FlyerTalk Forums - View Single Post - Ride Report: 2021 Jeep Compass TrailHawk

Mar 24, 2023 | 12:14 am

#1

huskyflyer

Join Date: Dec 2022

Posts: 455

Ride Report: 2021 Jeep Compass TrailHawk

I reserved a PCAR. They didn't have any PCARs on the lot and I was offered to choose anything they had (but they had nothing fancy) I chose a Jeep Compass Trailhawk 4X4 because I wanted to try it as it looked "cool". However, I instantly regretted the moment we did the pre-depature vehicle inspection when I saw the interior. It is officially an Intermediate SUV AWD; however, given its size, I think it is more of a Compact to Intermediate SUV as it felt smaller than the RAV 4

The Driving: I am not sure if it is the car has a lot of torque (which I doubt) or the accelerator is very sensitive at low speeds when you press it down. When I first drove it off the lot, I noticed this car accelerates fast. However, after driving 300-400KM in mixed city/highway I think the accelerator is just sensitive or the way it is tuned is that when you "Gently" press it from a stop the accelerator responds as if you are pressing the pedal to the metal. The engine definitely struggled on hills and it was really loud. I didn't find the ride comfortable either and the suspension or something at the back kept making squeaky sounds.

This car was the trailhawk edition and 4X4. I obviously did not test if it was 4X4 off road as that would be against the rental agreement and I am not sure where/how to test that. However, I didn't feel anything special about the car beyond the fact that you were higher than other cars/SUVs around you.

The brakes also felt weak on this car.

The Interior: I heard the 2022 model is much better, but the 2021 model is very dated. The quality is below average for the class - the entire central console moves/squeaks if you push your hand on it. I will let the picture do the talking. The steering wheel was heated though as the RAV 4 does not come with heated wheels at Enterprise/National. This being the top of the line TrailHawk also came with "leather" seats, but they were not comfortable and felt/looked cheap.

The Tech: Beyond Apple CarPlay and the standard UConnect there wasn't much tech in the car. There were no safety tech like blind spot monitoring, automatic collision avoidance etc. For the top of the line trim (TrailHawk) I would expect these features.

Fuel Economy: Definitely worse than the RAV 4 but better /equal to the Tuscon. I don't think the fuel gauge is accurate which is annoying when renting cars. For example, I noticed when I had a full tank it would sometimes drop a bit and sometimes go back up, and that is a problem if on return it is not showing "full" even if it is at "full"

Overall: I wouldn't rent it again if I had a choice. If you have a need to go off road (which would violate your rental agreement), this SUV is probably more capable than the likes of the Rav 4 and Tuscon; however, the engine lacks power. In addition, the interior is very dated and the fuel economy is not great either. The ride is not comfortable either.