From $29,550, with four-wheel drive standard on every one of the six trims and a 200-horsepower turbo four under all of them. The 2026 Compass, start to finish.
The 2026 Jeep Compass starts at $29,550 excluding the $1,995 destination charge, seats five, and returns an EPA-rated 23 mpg city, 31 highway and 26 combined. The single change that matters most this year is one most shoppers miss. Four-wheel drive is now standard on every trim. There is no front-drive Compass for 2026. On the Seacoast that turns the drivetrain question from an option-box decision into a non-decision, worth knowing before you compare sticker prices against front-drive rivals from Somersworth to Hampton.
We stock the Compass across the lineup on Lafayette Road, and this page covers the whole car: the engine, all six trims and what each one costs, the screens, the cabin, cargo, what the Trailhawk actually adds, the driver-assistance list, and which trim fits which buyer. Where a topic runs deeper than an overview can carry, it links to the page that handles it in full.
There is one engine, and every trim gets it. The 2.0-liter turbocharged four makes 200 horsepower at 5,000 rpm and 221 lb-ft from 1,750 rpm, through an eight-speed automatic. It runs on regular 87-octane fuel. The torque peak arriving at 1,750 rpm is the number that describes how the car actually feels in traffic on Route 1 through Dover. The pull is there low, where you use it, rather than waiting for you to wind it out.
What does change between trims is the four-wheel-drive system, and the difference is real rather than cosmetic. Five of the six trims use Jeep Active Drive, a full-time system with a rear-axle disconnect that drops the rear driveline out of the equation when it is not needed, which is what protects the fuel economy. The Trailhawk instead uses Jeep Active Drive Low, which adds a genuine low range with a 20:1 crawl ratio.
| Item | Specification |
|---|---|
| Engine | 2.0-liter turbo four, fitted to every trim |
| Horsepower | 200 hp at 5,000 rpm |
| Torque | 221 lb-ft from 1,750 rpm |
| Transmission | Eight-speed automatic |
| Drivetrain, five trims | Jeep Active Drive four-wheel drive, standard |
| Drivetrain, Trailhawk | Jeep Active Drive Low with 20:1 crawl ratio, standard |
| Fuel economy | 23 city / 31 highway / 26 combined |
| Fuel | Regular, 87 octane |
Because only one powertrain is certified, the EPA publishes a single rating for the whole lineup — 23 city, 31 highway, 26 combined, per fueleconomy.gov. A Trailhawk on all-terrain tires and a Limited Altitude on 19-inch wheels carry the same rating on paper. The engine and performance page goes through both four-wheel-drive systems and the Selec-Terrain modes in detail.
Six trims, and one structural point before the table: the ladder is not a straight line. The Trailhawk sits below the Limited Altitude on price because it is a capability trim rather than a luxury one, spending its money on hardware under the car rather than on wheels and interior finish.
| Trim | Starting MSRP | What it is |
|---|---|---|
| Latitude | $29,550 | The entry car, better equipped than entry usually means: heated seats and a heated steering wheel are standard |
| Latitude Altitude | $31,665 | Gloss-black exterior treatment, 18-inch wheels, piano-black interior accents |
| 85th Anniversary Edition | $32,345 | Panoramic sunroof and premium audio standard, on 19-inch wheels |
| Limited | $33,560 | Leatherette, power driver's seat, power liftgate, the all-digital cluster |
| Trailhawk | $34,060 | The off-road build: low range, Rock mode, skid plates, all-terrain tires |
| Limited Altitude | $35,555 | The Limited equipment set with the blacked-out treatment and 19-inch wheels |
Starting MSRPs exclude the $1,995 destination charge, taxes, title and registration. Pricing subject to change.
The base Sport trim that anchored the lineup in prior years is gone for 2026, which is why the entry price looks higher than a year-over-year glance suggests. The bottom rung was removed, not repriced. The trims compared page walks each rung with what you gain for the money.
Every Compass runs Uconnect 5 with wireless Apple CarPlay and wireless Android Auto standard on the base car, not as a step-up. Standard on the Latitude is the 8.4-inch display. The Latitude Altitude ships with the 10.1-inch screen as part of the Altitude content that defines the trim, and the 85th Anniversary Edition, Limited, Trailhawk and Limited Altitude carry the 10.1-inch unit as standard. Behind the wheel, a 7-inch colour driver display is standard across the lineup, and the Limited and Limited Altitude replace it with a 10.25-inch all-digital cluster, which is also available further down through the Sun, Sound and Navigation group.
