Overview & Reviews

Most people think of Jeeps as tough off-road vehicles that love to get muddy, but when the Jeep Compass debuted for 2007, it wasn't like other Jeeps. It didn't look rugged, it wasn't trail-rated, and as far as we could tell, it didn't even like dirt. Instead, it was a car-based design built for the majority of small-SUV buyers who wanted a fuel-efficient runabout that was easy to drive around suburbia. Four-wheel drive was available, of course, but it was a single-speed system -- enough to get you through a snowstorm and that's about it.

As you can imagine, Jeep purists didn't much care for the Compass, which they regarded as the antithesis of all things Jeep. The company evidently took this early criticism to heart, because the latest iteration has revised styling and newfound capabilities that edge the Compass closer to "real Jeep" status. Even so, the Jeep Compass faces stiff competition among today's compact, car-based SUVs. Its low base price and interesting features may be compelling at a glance, but for those who dig deeper, its subpar engines, modest cargo capacity and relatively crude driving dynamics will likely prove significant liabilities.

Current Jeep Compass
The Jeep Compass is a compact SUV offered in Sport, Latitude and Limited trim levels. Standard equipment on the base Sport includes alloy wheels, full power accessories, cruise control, air-conditioning and an auxiliary audio jack. Stepping up to the Latitude gets you heated front seats, a height-adjustable driver seat and a leather-wrapped steering wheel with auxiliary audio controls, while the Limited gets items like leather upholstery, a power driver seat, a 6.5-inch touchscreen, a rearview camera and automatic climate control. Notable options include a navigation system, Bluetooth and a USB port.

Every front-wheel-drive Jeep Compass Sport or Latitude model comes with a 2.0-liter four-cylinder that produces 158 horsepower. A 2.4-liter 172-hp four-cylinder engine is standard on the Limited and all four-wheel-drive Compasses. It is optional on the others. A five-speed manual transmission is standard on the Sport, but a six-speed automatic transmission can be specified instead. The Latitude and Limited come standard with the six-speed automatic.

Of the two available four-wheel-drive options, the light-duty "Freedom Drive I" system operates in front-wheel-drive mode under normal conditions and automatically sends power to the rear wheels only when needed. The Freedom Drive II Off-Road package (available on 4WD versions) includes hill ascent/descent assist and a host of other all-terrain equipment, but unfortunately it requires the undesirable continuously variable automatic transmission (CVT) -- which also comes standard with the optional Altitude and High Altitude packages.

In reviews, we've found the Jeep Compass to be one of the least appealing compact SUVs. At its core, the Compass still shares its underpinnings with the thankfully departed Dodge Caliber hatchback, and suffers from the same weak and noisy engines. Acceleration is slow regardless of which engine you opt for, though the six-speed automatic does improve on the CVT's whiny, sluggish operation. In terms of refinement (or lack thereof), the 2.4-liter is almost as rough and loud as the 2.0, and neither achieves impressive fuel economy.

To be fair, the Freedom Drive II package makes the Compass an unusually capable crossover in the dirt, but if that's what you're after, there are superior alternatives, including Jeep's own Cherokee. And aside from Freedom Drive II, there's little else to recommend the Compass over its peers. Rear passenger space is adequate overall, but legroom is tight back there relative to the norm, and the harsh, bouncy ride haunts both seating rows. Maximum cargo space behind the front seats also trails the pack.

Used Jeep Compass Models
Introduced for the 2007 model year, the Jeep Compass is in its first generation, but there have been significant changes made. From 2007-'10, the Compass featured different exterior styling that was less indicative of other Jeep models. It was rounder, a little more avant garde, and if we're honest, not very attractive. Prior to an interior overhaul for 2009 that addressed both design and materials quality, the cabin was one of the worst on the market. It was upgraded yet again for 2011, which was also the first year for the current car's more capable Freedom Drive II equipment and "baby Grand Cherokee" styling. The six-speed automatic debuted for 2014 as a considerably more civilized alternative to the CVT, though the underlying shortcomings of the engines were not addressed.

