A grey 2022 Jeep Compass Trailhawk is shown from the side parked on a rocky road.

Why We Love Casual Off-Road SUVs

If you’ve seen a car commercial lately for a truck or SUV, you might have noticed a tone shift. The vehicle approaches the camera almost from above, pushing boulders or waves of water out of its way, almost like some indestructible beast. Power, intimidation, control, conquer…you can practically see that these were the “tone” words on the creative board for these commercials. Carmakers are tapping into something: people want cars that feel unbreakable and capable of anything. Many major carmakers are participating in the race to make the next beastly off-road vehicle that can go anywhere and do anything. Everyone wants to capitalize on America’s sudden obsession with great off-road adventure vehicles, but many brands are forgetting that these vehicles also need to be able to handle daily life.

If you’ve caught the off-roading, powerful vehicle bug, too, but need something that can handle your daily needs, there are some brands that have this niche cornered, most notably Jeep. It would be worth your while to look up a Jeep Compass for sale in the Trailhawk trim that is Trail Rated (that means it can climb over rocks, go through water, handle all sorts of terrain, and more). There are a lot of ways that manufacturers can manipulate you into wanting to buy their vehicles using psychological tricks, but Jeep doesn’t need to do that. Jeep vehicles, like the Compass, check off all the boxes of what you’re looking for in an everyday off-road-ready vehicle. We’ve put together some of the reasons why buyers are finding the Jeep Compass and its versatility on and off the road to be the best choice for their next ride of choice.

Traditional Vacations Are Too Expensive

First and foremost, off-roading vehicles are fun and evoke a sense of freedom. With the prices of hotels and airfare skyrocketing recently, that’s a sense of freedom that, for many, feels threatened. Hotel prices across the U.S. were up an average of 33 percent in 2021. Domestic airfare is up 34 percent in 2022 compared to pre-pandemic times. These numbers can leave many feeling like breaking free of their routine and exploring new domains is out of reach.

An excellent off-roading vehicle makes adventure feel within reach again. The Jeep Compass Trailhawk was particularly made for adventure, thanks to features like the available SiriusXM Travel Link, which provides things like five-day weather forecasts, local event listings, and even fuel prices at gas stations along your route. With a car that can go just about anywhere, like the Compass, drivers can seek out a thrilling experience without paying an arm and a leg for a plane ticket.

A white 2022 Jeep Compass Trailhawk is shown driving through a puddle.

They Can Double As Everyday Vehicles

Another perk of off-road vehicles, particularly a spacious and comfortable one like the Jeep Compass, is that they can double as everyday vehicles. They have all the room and features you need to be the family car. So you can run errands in them, handle the school drop-offs, and cruise around the suburbs or city as if you’re a perfectly average person who doesn’t take your car forging through the desert on the weekends. Some of the convenient and comfortable features of the Compass, like heated rear and front seats, center console storage, and an available Alpine Premium Audio system, make this vehicle a true joy to run everyday errands in. The typical American today cannot afford multiple vehicles, so they need a multi-purpose vehicle that can be their fun car and their practical car. Off-road SUVs, like the Compass Trailhawk, can serve that function.

Unpredictable Climate

The majority of the world sees climate change as a real threat. It’s hard to watch the news for even an hour today without learning of a flood, hurricane, or earthquake that has devastated a region. This reality might also have something to do with the deep desire for a car that can get through rivers, climb hills, tackle piles of rubbish and rocks…you name it. After seeing enough footage of once-pristine towns being ravaged by floods, it’s not a stretch to think drivers want a car that can make it through almost any situation.

The Compass’ SiriusXM Travel link once again comes in handy here, as it provides not only weather maps to let you know what sort of climate you’re venturing into next but also severe storm alerts so you know when to take shelter. The Compass Trailhawk is also equipped to handle adverse weather conditions with four-wheel drive, the Selec-Terrain Traction Management System, and the backing of the Trail Rated badge.

Wish Fulfillment

Off-road vehicles appeal to a sense of wish fulfillment for many. It’s the knowledge that if you want to be the kind of person who drives off into the sunset to explore unknown terrain, you can because your vehicle can handle it. The reality is that most people with off-roading vehicles don’t test their limits. In fact, only about 19 percent of Jeep Wrangler owners ever take their cars off the road, but that doesn’t change the fact that there’s something liberating and assuring about knowing that if you wanted to, you could be like the person you see in the Jeep commercials, wearing aviators and camouflage/cargo pants, exploring the unknown. The plus side is you don’t need a Wrangler to have that freedom; a Jeep Compass Trailhawk still has plenty of capability to handle going off-road when the mood strikes.

A white 2022 Jeep Compass for sale, is shown off-roading down a mountain.

Nostalgia

Innovation and tech seem to run the world today, but for many, there’s a tinge of nostalgia for the days of rolling up your sleeves and giving your sweat, blood, and tears to make it. There used to be a toughness and a ruggedness that was respected and even revered. Now, the most powerful people seem to wear squeaky-clean shoes and sit behind sleek laptops at trendy standing desks.

There’s something in everyone that wants to feel tough and connected with the earth, and even drivers who are the ones behind sleek laptops at standing desks might want to connect with their more savage side on the weekends with a bit of off-roading. If they don’t get their clothes dirty, they can at least enjoy getting their car muddy. The Jeep Compass Trailhawk was designed with a nod to its rugged roots, and you can see it in details like the iconic seven-slot grille and classic boxy fascia.

It’s an Image Thing

Whether we like it or not, we express our values and personality through external factors like our clothes, our hairstyles, and––you guessed it––our cars. Driving an off-road vehicle is a way of saying, “I am not the bougie sports car or luxury sedan driver. I don’t mind getting my hands dirty. I value hard work.” A car is a statement, and an off-road vehicle is a very specific statement.

Even at a time when people are tightening their finances and pushing back on the price of new cars, drivers don’t seem to mind splurging on an awesome and highly capable off-road vehicle. Consumers have traditionally been willing to pay more for what they consider to be a valuable asset, and given the current state of the world, a car that can handle anything you throw at it is hard to pass up. If nothing else, driving an off-road vehicle is, put simply, really fun, and everybody needs to have a little fun sometimes. If the desire for a car that’s capable of more has been calling your name, it might be time to check out the Jeep Compass Trailhawk.