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If you had to choose all over again would you still buy a Compass/Patriot??

8K views 50 replies 37 participants last post by  Tuksonrider 
#1 ·
I would have to say "YES" .... If I didn't buy my Compass, my next choice would have been a 4X4 trail rated Patriot. I like the SUV possiblity of the Compass, but the everyday drive to and from work feel of a car/crossover. But I am glad I bought it over a RAV4, CRV or that Hyundai thing I looked at. I also don't think I could have similar options in either of those for what I paid for my Compass.

Hopefully this gets some people to post ... what happened to everyone today? :rofl:
 
#2 ·
No .

I did have a choice. I looked VERY seriously at the Compass and Patriot.

My needs:

- Have to be able to fit two bikes, with removing only the front wheel.
- Fuel efficient
- Decent warranty
- Good price
- Auto transmission

The most fuel efficient Compass made my short list, along with the Honda Fit, and a Hyundai. I bought the Hyndai (Sonata).


By the way, you can fit two bikes in the back of a Honda Fit STANDING UP. Incredible use of space in those things. You can't do that in a Jeep Liberty or a Hyundai Santa Fe. (Yes, I did bring a bike with me to every test drive).
 
#3 ·
No .

I did have a choice. I looked VERY seriously at the Compass and Patriot.

My needs:

- Have to be able to fit two bikes, with removing only the front wheel.
- Fuel efficient
- Decent warranty
- Good price
- Auto transmission

The most fuel efficient Compass made my short list, along with the Honda Fit, and a Hyundai. I bought the Hyndai (Sonata).

By the way, you can fit two bikes in the back of a Honda Fit STANDING UP. Incredible use of space in those things. You can't do that in a Jeep Liberty or a Hyundai Santa Fe.
I can respect that ... the new Sonata is a nice car. I looked at them when I purchased my previous car (07 Camry) and the Genesis WOW, that is gonna be different :)

I looked at the Fit as well, just a little too small for my taste, but you are right the use of space is pretty crazy.

One thing I like so far about this forum, not a lot of bashing and haters :) Unlike some of the other car forums I have been on where a post would be like "you bought X, you are stupid (this car) is the best thing since PB&J"
 
#4 ·
Well, you do know they're making fun of the Compass over on the TJ thread, don't you? ;)

I really wanted something to tip me in the Compass direction, since my wife and daughter drive Liberties, and I have a TJ, my son has a Cherokee.... I really wanted my daily driver to "stay in the family".

It came down to total cost of ownership for me. I did sacrifice useable storage space, going with a "car". Getting two bikes in isn't as easy as it would be in a Patriot/Compass.

But, 30 real-world-avg-mpg + $16,000 price + 5/10 year warranty = winner.
 
#7 ·
......but how do you 'fit' two bikes in a Hyundai Sonata?:confused:

P.S. remember....."Hyundai" rhymes with "Sunday", it's NOT 'hi-un-day' or 'hi-un-die'....it's 'hun-day'
get it right, people!!!
Easy .... one in the trunk with both wheels off and one in the back seat in either a bike bag or wrapped in a blanket with both wheels off. I did that in my Camry ... it worked and wasn't that bad. Better than a rack on the roof kept the bikes nice and safe and didn't kill the MPG like a roof rack :)
 
#6 ·
I'm only on week two or so of owning my compass, so I've probably not had enough time to reflect on the purchase fully, but I'm pretty sure my new car rush has passed. But, yeah, I wouldn't have gone with a different car.

Buying this car was a total no brainer for me; CVT2 Sport w/ YES Seats, Preferred Package 26E (a/c + power everything + more), Driver Convenience Group (EVIC, autodim rearview, garage opener), Sunroof, Cruise, 6-disc stereo and full size spare for $15,500. Sticker was $23,450. I really couldn't say no. I added the lifetime bumper to bumper for $1,500, which is insane for a car company to offer (and you've got to assume won't be offered for much longer).

Beyond the great deal I got on it, and the lifetime warranty; the only complaints I have about the car are mostly cosmetic - most of which can be improved with borrowing parts from the limited version (leather steering wheel, coming soon!) or simply adding personal touches (painting the muffler black, coming soon!) ;)

CVT2 performance should improve with the TSB reprogram, but it isn't terrible as is. I didn't really want to drive an SUV (I actually went to the Dodge/Jeep dealer to check out the Caliber). But I'm actually glad they didn't have any Calibers in stock; after driving it for a bit, I prefer the more SUV-like stance/size of the Compass over the hatchback-like stance/size of the Caliber.

