The Compass is Jeeps’ attempt to break into the small SUV segment. It’s got all the trademark Jeep looks – the grill and boxy look on the exterior keeps it looking like it can really take down the outdoors, even on its limited 2-wheel drive.
The Car
Unfortunately the Compass rates only four-stars on the ANCAP rating despite the 6 airbags that come with.
The entry level Compass gives you quite a wide range of things so there’s really not much to complain about. You’ll get a leather-wrapped steering wheel with audio and cruise control buttons, heated seats for the front passengers, a four-speaker audio system, as well as connectivity via Uconnect Bluetooth, a USB port, and as a finishing touch – decorative appliqués on the passenger storage shelf. You’ll be disappointed that the reversing sensors, camera and Bluetooth audio streaming capabilities are unavailable though.
The Drive
Coming from an illustrious lineage of off-roading vehicles, the Compass doesn’t disappoint if you take it off the beaten track. Thanks to the high ground clearance and engines, you’ll be able to get through almost any sort of environment. But that’s where the good points end. On road, it seems like there are more drawbacks than anything despite the good standard kit.
The suspension was a bit too firm for our liking and the car was not quite as responsive in terms of steering since the steering wheel is quite a fair bit bigger than your normal. You’ll have to rev pretty hard to get highway speed, and that’s going to amp up the noise in the cabin to a pretty jarring level. At a lower speed, the Compass reflects a lack of torque for what you need and that will amplify any bumps and imperfections in the road you’re going over too. At least the car has a decent turning radius at 10.8m, but without the reversing sensors or camera, you’re still going to have to get parked based mostly on your own ability.
The Interior
The Compass interior is decent, but neither is it going to be very luxurious either. The materials used in the cabin look like mid range plastics and we’ve heard from other testers that the centre console and ood lining can actually be shifted if you jostle it hard enough. The dials up front are backlit with a very retro neon green light, reminiscent of much older days and making the feel of the car feel even more dated.
The boot can hold up to 458 litres, and with the seats folded, that expands to 1269 litres and you’ll get a fair amount of storage in front with cubbies and door pockets, but the people at the back will have to look really hard for a place to put things. At least they won’t complain much about head and legroom. There’s plenty of space for passengers, albeit a bit uncomfortable since the headrests are quite hard and the seats are non-adjustable.
Overall
The Compass is a nice car if you get off the road a lot and it is pretty well equipped. Despite the ANCAP rating and the dated cabin design and feel, the Jeep model still presents itself well with its trademark look and can still appeal as a potential option for someone looking for a compact SUV.
Original : Reviewing the Jeep Compass
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