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First Jeep crossover going in the right direction? 2007 Jeep Compass: Street-bred, with a hint of ruggedness
Filed under: Crossovers, Jeep, SUVs, SUV
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Mention “Jeep” to most people, and what enters their heads is either the small, rugged, original military Jeep seen in umpteen reruns of “M*A*S*H” or World War II movies, or else one of the large looks-like-it’s-built-for-climbing-rocks SUVs of today, such as the Jeep Grand Cherokee or the Wrangler.
But Jeep knows that there’s a bigger market for its products than just the people who need to haul or tow large things, or venture out beyond the limits of paved roads. Enter, if you please, the 2007 Jeep Compass Limited 4WD.
Built on a platform shared with the new Dodge Caliber, this model comes equipped with a 2.4 litre inline 4-cylinder engine, coupled with either a continuously variable transmission (CVT2) or a five-speed manual. The five-speed manual is nothing remarkable if you’re used to a stick-shift, except to say that, in the words of one review, “the little hook at the tires you expect from putting a manual in gear and lifting the clutch just didn't exist.” (It’s the lack of torque that causes that behavior, as it turns out.) On the other hand, the reviewers thought the CVT2 was quite capable, but felt somewhat odd, because it would rev up nearly to the redline and just stay there for a while if you stomped on the accelerator from a standing stop, easing away from the high RPMs only when you eased off of the accelerator. This may be quite normal coming from a CVT transmission, but it’s fairly odd if you’re used to an automatic. With more and more cars sporting CVTs these days, we may have to get used to this behavior. The build quality felt solid and very secure; no squeaks or rattles were present, and the insides feel well-insulated from outside noises, except for what comes up from the wheel wells (riding on rough pavement can exacerbate that sort of noise). The interior styling is reminiscent of other Jeep vehicles (think lots of angles); look for some nice touches, such as an iPod holder and an auxiliary power outlet, as well as a flashlight in the rear cargo area. You can fold down the tailgate, too, as you can in its stablemate, the Dodge Caliber. The “Freedom Drive 1” all-wheel drive system is not a classic four-wheel-drive system, but it performs well; it was tested on sand dunes along the Oregon coast, and the Compass performed admirably, maintaining both handling and control throughout the test. The two-wheel-drive Compass Sport starts at $15,985; if you want the all-wheel-drive option, you can expect to pay upwards of $ 17,585. The Limited package is over $20,140 in 2WD mode, or $21,740 for the all-wheel drive version. Jeep is targeting the Compass more at female drivers; although it has the angular front-end styling typical of most Jeeps, the middle and rear sections get softer, curvier lines more reminiscent of crossover vehicles. Although Jeep was not going to develop two versions of this car to begin with, its designers decided to style a separate version in a more classic Jeep vein. That car, the Patriot, has yet to appear, but will be very similar to the Compass mechanically—but sport a far more aggressive posture on the outside.
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