Audio starts at six speakers. The step up is a nine-speaker Alpine system with a subwoofer, standard on the 85th Anniversary Edition and available through the Sun and Sound groups elsewhere. A charging pad is optional throughout, bundled into the driver-assistance groups. There is no head-up display anywhere in the 2026 Compass lineup. The technology and safety page covers the full feature list and where the crash ratings live.
Five seats, two rows, and a materials ladder that climbs sensibly rather than dramatically. The Latitude and Latitude Altitude use premium cloth and vinyl buckets. Leatherette with an eight-way power driver's seat and power lumbar arrives on the Limited and Limited Altitude. The Trailhawk runs cloth with leather trim, the right call for a car meant to come home muddy from Pawtuckaway. The 85th Anniversary Edition gets its own cloth with Mayan Gold stitching.
The detail worth naming for a New Hampshire buyer is that heated front seats and a heated steering wheel are standard from the base Latitude up. In a segment where both are routinely bundled into a cold-weather package two trims off the floor, that is a genuine equipment advantage between November and March, and it costs nothing to get. On a Rochester or Somersworth commute it is the equipment you use every single morning.
Rear-seat room is 38.3 inches of legroom and 38.5 inches of headroom — competitive for the class and honest for two adults on a run up Route 16 to Dover or Somersworth rather than only for children. Front headroom is 39.2 inches without the sunroof fitted.
Behind the second row the Compass holds 27.2 cubic feet. Fold that row and it opens to 59.8 cubic feet. The load floor sits 29.7 inches off the ground, which is the number that decides whether loading a heavy cooler or a dog is a lift or a slide. It is low for the class, and you notice it in the Wallis Sands lot.
In practical terms, 27.2 cubic feet with the seats up takes a family's beach day for Wallis Sands or Hampton Beach (chairs, cooler, umbrella, a wagon) without folding anything down. Fold the rear seat and the 59.8-cubic-foot figure covers a dorm move to Durham or a full run to the transfer station. The cargo space page has the full interior dimension table and a what-fits breakdown by configuration.
Every 2026 Compass carries four-wheel drive, 8.1 inches of ground clearance, Selec-Terrain with Auto, Snow and Sand/Mud modes, and 16 inches of published water-fording depth. That is the specification that matters on a flooded Route 1A shoulder in Rye after a nor'easter, and it is standard equipment rather than an upgrade.
The Trailhawk is a different vehicle underneath. It adds Active Drive Low with a 20:1 crawl ratio, a fourth Selec-Terrain mode in Rock, Hill Descent Control, four skid plates covering the front suspension, fuel tank, transfer case and transmission, red tow hooks front and rear, an off-road suspension, Falken WildPeak All-Terrain tires and a full-size spare. Ground clearance rises to 8.6 inches and fording depth to 19 inches. The Trailhawk off-road page covers the hardware and the approach angles trim by trim.
Towing is the one place to read the fine print. The rating is 2,000 pounds on a conventional hitch, properly equipped, and it belongs to the Trailhawk fitted with the Trailer-Tow Group. It is not a lineup-wide figure. The other five trims are not rated to tow.
The standard list is long: seven airbags, full-speed forward collision warning with active braking, pedestrian and cyclist emergency braking, blind-spot monitoring with rear cross-path detection, the Active Lane Management System, drowsy driver detection, the ParkView Rear Back Up Camera with active grid lines, electronic stability control, electronic roll mitigation, hill start assist and automatic high-beam control. Adaptive cruise control with stop and go is standard on the Limited, Limited Altitude and Trailhawk, and available on the Latitude Altitude.
One thing to be precise about, because the segment is full of loose language. The Compass offers Active Driving Assist as a package option, and it is a hands-on system. Jeep's own wording is that it requires the driver to keep their hands on the wheel at all times, and the car enforces that with touch sensors in the steering wheel. Jeep's hands-free system is not offered on the Compass.
Both organisations have tested this car, and the scores are uneven. The technology and safety page carries both sets in full, adverse results included, in each body's own vocabulary.
