by "Chan - Mid-engine with cabin fever" (superchan7)
Published 11/10/2017 at 17:35
by "Chan - Mid-engine with cabin fever" (superchan7)
Published 11/10/2017 at 17:35
Tags: Jeep
; jeep compass
; California
STARS: 3
Someone asked a great question, so I’ll add it here. Our cross-shop list was:
1. Honda HR-V (small cargo area, no power trunk)
2. Toyota C-HR (terrible sight lines, no power trunk)
3. Mini Countryman (wife found it gimmicky and expensive)
4. Subaru Crosstrek (while I appreciated the much improved cabin space and interior design of the 2018, roofline still too low and interior is still a bit plasticky, no power trunk)
5. Fiat 500X (too small, no power trunk)
Like 1: The overall exterior design carrying many styling cues from other Jeeps. It looks much more upscale and cohesive than the previous Compass, which was neither.
Like 2: The powertrain. The new Compass gets consistently dinged for the sluggish response of the 9-speed automatic, but FWD versions like ours carry a much more responsive 6-speed. The Tigershark 2.4L features a Fiat Multiair head sitting on a Global Engine Alliance block (per Wikipedia). It’s quite refined in this application.
Like 3: The size. Slightly larger than the Fiat 500L it replaces, it sits very well in our cluttered garage and can still open the tailgate while inside. My wife finds the RAV-4 / CR-V class too large, and this is a happy medium.
Like 4: The infotainment system. The optional 8.4" screen is very friendly to use and Chrysler’s uConnect is present in all its class-leading glory. General interior design is also on point, with classy brown contrast stitching on Limited models.
Like 5: The easter eggs that Jeep have been putting in their cars for the past few years. Loch Ness Monster, gecko, grille-and-headlight patterns, I’m sure there are others.
Like 6: The gauge cluster. Jeep always has an interesting font and a different interpretation of tach “redline” for each model. The 7" driver info screen comes standard on the Limited trim and can be configured to display useful things like a giant digital speedo.
Like 7: The power tailgate is a standalone option available on Latitude, Limited and Trailhawk trims. This is hard to find in the subcompact segment and parents will really appreciate it. Instead of two active struts like on other liftgates, the Compass has an unusual single prop rod pushed by a motor located away from the door. We’ll see how this holds up over time.
Like 8: Doors swing wide open for easy access, but the rear door’s upper trim is downgraded to hard plastic. The fronts are padded and soft. The door closing/latch sound is very mechanical and shutting fully requires a bit of muscle. Exactly the sound and feel one would want in a Jeep—I like it.
Like 9: The colour. It’s labelled as “Pearl White Tri-Coat” and is only available on the Limited trim. The contrasting black roof and the chrome character line go very well with it.
Like 10: Rear seat A/C outlets, again, very rare in the subcompact segment.
Like 11: The ride feels a class above. The Koni shocks are good and wind and road noise are surprisingly well-controlled for the class. Coming from a 500L which had tire roar loud enough to drown out all the wind noise, this was a very noticeable improvement.
Not really a like or dislike, but what in the world is this nozzle sitting at the front of the engine bay? Some sort of bleed valve?
Dislike 1: The driver’s seat. Somehow I am unable to find a pleasing driving position. It’s feels a bit odd and hits some bad pressure points for me, but my wife finds no issues. As a passenger with freedom to move around, I should be fine.
Dislike 2: Active braking can only be optioned on the Limited (
correction: also avail on Latitude)
trim, and is bundled with LED exterior lighting. This option should be available on at least one lower trim level. Our car didn’t have it, but we would have liked to have the choice.
Correction: This package can actually be had on the Latitude trim, so I was mistaken. The actual thing we disliked was the low inventory, with very little choice in colours and options. It was a miracle to have found our car that has so little of what we didn’t need. The dealer did claim that we could actually order a custom build if we really wanted it.
