Jeep’s compact Compass manages to embody everything there is to love about the storied brand while delivering a well-rounded crossover SUV that makes for an exceedingly practical daily driver. Sure, it’s got a peppy turbocharged engine and the rugged off-road gear one would expect from Jeep—especially when it comes to the Trailhawk trim—but it also boasts some notable fuel economy figures and is outfitted with all the modern conveniences that make every drive just a bit more comfortable.
It’s hard to go wrong when picking a 2025 Jeep Compass, but a quick test drive at your local Jeep dealer could go a long way toward narrowing your options. Once you’ve experienced the Compass’s nimble on-road performance, off-road chops, and sophisticated cabin, the only thing left is to choose a trim. Jeep has rolled out four options for the 2025 model year: the Sport, Latitude, Limited, and Trailhawk. Read on as I take a closer look at each trim and how the Compass has adapted Jeep’s legacy for the modern era.
The Compass Sport
Jeep kicks off the 2025 Compass trim lineup with the Sport, a value-packed option that punches well above its weight when it comes to power. Like all of the 2025 trims, the Compass Sport’s standard powertrain is a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission. Excelling in both efficiency and power, the 2.0-liter engine delivers best-in-class horsepower and torque along with 24 MPG in the city and 32 MPG on the highway in AWD.
The Compass Sport feels like anything but a budget buy, especially when you look at some of the interior tech. A 10.1-inch touchscreen display running Jeep’s Uconnect 5 infotainment software comes standard, as does Apple CarPlay and Android Auto smartphone integration. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto give drivers and passengers the ability to connect to their favorite apps on the go, creating a seamless digital experience that’ll keep you connected no matter where the road might take you.
While the Compass Sport might trade on its power and affordability, the base trim is also equipped with an impressive suite of advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) that go a long way toward upping a driver’s sense of security and provide some valuable peace of mind when you’re behind the wheel. Jeep’s Standard Advanced Safety Suite includes all the expected goodies—like forward collision warning with active braking, blind spot monitoring with rear cross-traffic warning, and a lane departure mitigation feature—but also includes a few less common systems that really round out the package.
Take the Compass Sport’s rear seat reminder or driver attention warning feature, for example. Enabled whenever the Jeep’s Active Driving Assist system is in use, the drive attention warning system uses a network of sensors to gauge the driver’s awareness, and it issues a warning if it detects a lapse in attention.
The Compass Latitude
The Latitude manages to improve on the Sport’s considerable value without adding much to the bottom line. Both trims are priced under $30,000, but the Latitude builds on the Sport with a generous array of comfort and convenience tech. Standard heated seats and steering wheel—both of which come wrapped in synthetic leather—can be a boon on those cold winter morning commutes, or you could simply use the remote starter to get the cabin warm while you enjoy your morning coffee from the comfort of your kitchen table.
The Latitude’s exterior has automatic high-beam headlights, roof rails, a gloss-black grille, and 17-inch alloy wheels to create a striking visage that will immediately set the trim apart from the entry-level Sport. The Compass might be one of Jeep’s smaller models, but the brand has managed to make the most of its modest size to deliver a cabin that feels anything but compact. With seating for five and the ability to stow up to 17 full-size suitcases, the Compass has plenty of passenger and cargo room whether you’re planning a cross-country trip or a short errand run.
Front-seat occupants will enjoy almost 42 inches of legroom and 57 inches of shoulder room, while those riding in the back will have plenty of space to stretch out thanks to the Compass’s 49 inches of hip room and 55 inches of rear shoulder room—but these numbers don’t tell the whole story. Jeep has engineered the back row with higher-than-average seat bottoms that provide plenty of support for adult passengers. This simple design improvement can make all the difference on longer rides by allowing passengers to travel in comfort.
The Compass Limited
From its 18-inch diamond-cut alloy wheels and two-tone paint job with a gloss black roof to its premium leatherette heated front seats in an exclusive black/sepia colorway, there’s no mistaking the Jeep Compass Limited for any other trim in the 2025 lineup. Designed with luxury in mind, it’s the Limited repository of advanced convenience and safety tech that really caught my attention this time around. A wireless charging pad comes standard on the Latitude, which means you can put the endless search for power cables behind you and hit the road knowing you’ll always have the opportunity to top off the battery on your smartphone.
