The 2010 Jeep Compass has a regular Front-Wheel drive and the four-wheel drive system is an option. The SUV functions the front-wheel-drive mode during ordinary situations and mechanically applies muscle to the rear wheels whenever the need arises. The 2010 Jeep Compass can be locked in the 4WD mode and have the engine traction of 60 percentage sent to the rear wheel for enhanced off-road traction.

Each 2010 Jeep Compass version comes with the regular 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine which has a capability of 172 Horsepower and 165 pound feet of torque. There is a five-speed manual transmission which is also a regular feature and the (Continuous Variable Transmission) CVT is an option. The engine and CVT and a four-wheel drive when tested went from zero to 60mph in a slow 10.6 seconds and also whined while achieving it. The fuel economy with the automatic transmission and 4WD is 21mpg in city drives and 24mpg on highways and 22mpg when combined together. The front-wheel or manual drive recovers the figures by adding a few numbers on the mpg.

The optional front-wheel drive 2010 Jeep Compass Sport is a little less powerful but offers fuel efficiency better with its 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine. It produces 158 Horsepower and 141 pound feet of torque and gives the same transmission options as the 2.4-liter four-cylinder. The fuel economy figures slant towards 23mpg in city drives, 29mpg on highways and 25mpg when combined and with the CVT it gives 23/27/25 respectively.