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Compass Hatchet Job

4K views 22 replies 14 participants last post by  earlycj5 
#1 · (Edited)
I removed the article of the link I posted here, the link is still below. I am usually smarter than believing what the media puts in newspapers these days. The problem I have with their review is that all the participants are in Michigan, the Detroit area. That is motor city and I am sure certain biases, maybe even old wounds, who knows. could come into play. If they did a review of the whole country that would be a different story. Take the story below with a grain of salt, I should have before I posted it here.

http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060802/AUTO03/608020302/1149&template=printart
 
#6 ·
Hey, I'm not knocking the compass, I am still interested but not as much.

In terms of Toyota, well they just passed up Ford............

..................The Japanese auto giant Toyota passed the struggling Ford Motor Co in July to rank as the second-biggest selling auto company in the United States, behind General Motors, sales figures showed. And in another development that raised eyebrows in the auto industry, Honda, another Japanese company, outsold the Chrysler group last month for the first time..........................


The compass is not that bad from my first hand inspection but the interior feels cheap. Granted I didnt get the chance to see a limited, but still.

I don't know what the deal is with US carmakers, I am trying my best to buy American but I don't know where they are getting their design talent from. This compass is also waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay overpriced for what you are getting.
 
#7 ·
bogerbuble
I took no offense, my apologies if I sounded that way. Mine is a Limited and I got it for below MSRP. One of the first in the area and I guess that they were trying to put some on the road and they gave me about 3X what my rust bucket was worth to boot. I love it! As far as cheap, yeah lots of plastic but so's my Challenger. Material and thread rots anyway, I didn't consider that a big factor. Fit and finish are good to very, very good. I'm the only one in the family that's ever been off roading to need 4 wheel low and now I'm the only one who doesn't have it. I don't consider that a big factor either. Why lug around a heavy transfer case that your never going to use? I do smile a lot tho, every time I look down at the AVG MPG and it's sitting at about 25.0 with only 450 miles on it. It's my daily commuter, no matter what the weather, cheap trips on weekends to collect treasures and even my daughters 6'1" boyfriend is comfortable in the back seats. BTW; Car and Driver had a very positive article about it in the latest issue. They were up in Oregon playing in the sand when those videos were shot on the other threads.
 
#8 ·
Take the same people who love the Caliber, slap a different badge on it and suddenly they hate it.. Ok, WHY should I trust their opinions when they are so OBVIOUSLY shallow?

About the only real meat in that article at all is someone describing it as 'underpowered' and that's something that I'll be taking into consideration when I get closer to 'buy time'.

Until then, on paper, the Compass is looking good as far as what I'm looking for in a new car.

I'm driving a 13 year old Intrepid with 215K miles on it. I don't need something quite so large anymore (my kids are getting older, 1's already in college) but if I have things to haul, the Compass looks like there's plenty of room (the trunk of my Intrepid has served me well, if we needed more there was always my wife's Grand Caravan).

I love ABS (check), 4WD for when I'm driving through the snows in NH (check), electronic stability control (check), plenty of airbags for safety (check), all the basic options that I've learned over the years that I want (check) and they don't make me buy their $4000 premium package to get the $800 sunroof I want. BIG CHECK.

I don't pretend that this is some miniature model of a Grand Cherokee - nt by any stretch. BUT - coming form the other side of the equation - it looks like Jeep may have finally made a car that meets my requirements so *now* Jeep is "in the running".
 
#10 ·
djplong said:
I love ABS (check), 4WD for when I'm driving through the snows in NH (check), electronic stability control (check), plenty of airbags for safety (check), all the basic options that I've learned over the years that I want (check) and they don't make me buy their $4000 premium package to get the $800 sunroof I want. BIG CHECK.

I don't pretend that this is some miniature model of a Grand Cherokee - nt by any stretch. BUT - coming form the other side of the equation - it looks like Jeep may have finally made a car that meets my requirements so *now* Jeep is "in the running".
:agree:
I ordered a Caliber for July delivery but it wasn't going to show up in time so I checked to see if the Compass was out and to my pleasant suprise it was. Jeep was my first choise at the Chicago Auto Show (right after the Challenger) but the "late summer availability" was not in my time frame. I got lucky for a change. I feel too that Jeep finally made something that meets my requirements, like staying on the road! It's a good thing.
 
#12 ·
BlaineWasHere said:
I can see either you are stuck in 1947 or you are not a fan of globalization...