User Reviews:

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  Give it a shot - 2007 Jeep Compass
  By J Collins - September 13 - 11:23 pm

  Frankly, a lot of people (men) discount this car because of its cutesy looks and its lack of a Trail Rated badge. Bottom line, if you dont need a hotrod, off roader, or a luxo-mobile, take a look at it. This car is agile, does great around town, and is well equipped. The ride is firm, but I prefer it to a cushy, unresponsive one. Its reliabe, not a single problem to date. Its no drag racer, but if you would rather save money in gas, the Compass will make you happy. 18 in wheels look great, and the stock all seasons have no problem with NE winters in the second hilliest city in the country. My wife loves the compliments from fellow young women and heated leather too.

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  First-time Jeep Owner - 2007 Jeep Compass
  By RCinCO - August 18 - 8:40 am

  I special-ordered a tricked-out 4WD Limited and it arrived in April, as promised. After 5 months and 5,000 miles, Im very pleased with the vehicle overall. Although its not a great highway car (yes, its underpowered and strains at speeds over 60mph and on highway hills), the Compass is great in the Colorado mountains and on back-country roads. Its very comfortable for this 6 230 lb male, turns on a dime, handles very well, and gets pretty good gas mileage (23mpg city/25.5mpg hwy). Almost everything is where it should be, and the fit-and-finish are terrific. Ive read comments about the cheap interior. I dont agree.

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  orange limited - 2008 Jeep Compass
  By limited - August 11 - 10:10 pm

  Overall not bad, quiet ride. like the limited accents Seat belt reminder chimes every 8 seconds. CVT can be noisy at times. Should be undercoated from factory, rust after 1 PA winter

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  Heartache with Chrysler - 2009 Jeep Compass
  By Emile Gauvin - August 6 - 12:08 am

  I had an Intrepid which required a fair amount of front end suspension parts and accepted this because of the design of the car (front-end heavy and so on) when we purchased the Compass one thing that returned was front end part issues and lots of them, started at 20,000 kilometers. Because front-end issues can cause havoc with tires and steering in general, I like to have this in top shape, but it is a never-ending issue every time it goes in for regular service. It still goes on today with the most recent lower control arms being replaced for the second time before 100,000 kilometers. At 25,000 kilometers we started having the sun roof leak into the car. Being told that the drain lines in the roof needed cleaning periodically seemed a problem because you really dont know when this can happen. You tube had ways that people gave up with Chrysler and came up with their own solution although extensive it dealt with a lot of modifications to the drain line and this meant taking parts of the interior off. Then, the front drivers side pan just in front and the back would fill with water - up to 2 inches of water, no rhyme or reason, cleaned this out several times before the dealership finally gave up on the issue of the drain lines and found a body molding without the proper seal in place. The drain lines are still an issue but instead of paying $126 to have these blown out with compressed air, I do it myself. The last thing to go wrong is the K frame when the lower control arms were being replaced. The place where I have my maintenance done on the Jeep now has a mechanic that used to work for a Chrysler dealership and alerted me to the fact that the K frame is rotting and that I seek out the dealership warranty, should there be one. Right now Im staring at $500 getting it done myself or $900 through the dealership - not even 100,000 K on the vehicle! The only good thing I have to say about the Jeep is in the snow, you cannot beat it, it is a tank with Blizzaks for tires. However, when we get a wet snow/rain and it freezes, the doors will not latch after opening, major problem since the only way to rectify this issue is to leave the vehicle heat-up, with it not locked (not good!) So, we are getting rid of the Jeep soon. All of the review of this and also the fact that there is always some sort of hassle with Chrysler has made the decision of what to purchase next, which does not include any type of Chrylser product what-so-ever!

