Six trims, $6,005 from the bottom of the range to the top, and a range that does not climb in a straight line. Every trim, what it adds, and what it costs.
The 2026 Compass runs six trims, from the Latitude at $29,550 to the Limited Altitude at $35,555, a spread of $6,005. Every one of them carries the same 200-horsepower turbocharged four and, new for this year, four-wheel drive as standard equipment. That matters more than it sounds: on most compact crossovers the trim walk is partly a drivetrain walk, and here it simply is not. What you are choosing between is screens, seats, wheels, and in exactly one case, hardware.
We stock the range on Lafayette Road, and this page takes each trim in turn with what it actually adds, then puts all six side by side, then works through the pairs people genuinely cross-shop. The one structural warning before you start: the Trailhawk is not the top of the range. It sits below the Limited Altitude on price because it is a capability trim, not a luxury one.
| Trim | Starting MSRP | Positioning |
|---|---|---|
| Latitude | $29,550 | The value trim, and unusually well equipped for one |
| Latitude Altitude | $31,665 | The blacked-out look, bigger wheels, bigger screen |
| 85th Anniversary Edition | $32,345 | Sunroof and premium audio without optioning up |
| Limited | $33,560 | The comfort and convenience trim; where the daily-driver equipment lands |
| Trailhawk | $34,060 | The only genuinely different vehicle in the range |
| Limited Altitude | $35,555 | Limited equipment wearing the Altitude treatment |
All prices are starting MSRPs and exclude the $1,995 destination charge, plus taxes, title and registration. Subject to change.
Available engine: the 2.0-liter turbocharged four, 200 horsepower and 221 lb-ft, with the eight-speed automatic. Drivetrain is Jeep Active Drive four-wheel drive, standard, with no front-drive alternative offered.
What makes the Latitude worth taking seriously as a destination rather than a starting point is the cold-weather equipment. Heated front seats and a heated steering wheel are standard here, not bundled two trims up. So is remote start. In a segment where those three routinely live in a package on the second or third trim, a Rochester, Somersworth or Dover buyer gets the whole winter kit at the bottom of the range.
Standard equipment also covers 17-inch aluminum wheels on 225/60R17 tires, Uconnect 5 on an 8.4-inch touchscreen with wireless Apple CarPlay and wireless Android Auto, a 7-inch driver display, six speakers, LED reflector headlamps with fog and cornering lamps, Selec-Terrain, and black side roof rails. Seats are premium cloth and vinyl with a six-way manual driver's seat. Available: Rock Rails by Mopar, a graphics package, an interior premium group and premium paint.
Who it is for: the buyer who wants four-wheel drive and a warm cabin and is unmoved by wheel diameter.
Available engine: the same 2.0-liter turbo four. Drivetrain: Jeep Active Drive, standard.
A step-up of $2,115 over the Latitude, and it buys appearance plus screen. The Altitude content that defines the trim brings 18-inch gloss-black aluminum wheels on 225/55R18 tires, gloss-black exterior moldings and badging, piano-black interior accents, illuminated visor mirrors, and the 10.1-inch Uconnect 5 touchscreen. Worth being precise about how that screen arrives: it comes as part of the Altitude package content rather than as a base-model standard line. Every Latitude Altitude leaves the factory with it.
Seats stay premium cloth and vinyl. Available: the Sun and Sound Group, a Convenience Group, and Rock Rails by Mopar. Adaptive cruise control with stop and go is available here through the Driver Assistance Group rather than standard.
Who it is for: the buyer who wants the car to look like the brochure and does not need leatherette.
Available engine: the 2.0-liter turbo four. Drivetrain: Jeep Active Drive, standard.
A special edition added to the lineup partway through the year, which is why it does not appear in the original brochure. For $680 over the Latitude Altitude it is the best-value surprise of the range, because it makes standard two things that cost real money as options elsewhere: a dual-pane panoramic sunroof and the nine-speaker Alpine premium audio system with subwoofer. It also brings dual-zone automatic climate control.
