2023 Jeep Compass

It’s rare that a design gets better with age, but the 2023 Jeep Compass really is better than all of its predecessors. This second-generation Compass debuted in 2017, and while buyers loved its Grand-Cherokee-in-miniature styling, its cheap-feeling interior and wheezy engine didn’t really live up to the looks. No longer. Last year Jeep gave the little Compass the stylish, modern interior it always deserved, and for 2023 it gets an entirely new powertrain and standard all-wheel drive (AWD). The Trailhawk is still the best version, but these upgrades have materially improved the entire Compass lineup.

Every Compass now uses a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine, a close relative of the one in the Dodge Hornet, making 200 horsepower and 221 pound-feet of torque, up from 177 hp and 172 lb-ft last year. There’s also a new eight-speed automatic transmission. While AWD Compasses used to have nine speeds, the new gearbox shifts just as well and the 2023 model returns better gas mileage too. A handful of new safety features round out this year’s upgrades, including a driver alertness monitor and a rear seat warning. 

These upgrades are well-timed because the Compass is covering more ground for Jeep these days. After years of slotting between the tiny Renegade and compact Cherokee, that latter model has been dropped. They also help the Compass against its fiercest rivals, the Ford Bronco Sport and Subaru’s new-for-2024 Crosstrek. While Ford and the Subarus can mix it up, the Trailhawk and the other Compasses also vie with the Mazda CX-30, Kia Seltos, Honda HR-V and Volkswagen Taos. The Jeep’s biggest demerit is now that it costs more than many of these rivals.

With its new engine, the Compass feels (and is) markedly faster than its ever been, with a zero-to-60 time of just under 8 seconds, a distinct improvement over the wheezy old “Tigershark” engine it replaced. The Compass isn’t a terrible handler either, but it’s not as precise or smooth as the CX-30, Taos or Crosstrek on the pavement. Off-road, however, the softly sprung suspension, AWD and 8.1 inches of ground clearance make every Compass capable. The standout star, of course, is the Trailhawk, with its heavier-duty components, 0.5-inch lift and sophisticated terrain system. 

For an SUV that’s pretty small on the outside, the Compass offers capacious front and rear seats, and it’s bigger in back than the Bronco Sport, CX-30 or the new Crosstrek. Those soft springs, meant to absorb bumps and shocks on tough trails, also mean a smooth and fairly quiet ride. While cargo space isn’t class-leading and suffers in comparison to similarly priced larger SUVs, the Compass’ hold is healthy by the standards of its rivals. Last year’s interior upgrade vastly improved the furnishings, and the Compass holds its own on interior design.

Last year’s changes also brought lots of active-safety technology, which helped the Compass earn a Top Safety Pick rating from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) even if its 2023 ranking dropped to “Good” overall under more stringent testing. Its digital systems are also good, with a now-standard 10.1-inch display running Stellantis’ excellent Uconnect 5 software. At a time when most designs would be feeling a bit old, the Compass is having a renaissance, but there is a catch. While it starts at just under $30,000, most Compasses are pricier, and they can range beyond $40,000 with options, eroding the value proposition.

Performance: 13/15

More power is rarely a bad thing, and the Compass’ new 2.0-liter engine answers a major shortcoming of previous model years. It may be smaller than the old 2.4-liter unit from last year, but it’s smoother, quieter and more powerful. The new eight-speed automatic has one less gear than the AWD 2022 models, but it shifts just as well. Front-wheel drive versions have also been dropped and the standard ground clearance raised to 8.1 inches (from 7.7), which means every Compass is a little more Jeep-like right out of the box. 

Although there’s plenty more power and the 2023 Compass feels more responsive than last year, it still isn’t blazingly fast. Zero-to-60 takes about eight seconds, and it isn’t a very precise handler on the pavement. The Mazda CX-30 and even the new Crosstrek are more composed on twisty roads, but at least the Jeep isn’t painfully slow. Also, its soft suspension is optimized for people who like to take to the dirt, and that makes for a quiet and smooth ride. 

