The Jeep Compass brings the company’s rugged personality to a mid-size SUV suitable for everyday use (Image: Jack Mortimer)
What we love
- Attractive design
- The interior feels very well crafted
- Brakes and steering particularly responsive
What we don’t do
- Hard ride quality
- Fuel consumption could be better
- Prices are higher than some competitors
The Jeep Compass could be considered the most rugged family SUV on the market, as it is made by the company that originated the idea of mass-produced off-road vehicles. Visually, the Compass is attractive and quite elegant, in the style of some of its closest rivals, while retaining Jeep’s signature grille. Inside, however, the car is far more luxurious than the 1940s original, with plenty of high-quality materials and plenty of space for passengers.
In its base trim, the Jeep Compass comes with a competitive standard package, including a 10.1-inch touchscreen and adaptive cruise control, but some small touches like front-facing parking sensors would be welcome.
Although a plug-in hybrid version is also available, the entry-level Jeep Compass uses a 1.5-liter mild hybrid that offers good performance, albeit with fuel economy that could be better. On the road, the Jeep has a particularly firm ride quality that can make driving tiring, in addition to a little lag when accelerating. Despite this, the SUV has light steering and very firm brakes.
With prices starting at £34,580, the Jeep Compass is neither the cheapest choice for a family SUV nor is it particularly enjoyable to drive, but it does offer a strong personality that is likely to strike the right chord with many SUV buyers.
It’s no surprise that the SUV trend shows little sign of slowing down. According to Transport & Environment UK, 60 percent of all new cars registered in 2023 were sport utility vehicles.
Although they don’t offer much more space than a standard family compact car, and they don’t use much more fuel, many drivers choose one because it offers them a lifestyle. If marketers are to be believed, drivers can swap the school run for a desert drive or the weekly shop for a trip to the mountains if they so choose.
The company most associated with the lifestyle image of SUVs is probably Jeep. While there were a handful of off-road vehicles before, the U.S. Army’s Willys Jeep of the 1940s set the template for a simple but capable vehicle for any climate and any terrain.
Although the military background has largely been toned down in favor of more peaceful activities, today’s Jeeps are sold as vehicles that are ready for anything that family life can bring.
That’s why the Compass is perhaps the most important Jeep on the market right now, a mid-size SUV that competes with some of the best-selling models on the road, such as the Nissan Qashqai and Kia Sportage.
Apart from the card holders, the combination of elegant and robust features makes the Jeep Compass attractive (Image: Jack Mortimer)
Styling:
I have to address the big elephant in the room. The Jeep in question has been wrapped up in some sort of map pattern by the Ordinance Survey to encourage more trips into the country. The organisation recently released a map of the country’s top 100 remote destinations and the Jeep certainly fits well with that rugged image.
While the card wrap itself has divided the opinions of my loved ones, the overall design of the Jeep Compass is largely appealing. The typical Jeep grille slats have been shortened to match the slim headlights, while the sculpting around the hood, fenders and doors gives the entire car a stockier feel.
I could argue that the Jeep uses many typical SUV styling cues, such as the flat, somewhat clamshell-like hood and exaggerated wheel arches, but since the company helped modernize the genre, I’ll give them the benefit of the doubt.
Although the Compass is not exactly colorful, it has a very well-crafted and high-quality interior (Image: Jack Mortimer)
Inner:
The first impression I had when I got into the Compass was how beautifully finished it was. As this was an everyday family car, the interior wasn’t too flashy (no neon green stitching on the cloth and vinyl seats), but all of the materials used felt incredibly sturdy.
While some of the shinier plastic surfaces, such as around the gearshift lever, may not be to everyone’s taste, most of the trim is made of soft-touch materials, which makes the Compass feel a little more premium than some of its rivals.
Although most components are easily accessible from the driver’s seat, I would have appreciated some buttons, such as the very useful hill start assist and the controls for the heated steering wheel, being moved closer to the driver on the right-hand drive variants.