Visually it runs 19-inch Steel Oxide wheels on 235/45R19 tires, anniversary decals on the doors, liftgate and 4x4 badging, 85th Anniversary cloth seats with Mayan Gold stitching and Berber floor mats. The 10.1-inch touchscreen is standard. Available: an 85th Anniversary Convenience Group and Rock Rails by Mopar.
Who it is for: the buyer who wants a sunroof and a stereo and would rather not build a $2,000 package to get them.
Available engine: the 2.0-liter turbo four. Drivetrain: Jeep Active Drive, standard.
$1,215 above the Anniversary Edition, and this is where the equipment stops being about looks and starts being about the drive. Adaptive cruise control with stop and go becomes standard. So does a power liftgate with foot-activated opening, ParkSense Front/Rear Park Assist, rain-sensing wipers, a wiper de-icer, an auto-dimming mirror, and the 10.25-inch all-digital instrument cluster in place of the 7-inch display.
Seating steps up to leatherette, with eight-way power and lumbar adjustment for the driver. Wheels are 18-inch aluminum with gloss-black pockets on 225/55R18 tires. A black two-tone roof is available. Also available: the Sun, Sound and Navigation Group, Driver Assist Group I and Rock Rails by Mopar.
Who it is for: anyone whose Compass will spend its life commuting. On a daily run down Route 1 or out Route 101 toward Exeter and Epping, adaptive cruise and the power liftgate are the two features you touch every day.
Available engine: the 2.0-liter turbo four. Drivetrain: Jeep Active Drive Low, standard, and this is the one trim where the drivetrain line changes.
Only $500 above the Limited, and mechanically the only trim that is a different vehicle. Active Drive Low adds a genuine low range with a 20:1 crawl ratio. Selec-Terrain gains a fourth setting in Rock mode. Hill Descent Control is standard and is offered nowhere else in the lineup. Underneath there are four skid plates covering the front suspension, fuel tank, transfer case and transmission, plus two front and one rear tow hook finished in red.
The suspension is off-road tuned with increased ride height, which lifts ground clearance to 8.6 inches against 8.1 elsewhere and published water fording to 19 inches against 16. Tires are Falken WildPeak All-Terrain tires on 17-inch painted black aluminum wheels, sized 215/65R17, and a full-size spare rides underneath. GVWR rises to 4,875 pounds and curb weight to 3,840.
It is also the only Compass rated to tow. With the Trailer-Tow Group fitted, the Trailhawk is rated at 2,000 pounds when properly equipped on a conventional hitch; no other trim carries a towing rating at all. Seats are cloth with leather trim. Available: the Sun, Sound and Navigation Group, Driver Assist Group I, the Trailer-Tow Group and Rock Rails by Mopar.
Who it is for: the buyer who leaves pavement on purpose, or who needs to pull a small utility trailer.
Available engine: the 2.0-liter turbo four. Drivetrain: Jeep Active Drive, standard.
The top of the price range at $1,495 above the Trailhawk, and a lateral move rather than a step up in capability. It takes the Limited's whole equipment set and adds the Altitude treatment: 19-inch painted Satin Granite Crystal aluminum wheels on 235/45R19 tires, a gloss-black and neutral-gray exterior treatment, and piano-black interior accents. Leatherette seating, the power liftgate, adaptive cruise and the digital cluster all carry over from the Limited.
