First Drive: 2025 Jeep Compass Still Trails the Best Compact SUVs
Jeep’s small SUV has a peppy engine and an attractive interior, but it can’t overcome numerous flaws
For now, the 2025 Jeep Compass has to hold down the fort as the brand’s only offering in the compact and subcompact SUV categories, as both the Renegade and Cherokee models were discontinued at the end of the 2023 model year. And with the next-generation Compass not slated to arrive in North America until 2026, we felt it was a good time to take a look at some of the recent changes to this popular model.
In 2023, Jeep gave the Compass a 200-hp, 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission and standard all-wheel drive. This powertrain replaced the 180-hp, 2.4-liter four-cylinder and a nine-speed automatic, a pairing that delivered slow acceleration, delayed downshifts, mediocre fuel economy, and a general lackadaisical response. So far, the turbo engine definitely feels more powerful and responsive than the unimpressive 2.4-liter.