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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:
 
#38 ·
TPS not registering correctly after a flat fix, front to rear were reversed for a while. MIL (Check Engine Light) with no problem found, gas cap was fine, went out after fill up. Steering wheel Audio Controls quit, replaced under warranty. Minor hesitation on cold mornings fixed with performance TSB. Right now my Cruise Control is turning off intermittently, I think it's the adjustment on the stop light switch that just requires a replacement (not adjustable). I had water come in threw the dome light after I left it open in the rain. :brickwall Lug nuts put on too tight at the dealer. :gunfight: Pretty minor stuff.

2 new things that I just found and hadn't reported:

Changed my plugs after 33K, no sign of burning or any other problems, 3 were out to about .048 but one was at about .055 (should be .044). Set incorrectly at the factory?

I have the Security System but the Cabin Air Filter was never installed.

Mine was also a 1st month production run, 6/26/06
 
#39 ·
I, or should i say We (Fiance and I), love our patriot and would buy a new one again for sure. We have already put 8,000 miles on it since march 2008 and have not had a single problem yet.

If i had to do it over i would have gotten the power windows and locks with keyless entry. My last car i didnt need power windows or locks because it was always just me, now that i have an SUV everyone else rides with me so itd be nice to have.
 
#40 ·
Forgot, another fault. Driver side rear window got stuck going up. Dealer fixed, channel out of adjustment. Again, mine was built when the robots were beating up on each other due to the change over at the Belvidere plant, so I didn't expect perfection and I don't mind being a guinea pig. All in all, I'd do it again.

I've had 6'2 people in the back seat with no problems. The front seats are raised 2" over most other vehicles so there is more foot room that adds to the comfort and there are also rear seat duct work that helps for those in the rear with A/C and heat.
 
#41 ·
My wife and I bought our '08 Compass Sport back in October. At the time, we traded in both our 2000 Ford Focus SE and 2003 Chevy Tracker, and went down to being a one car family.

We now have 22k miles on it and no problems as of yet. Which is very good, because we'd be pretty pissed if a brand new car had any issues what-so-ever.

We would buy another one in a heart beat. With our Compass, we have a car that gets decent mileage, has plenty of room, does great in the snow, has AWD, came with a factory roof rack w/150 lbs rating, and we got the dealer to throw in a matching factory rim and tire... all for around $20k. And, despite what people say, we actually love the CVT tranny.

When we were shopping for a car, we realized that a lot of things we wanted were contradictory... AWD and good mileage, small but lots of room, etc.

The Compass is very utilitarian, as it fills many rolls well but I also think this is why the reviews have been so negative. Because it is a bit of a niche vehicle, it often gets compared somewhat dissimilar vehicles. Like SUVs that cost $5-$10k more, where it then gets panned for not being an off-road vehicle, lacking space, or cheap plastics. It'll also get compared against very small cars, and then gets trashed for getting mileage in the mid-20's.

I guess what I'm trying to say is that I think the Compass does a lot of things well, at the expensive of not being amazing at anything. I should say that I don't think this is necessarily a bad thing.

Would we buy one again, yes :)
 
#43 ·
We would do it again. Our Pat was born in Jan. '07 and bought in March the same year. While it is a 4x2, it does it all for what we have asked of it.
It only has 13k miles on it and really no issues to speak of. There was a driver door that was poorly hung at the factory, but was straightened in one shot.
Haven't had it in the dirt yet, wife's Jeep, but my Grand is prolly the reason, plus the fact the the Pat doesn't have the kind of clearance I'm use to having off-road. That is about to change though, getting lifted on the 16th. Can't wait!!!
Oh, this is our 5th Jeep, so the Comp didn't buzz me as much as it did my wife. She kept looking at a red Comp MK just outside the showroom when we were shopping the Pat. Now she's happier because the dog loves the back of the Pat. There is a lot of room back there, especially with the seats down.
We had my folks and the dog in it last Saturday with room to spare. We stopped and ordered some pizzas to go. Slipped over to the Publix for some bottles of wine. Well, we all managed to fit including the pies, though the dog went crazy in the back. He's a 30-lb. Sheltie. This was our first crowd in the Pat since we got it.
Only regret is that we didn't wait for the prices to come down to the level they are at now. Prolly could have saved $2500 or so. Oh well, the priviledge of owning a new model.
 
#46 ·
Bought the 08 Compass [5 speeed manual] on 6 / 2 / 08 & by 6 / 22 I knew I made a mistake. Biggest objections were, noisy ride , poor ride & handling quality especially with the Firestone Afinity Tires which I swapped out for Michelin Hydro Edges shortly after that. Although they made a huge difference, I just could not get used to this car so yesterday after much thought, consideration & research, I test drove a Patriot & found it to be a totally different vehicle so I bought it & traded in the Compass on it, Am picking it up tonight.
 
#49 ·
I would not buy it again. We've had no real problems to speak of, but I don't like the car itself. Underpowered and undersized for what my family needs. Just took a 800 mile road trip and barely got 21 mpg for the trip. 80 mph it was at 3000 rpm most of the time. Just changed the plugs and switched to synthetic oil.

I don't feel confident that if I needed to accelerate for a lane change or on ramp that it has enough power.

I'm 6'3" and when I'm driving with my son in the car seat behind me even he does not have leg room.

The car just feels cheap and poorly put together.
 
#50 ·
I probably would if gas mileage were better and interiors were better quality. (Caliber interiors have not been refreshed, I'm not sure if they're going to) I'm about to change locations and head back home, so its a 50 mile commute one way. I'm eying a VW Jetta TDI as a replacement for it, same amount of room, nicer inside, not as good looking on the outside, and 50 MPG with 276 lb ft of torque!!! :D That's my main drawback to many Euro cars, they're boring on the outside, but American interiors (especially Chrysler ones...) can't compare. Sad to say that my orange wagon might be leaving me, but you gotta do what you gotta do. If I could legally get ahold of a VW 2.0L TDI (the CRD engine used in these) and put it in mine, I'd keep it forever. Good gas mileage and great looks! Too bad there's currently TMK no plans for diesels in any MKs or PMs...
 
#51 ·
Would I buy again? That's hard for me to answer right now.

I have a '08 patriot that's just comeing in at 4 months old. I really like the roomy Patriot, and the looks.

UNFORTUNATELY, it's been in the dealership service shop 3 times so far for the same problem. It stalls constantly. The first time it was so bad, I had to have it towed in. It only had 800 miles and I owned it almost 1 month exactly.

Now it's in the shop again as I type this. :(

If you asked me right now, I would say "NO, I would not buy a patriot".

If you asked me when it was running fine, I would say, "HELL YES!"
 
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