The Jeep Compass was Originally Supposed to be Awesome

"As Du Volant" (skuhnphoto) 09/27/2016 at 13:01 • Filed to: jeep compass

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Ah, the Jeep Compass. A small crossover SUV that elicits reactions amongst the driving public such as “Wait, they still make that?” and “I had one as a rental once, and it sucked.”

I’ve been involved in the Jeep business since 2007 and can assure you that yes, Jeep does still make it. The name is suddenly in the spotlight again as Jeep has announced the next-generation Compass which looks like !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!!

Look at it!

But what if I told you the Compass actually was awesome? That is, until Chrysler’s bargain-bin management (the Cerberus group, more on that later) got involved.

In May of last year my girlfriend and I spent a weekend in Cleveland. Among other wonderful attractions such as the !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! and heaps of garbage floating in Lake Erie we visited the Crawford Auto-Aviation Museum. This museum is fantastic by the way, and if you’re a car enthusiast it’s a must-see in Cleveland.

Upon heading down to the museum’s basement I was greeted by this:

Confused yet intrigued, I read the information plaque next to it. “A Jeep Compass? No way,” I thought. “This car looks awesome.” So what is this vehicle, and what happened?

Answer to the first question: It’s the Jeep Compass Concept, first shown in 2002. It’s based on a modified Cherokee platform and features a 210 horsepower V6 engine, all wheel drive, a 4-wheel independent suspension with respectable ground clearance, and brakes that look like they’re taken straight off a WRC car.

The Compass Concept was designed to be run topless. The roof panel was removable (much like the current Renegade) and the interior was designed to shed water as efficiently as possible. The seats featured leatherette-trimmed sides and a meshlike center panel with multiple holes to prevent water from pooling. The floor was lined in rubber and had removable drain plugs (just like a Wrangler) and the interior as a whole was brought together with brushed aluminum and chrome trim, with gauges nestled inside individual chrome binnacles.

And then in 2006 this Jeep became a reality, and the world was treated to the 2007 Jeep Compass.

What the hell happened?!

First, keep this in mind: concept cars almost NEVER become reality. They’re too radical, not practical, often won’t meet crash test standards, and most importantly just too damned expensive to build. But the Compass? The Compass was a travesty.

At the time of the Compass’ launch Chrysler was owned by the Cerberus group, which was known for cutting corners to deplorable levels in an effort to squeeze out and funnel away as much profit as possible from already-struggling Chrysler. Daimler had started this process years before but Cerberus turned it into an art form. By the time Cerberus was done with Chrysler the company was bankrupt.

So, back to the Compass. This badass mashup of a Wrangler and a rally car turned into a boring, poorly-built crossover. It featured a 4-cylinder engine which somehow managed to make 172 horsepower feel like 120, coupled with an optional continuously variable transmission that excelled in turning fuel into noise. Build quality was spotty and the cut corners were obvious. Fit and finish were abysmal, especially in the interior- a coffin made of cheap plastic and finished in a color that designer Ralph Gilles would later refer to as “rat fur gray.”

Seriously, it was bad. Chrysler couldn’t even hide the panel gap in this car used for press photos- look at where the passenger airbag meets the dashboard.

Following Chrysler’s 2009 emergence from bankruptcy protection, Fiat took over the corporation (later to be named FCA) and its design teams undertook a program to conduct emergency redesigns of multiple Chrysler products. Under this plan the Compass and its stablemate Patriot first received a new interior in 2009...

...followed by a facelift in 2011.

For the 2014 model year the much-loathed continuously variable transmission was replaced with a proper six-speed automatic, and now, finally , the Compass was close to the vehicle it should’ve been in 2007.

And it’s still alive! The 2017 Compasses started landing at the dealerships this month. That’s an astounding ELEVEN model years of the same body style. Is it outdated? Oh hell yes. Is it a bad car? I wouldn’t say it’s bad, but it’s definitely not great. Still, it’s an okay car to drive when equipped with a manual transmission, and thanks to its longevity and less-sophisticated equipment it’s a bit more reliable than other vehicles in the FCA lineup (I’m looking at you, Dodge Dart). Amazingly the 2015 model year was the best-selling ever for the Compass, and while 2016 isn’t over yet it looks like the car may end up beating its 2015 numbers.