Who it is for: the buyer who wanted the Limited and also wanted it to look like the Altitude.
| Latitude | Lat. Altitude | 85th Anniv. | Limited | Trailhawk | Ltd. Altitude | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Starting MSRP | $29,550 | $31,665 | $32,345 | $33,560 | $34,060 | $35,555 |
| Engine | 2.0-liter turbo four, 200 hp / 221 lb-ft, eight-speed auto, every trim | |||||
| Drivetrain | Active Drive | Active Drive | Active Drive | Active Drive | Active Drive Low | Active Drive |
| Wheels | 17-inch | 18-inch | 19-inch | 18-inch | 17-inch | 19-inch |
| Touchscreen | 8.4-inch | 10.1-inch | 10.1-inch | 10.1-inch | 10.1-inch | 10.1-inch |
| Driver display | 7-inch | 7-inch | 7-inch | 10.25-inch | 7-inch | 10.25-inch |
| Seats | Cloth and vinyl | Cloth and vinyl | 85th cloth | Leatherette | Cloth, leather trim | Leatherette |
| Adaptive cruise | — | Available | Available | Standard | Standard | Standard |
| Ground clearance | 8.1 in | 8.1 in | 8.1 in | 8.1 in | 8.6 in | 8.1 in |
| Towing, conventional hitch, properly equipped | — | — | — | — | 2,000 lbs, tow group, conventional hitch, properly equipped | — |
| Seating | Five, two rows, all six trims | |||||
Legend: Standard = included at no cost · Available = offered as an option or package · — = not standard equipment. Trailhawk towing requires the Trailer-Tow Group.
The most-asked question in the range, and the answer is unusually clean because nothing mechanical changes. For $2,115 you get 18-inch gloss-black wheels instead of 17-inch alloys, gloss-black exterior trim and badging, piano-black cabin accents, illuminated visor mirrors, and the jump from the 8.4-inch touchscreen to the 10.1-inch one.
The screen is the part worth weighing. If you use wireless CarPlay every day, the larger display is a real daily-use upgrade rather than a styling one, and both trims give you wireless phone mirroring either way. If you mostly listen to the radio and want the winter equipment for the least money, the Latitude already has the heated seats and heated wheel, and the Altitude adds nothing you will feel on a cold morning in Newmarket.
$500 apart, and the two most different cars in the lineup. The Limited spends its money above the floor: leatherette, a power driver's seat, the power liftgate, rain-sensing wipers, the auto-dimming mirror, and the 10.25-inch digital cluster. The Trailhawk spends its money below the floor: low range, Rock mode, Hill Descent Control, four skid plates, tow hooks, off-road suspension, all-terrain tires and a full-size spare, plus half an inch of extra ground clearance and three extra inches of fording depth.
Notice what the Trailhawk gives up. It keeps the 7-inch driver display rather than the digital cluster, and its seats are cloth with leather trim rather than leatherette. If your Compass will see dirt roads, boat ramps or a trailer, none of that matters. If it will see the Route 16 commute from Dover and a parking garage, the Limited is the better car for the same money.
$1,495 buys appearance and nothing else. The Limited Altitude carries the identical powertrain, the identical comfort and convenience equipment, the identical screens and the identical seats. What changes is 19-inch painted Satin Granite Crystal wheels in place of 18-inch aluminum, a gloss-black and neutral-gray exterior treatment, and piano-black interior accents.
One practical note before you decide: the 19-inch wheels wear 235/45R19 tires, a shorter sidewall than the Limited's 225/55R18. On a Seacoast pothole in March, sidewall is the part of the tire doing the absorbing. That is a fit consideration, not a fault, and plenty of buyers happily take the look.
The sweet spot: the Latitude at $29,550. It is the only trim in the range where the equipment that defines a New Hampshire winter (four-wheel drive, heated seats, a heated steering wheel, remote start) is all standard at the bottom of the price range. Everything above it is buying appearance or convenience, both of which are legitimate, neither of which changes what the car does in February.