Dislike 3: Disappointing cabin storage space. Yes, we come from a 500L which has an unusual amount of clever storage space, but a tiny armrest bin and a modest glovebox are not enough. Door pockets are useless for carrying books and docs because Jeep decided to partition them to hold bottled drinks.
Dislike 4: Fuel economy. I have been averaging an unimpressive 20 mpg so far, and I don’t even drive it hard.
Update: As I had suspected, my gridlocked commute was hurting fuel economy. My wife is currently working on increasing the average MPG with her traffic-free commutes.
Dislike 5: No cargo cover in the boot. This is actually my biggest gripe about the car so far. You can’t even buy one as there are no mounting points on North American cars. Apparently RoW Compasses do have this. What the deuce, Jeep?!
!!! UNKNOWN CONTENT TYPE !!!
Now adding some ratings. Please note that this is relative to its class, not relative to all other cars.
Comfort & Ergonomics: 7 / 10
Cabin Space: 8 / 10
Features: 9 / 10
Performance & Fuel Consumption: 6 / 10
Smoothness, NVH: 10 / 10 (FWD model only)
Style, Feel, Vibe: 9 / 10
Total: 49 / 60
"CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever" (carsoffortlangley)
11/10/2017 at 17:41, STARS: 0
Isn’t that valve thing the blow off valve since it is forced induction via a turbo?
"Highlander-Datsuns are Forever" (jamesbowland)
11/10/2017 at 17:44, STARS: 0
1. I think that is the AC charge line, should be a cap on it though.
2. I have driven the Renegade with the 2.4 and I was impressed with the grunt. Shit I actually like the Renegade quite a bit in the trail hawk trim.
"CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever" (carsoffortlangley)
11/10/2017 at 17:45, STARS: 1
Also, good to know the doors open that wide. Will avoid in parking lots.
"JQJ213- Now With An Extra Cylinder!" (jqj213)
11/10/2017 at 17:52, STARS: 0
They did a really nice redesign on it.
My only fear is that it’s going to be like the Chrysler 200 when it first launched. People were excited for how new and nice it was. Now it’s kind of the laughing stock of the rental car lot
"Takuro Spirit" (takurospirit)
11/10/2017 at 17:52, STARS: 2
DAT FITMENT DOE
"Takuro Spirit" (takurospirit)
11/10/2017 at 17:54, STARS: 1
Yup. Number 11 should be present.
"Highlander-Datsuns are Forever" (jamesbowland)
11/10/2017 at 17:58, STARS: 0
It’s not even threaded, how is it supposed to stay on?
"My citroen won't start" (lucasboechat)
11/10/2017 at 18:02, STARS: 1
I cross-shopped the Compass in my search to find a suitable replacement for my aging Subaru Tribeca.
Capable little car, I ended up with a (reserved, not bought yet) Peugeot 3008, which you don’t get in the US of A, but only because of the massing seats and TFT gauge cluster.
The only thing that disappointed me in the Compass was the interior design/material quality.
The Peugeot costs less than a mid-spec Compass.
What other cars were you considering? My search is still open until the 14th of December, until the Pug arrives and I have to make a final decision, I’d enjoy seeing other opinions.
"Chan - Mid-engine with cabin fever" (superchan7)
11/10/2017 at 18:10, STARS: 0
Any car door will open wide enough to ding a neighbouring car.
A door that opens wide is useful when there is no such constraint.
"Chan - Mid-engine with cabin fever" (superchan7)
11/10/2017 at 18:12, STARS: 0
I wish we could buy Citroens and Peugeots in the US. I really don’t care for the CUV pretense, although Jeep does at least make it look interesting.
Much rather have a car like the C4 Cactus or the 3008.
"Chan - Mid-engine with cabin fever" (superchan7)
11/10/2017 at 18:14, STARS: 0
Also, we cross-shopped with the Honda HR-V (small cargo area), Mini Countryman (wife didn’t like the style and price), Subaru Crosstrek (too small) and Toyota C-HR (awful sight lines).
