The 2020 Jeep Compass is a perfectly fine compact SUV. It’s about $100 cheaper than the Jeep Renegade, making it the most affordable option. However, before the Jeep Compass lures you in, check out a few reasons to consider other options instead. 

4 Reasons to avoid the 2020 Jeep Compass 

The folks at Cars.com got their hands on the 2020 Jeep Compass to take for a spin. It’s worth noting that they had the Jeep Compass Trailhawk, which is the trim option best suited for off-roading. 

Their Jeep Compass Trailhawk had four-wheel drive with low-range gearing, underbody skid plates, tow hooks, a beefier suspension, and all-terrain tires. While the base model beings around $22,280, the Trailhawk raises the price to about $29,850. Also, they found positives to mention along with 4 cons. 

1. The 2020 Jeep Compass lacks power 

When almost paying $30k for a Jeep, you expect it to go fast. However, the trail-ready Jeep Compass is found to be a little lackluster. It has a 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine under the hood with 180 hp and 175 lb-ft of torque. 

The 2020 Jeep Compass can only tow up to 1,000 lb, and CarIndigo found that it takes 9.1 seconds to accelerate from 0 to 60 mph. That’s not exactly sporty. The folks at Cars.com also mentioned that the 9-speed automatic transmission seemed to get easily confused when finding the right gear. Not only is the engine underpowered, but the shifts were inconsistent and unrefined. 

2. The 2020 Jeep Compass is terrible on gas 

The second issue that Cars.com had with the Jeep Compass includes its weak fuel economy. Underpowered SUVs aren’t supposed to chug gasoline. With FWD and the six-speed automatic transmission, the Jeep Compass boasts an EPA estimated city/highway/average of 22/31/25 mpg. 

This puts the Jeep Compass pretty far behind competitors. For example, the Honda CR-V has an EPA estimated 28/34/20 mpg. Perhaps the hybrid Jeep Compass 4xe will have a much-improved fuel economy. 

3. The 2020 Jeep Compass lacks standard features

Apparently, the 2020 Jeep Compass doesn’t come with enough bells and whistles, which is disappointing. Modern driver assistance and safety features are available, but you have to pay extra for them. 

While competitors come with automatic emergency braking, lane-keeping assistance, automatic high beams, and more, according to Cars.com, the base model Jeep Compass only includes a rearview camera. 

4. The 2020 Jeep Compass lacks cargo space 

We supposed that a compact SUV wouldn’t have that much cargo space, but the 2020 Jeep Compass falls short compared to rivals in this area too. The Jeep Compass only has 27.2 cubic feet of cargo space behind the back seat and 59.8 cubic feet total. 

The Honda CR-V has up to 37.6 cubic feet of cargo space behind the back seat with up to 75.8 cubic feet total. This is a pretty massive size difference. But Cars.com did note that the Jeep Compass didn’t feel claustrophobic. 

Also, one of the positive things to say about the Jeep Compass included spacious seating. There is plenty of room for passengers to stretch out in the front and back seats. It also has a smooth ride, and they enjoyed the advanced Uconnect infotainment system software.