by Brian K. White
I've had more than a few friends who were runaway Jeep advocates over the years, and though I've only had a handful of opportunities to ride in them, I've never much been impressed. Historically these off-road throwbacks have been fun, with curb-appeal on tap, but it isn't the sort of benefit that could make up for the high price, lack of economy and efficiency, or the terrible track record of unreliability. If you're thinking about a Jeep Compass, you can forget what you might have known about Jeep, because this ain't your creepy uncle's mud-wrangler, it's a whole different ride of a whole different breed.
For me, the biggest obstacle the old-world Jeeps had to overcome was the whole issue of reliability, and it's one that the engineers at Daimler-Chrysler have immediately reconciled. I credit more of Daimler than Chrysler, but the Jeep Compass, which is more car than Jeep, utilizes the 2.4 liter "World Engine", which is an unbelievably versatile four-banger built out of a joint venture between Hyundai, Mistubishi, Mercedes, Chrysler and others.
The world engine is exceptional because it's an engine good enough to go in a hundred different cars, with the engineering benefit and cost sharing of several big manufacturers. No more unreliable engine for this Jeep, but "world" is a bit synonymous these days for something you may or may not want… efficiency.
If you're looking for neck-jarring acceleration, you won't be disappointed with this car, you'll likely fall asleep while your foot is still smashed fully to the floor. The 2.4 liter straight-four has a tough job in that it has to handle a car that's "crossover-SUV" sized, plus the things it contains, plus the potential for light-weight towing. With gas prices rocketing through the roof and beyond, you have to choose these days between horsepower on tap or actually affording the bill it takes to get to work. The Jeep offers the latter, and does it in an introductory price range, so it's a call you'll have to make.
For a killer crossover, I'd go with the BMW, Volvo or (my personal favorite), the Subaru Tribeca. Sadly, you'll have to pay twice as much for any of those. If you can't afford a one-for-the-price-of-two car, the Jeep is a great junior cousin to cars as killer as the Ford Edge or Chrysler Aspen.
Although the Jeep Compass isn't "trail rated", it's still a legitimate four-wheel drive car. I do say car, since with only 8-9-inches of clearance, it's nothing you'd want to smash about in the woods. I don't count that against it since nobody in their right mind would want to take their brand new car into the rough. Getting stuck in the mud isn't entirely uncommon though, and the in-cabin locking four-wheel drive will get you back out of it as well as anything, and maybe even better since it doesn't way two-plus tons.
The interior isn't luxurious like a Grand Cherokee, but with a base price starting around the $16,000 mark you can't expect it from anything but a ten-year-old Cadillac. Much of the interior is Spartan and utilitarian, but it's a Jeep, so it was in keeping with my expectations.
Still, if you're looking for a Jeep, this isn't just the cheapest sticker you could expect, but the most reasonable for everyday use, and the most economical. My complaints are limited, but they'd include that the advanced CVT transmission isn't quite as responsive as I'd like, the horsepower is somewhere between low and alarmingly-low, and that slipstream coefficient has been compromised for classic Jeep styling.
The Jeep Compass is not your dad's, uncle's or granddad's off-roader. It's a bit cheaper, gets way better mileage, and actually passes as an everyday driver, all things the Jeep hasn't done well in the past, but actually seems to handle this time around.