Bumper-to-bumper runs 3 years or 36,000 miles, the powertrain 5 years or 60,000, and roadside matches the powertrain. Corrosion splits: the sheet metal for 3 years, the outer body panels for 5, neither capped on mileage. The maintenance schedule page covers service intervals and what the schedule does not call for.
| If this is you | Build to shop | Why |
|---|---|---|
| You want four-wheel drive and a warm cabin for the least money | Latitude | 4x4, heated seats and heated wheel are all standard at $29,550 |
| You want the blacked-out look without the leatherette | Latitude Altitude | Gloss-black trim and 18-inch wheels over the Latitude |
| You actually leave the pavement | Trailhawk | Low range, Rock mode, skid plates, all-terrain tires, and the only trim rated to tow |
| You commute and want the daily-comfort equipment | Limited | Adaptive cruise, power liftgate and the digital cluster are standard here |
| You want the sunroof and the sound system without options | 85th Anniversary Edition | Panoramic roof and Alpine audio standard, below the Limited's price |
A well-equipped pick for most buyers here is the Limited at $33,560, which is where adaptive cruise, the power liftgate and the digital cluster stop being options. Run the numbers on a payment with our financing tools before you decide between it and a loaded Latitude Altitude — the gap is often smaller than the sticker suggests once equipment is matched.
Jeep Portsmouth is at 2355 Lafayette Rd, Portsmouth, NH 03801, and you can reach the store at (603) 431-8900. We are a Jeep store, which means the people who hand you the keys work on this lineup all day rather than across six brands. Dover, Exeter, Somersworth and Rochester buyers are all inside a short run of the lot.
The regional argument for this car is straightforward. Where winter arrives as wet coastal snow and the shoulder seasons deliver standing water and broken pavement, a compact SUV with four-wheel drive standard and 8.1 inches of clearance solves more of the year than a front-drive crossover does, and it does it without stepping up to a vehicle you then have to park downtown. Come drive one from the lot and take it out toward Exeter on Route 101, up Route 16 toward Dover and Rochester, or north over the Piscataqua River Bridge toward Kittery. Fifteen minutes will tell you more than any spec sheet.
Pricing opens at $29,550 for the Latitude and tops out at $35,555 for the Limited Altitude, both excluding the $1,995 destination charge. Note that the Trailhawk, at $34,060, sits below the Limited Altitude, because it is a capability trim rather than the top of the ladder.
Yes, on every one. All six trims ship with four-wheel drive and no front-drive Compass is built for 2026. The Trailhawk runs Jeep Active Drive Low with a 20:1 crawl ratio; the other five trims run Jeep Active Drive, which has no low range.
200 horsepower at 5,000 rpm and 221 lb-ft of torque from 1,750 rpm, from a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder paired to an eight-speed automatic. Every trim uses the same engine, and it runs on regular 87-octane fuel.
The EPA rates the 2026 Compass at 23 mpg city, 31 highway and 26 combined. Only one configuration is certified for 2026, so that rating covers the entire lineup regardless of trim or wheel size.
2,000 pounds on a conventional hitch, properly equipped, and the scope matters: that rating belongs to the Trailhawk fitted with the Trailer-Tow Group. The other five trims are not rated for towing, so if you plan to pull even a small utility trailer, the Trailhawk with that group is the build to order.
27.2 cubic feet with the seats up, rising to 59.8 once the second row is down. The load floor sits 29.7 inches off the ground, which makes loading heavy items a slide rather than a lift.
The base Sport trim was dropped, two Altitude appearance trims were added, and an 85th Anniversary Edition joined the lineup. Two colours are new, Fathom Blue and Joose (the latter for a limited run), while Red Hot and Hydro Blue became no-cost colours. The engine, platform and bodywork carry over.
No. The Compass offers Active Driving Assist as a package option on the Latitude Altitude and Limited Altitude, and it is a hands-on system. Jeep's wording is that the driver must keep their hands on the wheel at all times, and the car enforces it through touch sensors in the wheel. Jeep's hands-free system is offered on other models in the lineup, not on the Compass.
Four-wheel drive standard on every trim, heated seats from the base car, and six trims to sort through. Come drive one on the roads you will actually own it on.
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* Images, prices, and options shown, including vehicle color, trim, options, pricing and other specifications are subject to availability, incentive offerings, current pricing and credit worthiness.