Our Opinion - 2023 Jeep Compass Review After a redesign last year that made some much-needed improvements to the interior and exterior, the Jeep Compass will be back in 2023 with a new engine and all-wheel drive as standard. Jeep put a 2.0-liter inline-four turbocharged engine with 200 hp and an eight-speed automatic transmission in each Compass. The Trailhawk package turns the car toward the wilderness, but it’s not a Wrangler. It comes with lower crawl gear and other off-road features. The Compass, a smaller version of the Cherokee, puts fuel efficiency ahead of space inside. What's New? In 2023, the Compass will get a new engine: a 200-hp turbocharged 2.0-liter inline-four, a less powerful version of the engine in the new Dodge Hornet. It has much more power than the old 2.4-liter engine, which had either 177 or 180 horsepower, depending on how to set it up. Since the all-wheel drive is now standard, the Compass with front-wheel drive will no longer be made. Pros and Cons A new 2.0-liter turbocharged inline-four engine with 200 horsepower and 221 pound-feet of torque powers every Compass. All Compass models now come with an eight-speed transmission and all-wheel drive as standard. The low “crawler” gear ratio and “rock mode” on the Trailhawk models let the Compass stay in first gear and only send torque to wheels with traction. The Compass responds well to input and feels more agile than its tall, boxy appearance would suggest. Also, the steering feels good. Even though the Compass leans a little when making sharp turns, it feels well-controlled, stable, and capable on the road. When we first tested the Compass, we took it on an off-road course. This showed that it could handle small obstacles without stumbling, and the all-wheel-drive system didn’t make any mistakes. Engine, Transmission, and Performance A new 2.0-liter turbocharged inline-four engine with 200 horsepower and 221 pound-feet of torque powers every Compass. All Compass models now come with an eight-speed transmission and all-wheel drive as standard. The low “crawler” gear ratio and “rock mode” on the Trailhawk models let the Compass stay in first gear and only send torque to wheels with traction. The Compass responds well to input and feels more agile than its tall, boxy appearance would suggest. Also, the steering feels good. Even though the Compass leans a little when making sharp turns, it feels well-controlled, stable, and capable on the road. When we first tested the Compass, we took it on an off-road course. This showed that it could handle small obstacles without stumbling, and the all-wheel-drive system didn’t make any mistakes. Safety The Compass from Jeep has a lot of technology to help the driver. Among the essential safety features are the following: Standards for emergency brakes that work on their own Standard lane-keeping assistance It is possible to make use of something called adaptive cruise control. Internal and External Cargo Capacity The Compass has a big cabin for four adults to travel comfortably and efficiently. The back seat is neither the biggest nor the smallest in this category of vehicles. The rear seats have high seat bottoms, so passengers’ legs are fully supported. This makes even long rides more comfortable. Even though it looks like a box and has a decent amount of space for cargo at first, the Compass is not the roomiest car in its class. Even though it has enough room for a trip to the airport, it can be tight for longer trips. We could only fit 17 carry-on bags in the last Compass we tested because the back seat backs were only slightly angled up. Fuel Economy and Actual MPG Even though the EPA still needs to release information about the 2023 Compass’s gas mileage, we’ll update this section as soon as they do. When we get a chance, we’ll test the Compass’s gas mileage on our 75 mph highway test route and report back here. Infotainment and Connectivity In addition to the standard 8.4-inch touchscreen, you can now get a giant 10.1-inch touchscreen. In addition to navigation and natural voice recognition, the Compass lets you wirelessly connect your Apple CarPlay or Android Auto phone. Price and How to Choose We’d get the most value out of the Compass by sticking with the base Sport model. It has standard safety features like tire pressure monitors, frontal collision warning with active braking, and blind-spot monitoring to help you avoid trouble. Even though LED reflector headlights aren’t as bright as the LED projectors on the Compass Latitude, Limited, High Altitude, and Trailhawk, they are better than the halogen bulbs that come with the base Ford Escape.
