2020 Jeep Grand Cherokee vs 2020 Jeep Compass

The 2020 Jeep Compass was a handsome SUV, reflecting the refined side of the Jeep brand similar to the Grand Cherokee. It came in four core trim levels: Sport, Latitude, Limited, and Trailhawk, with various packages and special edition trim upgrades available. Prices started at $22,280 for a Compass Sport with front-wheel drive and a six-speed manual transmission, while the High Altitude upgrade for the Compass Limited with all-wheel drive was priced from $32,645. Our test vehicle, a 2020 Compass Limited with AWD and numerous options, totaled $39,755, including the destination charge.

Despite its attractive features, the Compass had some drawbacks. While it offered soft-touch surfaces, premium leather, and sophisticated technology, it also had low-rent glossy plastic pieces and flimsy-feeling parts that detracted from its overall appeal. However, compared to the original Compass model, the 2020 version was a significant improvement.

The 2020 Jeep Grand Cherokee, despite being a decade old, still looked right with its traditional Jeep styling cues like a 7-slot grille and trapezoidal fenders. It had a balanced appearance suitable for both rugged trails and upscale settings, making it attractive to a wide range of buyers. Prices started at $32,150 for the Grand Cherokee Laredo and went up to $52,495 for the Grand Cherokee Summit, with high-performance SRT and Trackhawk versions priced at $68,895 and $87,400, respectively.

Our test vehicle, the Grand Cherokee Limited X, was priced at $53,275, including the destination charge. It featured a beautiful Slate Blue Pearl paint, a ventilated hood design, a sport-themed front bumper, and 20-inch aluminum wheels. However, for Grand Cherokees priced over $50,000, the preponderance of hard plastic became more irritating, despite the premium materials used in many versions of the SUV.

The 2020 Jeep Compass was equipped with a 2.4-liter 4-cylinder engine, known as the Tigershark, producing 180 horsepower at 6,400 rpm and 175 pound-feet of torque at 3,900 rpm. Despite these figures, the engine was loud, slow, and thirsty, with sluggish acceleration and nearly non-existent passing power. The test vehicle averaged 23.1 mpg, falling short of the EPA rating of 25 mpg in combined driving. The nine-speed automatic transmission often shifted harshly and resisted downshifts, while the automatic engine stop/start system could be deactivated for better efficiency.

On the road, the Compass’s suspension controlled body roll but allowed too much vertical motion and impact harshness. The steering was heavy and vague, and the brake pedal was sensitive until acclimated. However, the Compass excelled in off-road conditions, especially in Trailhawk trim with added ground clearance, an Active Drive Low AWD system, and an exclusive Rock driving mode. Our Compass Limited test vehicle, with a simpler AWD system, handled a moderately difficult trail without issues.

The 2020 Jeep Grand Cherokee came standard with a 295-horsepower, 3.6-liter V6 engine and an 8-speed automatic transmission, offering satisfying acceleration and an EPA rating of 21 mpg in combined driving. Our test vehicle achieved 19.4 mpg. For those needing more power, three V8 engines were available: a 5.7-liter Hemi V8 with 360 hp and 390 lb-ft of torque, a 6.4-liter Hemi V8 in the Grand Cherokee SRT with 475 hp and 470 lb-ft, and a supercharged 6.2-liter V8 in the Trackhawk with 707 hp and 645 lb-ft, achieving 0-60 mph in 3.5 seconds.

The Grand Cherokee’s off-road capabilities were impressive, especially in the Trailhawk trim with all-terrain tires, skid plates, and the most capable 4WD system. Our Limited X test vehicle had the Quadra-Trac II 4WD with a 2-speed transfer case, Selec-Terrain traction control, and hill descent control, handling off-road conditions well. On pavement, the driving dynamics were mixed, with impressive grip but excessive suspension movements. The steering and brakes were average, attempting to balance daily driving and off-roading tasks.

The 2020 Jeep Compass offered a new-for-2020 Luxury Seat Group, adding premium leather, ventilated front seats, a power-adjustable front passenger seat, and a memory function for the driver’s settings. The back seat was roomy, with air conditioning vents, a USB charging port, and a 115-volt power outlet for rear passengers. Cargo space measured 27.2 cubic feet behind the rear seat and 59.8 cubic feet with the back seat folded down, beating both the Jeep Renegade and Jeep Cherokee in volume. However, scant storage room inside the cabin and awkwardly positioned cupholders could cause aggravation.

The 2020 Jeep Grand Cherokee had seating for five and cargo space measuring 36.3 cubic feet behind the backseat and 68.3 cubic feet with the backseat folded down. Heated and 8-way power-adjustable front seats ensured comfort, though the Limited X didn’t offer ventilated seats. The seat heater buttons were integrated with the infotainment system, which could be irritating. The thick, leather-wrapped steering wheel was a pleasure to grip, and the armrests were softly padded. Backseat passengers, including children, found the Jeep comfortable, with rear air conditioning vents and USB ports. Interior storage was decent, with a handy tray in the center console and sizable door-panel bins.

The 2020 Jeep Compass featured an excellent Uconnect infotainment system with an 8.4-inch touchscreen display, Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, Bluetooth connectivity, and 4G LTE WiFi connectivity. It also offered SiriusXM Guardian connected services, a navigation system, and an Alpine premium audio system. Uconnect was intuitive and easy to use, though some features were embedded in menus that should have been more accessible. The voice recognition system worked well with naturally spoken requests, and drivers could adjust the stereo and climate controls using voice commands.

The 2020 Jeep Grand Cherokee’s Uconnect infotainment system, long an industry leader, included an 8.4-inch touchscreen display, navigation, Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, Amazon Alexa, SiriusXM satellite radio, and SiriusXM Guardian connected services. A 4G LTE WiFi data plan was available, supporting up to eight devices. The test vehicle had a 9-speaker Alpine premium sound system, though the 19-speaker Harman Kardon system offered in some versions was superior. Unique to Jeep’s Uconnect was the Off-Road Pages app, showing important off-roading information, and Performance Pages in the SRT and Trackhawk models.

The 2020 Jeep Compass offered optional driving assistance and collision avoidance technology, included in the Safety and Security Group and the Advanced Safety Group. Our test vehicle had adaptive cruise control with stop-and-go capability, forward-collision warning, automatic emergency braking, lane departure warning, lane-keeping assist, blind-spot monitoring, and rear cross-traffic warning. These systems performed to average expectations, with some overreacting and insistent corrective actions. The Compass earned Good ratings in IIHS crash tests, except for headlight performance, and mixed ratings from NHTSA.

The 2020 Jeep Grand Cherokee offered three collections of advanced driving assistance systems: ProTech I, ProTech II, and Advanced ProTech II. These included features like a reversing camera, parking sensors, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, forward-collision warning, automatic emergency braking, lane-departure warning, lane-keeping assist, adaptive cruise control, and semi-autonomous parking assist. Despite these features, the Grand Cherokee had unimpressive crash-test ratings, with a 4-star overall rating from NHTSA and Marginal and Poor ratings from IIHS for driver and front passenger protection in the small overlap frontal-impact test.