Review of the Jeep Compass

The Jeep Compass is a family SUV that's oriented towards the more adventurous families out there. Coming with good interior space, off-road capabilities, and loads of safety kit, the Compass will not let you and your family down. 

Rivals to the Compass include the Volkswagen Tiguan, Kia Sportage, Nissan Qashqai, and Skoda Karoq. 

Our Jeep Compass review covers:

• Boxy exterior design 
• Well-built and practical interior 
• 438-litre boot 
• Mild-hybrid and plug-in hybrid powertrain available 
• Three trim levels 

Pros:

• Excellent off-road capabilities 
• Good-looking exterior 
• Loads of kit as standard

Cons:

• Poor boot space
• Cabin not as advanced as rivals 
• Not great to drive 

The Compass is a good-looking thing. It has a boxy design, which makes for an impressive road presence, and also has a few lovely features, like its front grille and creases throughout the body. 

As you'd expect from a Jeep car, there's plenty of space inside the Compass. Up front, there's more than enough space for a pair of adults, while three passengers can easily fit in the rear. It's worth noting that if you've chosen a sunroof, it reduces headroom quite a bit. 

Boot space comes in at 438 litres for the Compass, regardless of whether you've gone for the PHEV or not. The boot is on the small side for a family SUV and falls short of the Volkswagen Tiguan's 520 litres. However, there are a few nice features, including an adjustable boot floor and a 60:40 split rear seat folding setup.

If I were to compare the Compass's interior to a Premier League team, I'd say Crystal Palace. It has a few good features but always finds itself towards the end of the pile. Inside the Compass, there's a well-built and comfortable cabin that's simple to navigate, but it falls short of the premium interiors of the Volkswagen Tiguan and Kia Sportage. 

Sitting atop the dashboard is a 10-inch touchscreen infotainment system that has a DAB radio, Apple CarPlay/Android Auto, and a wireless charging pad. The screen is responsive, relatively easy to use, and looks good. 

Three trims are available: Limited, S, and Trailhawk. 

Limited has 18-inch alloy wheels, tinted glass, full LED headlights with integrated DRL, a 10-inch infotainment system, a 10.25-inch digital instrument panel, keyless go, a rear camera, adaptive cruise control, traffic sign recognition, and drowsy driver detection. 

S has 19-inch gloss black alloy wheels, deep tinted glass, leather seats with memory padding, navigation, and redesigned premium LED headlights. 

Trailhawk has 17-inch alloy wheels, leather ventilated seats, all-weather floor mats, and a new intelligent 10-inch Uconnect infotainment system with intuitive access to communication, entertainment, and navigation. 

Two engines are available for the Compass: a 1.5-litre mild-hybrid petrol and a plug-in hybrid. Both come with an automatic transmission. 

The 1.5-litre mild-hybrid petrol engine is a self-charging hybrid that comes with 130hp and front-wheel drive. It goes from 0-62mph in 10 seconds, which is decent, and returns a good fuel economy of around 50mpg. 

The four-wheel drive plug-in hybrid is made up of a 1.3-litre petrol engine and an electric motor that combine for 240hp. It goes from 0 to 62mph in 7.3 seconds and returns an official fuel economy of 149mpg. You can also drive around 30 miles on electric power alone, perfect for urban driving. 

The Compass is a solid car to drive and is superb off-road but lacks a bit of oomph. 

Around town, the Compass is a smooth drive but isn't really that practical. In all-electric mode on the plug-in hybrid, it's smooth and nippy, but elsewhere it's poor. The suspension is bumpy, and the poor rear visibility makes it tricky to navigate a car park. 

Get out of the city and onto a motorway, and the Compass is a refined drive. It doesn't accelerate as quickly as we'd like, but once up to 70mph, it's a composed cruiser. You do have to battle with road and wind noise, but connect your music to the infotainment system and drown it out. 

On a country lane, the Compass is okay, but get on a dirt track, and it comes into its own. Choose the four-wheel drive plug-in, and you'll be able to tackle most terrains. If you live rurally and often have to deal with poor surfaces, the Compass is ideal. 

Prices for the new Jeep Compass start from £35,441.00 OTR* or to lease from £420.97 per month.

Looking to get behind the wheel of the Jeep Compass? Nationwide Vehicle Contracts is one of the UK's largest car leasing brokers and offers a range of leasing deals to suit your every need.

Leasing may be cheaper than an outright purchase, thanks to a low initial deposit and fixed monthly rentals.

*' On the road' price correct at time of publication and includes one year's road fund license, DVLA first registration fee and number plate fee. Prices are subject to change; always check with your nearest retailer.