2018 Jeep Compass

There are five trim levels: Sport, Latitude, Altitude, Trailhawk, and Limited. The Compass is affordably priced, with the base Sport trim starting at $21,095. The trim has the typical Jeep front fascia with signature seven-slot grille and trapezoidal wheel arches. The Latitude adds automatic headlights, and body-color exterior mirrors and door handles. With its red exterior and interior accents, and black anti-glare hood decal, the Trailhawk sports a distinctive look, whereas the Altitude carries some swag with black finishes, 18-inch black aluminum wheels, and a gloss black roof. Featuring a two-tone black roof and an available dual-pane panoramic sunroof, the top-level Limited trim offers a refined, sophisticated look.

All Compass models are powered by a 2.4-liter cylinder engine with 180 horsepower and 175 pound-feet of torque. Except for the Trailhawk, which comes standard with all-wheel drive, all models are front-wheel drive with optional all-wheel-drive. The Sport trim features a six-speed manual transmission, while the Trailhawk, all-wheel Altitude, and Limited engines are paired to a nine-speed automatic transmission.

The Compass handles itself well and offers a pleasing ride. Fuel economy is rated at 23 mpg in the city and 32 mpg on the highway. For off-road enthusiasts that can't afford the pricier Wrangler, the Trailhawk offers decent off-roading capability, offering greater ground clearance than the other Compass models. It's also the only trim equipped with Jeep's Selec-Terrain Traction Management, Active Drive, and Active Drive Low 4x4 systems, to effortlessly navigate all types of terrain.

The base Sport trim features cloth seats, a 5-inch touch screen infotainment system, and Bluetooth. Move up to the Latitude and you gain a leather-wrapped steering wheel and shift knob, and premium cloth and vinyl seats. The Trailhawk throws in all-season floor mats. With the Limited trim expect even more luxury, with heated driver and passenger seats, a heated steering wheel, dual-zone automatic temperature control, and a full-color 7-inch multi-view driver information digital cluster display. Although this is a compact SUV, the cabin is spacious and comfortably fits tall passengers. With 27 cubic feet of cargo space available behind the rear seats, the Compass is ideal for the urban dweller who has loads of shopping bags to cart around.

The Jeep Compass is loaded with more than 70 standard and available safety and security features, which start with a solid high-strength frame and a seven-bag airbag system. Other standard features include a rear backup camera, anti-lock brakes with rain brake assist, tire pressure monitoring, electronic stability control, hill start assist, and remote keyless entry with a panic button. The Trailhawk adds hill descent control. Available features include rear park assist, rain-sensing wipers, lane departure with lane keep assist, forward collision warning with active braking, and blind spot monitoring with cross-path detection.