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Yet the Compass still points the brand on its new heading. While those other Jeeps may have raised the ante with their car-like unibody construction, rack-and-pinion steering, and independent front suspensions, the Compass goes all in with front-wheel-drive (or front-based 4-wheel-drive called "Freedom Drive"), independent suspensions at both ends, a 4-cylinder engine, and a boatload of Mitsubishi parts. Believe it: Jeep's gone Japanese.
Partly, anyway. The Compass's closest relative is officially the Dodge Caliber (which preceded it by a few months), both of which are based on the same basic architecture that's spawning all the new Mitsubishis. You might call it a cousin twice removed of the Mitsubishi Outlander, another fairly recent sport-utility upstart that's trying to knock the Toyota RAV4 off its perch.
From the looks of things, Jeep wants to do the same, and plans to go about it by using the template of the bite-sized RAV4s Toyota used to make. The Compass enters its class as the new featherweight, with only 3,329 pounds to carry even with 4-wheel-drive hardware - less than some competitors weigh in 2WD. And while the Compass uses the Dodge Caliber's biggest engine, that still only amounts to a tidy-sized 2.4-liter 4-cylinder. Finally, only 103.7 inches stand between its front and rear wheels - all a good start for one-upping the competition in nimbleness and efficiency.
But not a good finish. Whoever was in charge of the suspension passed on the opportunity to utilize the natural advantages at hand, instead fitting the Compass with the kind of shocks that let the bumpers almost kiss the pavement with every brush of the gas or brake. Body lean is so pronounced that even a series of city-speed turns brings the onset of queasiness
This Jeep's no joyride in the twisties, either. Mean-looking Firestones of size P215/55R18 and the potential benefits of four driven wheels demonstrate little impact on the average tire grip or moderate understeer, and the steering remains languid no matter what's going on below. Likewise, the brakes are both mushy and grabby despite their all-disc antilock nature, though they stop the Compass in a decent distance.
With a suspension consisting of the common strut-front, rear-multilink layout, you'd expect obvious benefits somewhere - say, the ride. Those who seek softness will find it in the Compass, which usually deals with bumps in the manner of a comfort-oriented car. But even here, a fair amount of quick jolts and side-to-side rocking keep true resiliency out of reach. It's not so easy on the ears, either, with a thunderstorm of tire noise, a hurricane of wind, and a motor that moans all morning long.
Yet relatively speaking, at least, the Compass's powertrain is still its bright spot. The engine's auditory audaciousness is partly due to the Compass's Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT), which lets it zing to the ideal point in the rev range instantly and helps kick the Compass to 60 MPH in a tolerable 9.5 seconds. The CVT also offers its own version of AutoStick, giving its driver six preset ratios to play with. Now, assigning gears to a gearless automatic ain't much higher on the philosophical ladder than a solar-powered flashlight (it's a double-whammy in terms of efficiency), but anyone who enjoys stick-shifting an automatic will love this CVT, which responds with almost mind-reading quickness and never overrides a command.
And if you can turn a deaf ear to the engine, it's a pretty good one. 22 MPG in mostly highway driving is near the expected average (even if the tiny 13.5-gallon tank forces a fill-up every 240 miles), it's vibration-free, and its two cams, 16 valves, and variable valve timing on both ends bless its all-aluminum block with 172 horsepower and 165 pounds-feet of torque - a few more ponies and pounds than Honda and Toyota could fit in their 2.4-liter 4-bangers. The throttle responds gradually (maybe too gradually), and it has one of those European-style throttles with a firm detent at the end of its travel. Press up against it and the engine stays steady at just over 5,000 RPM; bury your foot and watch it zing to 6,000 for full thrust. It's a nice touch.
Oh yeah, this is a Jeep, so let's not forget off-roading. Obviously, the absence of a full frame, live axles, and locking differentials leaves the Compass's 8.1 inches of ground clearance as its only asset. But Jeep does got one thing its peers don't got: a "4WD Lock" switch that can be freely flipped at any speed, forcing the electronic coupling to send about half the power to the rear wheels. It'll have to do.
The Compass may drive like it's biggest of the bunch, but the truth is the opposite. A 173.4-inch length and 69.3-inch width make it shorter and skinnier than all but one, and its 65.2-inch height makes it the lowest lowrider in the land (except for the Caliber, but that's being pitched as a wagon). We all know who gets sold on smallness: women.
Indeed, Jeep has cited women as the Compass's majority target, first in writing and then in styling. It remains to be seen how the fairer sex will take to Jeep's juxtaposition of soft curves, hard angles, blingy chrome wheels, bulging headlights, and annoying triangular rear windows that cloud visibility, but if appealing to women entails repulsing most men, Jeep's job is at least half done.
