The new Jeep Compass looks much better with a contrasting roof color

"Textured Soy Protein" (texturedsoyprotein)
07/13/2017 at 11:06 • Filed to: Interesting cars at work

All the press photos of the new Jeep Compass featured a contrasting black roof panel. It looked good. But the black roof isn’t standard. My soon-to-be former company has this not-quite stripper Latitude model that they’re testing out as a possible company car for field sales reps. The black roof looks way better.

The contrasting roof especially helps in in the back of the car, because it helps minimize the appearance of the chunky D-pillar in relation to the little bitty quarter window, and flows into the design of the rear spoiler and window trim.

Whereas if you have the body-color roof, the chrome trim that separates the roof from the body feels much more tacked-on and unnecessary. The body-color spoiler feels disjointed with the black rear window trim.

It’s not bad , but I feel like the black roof makes the design flow much better, and the chrome trim that flows from the top edge of the side windows, along the D-pillar and into the hatch makes much more sense when its purpose is to separate the black roof from the rest of the body.

On the plus side, the OE tire on the Latitude trim is the Firestone Destination LE2, which is a perfectly good on-road SUV/truck tire that is solid in the winter. OE tires that suck in the winter on vehicles specifically marketed to have good winter capability piss me off.

I’m not sure the exact OE tires on the other trims, which I tried to piece together from press photos. The Cherokee and and Renegade Trailhawk usually come with Firestone Destination AT all-terrain tires which are also solid. But the press photos show the Compass Trailhawk with the Pirelli Scorpion ATR all-terrain, the Latitude with the Pirelli Scorpion Verde truck all-season, and Limited with Continental ContiProContact all-season car tires that are unfortunately mediocre in winter.

Personally I think the Trailhawk is the one to have, it’s got the contrasting roof, black trim instead of chrome, plus with the all-terrain tires and extra gizmos in its awd system is a nice capable little package.

DISCUSSION (15)

Nibby > Textured Soy Protein
07/13/2017 at 11:11

My sister just got one a few weeks ago, it’s not bad. Much much improved over the previous Compass. No comparison. It feels like a mini Grand Cherokee (which is funny cause Dad has a GC). My only real qualm is that it is SLOWWWWWWWWWWWWW but whatever she doesn’t care and she’s happy with it.

Kinja'd!!!

Textured Soy Protein > Nibby
07/13/2017 at 11:13

How is the idle smoothness? Last year we checked out a 500X for my wife and both she and I felt the idle of the 2.4 Tigershark was like a tractor.

Rico > Textured Soy Protein
07/13/2017 at 11:14

Much better with that chrome strip blacked out.

Nibby > Textured Soy Protein
07/13/2017 at 11:15

Hm I haven’t driven or been inside it much to notice. I’ve probably been it it for a grand total of 20 minutes so far. Next time I drive it or she takes me somewhere I’ll keep an ear out

Nibby > Textured Soy Protein
07/13/2017 at 11:16

Oh, hers has the 1.4L engine actually

Arrivederci > Textured Soy Protein
07/13/2017 at 11:19

Agree 100% on the black roof - looks much better! Don’t know if I like the Trailhawk the best, that gray one you posted up near the top looks pretty sharp - nicer wheels and no weird black section on the hood.

One pet peeve of mine about this class of vehicle is that tiny quarter window. As an automaker, if you’re going to make it that small, why even have it? Has to be cheaper to extend the door window a bit and make a simpler construction. If you’re going to put a window there, put a damn window there! Lots of space for a nice-sized one. Ugh.

Textured Soy Protein > Rico
07/13/2017 at 11:24

I actually think the chrome works on the Limited with the black roof, especially in back. It helps it look more like it’s wearing a hat, instead of the Trailhawk with the black trim looks like it has a mullet.

Kinja'd!!!

Something about how the chrome gives some visual separation between the D-pillar and the black of the roof and the quarter windows. Whereas with the all-black look the D-pillar looks like the background in a Wile-E-Coyote cartoon.

Kinja'd!!!

Textured Soy Protein > Nibby
07/13/2017 at 11:26

Wait what? I thought the 2.4 Tigershark was standard across the lineup for the Compass.

Textured Soy Protein > Arrivederci
07/13/2017 at 11:28

That’s a problem with many shapes and sizes of 2-box vehicles now. Sometimes even when they have large pieces of exterior glass, a large chunk of that glass is covering metal and not an actual opening into the interior.

Nibby > Textured Soy Protein
07/13/2017 at 11:29

Actually you’re right, just checked the window sticker. She does have the 2.4 my bad