2020 Jeep Compass Review

THE GOOD
The 2020 Jeep Compass has rugged good looks and off-road capability that bests other vehicles in its class.

THE BAD
The 2.4-liter I4 engine is pretty weak, and the nine-speed automatic transmission isn't tuned for smooth, around-town driving.

THE BOTTOM LINE
Jeep's handsome Compass offers good value in its lower trims, but all loaded up, it can't match other compact SUVs in terms of interior space, standard safety tech and on-road dynamics.

love the rugged playfulness of a Jeep. That go-anywhere, do-anything aura really speaks to me. Like its larger siblings, the 2020 Compass has what it takes to go off the beaten path and get you out into the wilderness. Unfortunately, as a daily driver, this compact crossover is less appealing.

This 2020 Jeep Compass Review slots between the subcompact Renegade and larger-but-still-compact Cherokee. It's available in seven trims, from the base Sport to the top-level High Altitude. Front-wheel drive is standard, but all-wheel drive is optional. Three different transmissions are offered -- including a six-speed manual -- but no matter which model you choose, every version is powered by the same, naturally aspirated, 2.4-liter I4 engine.

2020 Jeep Compass Review Limited
This engine is... not great. With 180 horsepower and 175 pound-feet of torque attempting to motivate this 3,600-pound SUV, acceleration is sluggish at best. What's more, the nine-speed automatic transmission used here is lazier than a Sunday afternoon. It's slow to downshift when I need power, and way too eager to upshift for the sake of fuel economy. The six-speed automatic could be better here, with longer ratios and fewer gears to move between.

It'd be easier to forgive the lackluster powertrain if the Compass returned stellar fuel economy, but it doesn't. In fact, the all-wheel drive, nine-speed automatic combination has the worst fuel economy of any Compass: 22 miles per gallon city, 30 mpg highway and 25 mpg combined. This puts the Compass behind the segment's heavy hitters like the Honda CR-V, Mazda CX-5, Subaru Forester and Toyota RAV4.

Where the Compass makes up ground is in its off-road capability. No, it doesn't have a legitimate four-wheel drive with low-range gear like the Wrangler, but with Auto, Snow, Sand and Mud and Rock modes -- the latter available on the Trailhawk -- the Compass can easily handle terrain that other crossovers wouldn't dare traverse.