2025 Jeep Compass Trailhawk Review and Test Drive

Jeep's smallest SUV is surprisingly capable — but too expensive.

Christian Wardlaw | 

Feb 13, 2025 | 6 min read

Christian Wardlaw

That's a tall order for a vehicle last redesigned in 2017. While the Compass has received numerous updates to disguise its age during its nearly decade-long run, there's no denying the current-generation model is ready for retirement.

Still, the 2025 Jeep Compass boasts qualities that some people will find irresistibly appealing. It is available in Sport, Latitude, Limited, and Trailhawk trim levels, and base prices range from the high $20,000s to the mid-$30,000s, including the destination charge to ship the SUV to your local dealership from the factory in Toluca, Mexico.

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For this Compass review, I test-drove the Trailhawk in Southern California. Optional equipment highlights included extra-cost paint, the Trailhawk Elite option package, and the Sun and Sound option package. The manufacturer's suggested retail price (MSRP) was $41,835, including the $1,595 destination charge.

Is the 2025 Jeep Compass a Good SUV?

If you live in a high-altitude area, the Compass' turbocharged engine works well in the thinner atmosphere, preserving its performance. In Trailhawk trim, the Compass is one of the most capable off-road vehicles in its segment. During my evaluation, it proved to be more fuel efficient than some of its rivals, and the technology is up to date, if not class leading.

Those are all good things, but the 2025 Compass is smaller inside than a Honda CR-V and less enjoyable to drive than a Mazda CX-50. It also lacks an electrified hybrid or plug-in powertrain option like the Hyundai Tucson, Kia Sportage, and Toyota RAV4. But for capable off-roading, your only alternatives to a Compass Trailhawk are a Sasquatched Ford Bronco Sport or a Subaru Forester Wilderness.

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What's Different About the 2025 Jeep Compass?

As of our 2022 Jeep Compass review, the company had just refreshed the SUV's styling, interior, and technology.

Since then, Jeep has dramatically improved the Compass, adding a new turbocharged four-cylinder engine, eight-speed automatic transmission, and standard all-wheel drive (AWD) in 2023. The 2024 Compass received new wheel designs, and the Trailhawk trim gained standard all-terrain tires. This year, the Compass Latitude adds more standard equipment.

That previous review covered the upscale High Altitude model, which remains available as an option package for the Compass Limited. This review is about the rugged Compass Trailhawk, the best version for off-roading.

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Jeep transforms the Compass into the Trailhawk by adding a Jeep Active Drive Low AWD system with a 20:1 crawl ratio. In addition, standard equipment now includes an off-road suspension with a 1-inch lift, skid plates, and front and rear tow hooks. Jeep says the Trailhawk can ford 19 inches of water. It also boasts a 30-degree approach, 24-degree breakover, and a 34-degree departure angle; a hill-descent system enhances control in mountainous terrain.

The Compass Trailhawk Is Better Off-Road Than Most Rivals

I've previously experienced the Compass Trailhawk on tough trails, so I can attest to its capability in demanding situations, thanks to additions such as its low AWD setting, hill-descent control, added clearances, and aggressive tires. At heart, the Compass is a crossover, but it earns the Trail Rated badges on its front fenders.

Under the hood, a turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine provides the power. New to the Compass in 2023, it resolved the previous model's sluggish acceleration issue. Though output is modest at 200 horsepower and 221 pound-feet of torque, the torque arrives at 1,750 rpm and sticks around until 4,250 rpm. The peak horsepower shows up at 5,000 rpm.

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Translated, that means the 3,840-pound Compass Trailhawk has enough oomph to get up to highway speeds without causing your blood pressure to rise, and the turbocharged engine remains responsive when driving in the mountains. In addition, the eight-speed automatic transmission, which also arrived in 2023, significantly improves shift timing and smoothness compared with the previous nine-speed automatic.

Nevertheless, there might be better choices for daily driving than the Compass Trailhawk. Its all-terrain tires whir on the highway and don't grip well when taking curves and corners at speed. Also, the SUV can feel tall and tippy on anything but smooth roads, bounding around like a kid in a bouncy house.

On my evaluation drive, the Compass Trailhawk averaged 25.1 mpg, 1.9 mpg below the official EPA fuel-economy rating of 27 mpg in combined driving. Still, given the engine's turbocharger, the lifted suspension, and a surprisingly hefty curb weight, my observed gas mileage was better than expected.

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Appealing Upgrades Result in an Unappealing Price

Four adults comfortably fit into the 2025 Jeep Compass, and the cargo area expands from 27.2 cubic-feet to 59.8 cu-ft. My test vehicle had the Elite Group option, which is expensive but adds numerous comfort-related upgrades you'll appreciate.

For example, both leather-wrapped front seats offered 10-way power adjustment, heating, and ventilation. My Compass Trailhawk test vehicle also had a heated steering wheel, a wiper de-icer system, and remote engine starting. It was ready for winter weather, though I tested the Jeep in sunny Southern California, where the optional Sun and Sound Group package's panoramic sunroof let in plenty of natural light.

That Sun and Sound upgrade includes a premium Alpine sound system that fills the cabin with music streamed through the 10.1-inch touchscreen infotainment system's wireless Apple CarPlay or Android Auto connections. The Elite Group also added a configurable 10.3-inch digital instrumentation panel.

An active Wi-Fi subscription enables the Alexa Built-in technology, providing a conversational digital voice assistant that works well. Without it, when asking the native Uconnect 5 voice assistant for directions to the closest hospital, it offered any medically related destination, including those for animals.

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Standard safety features include forward-collision warning, automatic emergency braking, lane-departure warning, lane-keeping assist, rear cross-traffic alert, and an active blind-spot monitoring system with collision-avoidance assist. In addition, Trailhawks have standard adaptive cruise control with stop-and-go capability.

These features worked reasonably well but exhibited the typical lane-keeping assist aggravation. Also, the adaptive cruise control was sometimes too eager to maintain a safe following distance in changing traffic conditions, braking harder or longer than necessary as other motorists cut into the gap ahead.

My test vehicle did not have Jeep Active Driving Assist, which pairs the adaptive cruise with a lane-centering assist system. It is available only in a Driver Assist Group, which would have pushed the test vehicle's price to more than $45,000.

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Save its pricing, there's plenty to like about the Jeep Compass. They start low, but upgrades require expensive option packages, pushing the window sticker higher in a hurry. Want a Compass with black wheels, a wireless charger, and a premium sound system in a color other than white? You must get a Compass Latitude with all the option packages and an MSRP of $40,780.

Granted, you can get features on this Jeep that are unavailable in most small SUVs. Considering Compass's advanced age, though, it should offer more for less than most of its competitors. So, aside from giving the Compass a complete redesign, Jeep must also improve its value equation.

Christian Wardlaw

Chris says his first word was "car." For as long as he can remember, he's been obsessed with them. The design. The engineering. The performance. And the purpose. He is a car enthusiast who loves to drive, but is most passionate about the cars, trucks, and SUVs that people actually buy. He began his career as the editor-in-chief of Edmunds.com in the 1990s, and for more than 30 years has created automotive content for CarGurus, J.D. Power, Kelley Blue Book, the New York Daily News, and others. Chris owns Speedy Daddy Media, has been contributing to Capital One Auto Navigator since 2019, and lives in California with his wife, kids, dog, and 2004 Mazdaspeed Miata.