So, in short, I got the car because it had everything I needed (ABS, 4WD, cargo space), everything I wanted (auto trans, power everything, A/C), and was a good price with a great warranty. I wouldn't say I liked it that much when I got it - more practical than anything; but every day I like it more and more.

I'm actually in the process of building a shed to store my project car in so I can park my Compass in the garage... Something I never did for the '02 Mustang I traded in for the Compass!
 
#10 ·
I would still buy an Mk with FD I of some kind. I've got my Compass and I love it, if it was totaled I'd try a Patriot for its replacement. With the closest Off-Road park being about 4 - 5 hours away I just don't see where I would get the use out of the FD II enough to out way the decrease the mpg.

Hopefully this gets some people to post ... what happened to everyone today? :rofl:
One thing I like so far about this forum, not a lot of bashing and haters :) Unlike some of the other car forums I have been on where a post would be like "you bought X, you are stupid (this car) is the best thing since PB&J"
Well, you do know they're making fun of the Compass over on the TJ thread, don't you? ;)
:ranton: There are times when I feel that I have to accept the responsibility (blame) for both of these items. It's my job to try and keep this a "Tech" forum with out too much idle chat and that also helps to keep out the riffraff who love to bash, flame and troll the MK primarily, but not exclusively, the Compass. I enjoy a good natured discussion as much as anybody but if a topic opens up that allows outsiders to start their flame fests it could lead to someone getting banned and Gramps really doesn't like to go there. This is a family friendly forum.
There are times when it's a little boring with very little participation but we've had the alternative in the early days and I think this is much better.:rantoff:

I also think that sometimes I respond too often but I do like to keep it rolling. After all, I'm an owner first and a mod second. :cheers2:
 
#11 ·
yup Id definitely still by the Patriot again. so far its done everything we bought it for well. good MPG, good in snow, fairly roomy, comfortable and cheap. enough stock off road clearance and such that we could go places a car couldnt (nothing major but there are nice spots around here I wouldnt take anything but a 4x4 into) lifetime powertrain warranty is nice too.

only thing I might do different is go for the trail rated package if it were to be mine instead of the wifes. however Ive got the rowdy jeep (XJ) for off road so we wanted the MPG of the non trail rated version.
 
#12 ·
Khaki MK Patriot 4x4 FDII ltd.
Surf Blue MK Patriot 4x4 FDI ltd.

Well, I was a reluctant convert to the MK fold, so maybe my comments will sound a bit cynical:

I wanted to buy a small SUV for my Mother that had good winter performance and was safe. So, we looked at the Honda CRV, Toyota RAV4, Nissan Rogue and Patriot/Compass. I was trying to steer Mom towards the Honda or Toyota – due to their quality and reliability.

We hit the Jeep dealer last and Mom fell in love with the Patriot at first sight. She test drove it – which sealed the deal. She said it had “character” that the others just did not have. Frankly, I was supportive of her choice on a purely financial basis. The dealer was offering $6,000 off the $26,000 MSRP (for a fully-loaded 4x4 ltd. w/Nav). The cheapest we could have gotten the Honda or Toyota was about $22,000 – and that would have been for a mid-level model without many of the options the ltd. Patriot has.

So, I took Mom to her house with her new Patriot. Over the next week, I went over to her house every day to learn to use all the bells and whistles on it so I’d be able to show her what to do. I’d play with the options, drive it around, and generally got pretty comfortable with it. Along the way, I found that I REALLY liked her vehicle. The CVT was odd at first, but once I got past that, I liked the way it drove, the options, etc. What sealed the deal was I drove it in the snow and ice one day – it was probably the best vehicle I’ve ever driven in the stuff. The Patriot has an excellent feel and balance when the roads are slick.

I went back to the dealer and asked for the same deal on another Patriot 4x4 ltd. It listed for $25,000 and he sold it to me for $19,000. It does not have the Nav function like Mom’s, but I didn’t want that. Instead, I wanted the FDII package for the additional clearance, chassis protection, and light off-road capabilities.

