The Jeep Compass is a looker, and one which can back up its appearance with some real off-road ability if you tick the right boxes. When introduced in 2017, the second-generation Compass’ scaled-down Grand Cherokee styling was a breath of fresh air, replacing the very dated, circa-2006 original. Slotting in between the tiny Renegade and the RAV4-sized Cherokee, the Compass has been a strong seller for Jeep and it still looks handsome today.

Time, however, passes very quickly in the compact crossover segment. The Compass is handsome and comfortable inside, and it offers decent cargo room and plenty of available features. But in 2017 the Ford Bronco Sport, Kia Seltos and Mazda CX-30 did not exist. All are very strong challengers in 2021.

The 2021 Jeep Compass is a good looking and capable compact crossover, particularly in the top-spec Trailhawk configuration with its added off-road ability. It’s held back by a less-than-powerful engine and a low-rent cabin.  Jeep

The Ford, in particular, hits the Compass where it really shines, in available off-road capability. The Compass’ top Trailhawk trim now has a true rival. An updated Compass is due in 2022, but in the meantime the Jeep is hard pressed to compete with the performance, standard features and space offered in those newer and similarly-priced rivals.

Jeep offers seven trims on the Compass: Sport, Latitude, Freedom, Altitude, 80th Anniversary, Limited and Trailhawk. The Sport starts at $25,990 including a $1,495 destination fee. With the exception of the Freedom and Trailhawk, all start off as front-wheel drive machines, with four-wheel drive (4WD) a $1,500 option. Freedom and Trailhawk are 4WD-only.

This basic Sport trim brings a cloth interior in black or gray, a 7-inch touchscreen infotainment system, 2 USB ports, 16-inch black painted steel wheels and very little else. A $995 Cold weather package adds heated front seats and a heated steering wheel, and there are also appearance and cargo packages, but no advanced active safety features. The $28,985 Freedom is similar, but comes only with 4WD, blacked out 17-inch alloy wheels, and nicer interior cloth.

The red accents and upgraded materials of the Trailhawk help make the Compass’ cabin a little nicer, but it also costs $33,000, a price at which some rivals are more luxurious.  Jeep

The $27,920 Latitude adds automatic halogen headlights, fog lights, power-adjustable heated mirrors, 17-inch wheels and opens up option packages that include the $1,395 Driver Assistance package. This comprehensive add-on includes the usuals like forward automatic emergency braking and collision warnings, lane departure warnings and automatic high beams but also includes adaptive cruise control, blind spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alerts. Many of these features are standard on alternatives like the Kia Seltos and Subaru Crosstrek.

The Altitude ($29,585) builds on the Latitude with cosmetic upgrades inside and out, primarily blackout trim and 18-inch wheels with nicer interior materials. 80th Anniversary models ring in at $30,190 but include special paint and 19-inch wheels, adaptive cruise control, a larger 8.4-inch touchscreen with navigation, a Wi-Fi hotspot, ambient LED lighting and a power driver’s seat.

The $31,635 Limited adds the driver assistance gear, heated seats, larger touchscreen, 18 or 19-inch wheels and a 7-inch digital driver display as well as upgraded interior fabrics.

A big panoramic sunroof lets in the light, which is much needed in the Compass’ default black interior, but it costs up to $1,995 extra.  Jeep

The top-spec Trailhawk, $33,135, builds on the Limited and adds mechanical upgrades including skid plates, an additional inch of ground clearance, hill descent control, a low range mode with a 20:1 crawl ratio, 17-inch wheels with all-terrain tires and a variety of cosmetic and luxury upgrades.

There’s only one powerplant in every Compass, Jeep’s 2.4-liter “Tigershark” four-cylinder engine making 180 horsepower and 175 pound-feet of torque. In front-wheel drive models, the engine is mated to a six-speed automatic, while 4WD models get nine speeds. The former manual transmission option has been eliminated for 2021. 180 horsepower isn’t nothing and isn’t terrible for the segment, but the Compass feels underpowered and sluggish compared to most rivals.

It’s a good handler, sure-footed and secure, but the Compass lacks the sporty edge of the CX-30 and isn’t as capable off-road in most trims as the Bronco Sport. The Trailhawk’s extra ground clearance, skid plates and more sophisticated 4WD system set it apart from the rest of the lineup. It won’t ever be a Wrangler or 4Runner, but the Trailhawk acquits itself well over moderate terrain and moguls. Its extra equipment adds weight though, which further blunts on-road performance.

Cargo space is about average for the class, and notably much larger than the Mazda CX-30 or Subaru Crosstrek. It makes a good family weekender.  Jeep

It might be worth giving up power for fuel economy if the Compass offered that, but both front-wheel drive and 4WD Compasses are rated at 25 mpg combined, which is 3-4 mpg less than many rivals, though it is better than the 2.0-liter Bronco Sport (which offers more power) and the manual-transmission Subaru Crosstrek.

Inside the cabin, tall drivers will find plenty of room up front, and while the back seat is mid-pack in terms of head and leg room, two six footers can fit with no problem and there’s room for child safety seats. 

Cargo space is average as well. There’s a useful 27.2 cubic-feet behind the rear seats and 59.8 with them folded. That’s much more than the close-coupled CX-30, but a bit less than the Seltos or Bronco Sport.

It isn’t a bad road tripper in size terms, but the Compass’ cabin is basic in the lower trims, and the interior materials look and feel cheap, particularly compared with Mazda and Kia cabins. Materials do get a little better in the Limited and Trailhawk, including the latter’s contrast red stitching on the leather seat panels, which looks sharp, but then, both of these trips top $30,000.

The standard Compasses are primarily for street use though four-wheel drive versions do well on light terrain. The Trailhawk, however, can handle rougher stuff than most small crossovers can dream of. Jeep

Stellantis’ Uconnect4 system, standard across the board, is still one of the best in the industry, easy to learn and use, and brightly illustrated on either size of screen. Adding navigation to the trims with the larger screens is a big price bump– $1,395—and might be worth skipping as the system seems plenty capable without it, especially since the standard Apple CarPlay and Android Auto make such functions available in a less costly way.

The cost of the active-safety systems on the lower trims is a similar expenditure, which seems out of place when most rivals make some of that equipment standard. The Compass gets four stars overall from NHTSA and Good ratings from IIHS, but these are now also so-so marks for the class. Time waits for no one, and the Compass’s looks carry it only so far against more modern opposition.