With the added clearance and standard AWD, even the cheapest Compass is now a capable trail companion and a match for the light-duty off-roading capabilities of the lower-end Bronco Sport and Crosstrek models. The regular Compasses do not have the Trailhawk’s more specialized hardware, but the fact that the base Compass Sport now has more capability is a major selling point.

The Trailhawk is still the star of the lineup, however. It gets Jeep Active Drive Low, which adds a 20:1 crawl ratio, and a higher final drive ratio (4.398:1 instead of 3.73:1) to maximize the use of all that torque. There’s also a 0.5 inch lift (for 8.6 inches of ground clearance), skid plates, hill descent control and a more sophisticated four-setting (Auto, Rock, Mud/Sand and Snow) terrain management system. It’s legitimately capable, but it also costs as much as a Wrangler Sport S.

Properly configured, the Compass can tow up to 2,000 pounds, which is good for this diminutive class but not really enough for more than a tiny equipment trailer.

Fuel Economy: 13/15

The Compass’ old engine had to work pretty hard to lug its 3,600 pounds around, but the new engine does much better. As a result, it yields better fuel economy than before. Where the AWD 2022 Compass earned 25 mpg combined (22 city, 30 highway), the 2023 model does 27 mpg combined (24 city, 32 highway), according to the EPA. While we haven’t yet had the chance to do very long highway runs with the new engine, these figures seem realistic and accurate.

In the meantime, the Compass’ competitors are largely unchanged. The Ford Bronco Sport and Mazda CX-30 offer slightly worse mileage, with the more powerful four-cylinder Ford delivering only 23 mpg combined (the base three-cylinder model gets 26). Many other small crossovers fall in the 27 to 29 mpg combined range with AWD, like the Seltos, Taos, Crosstrek and Hyundai Kona. Sadly, the plug-in hybrid Compass 4xe that Jeep offers in Europe is not sold in the U.S.

Safety & Driver Assistance Tech: 9/15

From a safety standpoint, last year’s changes were really meaningful, and Jeep has added yet more for 2023. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) gave the Compass a Top Safety Pick rating in 2022, but under 2023’s tighter standards it dropped to overall “Good.” The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) hasn’t yet rated the Compass for 2023.

Before 2022, virtually all of the Compass’ limited number of active-safety features were extra-cost additions, but now it boasts a very healthy array of standard gear. Forward automatic emergency braking with cyclist and pedestrian detection, lane departure warnings, blind spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alerts and forward collision warnings were all made standard last year. 2023 brings a driver drowsiness monitor and a rear seat warning, and automatic high beams on Latitude and higher trims.

This still isn’t as much gear as the Honda HR-V or Crosstrek, but a $1,795 Driver Assistance package adds adaptive cruise control with stop-and-go, surround-view monitoring and parking assist systems as well as rain-sensing wipers and a wireless charging pad. It isn’t optional on the base model, but every other trim can be specced with it.

Comfort & Room: 12/15

While it seems big compared to the diminutive Renegade and its styling suggests a bigger vehicle, the Compass is fairly small overall, just 173.4 inches long on the outside. That’s actually half a foot less than the Honda HR-V and several inches shy of the Toyota Corolla Cross or Volkswagen Taos, but you’d never know on the inside. There are 41.8 inches of front legroom and 38.3 behind, so there’s room for four fairly tall people or two adults and three kids.

Since families really care about that back seat, it’s worth noting that the Compass has more aft legroom than the Seltos (38 inches), Taos (37.9) or CX-30 (36.3) and is in a whole different league than the cramped Corolla Cross (32). There’s also room for bulky car seats. Jeep’s chairs are also comfortable and well-padded, and the suspension helps protect occupants from getting too beat up on forest trails or broken pavement. Although it isn’t cutting edge, the cabin design is also attractive (particularly on the top trims) and functional.

Infotainment: 13/15

Last year entry-level Compasses made do with an 8.4-inch center screen, but this year all trims get the formerly optional 10.1-inch unit, which makes the base model materially nicer. The graphics are lovely and crisp, and the system runs Stellantis’ easy-to-learn, intuitive UConnect 5 software. The icons and buttons can be a little small, but everything looks great, and it’s not hard to master.

Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are included if you don’t like the native interface and Amazon Alexa integration is also standard. There are also digital driver’s displays: A 7-inch unit is standard (another upgrade for 2023), while the Trailhawk and Limited get an impressive 10.3-inch unit with two dozen customizable readouts.

The optional navigation system works well as long as you can type in the destination. Voice recognition is still hit or miss. The system also helpfully displays points of interest, gas stations and restaurants on its pretty-looking maps. A nine-speaker Alpine audio system is optional on Latitude and higher models, and much nicer than the anemic standard six-speaker system.

Cargo Space & Storage: 13/15

There are 27.2 cubic-feet behind the rear seats and 59.8 with them folded. That isn’t class-leading, but it’s definitely above average among small-fry SUVs. By contrast, the Seltos offers 26.6 and 62.8 cubic-feet while the Volkswagen Taos offers 27.9 and 65.9 (but 24.7 and 60.2 if you choose AWD). Meanwhile, the CX-30 (20.2 and 45.2) and Kona (19.2 and 45.8) fall quite some ways behind. Some other similarly sized crossovers, like the Nissan Kicks, have even less.

Small-item storage is good inside the Compass, and its console bin is pretty deep, although the opening isn’t too big.

Style & Design: 9/10

At seven years old, the Compass’ design is quite familiar now, but it’s aged very well. The Grand Cherokee has since been restyled, so it looks less like its big brother, but it’s unmistakably a Jeep and that chrome (or black) character roof line still looks really good. There are also optional graphics packages on the regular models and much more aggressive details on the Trailhawk. It’s a good-looking vehicle that has none of the gawkiness of some small crossovers.

Last year’s major renovation also gave it a very pleasing interior. The dashboard and screens are far nicer than those in earlier Compasses, and although there are still cheap plastics in a variety of places, everything looks and feels of quality. Even the door panels and handles feel nicer than they once did, and considering the relatively high price of some of the trims, it doesn’t feel low rent.

Is the 2023 Jeep Compass Worth it? Which Compass is the Best Value? 

Jeep has added a great deal of value to the Compass in the last two years, so you’re getting a materially better vehicle. It doesn’t come cheap though, except for the base-model Sport. 

That model starts at $29,995 (including a $1,595 destination fee), but unlike in previous years it doesn’t really skimp too badly on standard equipment and might be the best overall value. The 10.1-inch screen, AWD and the new engine all make the Sport a tempting choice even if it cannot be equipped with some of the nicer options (like adaptive cruise control and the Alpine audio system). Some similarly sized SUVs, however, top out around this price, like the Kia Seltos SX ($30,165), and many competitors start for much less.

The second-rung Compass Latitude ($33,890) adds only a few extras like a proximity key, but does unlock the $1,795 Driver Assistance package and many other options. If you want those features, this is the lowest point of entry to them. The Altitude ($35,685) is essentially a blackout-trim appearance package for the Latitude, so the value there is in the eye of the beholder.

Above those are the Trailhawk ($37,585), with its specialized off-road hardware and extra ground clearance. These really are worth it, and the Trailhawk does undercut the Bronco Sport Badlands on price (the Ford costs $39,685), but the upcoming Crosstrek Wilderness costs only $33,290 and will offer less weight and more ground clearance. The Jeep is likely to split the difference in on-road performance between Ford and Subaru as it does on price.

There are three higher-trim Compasses, the Limited ($37,585), RED edition ($39,530) and High Altitude ($40,430), but those prices are perilously close to larger SUVs, including the lower-trim Jeep Wranglers.

How Much Does it Cost to Insure the Jeep Compass?

The Compass costs about the same to insure as its peers. According to our data, a typical 30-year-old female driver with a clean record can expect an average annual premium of $1,907 on a Compass Trailhawk (the most expensive version to insure), though this averages all 50 states. A similar Ford Bronco Sport Badlands would run $1,957, a Kia Seltos SX $1,829, and a Subaru Crosstrek $1,742. To get a more accurate picture of your potential insurance expenses, visit our car insurance calculator.