The one to buy deliberately: the Limited Altitude at $35,555. Over the Limited it buys 19-inch Satin Granite Crystal wheels, the gloss-black and neutral-gray treatment and piano-black cabin accents. It is an appearance trim on the Limited's mechanical set, and it is the right call if the look is what you want from the car.
| Step | Price difference | What you gain |
|---|---|---|
| Latitude to Latitude Altitude | $2,115 | 18-inch gloss-black wheels, blacked-out trim, the 10.1-inch touchscreen |
| Latitude Altitude to 85th Anniversary | $680 | Panoramic sunroof, Alpine premium audio, dual-zone climate, 19-inch wheels |
| 85th Anniversary to Limited | $1,215 | Leatherette, power driver's seat, power liftgate, adaptive cruise, digital cluster |
| Limited to Trailhawk | $500 | Different intent rather than more equipment: low range, Rock mode, skid plates, all-terrains, the towing rating |
| Trailhawk to Limited Altitude | $1,495 | Different intent again: back to Active Drive, on-road comfort equipment and 19-inch wheels |
The two bottom rows are sideways moves rather than upgrades. Stepping from a Limited to a Trailhawk trades comfort equipment for hardware; stepping from a Trailhawk to a Limited Altitude trades the hardware back. Neither is more capable than the other in every sense, and reading them as a straight climb is what makes this lineup confusing.
The Latitude. Four-wheel drive, heated seats, heated steering wheel and remote start, all standard, at the bottom of the range.
The Limited. Adaptive cruise with stop and go, the power liftgate and the digital cluster stop being options here.
The Trailhawk, and it is not a close call. It is the only trim with low range, Rock mode and Hill Descent Control, and the only one with a towing rating.
The 85th Anniversary Edition. Both are standard, which no other trim can say at any price in this lineup.
The Latitude Altitude if you want the look on a budget, the Limited Altitude if you want it with the comfort equipment attached.
Six: Latitude, Latitude Altitude, 85th Anniversary Edition, Limited, Trailhawk and Limited Altitude. The base Sport trim offered in prior years was dropped for 2026, and the 85th Anniversary Edition was added partway through the model year.
The Latitude at $29,550. It is the only trim where four-wheel drive, heated front seats, a heated steering wheel and remote start are all standard at the bottom of the price range. Every trim above it buys appearance or convenience rather than capability, with the single exception of the Trailhawk.
No, and this trips up a lot of shoppers. At $34,060 the Trailhawk sits below the Limited Altitude's $35,555. It is a capability trim rather than a luxury one, so it spends its budget on low range, skid plates and all-terrain tires instead of wheels and interior finish.
Yes. All six trims carry four-wheel drive; there is no front-drive Compass this year. Five trims use Jeep Active Drive; the Trailhawk uses Jeep Active Drive Low, which adds a low range with a 20:1 crawl ratio.
$2,115, and it is all appearance and screen. The Latitude Altitude adds 18-inch gloss-black wheels, gloss-black exterior trim and badging, piano-black interior accents, illuminated visor mirrors, and the 10.1-inch touchscreen in place of the Latitude's 8.4-inch unit. The engine, drivetrain, seats and heated equipment are identical.
Every trim except the base Latitude, which carries an 8.4-inch touchscreen as standard equipment. On the Latitude Altitude the 10.1-inch screen arrives as part of the Altitude content that defines the trim; on the 85th Anniversary Edition, Limited, Trailhawk and Limited Altitude it is standard equipment.
Only the Trailhawk, and only with the Trailer-Tow Group fitted, at 2,000 pounds properly equipped on a conventional hitch. The other five trims carry no towing rating at all, so if towing is part of why you are shopping, the Trailhawk with that group is the build to order.
If the trim and colour you want are on the lot, buying in stock is faster and the pricing is the same. Ordering makes sense when you want a specific combination that is not stocked, most often a Trailhawk with the Trailer-Tow Group or a particular colour. Call us at (603) 431-8900 and we will tell you honestly which one applies to your build.
Six trims read very differently on a spec sheet than they do from the driver's seat. We stock the range at 2355 Lafayette Rd, and the fastest way to settle a Limited-versus-Trailhawk debate is thirty minutes behind the wheel of both.
* The advertised price does not include sales tax, vehicle registration fees, other fees required by law, finance charges and any documentation charges. A negotiable administration fee, up to $115, may be added to the price of the vehicle.
* 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.