It’s amazing to look at the Compass Concept and think of what could’ve been. Of course the production model could never have been as crazy as the concept, but had Chrysler been under better management it might have ended up being a nice little SUV.

Could we have had an all wheel drive turbocharged competitor to the WRX or Lancer Evolution?

(Pictured: 2008 Jeep Compass Rallye package, which was nothing more than a body kit)

Or could we have ended up with a lifted, more capable Compass similar to the Surbaru XV Crosstrek?

(Pictured: 2012 Mopar True North Compass concept)

The world will never know.

Justin Hughes > As Du Volant 09/27/2016 at 13:08

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At least it’s a half decent rally course car.

That’s about the only thing the one I had for a month did well.

http://oppositelock.kinja.com/we-took-a-jeep-compass-rallying-and-it-was-awesome-1677894637

As Du Volant > Justin Hughes 09/27/2016 at 13:11

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Oh hell yes. I had a bare-bones 2008 Compass with AWD and a 5-speed for a couple years (I made a lot of questionable decisions in my youth, okay?) and I always felt like that car would kick ass on a rally course. Playing around on gravel or snow with the diff lock on I could always kick in as much or as little slide as I wanted to and keep the car pointed wherever I wanted it to go.

Sometimes I toy with the idea of picking up a beat-up used one to use as a rallycross car, if I ever have the money for such a thing.

vondon302 > As Du Volant 09/27/2016 at 13:17

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Mother in law has one with the Cvt and yeah it’s crap.

yamahog > As Du Volant 09/27/2016 at 13:40

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As awful as they were, I’m always fond of reminding people that Chrysler *tried* killing these (and the Journey, IIRC) by raising the prices... And people kept buying them! The CUV madness is real, y’all.

Carl (@stuffcarlsays) > As Du Volant 09/27/2016 at 13:47

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!!! UNKNOWN CONTENT TYPE !!!

/s/The Jeep Compass/Every Chrysler Concept, Ever

MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner > As Du Volant 09/27/2016 at 14:04

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I considered the route of taking one of these for a rally cross car. They’re still too expensive in functional form to even consider it.

I have no idea why they’re still as expensive as they are. To get the AWD 5 speed one, you’d be better off just buying an AWD subaru to run because it would cost less and you’d lose anyhow.

Mercedes Streeter > Justin Hughes 09/27/2016 at 14:47

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“Combo Car” - Fitting name for a crossover. lol

Mercedes Streeter > yamahog 09/27/2016 at 14:49

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Wow, that really happened? It’s not often the manufacturer tries to kill a crappy model and the public responds by buying more, at a higher price.

Justin Hughes > Mercedes Streeter 09/27/2016 at 14:49

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We ran after the RallyMoto folks and before the rally cars. We were a combo of sweep for the bikes and course opening for the cars.

Mercedes Streeter > Carl (@stuffcarlsays) 09/27/2016 at 14:52

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*Laugh cries*

yamahog > Mercedes Streeter 09/27/2016 at 14:58

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If people didn’t buy crappy cars against all odds, FCA would be out of business. Or at least closer than usual for them.

Neutral President > As Du Volant 09/27/2016 at 22:14

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The Compass and Patriot came out under Cerberus ownership? I thought they were on the market when it was still Daimler Chrysler.

Back in the late-’80s through mid-’90s, Chrysler’s concept car game was strong.

They did some kinda cool SEMA stuff with the Patriot, too.

Niko's Work Account > As Du Volant 09/28/2016 at 09:49

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SURBARU

Matthew Phillips > Justin Hughes 11/23/2016 at 12:50

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would buy !

Draugnar > As Du Volant 06/09/2019 at 11:52

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I have a 2014 with the 6 speed automatic. It’s not my 08 Liberty, but it was bought *because* it was lower to the ground. My 92 yo mother in law couldn’t get in and out of our Liberty any more. So we went from capable offroader to comfortable winter weather handler. This car still does great on snow and ice covered gravel and dirt roads winding up hillsides (some with sheer drops off one side) to get to our cabin for our winter vacations. Just glad I said no to the CVT. Oh, and as it isn’t an off-road SUV, I went with the 18" chrome wheels and added some extra chrome to tastefully bling it and got the black bespoke Katzkin leather interior. Best choice I made was that interior.