2013 Jeep Compass vs. Its Competition

Bengt Halvorson Senior Editor

In the years since the Jeep Compass was first introduced, it's gone from an alternative to somewhat larger, more family-oriented compact crossovers to part of a growing class of smaller crossover models.

The Mitsubishi Outlander Sport is one of them; it's road-oriented and has a somewhat better-designed interior, although it suffers from some of the same refinement issues.

The Nissan Juke is a lot of fun to drive, but somehow its interior space doesn't amount to much; it also has a harsh ride.

The Subaru XV Crosstrek is an interesting new model this year and handles better and with more refinement than the Compass while offering nearly the off-road capability.

On the other hand, the Mini Countryman isn't much of an off-road machine, but some will love its more stylish and better-detailed look inside and out.

One other more mainstream alternative is the Hyundai Tucson, which is compact and easy to park like the Compass but more stylish and contemporary as well as more fuel-efficient.