2020 Jeep Compass Trailhawk: Test Drive

2020 Jeep Compass Trailhawk

Class:  Compact Crossover SUV

Miles driven: 250

Fuel used: 12.4 gallons

Real-world fuel economy: 20.2

Driving mix: 50% city, 50% highway

EPA-estimated fuel economy: 22/30/25 (city, highway, combined)

Fuel type: Regular gas

Base price: $29,675 (not including $1495 destination charge)

Options on test vehicle: Premium Lighting Group ($695), Luxury Seat Group ($595), Trailer Tow Group ($395), Safety and Security Group ($795), Leather Interior Group ($1795), Advanced Safety Group ($945), Premium Alpine Speaker System ($795), UConnect 4C Nav with 8.4-inch display ($1245)

Price as tested: $38,430

Quick Hits

The great: Off-road prowess, comfortable cabin, ride quality

The good: Ample cargo space

The not so good: Automatic-transmission performance, visibility, climate-control placement

More Compass price and availability information

Rick Cotta

Compass is the smallest of three Jeeps competing in the popular compact-crossover class, the others being the venerable Wrangler and long-running Cherokee – both unusual in the segment in that they offer a V6 engine, which the Compass doesn’t.

Instead, Compass relies solely on a 180-horsepower 2.4-liter 4-cylinder engine. However, transmission choices include a standard 6-speed manual (a rare offering in the class) with a 6-speed automatic available with front-wheel drive, a 9-speed automatic with 4WD. The off-road-oriented Trailhawk comes standard with the 9-speed automatic and 4WD, and also comes with a 2-speed transfer case with low-range gearing and 4WD Lock for heavy-duty off-road work, along with a raised ride height. It also includes other off-road features such as hill start assist, hill descent control, skid plates, tow hooks, and a Select Terrain System with different traction-control settings for snow, sand, mud, and rock.

While off-road prowess is certainly a Trailhawk strength, the powertrain in ours wasn’t. The 9-speed automatic fitted to our Trailhawk (and some other Jeeps) isn’t one of our favorites, as it has very delayed kickdowns at certain speeds when you stab the throttle – particularly when it’s just partway – and in this case, at least, also seemed to provide slightly jerky response in on/off throttle transitions, such as when rounding corners. It didn’t really impress in terms of acceleration or fuel economy, either, as we averaged 9.78 seconds in the 0-60 sprint and 20.2 mpg in a 50/50 mix of city/highway driving – the latter somewhat below its 25 mpg combined EPA rating. The engine was also quite vocal under acceleration.

Where the Trailhawk did impress, however, was in ride quality – and that’s unusual for an off-road vehicle. It absorbed both small and large bumps with aplomb, the drawback being that the softish suspension and tall ride height combined for a slightly tipsy feel in corners and a bit of side-to-side tipping over some road irregularities. But on Chicagoland’s pockmarked streets, the ride comfort was an unexpected pleasure.

Less pleasurable around town was the restricted visibility. Thick roof pillars block a lot of the view out just about anywhere you look, and the rearview camera would have been more helpful when backing if it gave a wider-angle view.

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While we’re generally fans of the UConnect infotainment interface used in most Chrysler/Dodge/Jeep/Ram vehicles (meaningful, because we’re not fans of some others), the screen here was mounted rather low and vertical, making it a little difficult to see. Climate controls were likewise low and thus a little difficult to adjust, and mode selection has to be done in multiple steps through the touchscreen, which is also used to adjust heated seat and steering-wheel settings.

There are numerous padded “touch” surfaces inside, though some don’t offer much cushioning. Our Trailhawk boasted some orange accents that helped brighten a nearly all-black interior. Cabin storage consists of a large glovebox, small console box devoid of plugs, two cupholders, a small forward console bin under Aux/USB/12-volt plugs, and small map pockets with cupholders in the doors – adequate, but perhaps slightly below par for the class.

A couple of things impressed us in the seating department. Included in the $595 Luxury Seat Group were a power driver seat with memory that can be raised very high – a boon to shorter folks – along with a power passenger seat, with both offering ventilation and adjustable lumbar support – the last a rare nicety for the passenger in this class (and most others, in fact). The $1795 Leather Interior Group added leather upholstery, heated front seats and steering wheel, wiper de-icers, auto-dimming rearview mirror, and remote start.

Front legroom is just OK, though headroom is fine. Headroom is fine in back as well – 6-footers should fit – and a low floor hump means a center-seater has decent foot space. The ride height is such that entry and exit should be easy for most folks.

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The cargo area offers a good amount of space, along with a pocket along the left wall and a bit of “unofficial” space around the spare tire under the floor. But that spare tire – perhaps due to being larger on the Trailhawk – prevented the two-tier floor from being set at its lower position, which left the floor resting about two inches above the level of the folded rear seat backs. (Usually – if they’re not flush – it’s the other way around, which is worse because it makes it tough to slide long items forward.)

While our Trailhawk came reasonably well equipped at its $31,170 starting price (including the $1495 destination charge), most buyers would want to add some options – though perhaps not the $7260 worth added to our tester.

For one thing, the Trailhawk is light on standard high-tech safety features. A fairly comprehensive list of them is offered, though they’re split between two option packages. The $945 Advance Safety Group brings forward collision warning and automatic emergency braking, lane-departure warning and mitigation, full-speed adaptive cruise control with stop & go, and automatic high beams. But you have to add the $795 Safety and Security Group to get blind-spot and rear cross traffic alert, though it also brings rear obstacle detection and rain-sensing wipers.

While the iconic Wrangler is undoubtedly the star of Jeep’s compact-crossover trio – if not the whole Jeep brand – its fellow compacts get to bask in its glow. The Jeep brand name is among the strongest in the business, and just having those letters on its sheetmetal adds a certain amount of “off-road cred” to a Compass that has quite a lot of it already.

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2020 Jeep Compass Trailhawk