An automatic dimming rearview mirror provides a modern solution to a decidedly modern problem, preventing drivers from going temporarily blind when faced with the high-intensity LEDs that are packaged with so many of today’s vehicles. Speaking of headlights, the trim’s automatic high beams can detect oncoming vehicles and seamlessly adjust the brightness to create a safer road for all involved. Exterior mirrors with integrated turn signals make your intentions clear to other drivers, while the rain-sensing wipers mean less time spent fiddling with the controls to find the perfect speed, allowing you to avoid distractions when facing tough weather conditions.
If there’s one highlight of the Limited trim, it would have to be its bounty of parking-related tech. The Limited’s 360-degree Surround View Camera system makes parking a breeze, giving drivers a panoramic view of their surroundings to make squeezing into tight parking spaces a whole lot easier. The SUV’s ParkSense Rear Park Assist feature serves a similar role, using sensors in the rear bumper to automatically detect obstacles when traveling at less than 7 mph. If the system does spot another vehicle, pedestrian, or barrier, it will display a warning, sound a tone, and superimpose an arc on the infotainment screen to show the distance and location of the obstacle.
Adaptive cruise control is also offered as a standard feature, while Jeep’s Active Driving Assist is listed as an available feature. Few things are more luxurious than being able to sit back, relax, and let your vehicle handle some of the more mundane driving tasks, which is exactly what Active Driving Assist offers.
The Compass Trailhawk
Since 2014, Jeep has been rolling out a series of off-road-ready versions of some of the brand’s most popular SUVs under the “Trailhawk” tag. Currently available on the Jeep Compass, Renegade, Cherokee, and Grand Cherokee, the Trailhawk trim adds a wide range of heavy-duty gear like a driver-selectable locking rear differential and low-range off-road gear. These components give the Compass Trailhawk everything it needs to improve traction and ensure success on challenging off-road terrain, allowing this crossover to live up to the high bar set by models like the Jeep Wrangler and Gladiator.
The Compass Trailhawk swaps out Jeep’s Active Drive system for the upgraded Active Drive Low feature that throws a class-leading 20:1 crawl ratio into the mix to give this SUV all the low-range power it needs to conquer the toughest off-road obstacles. All 2025 Compass trims are offered with Jeep’s Selec-Terrain traction management system, but the Trailhawk builds on the existing settings for Snow, Sand, and Mud with a Rock mode that’s perfect for scaling the granite walls of your local off-road trails.
In addition to this arsenal of off-road gear, the Compass Trailhawk also boasts a Hill Descent Control feature, a one-inch factory lift, high-strength steel skid plates, 17-inch aluminum wheels paired with Falken Wildpeak all-season performance tires, and improved approach, breakover, and departure angles. The Compass’s revised dimensions will come in handy when trying to navigate your way down a steep hill or summit a precipitous peak without incurring damage to the bumper or vital underbody components.
Those features alone would make the Compass Trailhawk worth the price of admission, but Jeep has sweetened the pot with a host of styling upgrades that include Ruby Red tow hooks in the front and back and leather upholstery with signature red stitching. This range-topping trim is just as luxurious as it is brawny, with Jeep pulling out the stops to craft a thoroughly modern crossover complete with adaptive cruise control (with a stop-and-go function), a windshield wiper de-icer, and more.
Those looking to truly max out the Jeep’s luxury can add the Trailhawk Elite package that has things like a 10.3-inch color driver information display, foot-activated liftgate, integrated voice commands, bi-function LED projector headlamps, premium leather-trimmed bucket seat, a remote starter system, and Amazon Alexa. Throw in the ability to tow 2,000 lbs and ford up to 19 inches of water and it’s hard to make an argument against upgrading to the Trailhawk trim.
The All-New 2025 Jeep Compass
The 2025 Compass proves that Jeep is just as skilled at creating a crossover as it is at producing the sort of traditional SUVs that have long contributed to the brand’s legendary status. The Sport and Latitude trims pack a lot of value for their price, offering the perfect starting point from where to build the Jeep of your dreams. The opulent Limited trim proves that Jeep isn’t some one-trick pony, providing a luxurious interior and the latest in-vehicle tech to go with its renowned 4×4 performance.
The Trailhawk allows the Compass to flex Jeep’s famous off-road muscle with features like Active Drive Low and the Selec-Terrain traction management system, turning this versatile daily driver into a no-holds-barred adventure rig. The Trailhawk’s smaller size is perfect for navigating tight off-road trails and allows the Compass to deliver the sort of fuel economy that will keep you exploring for as long as you’d like.
