2023 Chevrolet Blazer vs 2022 Jeep Compass

The 2022 Jeep Compass, despite receiving some exterior styling updates and new wheel designs, retained much of its familiar look since its last redesign in 2017. It resembled a smaller version of the Grand Cherokee, with our test vehicle featuring attractive 19-inch multi-spoke wheels that matched the paint, giving it an upscale appearance. Inside, the Compass Trailhawk Elite impressed with a new dashboard design, updated digital instrumentation, and luxury-grade leather seats, enhancing its premium SUV feel. The lineup offered various trims, starting from the base Sport to the top-tier Trailhawk Elite, with prices ranging from $29,495 to $42,795, excluding destination charges.

In contrast, the 2023 Chevrolet Blazer adopted styling cues more akin to road cars, with a sleek profile and a big grille framed by stacked headlights. The Blazer RS test vehicle stood out with blackout trim, Red Hot paint, and 21-inch wheels, making it remarkably striking for a mainstream crossover. The 2023 updates included new taillights, grille, and LED headlights, along with new wheel designs and additional colour options. Inside, the Blazer's sportier aesthetic featured an upright dashboard and large round air vents reminiscent of the Camaro muscle car, with higher trims offering leather upholstery and dual-zone automatic climate control.

The 2022 Jeep Compass was equipped with a 2.4-litre four-cylinder engine, producing 177 horsepower and 172 pound-feet of torque. Despite its "Tigershark" name, the engine lacked the power to compete with other SUVs, and a turbocharger would have been beneficial, especially for those planning mountain adventures. The nine-speed automatic transmission, paired with the engine, aimed to maximize fuel efficiency but resulted in a busy and unrewarding powertrain character. The Compass offered Jeep Selec-Terrain with Auto, Snow, and Sand/Mud driving modes, and the Active Drive AWD system could send power to the rear wheels when needed. The Trailhawk trim provided enhanced off-road capabilities with features like a low range and hill descent control.

The 2023 Chevrolet Blazer carried over its powertrain options from the previous year, with a 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine producing 228 horsepower and 258 pound-feet of torque as standard. A 3.6-litre V6 engine, delivering 308 horsepower and 270 pound-feet of torque, was optional on the LT and standard on other trims. Both engines were paired with a nine-speed automatic transmission, and AWD was standard in Canada. The Blazer's V6 engine provided impressive acceleration and a sporty exhaust note, but its handling was affected by its weight and top-heavy design. The Blazer's AWD system required manual engagement, unlike some rivals that automatically switched from FWD to AWD.

The 2022 Jeep Compass, positioned among smaller compact SUVs, offered enough space for four adults and their luggage. The Trailhawk Elite trim featured 12-way power-adjustable front seats with heating and ventilation, a heated steering wheel, and heated rear seats. The redesigned dashboard housed the new Uconnect 5 infotainment screen, and the centre console provided increased storage. The Compass offered 770 litres of cargo space behind the rear seats and 1,693 litres with the seats folded, surpassing the more expensive Cherokee model.

The 2023 Chevrolet Blazer, a two-row, five-seat vehicle, provided nearly identical front-seat headroom to rivals like the Ford Edge and Honda Passport. While rear-seat headroom was slightly below average, the Blazer offered decent legroom in both rows. It provided 864 litres of cargo space with the rear seats in place and 1,818 litres with the seats folded, which was less than some competitors. The Blazer's interior featured functional details like USB ports and temperature controls integrated into the air vents, and a heated steering wheel was standard on the RS grade.

The 2022 Jeep Compass featured the new Uconnect 5 infotainment system, which was five times faster than its predecessor. An 8.4-inch touchscreen was standard, with a 10.1-inch option available on higher trims. The system supported wireless Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, and Bluetooth connectivity, along with a WiFi hotspot and Alexa Built-In. A nine-speaker Alpine premium sound system was available, and the voice recognition system was fast and accurate, though it had some limitations in navigation.

The 2023 Chevrolet Blazer received tech upgrades, including a standard 10.2-inch touchscreen and wireless device charging available on all trims. The RS and Premier trims featured an 8-inch digital instrument cluster display, built-in navigation, and an eight-speaker Bose audio system. The infotainment system was intuitive, with a user-friendly layout, though a dedicated button for the optional 360-degree camera system would have been appreciated. The Blazer's tech presentation was competitive, with a large touchscreen matching segment leaders.

The 2022 Jeep Compass improved its safety features, with forward-collision warning, automatic emergency braking, lane-departure warning, and blind-spot monitoring included from the Trailhawk grade. Adaptive cruise control and lane-centring assistance were available, though the lane-keep assist was overly insistent at lower speeds. The Compass had some false positives from the forward-collision warning system, and neither the IIHS nor NHTSA had published crash test results for the updated model.

The 2023 Chevrolet Blazer expanded its safety feature availability, with the standard Chevy Safety Assist Package including automatic emergency braking, lane keep assist, and GM's Teen Driver monitoring system. Adaptive cruise control was now available on all trims, and optional features included blind spot monitoring and a 360-degree camera system. The IIHS awarded the Blazer its highest "Good" rating in crash-test categories, while the NHTSA gave it a five-star overall safety rating.