First Drive: 2023 Jeep Compass

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The 2023 Jeep Compass has 200 hp and 221 lb-ft, but the true value is only found in higher trims

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If, like us, the Jeep Compass is stuck in your mind as the clone of the Jeep Patriot (Jeep’s small SUV that disappeared way back in 2017), we are here to set the record straight. The new 2023 Jeep Compass, arriving soon at a dealership near you, has a new 200-horsepower turbo (finally!) engine that is not only the most “capable” off-road compact SUV in its segment but also among the most powerful in its class. And it could also be the most comfortable and best soundproofed of the segment.

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Well, a disclosure first: as much as Yours Truly loooooves Jeeps, I was ready to denigrate the new Jeep Compass when asked to test drive it at Calamigos Ranch in the mountains of Malibu, California. That’s because my memory of my last road test of the then twin 2015 Jeep Compass and Patriot was — let’s me be perfectly honest — far from memorable. Seriously, who looks back at those lacklustre little boxes, decked out in lethargic and unrefined four-cylinder engines and mated to a whiny CVT transmission (not to mention rudimentary interiors with rough plastics badly assembled) with any fondness?

In short, what remains in our minds is the “cheap” impression of these small SUVs which, in their defence, extracted less than $17,000 from a Canadian wallet back in the day.

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Although the competing Patriot disappeared from the Jeep range, Compass sales continued to languish as a ‘tweener smaller than the compact Cherokee, but bigger than the all-new Renegade. In the past three years, the Compass has never found more than 6,000 buyers annually in Canada. For perspective, sales of other compact SUV ‘tweeners in 2022, like the Kia Seltos (16,165) and Hyundai Kona (24,579) put it to shame.

Jeep therefore can be commended for being stubborn: Instead of giving up, Stellantis’s “utility” division penned new interior and exterior styling, which gave it the presence of its bigger siblings, the Jeep Cherokee and Jeep Grand Cherokee. And it’s true that slipping behind its sizeable steering wheel and sitting in its commodious front seats (undeniably designed for corpulent North Americans), one has the impression of being on board bigger and much more luxurious SUV than the 2015 Compass (and Patriot) of our memories (and of our photos, below):

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This 2023 version, however, is much more serious. The Jeep Active Drive four-wheel-drive system is now standard for all Compass trims. We will come back to this later, but note that we wrote four-wheel drive system. Not all-wheel drive. The distinction is important.

Above all, a new engine has been lodged in the engine bay. We can finally say goodbye to the archaic 2.4-litre four-cylinder Tigershark… and hello to the modernity of the direct-injection 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo that (also) powers the Jeep Cherokee. Pumping out 23 more horsepower (now at 200 hp), there’s also an extra 49 pound-feet of torque (now at 221 lb-ft) more than the Tigershark.

Having pushed the 2023 Jeep Compass’ new turbocharged unit hard on the roads that cross the Californian canyons, we can tell you two things. First, 200 horsepower, but above all, those 221 torques is plenty of power to motivate a 1,642-kilogram sport cute. Take a look at competing compact SUVs and you’ll find that the average is more like 185 horsepower and 190 lb-ft of torque.

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Second, this added urge is transmitted by a new eight-speed automatic transmission. Yes, this modernized transmission loses a ratio compared to the previous Compass, but it compensates with nicely spaced gear ratios that make the acceleration more linear and dynamic. We never felt any lag from the turbo when accelerating hard. But we did feel a slight torque steer in the steering wheel. In other words, there’s decent power to be had!

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Okay, you’ll point out that the old Tigershark engine wasn’t hard to beat (we agree!), but still, we’re dealing here with one of the smoothest and most powerful powertrains in the category that also turns out to be quite sonorous as well. All in all, the new engine is a major upgrade for the Compass.

Moreover, the official ratings for the 2023 Jeep Compass announced by Natural Resources Canada promise fuel consumption (regular gas) improved by seven per cent compared to the old mill, now at 9.9L/100 km (city), 7.4 L/100 km (highway) and 8.8 L/100 km (combined). We’ll have to verify if the estimates are accurate in more thorough tests.

