Jeep Compass 2021 review: S-Limited

Like a mini Grand Cherokee, with wide, rough grille and a square-ish shape that actually suits the Compass, I’m not usually a fan of square rides but this works. And there’s the two tone, which also looks good on a Jeep. 

Inside looks good. I do feel like they’re playing on their reputation for tough and rugged cars where it makes more sense to have an old-school, non-digital display in front of the steering wheel, rather than make it super modern.

You can option two tone paint on the Compass.

It suits the feel of the car but I wonder if you jumped into a competitor with more tech you wouldn’t go for that one. 

The seats are leather and there’s also a leather steering wheel. The centre console is nicely designed with well thought out placement of buttons and knobs. The screen fits neatly inside the dash which I always appreciate rather than sticking out of the top. It feels good to sit in this car. 

Inside plays on Jeep's reputation for tough and rugged cars.

Here’s a bonus point for the Compass: I didn’t actually realise this was a compact SUV when I first saw it. It has enough interior space that it’s creeping up to a mid-size.

Which is how you want your compact SUV to be: great interior space is key for a family and this fit mine well, with a good amount of leg and head room in the front for taller adults and enough space for kids to slide around (a little) in the back. 

I could also fit nicely into the back seat and there was enough space between my knees and the seat in front that longer limbed adults should be comfortable back there, too. 

The boot is not huge, but being a compact SUV it doesn’t have to be, and it still weighs in at a very decent 438L which is almost as much as some mid-size SUVs. It will fit a pram in there and you won’t have trouble with groceries or school bags.

The park brake turns off automatically, which I always think is one of those extra steps you’re happy to take off your mind. The front seats are power adjustable and also heated, plus there’s a power tailgate. 

The front seats are power adjustable and also heated.

There are two cupholders in the front, a centre storage bin, a small space for keys and a phone plus bottle holders in each door. Rear passengers get two cupholders in the centre armrest which is not something you see in most small SUVs, and no directional air vents, an omission which is fairly standard in this category. 

The Jeep Compass S-Limited it fitted with seven airbags (front side, side curtain, driver and passenger and driver’s knee).

For advanced safety there is auto emergency braking, adaptive cruise control, blind spot monitoring, rear cross traffic alert and lane departure warning. 

There are two ISOFIX points and three top tether points for kids car seats.

The Jeep Compass scored a maximum five stars when it was ANCAP tested in 2018.

The Jeep Compass S-Limited costs $49,850. Fuel consumption is a claimed 9.7L/100km which is quite high however probably more accurate than some other car figures. I averaged 9.5L/100km this week driving around suburbia. 

It’s covered by Jeep’s five-year/100,000km warranty and servicing is required every 12 months or 20,000km.