03/27/2007
By Mike Blake
Carlisle Events
You hear the word or see the badge that says: “Jeep” and you think of an army vehicle or a truck of some kind. Tough. Olive Drab. Bouncing through mud and water and over hill and dale.
Well, that’s a solid and true image of Jeep, but that doesn’t come close to describing the new 2007 Jeep Compass. How about “cute”? It’s still rugged, but it’s no truck … it is a small SUV.
Based on the Dodge Caliber, this entry-level SUV is still tough enough to take off road.
My test Compass was bathed in Jeep Green Metallic paint on its exterior with a Pastel Pebble Beige interior, and was assembled in Belvidere, Illinois. With an aggressive base price of only $21,180 and a price as tested of $25,315, the Compass competes in the compact SUV segment, which is expected to grow exponentially over the next 10 years.
Compact SUV sales reached 368,000 in 2005, up from 297,000 units in 2004. The compact SUV segment is expected to nearly double to 568,000 units by 2010 and almost triple to 814,000 units by 2016.
The Jeep Compass offers diminutive stature with no diminishing of fun, adventure or abilities. The Compass combines functionality, performance and a youthful sense of challenging the world from the sensible to the extreme, all at the price of a compact car or small pick-up. But make no mistake, the Compass is an SUV that can go off-road or can drive to dinner with equal aplomb.
Compass is Jeep’s first front-wheel-drive-based vehicle employing a fully independent suspension. This gives the pocket tiger a fun-to-drive package, on-highway comfort and off-road flexibility. The Compass is available in either standard front-wheel-drive or the more fun and more versatile active four-wheel-drive system with its Freedom Drive lock mode.
My test Compass was equipped with a 4-cylinder 2.4-liter World Engine with multi-point fuel injection. The plant was mated to a five-speed manual tranny that purred out 172hp and 165 lbs.-ft. of torque. It was enough to get the 3305-lb. Compass an EPA rating of 23mpg in the city and 26mpg on the highway. My weeklong examination only yielded an average of 22.5mpg in a combination of Central Pennsylvania borough and township trips and I-81 and Turnpike treks, along with a few off-road challenges.
On the interstate, I found the Compass underpowered. On the track, sluggish acceleration took 9.2 seconds to move the Jeep from zero to 60mph, while a quarter-mile took a long 17 seconds for the Jeep to cover. Off road, the Compass more than delivered against all obstacles and conditions.
Outside, the military-inspired styling is downsized to a cozy height of 64.2 inches, a width of 71.3 inches and a length of 173.4 inches on a wheelbase of 103.7 inches. Off-roaders and pothole attackers get a good ground clearance of 8.4 inches. You also get sturdy, confident-looking, efficiently reacting 18-inch tires and a new silhouette — with a steeply raked windshield, expressive hood and deep fascia, but you still have the traditional Jeep brand’s signature seven-slot grille. The new architectural interpretation of Jeep provides a flexible off-road athleticness with around-town sophistication.
Inside, the Compass was surprisingly roomy, with front hip room of 52.3 inches with 52 inches in row two. Front shoulder room measured 54.6 inches with 54 inches in row two. Compass drivers and passengers can enjoy head room of 40.7 inches in front and 39.9 behind with legroom coming in at 40.6 inches in front and 39.3 behind.
Also in the cabin is seating capacity for five, and such standard items as leather-trimmed, heated front seats, height adjustable driver’s seat, manual driver lumbar support, leather-wrapped steering wheel with steering wheel mounted audio controls, air conditioning, power windows with driver one-touch down feature, speed-sensitive power locks, fold-away power mirrors, deep-tinted sunscreen glass Standard 60/40 fold-flat, reclining rear seats, fold-flat front passenger seat, 115-volt auxiliary power outlet, removable/rechargeable cargo lamp and temperature and compass gauge.
Safety and security are attended to in fine fashion with advanced multi-stage front air bags, standard side-curtain front and rear air bags, anti-lock brakes with rough-road detection, automatic locking retractors, brake assist, brake traction control, electronic roll mitigation, electronic stability program, energy-absorbing steering wheel and steering column, enhanced accident response system, LATCH child seat anchor system, sentry key® engine immobilizer, side guard door beams, front and rear doors, structural safety cage and three-point seat belts.
Options that run the price as tested to $25,315 include the exterior paint ($150), the Driver Convenience Group – Universal garage door opener, electronic information center, auto-dim rearview mirror and tire pressure monitoring system ($525), premium floor mates front and rear ($30) and the automatic transmission ($1150) and I think you can save this thousand dollars and have more fun with a stick. Other options included a power sunroof ($800), 18-inch aluminum wheels ($825), satellite radio ($195) and destination charge of $560.
The Jeep Compass is a lot of ruggedness and versatility in a small package. It’s Jeep … but it’s cute.
Visit www.carlisleevents.com for more on the automotive hobby.
MIKE BLAKE, former editor of KIT CAR magazine, joined Carlisle Events as senior automotive journalist in 2004. He's been a "car guy" since the 1960s and has been writing professionally for about 30 years.
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