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  Jeep has a winner! - 2010 Jeep Compass
  By Joey - August 5 - 8:53 pm

  Weve owned this vehicle for several months now and it has performed beyond my expectations. On a recent trip to upstate New York the 5 speed Compass averaged 32 MPG, which is 3 MPG above the manufacturers claims. The vehicle is fun to drive, responds like a sports car on the curvy Rt. 664 in the Hocking Hills of Ohio where I live as I traverse to and fro work in Athens, Ohio on a daily basis. We are totally impressed with the awesome Chrysler design of this vehicle. Weve been intrigued with Jeep products for many years and are now proud to own this (made in America) vehicle. I am delighted with this vehicle and would recommend it to my best friend. Id rather drive a Jeep than a Toy.

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  Sport (2.4L 4-cyl, 4x4 CVT automatic) - 2010 Jeep Compass
  By reegee - July 24 - 1:22 pm

  First, Edmunds doesnt even list my model. I bought a basic, bottom of the line compass. I even had to purchase, and install cruise control in the vehicle myself. It was an easy 20 minute job. The cruise unit, was plug-n-play! Rides great, very comfortable seats. Fit and finish of both the interior and exterior are great! Its my first American vehicle since 1984. I was pleasantly surprised of the quality. The price was fantastic compared to any other of the vehicles in its class!!! The back seat, when in the "up" position, really interferes with rear vision, so mine is always down. Combined mileage is a consistent 24MPG. HWY mileage varies between 27 and 29MPG.

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  Massive Oil Leak on 2011 Jeep Compass - 2011 Jeep Compass
  By ismyjeepok - July 19 - 9:01 pm

  Attention 2011 Jeep Compass owners - Today I had a massive oil leak in my 2011 Jeep Compass, only had 4900 miles. Started my daily commute, which was interupted by a the oil light coming on. White smoke (oil smoke) was coming from the under side of the vehicle. Had it towed to the dealership and they found that the oil filter housing cracked, draining the engine of all but about 2 qtrs of oil. Dealership claimed the factory must have overtightened the oil filter, causing it to crack. I am now wondering how much life I just took off of my engine with low oil. Dealership simply did an oil change to resolve this issue. New Jeep owners beware, take no crap from the dealership...its documentated.

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  Terrible car - 2014 Jeep Compass
  By cad700 - July 12 - 3:54 pm

  I just got the 2.4 automatic Compass Limited last week. Its a fleet vehicle, didnt have a choice so didnt test driver one. Picked up the car one evening, didnt do anything but drive home 5 miles. Woke up the next morning and the remote access buttons on the key did not work, used the key, got in, started the car and the radio wasnt working either. All kinds of similar issues. Im sure that can be fixed but the biggest problem is the engine/powertrain. The vehicle does terrible when you try to accelerate to change lane or merge, pulls to the point of almost losing control. I drove a 12 Escape with a 2.5 engine, much more powerful engine.

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  Nice buggy, great for the price! - 2007 Jeep Compass
  By smittro5 - July 3 - 11:43 am

  I test drove at least 6 or 7 what I consider larger hatchbacks like the Scion XB, the Element also nice but to me not worth the money. The Mattrix, the Caliber, which was okay but small inside and the Mazda3 again nice but was 2k more than the Compass and was smaller with less features. I also drove a few others the Kia which I hated, drove like a post office Jeep and the Saturn Vue which was my favorite but came at too high a price around 25K I had to stay under 20K> If I had another 5 or 6k to spend hands down I would have bought the Vue. The Compass is a great little hatchback for what I need, good gas mileage plenty of room

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  RaLLyE - 2008 Jeep Compass
  By Rallye - June 20 - 9:23 am

  I just bought my 08 jeep compass 2.4L Rallye Edition in black with black interior and everyone ragged on me about getting a compass until I told them that I was getting the Rallye package. Now people are asking me where I got it and telling me how much they love it! The Rallye package sold me on it. Its no good without it.