The Jeep’s trunk is not quite as large as other competitors, but rear seat passengers have plenty of legroom (Image: Jack Mortimer)
Practicability:
The Jeep Compass is based on the same platform as the smaller Renegade and Fiat 500X, which might give drivers the impression that the interior is quite cramped compared to rivals, but this is possible by extending the wheelbase to just over 2.63 meters.
Although the SUV was clearly not designed to comfortably carry five adults on long-distance trips, the nicely sculpted rear seats offer ample space for two tall passengers, as well as very competitive leg and headroom.
Further back, the Compass offers 438 litres of boot space – a usable amount, although not quite as spacious as some rivals; the Hyundai Tucson, for example, offers almost 200 litres more space.
The entry-level Compass model has a very clear touchscreen and a rear-view camera (Image: Jack Mortimer)
Technology:
Despite being the cheapest Altitude trim level, the Jeep Compass comes with a fairly comprehensive list of standard features, including adaptive cruise control, automatic climate control, a 10.1-inch touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and an extra-clear rear-view camera that can be zoomed in to make it easier to hook up trailers and caravans to a tow bar.
While I thought the touchscreen could have been more responsive, the infotainment system used was well thought out and customizable with three widgets so drivers could see the map, radio and phone menu in one go if needed.
There’s plenty of driver assistance technology too. The Compass Altitude has automatic emergency braking (AEB) that can detect pedestrians and cyclists, drowsy driver detection and a particularly loud lane departure warning system. However, if I were buying a Compass, I’d insist on a front parking camera, or at least a suite of sensors.
Cheaper versions of the Compass use a 1.5-litre petrol engine with mild hybrid technology (Image: Jack Mortimer)
Perfomance:
While the Jeep Compass can also be ordered as a full-fledged plug-in hybrid with all-wheel drive, the entry-level model I tested was equipped with a turbocharged 1.5-liter gasoline engine with mild hybrid technology for more power and economy.
Although some competitors are much faster, the Jeep’s performance is not bad at all. The Compass accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h in exactly 10 seconds and reaches a top speed of 191 km/h.
One factor that did disappoint me a little, however, was fuel economy. According to the WLTP test cycle, the mild-hybrid version of the Jeep Compass consumes an average of 50.4 mpg, but I only managed around 40 mpg in a mix of city and highway driving.
The Jeep Compass has a harder ride quality than most SUVs, with drivers feeling potholes (Image: Jack Mortimer)
Drive:
Unfortunately, while I liked many aspects of the design and exterior, I found that things behind the wheel were generally not quite as impressive. The Jeep Compass is by no means a bad car to drive, but on most roads it is not a particularly exciting experience.
This is mainly due to the ride quality, which is on the stiff side. Potholes and speed bumps on residential streets were unmistakable, while driving on poorly maintained expressways and motorways could actually become particularly jarring.
For everyday use, performance was perfect, but I did notice a slight delay between stepping on the accelerator and the engine firing up – something drivers will no doubt get used to, but can be a little disconcerting at busy junctions.
However, that is not to say that the overall driving experience of the Jeep Compass is negative, as the model has very sharp brakes that can undoubtedly get a driver out of a jam both on and off-road, and responsive steering that feels confident at reasonable speeds.
The Jeep Compass may not be particularly inspiring to drive, but it feels very solid and well equipped (Image: Jack Mortimer)
Diploma:
Overall, the Jeep Compass has many advantages and disadvantages compared to its rivals in this highly competitive segment. However, it must be admitted that buyers are paying a high price for the robust Jeep brand. The starting price of £34,580 is around £6,000 more than a Kia Sportage and a considerable £8,000 more than a Suzuki Vitara.
In return, drivers effectively pay a higher amount for a very stylish SUV with particularly good interior fittings, but have to forego the higher level of driving comfort that some drivers would expect.
But perhaps more importantly, drivers are also paying for the Jeep brand name and the rugged and adventurous lifestyle that comes with it – something that I believe a significant portion of the market likes to identify with.
