2022 Jeep Compass vs 2023 Dodge Hornet

The 2022 Jeep Compass, despite receiving 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 High Altitude test vehicle featuring attractive 19-inch multi-spoke wheels in a dark sparkly finish that matched the paint, giving it an upscale appearance. Inside, the Compass High Altitude impressed with a new dashboard design, updated digital instrumentation, and infotainment systems. The cabin boasted soft-touch surfaces, luxury-grade leather seats, and enhanced sound deadening, elevating its sophistication. The High Altitude trim, the most expensive in the lineup, offered a premium feel with features like standard all-wheel drive and various option packages, resulting in an MSRP of $40,470, including destination charges.

The 2023 Dodge Hornet showcased its Dodge DNA with a front end featuring muscle-car styling cues, including a wide "raccoon mask" face, bulging hood, and dual extractors. The illuminated Rhombi logo on the taillights added a distinctive touch. From the side and rear, the Hornet resembled a Porsche Macan or Cayenne, giving it a premium feel. The Hornet's design, based on the Alfa Romeo Tonale, aimed to appeal to Dodge brand loyalists. The standard silver 17-inch wheels, though smaller, had a machined surface, while the Blacktop package offered 18-inch black alloy wheels and other enhancements. The Hornet continued Dodge's tradition of "High Impact Paint" with seven vibrant color options. Inside, the Hornet featured performance-inspired elements like red stitching and a flat-bottomed steering wheel, with GT Plus offering more luxurious seating options.

The 2022 Jeep Compass was equipped with a 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine, producing 177 horsepower and 172 lb-ft of torque. Despite its "Tigershark" name, the engine lacked acceleration prowess, and a turbocharger would have improved its performance, especially at higher altitudes. The nine-speed automatic transmission, paired with all-wheel drive, aimed to maximize fuel efficiency but resulted in a busy and unrewarding powertrain character. The automatic stop/start system was slow to re-engage, leading to hard engagement during acceleration. 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 Compass High Altitude achieved 23.8 mpg in testing, slightly below the EPA's 25 mpg estimate. With 8.1 inches of ground clearance, it handled light off-roading and snowstorms well, while the Trailhawk trim offered enhanced off-road capabilities.

The 2023 Dodge Hornet boasted "best-in-class performance" with its Hurricane 2.0-liter turbocharged inline-four engine, delivering 268 horsepower and 295 lb-ft of torque. It outperformed competitors like the Chevy Trailblazer, Honda HR-V, and Hyundai Kona, with only the Mazda CX-30 coming close. The Hornet's base model emitted a low, menacing rumble, drawing attention. Sport mode enhanced throttle response, steering, and upshifts, achieving a 0-60 mph time of 6.5 seconds. While the Hornet excelled at slower speeds, it experienced lag when accelerating from cruising speeds. The Hornet R/T's hybrid powertrain improved pickup pace, offering a more balanced performance.

The 2022 Jeep Compass shared similar interior dimensions with the Renegade and Cherokee, positioning it on the smaller end of the compact SUV spectrum. It comfortably accommodated four adults and their luggage, with limited extra space. The High Altitude trim featured eight-way power-adjustable front seats with heating and ventilation, a heated steering wheel, and heated rear seats. The dual-pane panoramic sunroof and redesigned dashboard added to the premium feel. The Uconnect 5 infotainment system, with an 8.4-inch or optional 10.1-inch touchscreen, offered customization options and wireless connectivity. The Compass provided 27.2 cubic feet of cargo space behind the rear seat, expanding to 59.8 cubic feet with the rear seat folded.

The 2023 Dodge Hornet GT Plus trim offered more comfortable leather seats with four-way powered lumbar adjustment and memory settings. The Alcantara seats in the Track Pack provided additional features. The driver-oriented cockpit layout featured a digital gauge cluster and a center stack angled toward the driver. Visibility was generally good, though the A-pillar design occasionally obstructed the view. The Hornet's interior emphasized performance-inspired elements, with a focus on driver comfort and convenience.

The 2022 Jeep Compass featured the Uconnect 5 infotainment system, which was five times faster than its predecessor. It offered an 8.4-inch standard touchscreen, with a 10.1-inch upgrade available. The system supported wireless Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, and Amazon Alexa, along with satellite radio and voice text-to-reply capability. Over-the-air updates ensured the system remained current. The Compass also offered a navigation system, connected services, a WiFi hotspot, and a wireless charging pad. The nine-speaker Alpine premium sound system was available as an upgrade. The voice recognition system was fast and accurate, though it occasionally struggled with specific requests.

The 2023 Dodge Hornet featured a driver-focused cockpit with a 12.3-inch digital gauge cluster and a 10.25-inch touchscreen. The Uconnect 5 system was intuitive and easy to use, with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, SiriusXM, and dual-phone Bluetooth connectivity. The GT Plus trim added a 14-speaker Harman Kardon premium sound system, wireless charging pad, and navigation. The navigation system generally performed well, though it occasionally continued giving instructions after ending a route.

The 2022 Jeep Compass came with enhanced safety features, including forward-collision warning with pedestrian and cyclist detection, automatic emergency braking, lane-departure warning, lane-keeping assistance, blind-spot monitoring, and rear cross-traffic alert. Highway Assist, combining adaptive cruise control and lane-centering assistance, was set to be added later. The Compass also offered a parallel and perpendicular parking assistance system and a 360-degree surround-view camera. While the adaptive cruise control and lane-keeping systems generally worked well, the forward-collision warning system occasionally gave false positives. Safety ratings from the IIHS and NHTSA were not yet available.

The 2023 Dodge Hornet included standard advanced driver-assistance features such as blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-path detection, adaptive cruise control, lane-departure warning, lane-keep assist, forward-collision warning, and a rear backup camera. The Tech Pack added a front, side, and rear park-assist system, driver-attention monitoring, and a 360-degree surround-view camera. It also enabled Level 2 autonomous driving capabilities. Safety ratings from the IIHS and NHTSA were not yet available for the Hornet.