"My citroen won't start" (lucasboechat)
11/10/2017 at 18:15, STARS: 0
We don’t get the Cactus here sadly enough. Brazil is relegated to CUVs and economy cars, the only things that sell.
"Chan - Mid-engine with cabin fever" (superchan7)
11/10/2017 at 18:15, STARS: 0
Lol. Subscribed.
"Chan - Mid-engine with cabin fever" (superchan7)
11/10/2017 at 18:17, STARS: 0
It’s a 2.4L NA engine, no turbo (.......none that I could find, anyway!).
"My citroen won't start" (lucasboechat)
11/10/2017 at 18:18, STARS: 0
Makes sense, I dismissed most of those for interior comfort/quality.
The final contenders for me were CPO BMW X1s, the Compass, the Audi Q3 1.4T and the Pug.
The new Mini Countryman I completely forgot about.
"Chan - Mid-engine with cabin fever" (superchan7)
11/10/2017 at 18:19, STARS: 0
At least some of the reasons behind the 200's failure are not present in the Compass: namely, the poor rear seat space and the terrible sight lines compared to its competition.
Sight lines are must on my wife’s car, and the Compass does quite well in this regard. Not as fantastic as the fishbowl 500L, but good enough.
"HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles" (hondasfordsvolvo)
11/10/2017 at 19:33, STARS: 0
I’m pretty sure it’s a bleed off, or refill point for the A/C system
"HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles" (hondasfordsvolvo)
11/10/2017 at 19:36, STARS: 0
Another car that does that well is Nissan Cube. The doors open to a full 90 degrees, combined with the low floor, and high roof, I’ve never seen a rear seat so easy to get into.
"HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles" (hondasfordsvolvo)
11/10/2017 at 19:45, STARS: 0
I drove through the local Dodge dealer to show my wife a nice Laser Blue Compass. Her reaction was “eh it’s a Jeep, why would I want a Jeep”. She gets so hung up on brand association. She believes Tahoe can’t own a Jeep, or a Subaru because they are for active, sporty, outdoorsy people. While she’s more of a “stay home and read a book” person.
Although from your review I’d rule it out because of MPG. I couldn’t handle lower than 25 average without a good trade off, like Performance, luxury, or being a truck. But for a vehicle that is just a big hatchback i just don’t think I could stomach spending that much on gas. Especially considering it’s FWD.
"FTTOHG Has Moved to https://opposite-lock.com" (alphaass)
11/10/2017 at 19:54, STARS: 1
The C4 Cactus is very small. Like 10” shorter and 4” narrower than the Compass. That being said I’d like to see something like it in the US too - just maybe a little bigger than directly bringing over the C4 Cactus.
"Chan - Mid-engine with cabin fever" (superchan7)
11/10/2017 at 22:46, STARS: 1
She ought to try it out before knocking it. I tried to convince my wife that the Countryman is fun (after all, the 500L carries a similar style), but even a test drive couldn’t sway her. She just got the wrong vibe......oh well. Honestly, I’m surprised that an Asian gal who claims to be utterly uninterested in “fun cars” would choose a Jeep.
"HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles" (hondasfordsvolvo)
11/10/2017 at 22:55, STARS: 1
My wife doesn’t like the Countrymen either. She thinks it looks too fancy. Same reason she wouldn’t consider a E90 3-series when we were looking to replace her Cavalier. She can’t handle the idea of people thinking she’s showing off with her car.
"Chan - Mid-engine with cabin fever" (superchan7)
11/14/2017 at 19:16, STARS: 1
You’re right and the dealer put the cap on. Thanks!
I think any Jeep in Trailhawk trim is awesome.
"Highlander-Datsuns are Forever" (jamesbowland)
11/14/2017 at 22:59, STARS: 0
Cool, I hope there aren’t any important parts that they forgot when the Jeep was assembled.
"Chan - Mid-engine with cabin fever" (superchan7)
11/15/2017 at 01:26, STARS: 0
Like an engine? Do Joops ever come without an engine?