It’s been about 3 weeks now since all of the above happened. My Mom is still thrilled with her choice. I can absolutely say the same. It’s amazing to me we have not heard more about these vehicles. I don’t recall ever seeing an ad for the Compass or the Patriot.

Bill
 
#13 ·
Yes

:thumbsup: Most definitely Yes. Fits my needs very well.

I was so impressed with how the Compass performs, comfort, features, economy for the price that I paid that I parted with my '05 Honda Civic SI (I still have my Mustang Cobra for fun) which is the hatchback version that the Honda community pretty much denounced, but I liked it because it was a hatchback and I could easily put a bike in the back and average 30 mpg on my commute. es, I took a hit on the fuel economy now averaging about 24 - 25 mpg, but the insurance cost was cut in half:2thumbsup: for the same coverage which is offsetting a good portion of increased fuel cost.

In all I am more comfortable in the Compass, the bikes are easier to get in, rides way better over our rough roads and I will not have to worry about getting out or getting home when the winter storms go through our area.

Have a good one :wave:
 
#14 ·
Yes I would buy the Compass all over again. For us it fit what we wanted at the price we wanted. A Subbie would have been nice but the extra $$$$ we would have had to pay made us pass on the Subbie.

Tom
 
#15 ·
I had been looking around since mid last year for a new vehicle. We knew that we were going to need something soon and wanted to look around and do our homework so that we got what was going to be just right for us. This year as the cost of gas has kept climbing, our timetable got bumped up a bit and about a month ago we got a used 2007 Compass Limited 4X4 that was used as a fleet vehicle.

When we were starting to look, the Hyundai Tuscon was our starting point since I had bought a 99 Elantra brand new almost a decade ago and its still chugging along with over 138K miles and being through 3 different family drivers and several fender benders. I wouldnt hesitate to buy another one of their products. We also were looking at the Nissan Rogue, the Honda CRV and the Ford Escape. I have a 60 mile round trip to and from work daily with a lot of up hills and down hills and with the unpredictability of winter/spring weather in Pittsburgh I wanted something that I felt comfortable driving in all climates without it sitting 6 feet off the ground.

What put the Compass on my radar initially was the government site for average mpg ratings. The 2WD version of the Compass was showing some great numbers for mileage compared to the others. When I started comparing the overall specs, the Compass had the best HP with the smallest engine out of the group. Factoring in warranties and options, it was a no brainer to us.

Yeah, there are a few things I wish were different, like the lines of sight and I wish the cargo area had a finish that wouldnt so easily allow anything put back there to slide around, but so far I love it.

Would I buy one again? In a heartbeat and I'd get it new to be sure I got the lifetime powertrain coverage. This one was first titled in April '06, so it doesnt qualify.
 
#16 ·
Would I buy another MK, Yes, and I did!

Bought my first MK, a 2008 Jeep Patriot back in Sep 07.... Love it! Have yet to see another like it! When gas topped $3.00, I told the wife we needed to get rid of BART... BART is a Dodge Ram 1500 Quad Cab with the 5.7L Hemi. Three weeks ago, and some change, I bought her a 2008 Jeep Compass. She is enjoying her new ride.
 
#17 ·
YES!

I can say that I have absolutely no regrets and am pleasantly surprised on a regular basis!

The body build quality may not be as good as the competition but it is build solidly and has handled the really bad road conditions around here exceptionally well! I am looking forward to the next 20 years of ownership!
 
#18 ·
Without a doubt.

2008 Jeep Green Patriot 5 speed.
2008 Surf Blue Patriot 5 speed.

My husband and I each have '08 Patriots. I got mine first to replace my '05 Xterra that was having severe engine problems at 23K (the build quality was atrocious!). I was really glad that Jeep offered a nicely equipped Patriot with 5 speed. Some companies will make you go bottom of the barrel if you want a 5 speed. Mine came nicely equipped with power options, cruise, and a power moonroof for under $21,000. I didn't get the blowout deals that others had (I could have bought a fully decked out Compass for $18,000, but I wanted the extra cargo room that the Patriot offered) but I did get the $500.00 cash back deal. At the time, my husband was driving a '96 Rav 4. He was getting really bad gas milage, and the ride was nothing short of punishing (he does 120 miles round trip/day). He was so impressed with my Patriot, that we looked for a base model one for him (he didn't want the power options). With discounts ($1000.00 that time), we were able to get his for under $16,000, which really worked for our budget.

