of its user interface. Many controls were hard to find, and voice prompts did not have enough power to compensate for them.

The car’s home screen can be changed on the plus side, so you do not have to dig through menus to find directions you use often. Also, the digital link between the phone and the car works perfectly with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay.

Less necessary are the driver assistance tools. When set to medium or severe, lane-keeping aid can be a little jumpy, making you feel like you must fight the car to keep it straight. The sounds on different devices are also loud and annoying, which makes them seem more like a nuisance than a helpful tool.

What about putting things away? When you look at the Compass next to other small cars, you will be impressed: With 27.2 cubic feet, the space behind the second seat is one of the bigger. But there are better places to store small things than the hut. Only small water bottles can fit in the middle console’s narrow door pockets. Compared to small SUVs with similar prices, like the Honda CR-V, the Compass does not measure up. Compact SUVs have more room for storage and a better way to store small items.

There is enough room for child car seats in the second row, but the lower anchors are hidden under the pillows, and the fake floor in the trunk almost entirely covers the top anchors. Many of the Compass’s rivals make it easier to install a car seat than the Compass.

How well does it use gasoline? On average, the Compass gets 27 mpg, which is about what you would expect from a car this size. On our mixed-driving test route, our test Compass only got a little over 25 mpg, which shows that how you drive can significantly affect how efficiently the turbocharged engine works.

Is it worth the price of the Compass? The Jeep Compass is smaller than a compact SUV, so it costs less. In other words, you pay the same amount but get less use, beauty, and space. Even though the Compass has a potent turbocharged engine and all-wheel drive as standard, it feels like it could be better than vehicles like the Mazda CX-50, Honda CR-V, or Subaru Forester for people who like to be outside.

Most places we touched inside our test vehicle were soft, but plastics that feel thin are widespread. In our test car, we did not hear any rattles or creaks, but many of the interior trim pieces were stretched in ways that made the interior feel less solid than we wanted.

The standard warranty lasts for three years or 36,000 miles, and the security on the powertrain lasts five years, or 60,000 miles. It is excellent that you can get roadside help for five years and 60,000 miles. Most competitors only offer it for the length of the basic warranty.

The Compass wants to be the “baby Grand Cherokee,” but it will be an old model instead of a beautiful new one. The only thing the Compass has in common with a Jeep is its body size. When the steering wheel’s name is removed, the car’s interior looks less unique. If you choose the Trailhawk trim, you will get more of that unique Jeep flavor and more ways to go off-roading. A second question is whether or not the cost is worth it.

Jeep has not said anything public about the 2024 Compass at the time of this writing. If something changes, we will change our advice, but based on the Compass from last year, we would choose the Latitude trim. Even though it costs a few thousand dollars more than the base Sport trim, it has better upholstery, keyless entry, and other features that make the daily journey more pleasant. It also gives you more choices than the Sport.

Model of Jeep Compass

There are five trim options for the Jeep Compass subcompact crossover: Sport, Latitude, Latitude Lux, Limited, and Trailhawk. They all have a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine with 200 horsepower and 221 pound-feet of torque and all-wheel drive.