Halfway might be too generous a verdict for the interior. Even ignoring the drab monochrome scheme of this test sample, I can't name too many females with an affection for hard, cheap surfaces, plastic panels painted like metal, leather that could pass for vinyl, Starbucks-unfriendly cupholders, stingy storage space, a blaringly loud and incessant warning chime, and a rectilinear dashboard plagued with inelegant bulges and craters. Can you?
Women with long commutes probably won't warm much to the driver's seat, either. It feels fine at first but abandons back support after 90 minutes - in other words, it can't commit. Even men, often oblivious to all things aesthetic, will at least grow intolerant of the repeated offenses of flimsiness, with that soggy snapping tree branch of a turn signal being the worst example. Members of either gender should beware that the lack of a Reverse lockout on that free-moving transmission shiftgate could be a $3,000 repair waiting to happen.
The stereo is more of the same: it gets all the notes out and even has enough bass to get the cabin booming, but its bland, blatty delivery and lack of separation leave music a dish served cold. Furthermore, those double-barreled presets on Chrysler's corporate radio complicate station switching (both directly and via the audio controls on the back of the steering wheel), and get this: if you order the CD changer, you lose the iPod input jack.
At least the Compass largely has the logic part down. The instrument panel is clean and simple, most controls are ideally laid out and easy to reach, and the nice cruise control stalk is a Mitsubishi transplant. The steering wheel's nicely thick and leathery, and there's some evidence of designer thoughtfulness: one compartment perfectly cradles a cell phone, the upper section of the center console was custom-made for an iPod, and the dome light doubles as a removable flashlight. It's pleasing to see front seat heaters at this price, and between them hides a handy 115-volt socket to power any household device you can name.
And as much as the Compass's size compromised the capacity of its fuel tank and cargo hold, Jeep prevented the effects from reaching the back seat. Legs fit fine; space for feet is downright amazing. The armrests are nice enough (though there's none in the center), and the Compass's high-hung bench lets it beat the bigger Jeeps in the comfort contest. The center-rear rider gets denied protection for head and space for feet (cupholders apparently take precedence), but the Compass works nicely for four.
Four plus luggage is another question. Seats up, the Compass carries 22.7 cubic feet; seats down and it's up to 53.6. In a class where most entrants reach the mid-60s, those figures mark new lows for the class, failing to match the Toyota RAV4 (73 feet) or even the Toyota Matrix. An uncarpeted floor that lets cargo crash around doesn't help impressions, either. Still, those are useful enough sums to serve the lives of most singles, the shape is nice and square, and both the seats and the one-piece hatch are easy to handle.
Fortunately, the Compass's penchant for modest numbers extends to its price. Compared to the 20-grand-plus prices of the class leaders, the Compass Sport starts at $17,035 for a 2WD automatic. Downgrading to the 2.0-liter can shave off a petty $200, and choosing the Compass's rare option of a stickshift can drop it down to $15,985. But one look at the options list explains how such prices were possible. Just about everyone will specify the $2,600 Quick Order Package which contains air conditioning, power windows / locks / mirrors, keyless entry, map lights, assist grips, floor mats, illuminated entry, tinted glass, driver's seat height adjuster, flat-folding passenger seat, folding/reclining rear seats, the dome light / flashlight, and the 115V power outlet. Throw in side air bags and cruise control for $250 a piece and you're up to $20,135.
Then there's the Compass Limited, which starts with cruise and everything in the big important package, then standardizes heated leather seats, 18-inch wheels, and a tire pressure monitor. Cost: $20,485 for stick, $21,635 for automatic (which costs slightly more here for adding the AutoStick feature). Tack on $1,800 to any version for 4-wheel-drive.
Half the journey still lies ahead, like the Driver Convenience Group (trip computer, tire pressure monitor, auto-dimming mirror, compass, garage door opener, $425), moonroof ($800), Sirius radio ($195), 6-disc MP3 CD changer ($320), 6-disc CD changer with navigation system ($1,395 on Limited), Boston Acoustics speakers (includes drop-down rear-firing speakers for tailgate parties; $495 on Limited), Uconnect hands-free phone ($275 on Limited), chrome wheels ($825 on Limited), and a Trailer Tow Prep Group to raise towing capacity from 1,000 to 2,000 pounds ($130). Chrysler has also borrowed the European practice of charging for certain paint colors: $150 for green, $225 for red.
Yet our aforementioned $20,135 Compass Sport still marks a decent discount. A Honda CR-V LX costs $21,195, a base RAV4 $21,595, and a Ford Escape XLS with a couple key options slightly higher still. Hyundai would normally be a big obstacle, but since the Tucson needs its V6 to compare with Compass, it ends up as high as the others. Only the related Kia Sportage ducks under 21 grand, but the Compass ducks lower still.
Low enough to make up for its flaws in performance, décor, refinement, comfort, and utility? That's the only real question, and the answer lies in your values.
Jeep may be selling out, but at least it's at a good price.
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