Jeep Compass SUV - Interior & comfort
The interior can feel a little cheap and rivals offer a more settled ride
While the enthusiastic driver might not be in their element behind the wheel of a Compass, their passengers should be happy. Compared to the smaller Renegade, the Compass is a far quieter and more comfortable car, as well as a usefully more spacious one. Interior quality is better – although far from perfect – while music and navigation are on hand thanks to Jeep’s UConnect 5 infotainment system, a new system introduced for 2022. Our top-spec test car had a big 10.1-inch touchscreen, which is noticeably faster than the screen it replaced, and is compatible with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.
The Jeep Compass uses ‘amplitude reactive’ suspension dampers, which are designed to absorb road bumps and surface imperfections – but the Compass still tends to fidget over British roads and isn’t as smooth as the Nissan Qashqai or Volkswagen Tiguan. Refinement is also behind the class leaders, with some vibration through the controls and pronounced wind and road noise when cruising at speed.
Jeep Compass dashboard
The dashboard design has a marked resemblance to that of the larger, more expensive Jeep Cherokee, although that model has a more upmarket feel than the Compass. The Compass dashboard features more physical buttons than a lot of new cars these days, which some buyers will prefer compared with doing everything on a touchscreen, but frustratingly the controls aren’t that easy to use when on the move.
Jeep’s designers have been quite conservative with the interior, too, and some of the switchgear feels a little cheap, particularly where it seems to have been borrowed from less expensive Fiat models. There are some soft-touch materials but a few bits of shiny trim fail to give the mostly dark interior enough of a lift.
Equipment
Trim levels include Limited, Trailhawk and S – all available with the petrol mild-hybrid or plug-in hybrid powertrain. Standard kit includes alloy wheels, LED rear lights, air-conditioning and cruise control.
A special edition High Altitude trim was added in Spring 2023, and it’s available exclusively with Jeep’s mild-hybrid engine. This version gets 19-inch black alloy wheels, black exterior trim elements, body coloured bumpers, mudguards and cloth and vinyl power-adjustable seats finished with red stitching.
Based on the Limited trim, the High Altitude gets cornering fog lamps, full LED headlights with auto-high beam and roof rails. The driver gets a 10.25-inch digital gauge cluster and 10.1-inch infotainment screen with the brand’s Uconnect software – Android Auto and Apple CarPlay is also compatible with the system.
Hill-descent control, rugged suspension, tow hooks and a 'Rock' low-ratio mode for the automatic gearbox all make the Trailhawk more capable over rough terrain, but this trim makes the Compass rather pricey, starting from almost £40,000.
The top-spec S gets a good spread of equipment, including digital dials, 19-inch alloy wheels, sat nav, a powered bootlid, wireless phone charging, adaptive cruise control and heated seats. There’s also a powered driver’s seat and keyless entry and start, plus extra safety features like traffic sign recognition and pedestrian detection.
Options
Among the options is a Full Tech Pack, consisting of wireless phone charging, sat-nav, adaptive cruise control, traffic sign recognition, extra USB ports and an automatically dimming rear-view mirror. Either a full-size or space-saver spare wheel is available, but it seems you even have to pay £30 for a puncture repair kit.
