i drove a couple comparable kia's, hyundais and such and felt it was better... but it's newer, so it should be.
the reviewers recently did the same thing and disagreed.
the new Compass finished last of the 10 vehicles tested.
http://www.autotrader.ca/expert/20170515/comparison-test-2017-compact-suvs-part-2-40-000/
Ahem, hence why I, one of the reviewers
, stated:
I'd be interested in driving a non-trailhawk.
Both the Compass and the Escape suffered from being the wrong trim for the comparison. Had this been a mild off-road comparison test, the Compass would have done very well. Similarly, had it been a...um...nah, the trim of Escape provided made very little sense for anyone. Seriously, those option packages were absurd (especially the $1,550 IIRC option group that equipped 19" blacked out wheels and not much else).
The Cherokee had a number of flaws no matter the trim, however, but the worst parts for me were the suspension (Trailhawk-specific) and the poor handling (tires, suspension).
Non-Trailhawk issues still included the active-lane keep assist (it was frightening - and no, not the system generally, but this one was tugging me to the right side of every lane even if I was closer to the right side of the lane
), the powertrain being coarse and unrefined, and the interior ergonomics.
...but it may have finished 6th or 7th if a non-Trailhawk was provided, and the Escape could have been maybe 4th or 5th overall. Not for sure - it all comes down to the numbers and the voting, but a lot of issues like "Value", "Fuel Economy" and "Powertrain" could have been better if other trims were provided for testing.