Comfort, comfort… did we say “Comfort”?

That’s said, we expected no less from Jeep’s new flagship turbo engine. What we weren’t expecting are these road manners that combine poise and athletic steering melded with surprising comfort. Yes, the suspension — MacPherson struts up front and rare Chapman struts in the rear — is a bit bouncy over certain bumps, but even then, we enjoyed comfort (have we said “comfort” enough?) worthy of a larger, more luxurious SUV.

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The TrailHawk 4×4 – or nothing

As mentioned earlier, the 2023 Jeep Compass now comes standard with the Jeep Active Drive 4×4. Gone are the two-wheel-drive versions.

All trims, except one, are therefore bestowed with this full-time system which automatically switches from four-wheel drive to all-wheel drive, according to Auto, Snow and Sand / Mud modes. Add the fact that you can be proactive and lock the differential yourself, a feature that we would strongly appreciate in those recent “snowstorms of the century” and you have a security and competency lacking in almost all other compact sport cutes.

But what makes the Jeep Compass truly unique is its TrailHawk trim, which adds a low-range to the Active Drive 4×4 designation. No other current compact SUV could have gotten us through the serious off-road session the Jeep team threw at us. Thanks to that class-leading 20:1 crawl ratio and its low range, the exclusive Rock mode, its all-terrain tires (Falken WildPeak H/T 215/65R17), and of course its turbocharged grunt, the 2023 Jeep Compass TrailHawk conquered a course scattered with slippery mud, rolling rocks, steep climbs and descents that made you instinctively grab the holy-shit bar… if you’re weren’t already grasping the steering wheel for dear life. Top marks for the new Compass TrailHawk off-road.

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No wonder then that Stellantis told us that the most popular version of the Jeep Compass in Canada is, well, the TrailHawk. We can only approve of Canadian common sense; too rare are real four-wheel-drive systems in this segment. If you want to find yourself behind the wheel of a compact SUV perfectly adapted to our wide-open spaces and our northern conditions, you really need to consider the Jeep Compass TrailHawk.

Financial shock? It depends…

If you follow our recommendation and therefore opt for the TrailHawk trim, you’re looking at a price tag that starts at $42,495 (plus $2,095 in freight and PDI). The base Sport 4×4 version of the Jeep Compass starts at $35,495.

Okay, before you cry foul, know this: While the vast majority of automakers have “inflated” their prices for 2023 — up to 15%, for some models — Jeep is sticking with prices similar to 2022 for its new, more powerful Jeep Compass.

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That’s the good news. The bad news is that you don’t want the base Sport 4×4 version. Why? Because for $35,495, you won’t get any of the following, not even as an option:

  • blind-spot monitoring;
  • rear cross path detection system;
  • hands-free power liftgate;
  • cornering front fog lamps;
  • dual-zone automatic temperature control;
  • leather upholstery;
  • heated steering wheel;
  • power eight-way driver’s seat.

All these comfort and safety items are standard on the TrailHawk version, though. And for a few dollars extras, this ‘Trail Rated’ Compass can also get some of our favourites:

  • adaptive cruise control (a “must” for the highway);
  • Surround View camera (a “must” for off-road);
  • panoramic sunroof and ventilated front seats (a “must” for the summer season).

Spring for the Compass Trailhawk, however, and you’re neck and neck price-wise with the Jeep Wrangler. That one is a bona fide off-road champion with a removable roof and seriously overshadows the Jeep Compass with its capability, not to mention outselling it four to one. Still, the improvements made to the 2023 Jeep Compass compact SUV pairs a convincing powertrain with decent fuel economy and a much-improved interior combined with great comfort and respectable road manners, which should allow the Compass to find its way up the sales charts here in Canada.

The Jeep Wrangler 4xe and the new 2023 Jeep Compass.
The Jeep Wrangler 4xe and the new 2023 Jeep Compass.
Nadine Filion picture

Nadine Filion

A journalist for three decades, and exclusively in the automotive sphere since the year 2000, Nadine Filion likes to focus on car advice for everyday consumers. Her research and writing have won her the Canadian Automotive Journalist of the Year award three times.

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