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Overall: Jeep's first car stands out in no positive
way but price.
Overall Rating: 4/10
Recommended: No
The Jeep Compass is new for
2007, a restyled Dodge Caliber hatchback that stands out in the Jeep lineup as
its first car-based vehicle. Only out of respect to Jeep's heritage will this
review henceforth refer to the Compass as an SUV, as it is even more of a
compact station wagon in size, shape, and price than even a Honda CR-V or
Toyota RAV4.
If only it were a good car-based SUV. The better
ones, like the CR-V and RAV4, and the Hyundai Tucson and redesigned Santa Fe,
have roomy, well-packaged interiors, a good blend of pep, refinement, and gas
mileage, and good ride and handling. For an all-new design, the Compass offers
impressively few of those attributes. The only available engine is a weak and
noisy 2.4-liter four-cylinder, accompanied by either a 5-speed manual or a
continuously variable transmission that keeps it growling unhappily at a
constant RPM. Gas mileage is good for a small SUV, but doesn't stand out
despite the vehicle's small size and engine.
Aside from the engine, it doesn't drive terribly
for what it is. The ride is reasonably comfortable, feeling slightly more
buttoned-down than the similar Caliber, but it can slams over larger bumps and
doesn't recover quickly. And it handles competently for an SUV, thanks to its
compact dimensions, though the numb steering hides this well.
It falls apart again inside, however. The
interior is of notably poor quality, constructed entirely of hard, cheap
plastics. Some trim pieces fit poorly as well. The front seats are
comfortable, but though the rear seat is roomy and mounted high, the cushion
is short, flat, and too soft. There is less cargo space than most SUVs or
small station wagons, particularly behind the rear seat, though there is more
space than in the Caliber. And the vehicle's styling takes its toll on rear
visibility.
Not only are all these obvious flaws evident in
an all-new 2007 design, but this ill-developed vehicle appears as a Jeep,
sharing the showroom with vehicles that have made their name from off road
ability. It also should not escape notice that Jeep made what could be
considered the first mainstream compact SUV, the 1984 Cherokee, and then was
content to come eleven years late to the car-based section of the market with
a half-baked attempt.
The Compass is not without merit, of course.
Jeep obviously realized what it was producing, and gave it one of the lowest
prices in the compact SUV market, making it cheaper than some station wagons
and even some small sedans.
But price is not merit enough. The Compass is
aimed at buyers who would not have otherwise bought a Jeep-branded vehicle, so
the low price, reasonable practicality, and unique exterior appearance are
expected to combine with the cachet of the Jeep name to woo consumers. But the
Compass is not worth even its relatively low price. It is noisy and slow,
low-quality inside, and has poor visibility, and doesn't really do anything
else especially well.
Among car-based SUVs, the pricier Subaru
Forester, Honda CR-V, and Toyota RAV4 are worth the extra money, and the
Hyundai Tucson and Kia Sportage twins and the Ford Escape and Mazda Tribute
twins are similarly inexpensive with their base 4-cylinders. The Pontiac Vibe
and Toyota Matrix twins and the Suzuki Aerio SX are tall hatchbacks with
all-wheel-drive, and traditional front-wheel-drive hatchbacks and station
wagons like the Mazda3, Kia Spectra5, and Ford Focus are also good choices for
practicality and value as well. Even the Dodge Caliber, which is hardly an
impressive car, would be a better choice than the Compass for the extra
savings. There are numerous cars (many of which are listed at right) that
fulfill the same basic function as the Compass while doing a much better job,
and there is nothing unique about it that offers a convincing reason not to go
with one of them instead.
The Compass is soon to be joined in the Jeep
lineup by another Caliber-based SUV, that will have a unique look but share
its dash and mechanicals. The extra time spent bringing this model, the
Patriot, to market will hopefully bring improvements to interior quality, at
the very least.
See Vehicle Overview
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