Now he's got over 11,000 on his (bought in December), and I've got almost 3500 on mine (yes, my commute is much shorter than his), and we have no complaints. I'd recommend it to anyone.
 
#20 ·
My daughter-in-law has an '08 Patriot and my wife has an '08 Liberty, loaded. If i had it to do over again, I might suggest a Patriot for the wife. We don't need all the fancy gagets on the Liberty and don't drive it much. The '03 Liberty had 22,000 miles and we didn't get anything on the trade. The Patriot would have been just fine. And we would have saved a lot of money.
 
#21 ·
Buying this car was a total no brainer for me; CVT2 Sport w/ YES Seats, Preferred Package 26E (a/c + power everything + more), Driver Convenience Group (EVIC, autodim rearview, garage opener), Sunroof, Cruise, 6-disc stereo and full size spare for $15,500. Sticker was $23,450. I really couldn't say no. I added the lifetime bumper to bumper for $1,500, which is insane for a car company to offer (and you've got to assume won't be offered for much longer).

If it is not prying. may I ask where you bought you Patriot? Please and thank you. ....My friend wants to know.... Don't worry I'm keeping my TJ! : )
 
#23 ·
Without a doubt I would buy another Patriot! I was in the new car market for about six months trying to find something that would fit all the bills I was looking for. First and foremost I needed decent cargo space. Second, I wanted 4WD or AWD for the occasional nasty winter we have here in the Mid-Atlantic. Third, I wanted a manual transmission. Very few manufacturers make manual anymore! Especially with 4WD or AWD! I looked at so many cars over those six months and kept coming back to the Jeep. For the price, gas mileage, features, warranty, looks, and size nothing else comes close. My search was as broad as a Suzuki SX-4 ($16k) to an Audi A3 and Mazda CX-7 ($28k). All great cars, but none filled every bucket I hoped to fill. Suzuki was cheap and plain, and got lousy mileage for its size. Audi was a dream but was $26k in base BASE form. Mazda needs premium (it's turbocharged), gets 19mpg and is not available in manual.

So yeah, I'd get the Jeep again.
 
#25 ·
Without a doubt I would buy another Patriot! I was in the new car market for about six months trying to find something that would fit all the bills I was looking for. First and foremost I needed decent cargo space. Second, I wanted 4WD or AWD for the occasional nasty winter we have here in the Mid-Atlantic. Third, I wanted a manual transmission. Very few manufacturers make manual anymore! Especially with 4WD or AWD! I looked at so many cars over those six months and kept coming back to the Jeep. For the price, gas mileage, features, warranty, looks, and size nothing else comes close. My search was as broad as a Suzuki SX-4 ($16k) to an Audi A3 and Mazda CX-7 ($28k). All great cars, but none filled every bucket I hoped to fill. Suzuki was cheap and plain, and got lousy mileage for its size. Audi was a dream but was $26k in base BASE form. Mazda needs premium (it's turbocharged), gets 19mpg and is not available in manual.

So yeah, I'd get the Jeep again.
x2 It's so hard to find a decent 5 speed anymore, nevermind a 6 speed manual. Not everyone wants an auto!
 
#27 ·
I am not sure yet. If the CRD option were available my answer would be a quick YES, but since it is not, I would look closely at the VW Tiguan (as it will have the diesel in Canada). I am not dissatisfied with my 08 patriot, but would quickly go elsewhere if I could get better fuel economy.
 
#28 ·
Personally, no, I haven't had any problems with it but I am more of a sports car type person than a suv person. Other than that I got mine for a good price, the dealership I bought mine from needed to sell one more new car before the end of the night because they are a 5 star dealership and apparently need to sell so many cars or they have the possibility of losing their 5 star status. Anyways, we got my 08 Compass in 07 for something like 18k after tax and license which was below the dealer's buying price and 5k below the sticker price.
 
#33 ·
I would not buy again. After having starter issues, transmission issues, speaker issues, dealer issues, traction controller issues, and not worn tie rods I regret buying it everyday. If it wasn't for these issues I would buy again in a heart beat.
 
#36 ·
Really sorry that you're having those issues! I think a better dealer would have gone a long way helping to resolve them.

I'm over 33K on mine and just little insignificant issues, nothing serious. I'd definitely by an MK again.
 
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