Meet one of the few vehicles that I’ve actively asked for and sought out instead of just going to the dealership and saying, “that one.” Here’s my rationale: the SUV/CUV/crossover market is hot, so it makes sense to look for one since that’s all any manufacturer seems to really care about making right now. Take the list of what’s out there and narrow it down to, “What would I willingly allow myself to be seen in?” Take that list, arrange by price and features, and come up with the ultimate compromise that you can live with. Would I like a Tahoe? Sure, but have you priced a Tahoe anytime recently? If not, do yourself a favor and look at used car lots before you shop new, then thank me later. Would I like a Navigator or an Escalade? Eh…they are nice to drive and nicer to ride in, but that’s too much for something my heart isn’t truly in. What makes sense is a smaller SUV that has four-wheel-drive that isn’t a Jeep Wrangler. Why not a Wrangler? Because the price tag buys you into legend and lore, not so much useable SUV. And it’s a solid price tag.
The Jeep Compass nameplate has been around for just over a decade, but the first generation, which ran from 2007-2017, is a horrid little thing. I make no bones about it, the first-generation Jeep Compass sucks out loud. It’s a plastic lump of crossover fever that didn’t do anything dramatically well…or adequately well…or even attempt to. They were supposed to be a first-time Jeep buyer’s idea of what a Jeep could be, which is usually code for “cheap”. Buyers saw it and treated it as such. For 2018, the Compass is still more of an entry-level offering, but now it looks like a scaled-down Grand Cherokee and not like a dollar store Matchbox car. I like the look, and I like the fact that you can still option one with a six-speed manual transmission. Locating a three-pedal Compass, however, would be a task, yet here we are, what I feel would be an ideal daily driver that the insurance company will be happy with, what the kids can ride in, what you can use in all but the most extreme situations as a responsible adult. So, without further dawdling, let’s get on with the photos:
Now, that’s much better! The second-gen Compass doesn’t scream “RENTAL BEATER” like the first-gen did. The downsized Grand Cherokee look suits it well, with looks butch enough to pass as a Jeep but not cartoonish. The Trailhawk version is a touch more visually aggressive and sports the Trail Rated badge, but the Sport 4×4 should work for most buyers. Jazz Blue Pearl suits the Compass nicely, and if you look closely you can see some of the striping of the Graphics Package, one of only two options this Jeep sports.
Behold, the Tigershark inline-four. This 2.4L mill makes 180 horsepower and 175 ft/lbs of torque here. No, it’s not fast. Not in the least. But it’s not an embarrassment, either. Putting around town only requires four gears, and you don’t even bother with sixth until you get out onto the Interstate, where you can still put yourself well above legal speeds without being anywhere near half-throttle. We might be spoiled for power these days, but in what would easily be a daily-driver choice, you could do worse.
I’ll admit that I had some initial reservations about interior room in the Compass. I keep viewing these crossovers as tiny, and seeing how the Compass only has an inch of length over a Porsche Cayman, I will say that you can use this easily as a family car. Only when the front seat is all the way back, will rear-seat occupants have something to complain about. There are no issues with front seat legroom or headroom whatsoever.
The Sport trim level is a bit of a misnomer…it’s the bare-bones, basic level for the Compass. There’s no gingerbread to be found. No color-trimmed gauge bezel, not dolled-up sound system, none of that. Sport means that you have a car that will do what you want when you ask it to do something, nothing more. And whether you find that odd or not is up to you…here, I loved it. Except for the plastic surfaces that feel like a GM product circa 2002. That could’ve been changed up. The transmission is the C635 six-speed manual trans from Fiat, which is leaps and bounds over the nine-speed ZF automatic I last sampled in a Fiat 500X. Throws feel solid, clutch engagement is easily read, and while it’s not the most sporty feeling thing in the world, in a small SUV it might as well have a polished gated shifter compared to an automatic version.
So what is the appeal of a low-buck, manual trans, basic four-wheel-drive small SUV? Utility. With the seats folded down, you can use it for what 80% of people use bigger SUVs for: groceries, luggage, the cage for the dog, that random yard sale find, whatever. You aren’t going to be hauling stacks of 4×8 plywood here. And if you have to be told about that, maybe you should just let the home improvement store bring your lumber to your house. And maybe cut it for you, too. You probably shouldn’t be near a power saw.
In normal operation, the Compass’s Active Drive all-wheel-drive setup is a FWD-biased system that sends power to the rear when needed. But when you need it, you can keep all four turning in a single range with the usual programs for traction control. If you need more than that, look to the Trailhawk for a more hardcore system. Note the aux jack and port for the sound system…
The sound system in the Compass is b-a-s-i-c. But those ports underneath are your solution: just rig up your phone and play what you want, when you want. I pull the same trick in older cars all the time. As a bonus, you can keep that phone charging with the USB cable we all know you’ll have in here in seconds. Problem? Solved.
The seats are capable, if a bit harder than expected, and the seating position for my tall frame was quite pleasant. The only thing I didn’t care for about the Compass’s seats were the headrests…in the down position, I had this huge bulk right between my shoulder blades. Your experience may vary. The steering wheel is tilt and telescopic and shifter position is fine.
The Compass was driven through a small town, on an Interstate and on winding back country roads. Due to impressive rainfall, I was not going to take it off-roading. I’m not answering questions on why a 33-mile SUV was sunk to the doorframes, sorry. What I found was that for a daily driver, this thing is sweet! No start-stop, no mindless automatic, no problems. What would bother a lot of people about the Compass Sport, like interior gadgets and gingerbread trim, aren’t present here. This isn’t the next big thing to steal your heart and a year’s salary out of your hands…Jeep and FCA as a whole have a fleet of dream machines that do that nicely. The Compass is instead the reliable friend. Nothing dramatic, nothing spectacular, but there every day ready for just about whatever. Isn’t that what you want in the daily driver?
2018 Jeep Compass Sport 4×4
Base price: $22,495. As-tested price: $24,980
2.4L inline-four, 180 horsepower/175 ft/lbs of torque
Options:
- Sport Appearance Group ($795): Deep tinted sunscreen glass, 16×6.5″ silver-painted aluminum wheels, black side roof rails.
- Graphics Package ($495): Hood graphic, body side graphics.
Thanks to Hunt Chrysler Center in Franklin, Kentucky for loaning us the Compass for testing!
I rented a three pedal six speed manual Nissan Quish Quak in Ireland and it had stop start. Car in neutral, foot on brake and the engine shuts off. Step on the clutch and the engine starts before I got it in gear. Pretty good, and fun to drive on the wrong side of the car, other side of the road and shifting with my left hand.
If you go to there or any of British Isles, don’t pass up that chance for driving excitement!