BTW: The Compass is NOT the first Jeep car.
I may be a little old school with my love of solid axles, manual transmissions, and the 4.0 engine that chrysler never liked because it was designed by AMC, but I know my jeep history. The Jeepster commando for example, was a 2wd car made by Kaiser Jeep (now Kaiser Permanante) back in the 60's. One of the military Jeeps back then also had an experimental independent suspension, which didn't get very good reviews at the time. I understand exploring new concepts and methods, but the Jeep brand is or used to have a niche - solid, rugged, capable, and reliable. Them making the Compass and putting the Jeep logo on it is up there with the Porsche Cayenne (SUV) or the heavy duty Honda Ridgeline pickup.

Plus they've got the Dodge Caliber to try to fill the market the Compass is. Back in the 90's Chrysler axed the Comanchee because it was taking away sales from the Dakota, and they wanted the Dakota to succeed.

My final thought is that the Liberty should have been marketed as a Dodge, sort of a little sister to the Durango (they look the same from behind), and DCX should have kept making the XJ, or at least a renewed version of it like the 2500 (Bejing Jeep). Now that enough people have convinced them that it was a bad idea, they give us the XK which is an insult to the true roots of the XJ. DCX corporate doesnt seem to really understand the Jeep brand or its market, but at least they're keeping it competitive with all the other yuppie SUV's that everyone else is making.
 
#13 ·
RWB214 said:
Without the Jeep, we could not have won WWII. See what happens when you hand the company over to a bunch of Germans?
Watch it now! I work for the Germans now:D The Compass is just a new idea from Jeep. It'll probably be around a few years, and I wouldn't mind one really.
 
#14 ·
I drove a Jeep Compass today, and while I feel that it is a very nice car, and I loved the way it handles, I wouldn't really consider it for purchasing. I want to buy a Jeep because I love the rugged feel and how well they are built. The Compass feels more like a street vehicle, which I'm very sure many people will love. It's just that personally, that's not what I'm looking for in a Jeep. However, if you think about the amount of people that actually take their Jeeps off road, the Compass seems to fit the target audience very well.

Anyway, I felt that the engine accelerated very well, and the Compass had a very nice overall feel to it. If I was in the market for that, I would consider one, but for about $2500 more, I can get a Commander...I would rather have the Commander.

I'm looking forward to seeing how the Patriot fits into the line up...will it be rugged, or more highway geared, like the Compass?
 
#15 ·
bogerbuble said:
I removed the article of the link I posted here, the link is still below. I am usually smarter than believing what the media puts in newspapers these days. The problem I have with their review is that all the participants are in Michigan, the Detroit area. That is motor city and I am sure certain biases, maybe even old wounds, who knows. could come into play. If they did a review of the whole country that would be a different story. Take the story below with a grain of salt, I should have before I posted it here.

http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060802/AUTO03/608020302/1149&template=printart
I don't judge Movies by the critics reviews either. What does Detroit know about cars any way (he, he). Edmonds is British and I have trouble with their opinion of cars in general. What can you expect from people who drive on the wrong side of the road? The MSN article was favorable and the Car and Driver was also (what a shock that was)!:wave:
 
#16 ·
I'm looking forward to seeing how the Patriot fits into the line up...will it be rugged, or more highway geared, like the Compass?[/QUOTE]

I'm looking forward to the Patriot too. Wife needs to replace her GC in the next couple of years and with the price of gas going the way it is... But it will never see off the road unless I'm driving and the wife has had a Valum. :D
 
#17 ·
grampsmopar said:
I'm looking forward to seeing how the Patriot fits into the line up...will it be rugged, or more highway geared, like the Compass?
I'm looking forward to the Patriot too. Wife needs to replace her GC in the next couple of years and with the price of gas going the way it is... But it will never see off the road unless I'm driving and the wife has had a Valum. :D[/QUOTE]

It would be nice if it was somewhat a cross between Cherokee (XJ) ruggedness, with the modern technologies and luxuries found in the Compass. However, I think it's going to be more of a cross between the Commander and Compass...more geared towards the on the road fans. Actually I don't think I've ever gone off road, lol, but I just like the tougher off-road looking cars.
 
#18 ·
grampsmopar said:
I feel too that Jeep finally made something that meets my requirements, like staying on the road!
With all due respect, if staying on the road is a main requirement, why would you have ever wanted a Jeep at all? I don't understand why people who are into cars would even consider a vehicle, however carlike like the Compass, that's so heavily associated with rough-and-tumble off-road trucks. Seems like a major conflict of interest to me. :dunno:

I think that Jeep needs a compass, but only to direct them back on the right path and away from badge-engineered cars that will ultimately dumb down the brand. :mad:
 
#19 · (Edited)
exc911ence said:
With all due respect, if staying on the road is a main requirement, why would you have ever wanted a Jeep at all? I don't understand why people who are into cars would even consider a vehicle, however carlike like the Compass, that's so heavily associated with rough-and-tumble off-road trucks. Seems like a major conflict of interest to me. :dunno:

I think that Jeep needs a compass, but only to direct them back on the right path and away from badge-engineered cars that will ultimately dumb down the brand. :mad:
I never said that staying on the road was my only purpose just a primary one. If 95% of 4X4 never go off the road, what are all of those people doing with them? Jeeps are known to be tough, rugged and dependable, that's a good quality in anything. Cars have hardly been my only mode of transportation. It's the adverse driving conditions during Fall, Winter and Spring that I need a superior vehicle that can handle those conditions and get reasonable gas mileage during normal road trips that I enjoy. The Compass fits that criteria and besides it's AMERICAN made. I've been all over Southern AZ in 4 X's and Dune Buggies and Bikes, and now I have to screw around with snow and ice. Things change outside but not the person inside.

I also don't believe that this is the "dumbing down" of the Jeep name. The Compass is allowing me to go back to my roots should the opportunity present its self. It certainly gives me more incentive to look for those opportunities. If I was back in Arizona, broiling with the rest of them down there, I would most certainly take advantage of the area. Where I live now just doesn't avail its self to my kind of "fun". I could go on but, I don't want to just do posts giving my autobiography.

No offense taken from your post. It gave me an opportunity to explain myself a little better.
 
#21 ·
Sfisher said:
I agree! Without off road we'd have just a Chrysler right?
Right and something else may have suited my NEEDS but not my underling DESIRES. Is there such a thing as a "closet off-roader"? :laugh:
 
#22 ·
grampsmopar said:
I never said that staying on the road was my only purpose just a primary one. If 95% of 4X4 never go off the road, what are all of those people doing with them? Jeeps are known to be tough, rugged and dependable, that's a good quality in anything. Cars have hardly been my only mode of transportation. It's the adverse driving conditions during Fall, Winter and Spring that I need a superior vehicle that can handle those conditions and get reasonable gas mileage during normal road trips that I enjoy. The Compass fits that criteria and besides it's AMERICAN made. I've been all over Southern AZ in 4 X's and Dune Buggies and Bikes, and now I have to screw around with snow and ice. Things change outside but not the person inside.
Like Gramps, I primarily need something that is road capable, but want something that can handle adverse driving conditions.

I've done a tiny bit of wheeling, in both of my Jeeps (WJ and XJ) over the years, but the primary reason I bought them was for snow, ice and boat towing/family hauling duty.

But there are other reasons to buy them. Styling, amenities, easy to work on maintain, plethora of aftermarket parts and the fact that they are just plain fun.

To wonder why someone would want a Jeep and not want to offroad is to wonder why someone would want a Porsche and not take it to the track, or wonder why someone would buy a Hummer (H2 or H3) that really isn't all that good off-road, or someone would buy a Harley in race-replica colors when "racing" a Harley is freakin' joke by todays standards.

I'm NOT advocating style OVER substance, but some points can be allowed for style.

With the possible exception of towing, I'm betting the Compass can do 99% of what I do with my XJ, just getting about 10 mpg more on average and perhaps allowing for a more comfortable ride. Where's the downside for my life?

And before you suggest buying something else then, I've spent a decade and a half in the tech side of the automotive industry. I spent years driving anything I wanted to from the manufacturer's press fleets. I'd never bought a new vehicle for myself in my life until the WJ came out and then I had to have one. And now, I've compared EVERYTHING in the market that comes close to my needs and desires and the Compass is right there on top. I'm only considering ONE other brand/model, and the Compass is still better equipped with toys for the price. I wish I could convince myself that it will be as rugged as a Jeep, cause that would probably push me over the top.

Kev
 
#23 ·
RWB214 said:
I may be a little old school with my love of solid axles, manual transmissions, and the 4.0 engine that chrysler never liked because it was designed by AMC, but I know my jeep history. The Jeepster commando for example, was a 2wd car made by Kaiser Jeep (now Kaiser Permanante) back in the 60's.
Time to relearn your Jeep history. ;)

The Commando was a 4WD SUV (Dana 20 T-fer case) that was Jeep's answer to the Bronco and Scout. It was based roughly on a CJ-6 frame that was modified, hardly a car.

The original Jeepster OTOH was more of a 2WD Car. But not in the sense that the Compass is. They considered it more of a sports car, no real top, or windows, just a rag top and side curtains.

I think Jeep missed the mark on the Compass. JMO, but if they were doing something that is a car, capitalize on the image Jeep has. The performance image, sure it's off road, so why not capitalize on the ralley car thing? Or just outdoors in general like the Subaru outback?

I just don't see enough in the Compass to set it apart from the Caliber. Both are fine vehicles to be sure. But I just don't get the "Jeep" badge on the Compass.
 
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