Tested: 2017 Jeep Compass 4×4 Manual
There’s nothing tricky, complex, or leading edge about the Jeep Compass in its bargain-priced Sport trim.
Let us praise the virtues of simplicity. There’s nothing tricky, complex, or leading edge about the Jeep Compass in its bargain-priced Sport trim. It is straightforward engineering in a bare box, unpretentious at a time when pretense is the only thing some crossovers have going for them. It’s not luxurious and won’t readily scramble across Moab’s rocks. The level of refinement is, well, modest. It’s also not full of technology that will age rapidly and fail suddenly. This one didn’t even have an automatic transmission.
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But it’s surprisingly not that unpleasant, even in—no, make that particularly in—this low-end, no-frills, DIY-shifting Sport form. It’s not quick, either. But hey, it costs only about a quarter of what a Grand Cherokee Trackhawk does.
The original Compass wore out its welcome within minutes of its debut as a 2007 model. It was crude, nasty handling, dog slow, and awkward looking. “The name says Jeep,” we summarized after our first encounter with the Compass, “but the vibe says cheap.” It was easy to hate on both the continuously variable automatic transmission (CVT) and the tire noise. “At times the booming tire roar made the Compass no quieter than the cargo hold of a 747,” we wrote, as if we regularly flew in a 747’s cargo hold. The Compass’s fraternal twin, the boxier Patriot, was no better.
Born Again
The Patriot is gone and already pretty much forgotten. But after 10 grim seasons, the front-wheel-drive-based Compass has entered a second generation. On the whole, it’s an aesthetic success. The bodywork has a mini–Grand Cherokee vibe, with squared-off wheel openings, a handsome greenhouse, and a rugged countenance. The Sport doesn’t carry much decoration or the contrasting black roof of fancier Latitude, Trailhawk, and Limited models. The cheesiest elements in the design are the dinky 16-inch wheels, which drown in the gaping maw of the wheel wells. Those wheels are wrapped in 215/65R-16 all-season rubber that apparently has signed a nonaggression pact with every possible on- and off-road surface.
Second on the cheese plate are the seven decorative plastic pieces up front simulating the Compass’s grille. They’re solid, so they allow no airflow and serve no purpose beyond stylistically connecting to other Jeeps with functional seven-slot grilles. In fact, the Compass is a bottom breather that takes in all its engine-cooling air through openings in the lower front-bumper cover.
Under the skin, the new Compass is a slightly larger version of the subcompact Renegade. Which means there’s also plenty of Fiat 500X in this vehicle’s soul and not much in the way of innovation. It’s a conventional unibody, albeit with struts at every corner. In 4×4 versions, like this test vehicle, the rear suspension and differential are carried on a rubber-isolated steel subframe.
The Compass’s 103.8-inch wheelbase is 2.6 inches longer than the Renegade’s, and at 173.0 inches, the Compass is 6.4 inches longer overall but no wider. The longer wheelbase helps the Compass ride better than the Renegade but not by a wide margin.
From the Jungle and the Sea
All Compass models are powered by Fiat Chrysler’s Tigershark 2.4-liter inline-four, rated at a so-so 180 horsepower. It doesn’t inspire much affection, but it’s not miserable in its work, either; it has a Red Wing boot sort of charm.
The previous Compass used an utterly annoying CVT in most versions. But the new Compass has stepped up to a six-speed automatic in front-drive models and FCA’s sometimes frustrating nine-speed automatic in 4x4s. But our test example had the standard six-speed manual, and it is by far the best choice of the three.
The C635 six-speed manual’s lower four gears are relatively closely spaced, with fifth a 0.85:1 overdrive and sixth an off-the-cliff 0.67:1 overdrive. What’s good about this Italy-made transmission is that the manual operation allows the driver to hold any gear as long as they would like. That’s an enormous advantage with an engine that peaks at only 175 lb-ft of torque and needs to spin at 3900 rpm to achieve that figure. In low-traction situations, it makes maintaining forward progress far more straightforward than with an automatic.
And the shift action is pretty good. The stick moves with little effort, always finds the gears it’s supposed to find, and the clutch pedal’s action is light. No, it doesn’t operate with Glock-like certainty, nor does it have the playful character of the six-speed manual in a Mazda Miata. But up against the competition in its segment, the Compass is an engaging driving companion.
The Compass’s ace in the hole—okay, maybe it’s more like a jack or a queen—is the Active Drive all-wheel-drive system. In the Compass, Jeep reserves a more sophisticated system for the off-road-oriented Trailhawk, but the single-range system in the Sport is enough to keep the vehicle out of trouble in most sloppy situations. And when things get truly goofy, various programs optimized for driving in snow, sand, or mud can be selected.
Around town, the Compass usually operates as a front-wheel-drive vehicle, with some torque transferred to the rear wheels only when the lack of traction up front gets dire. It’s enough for most snowy conditions or when a dirt road turns to mud or when sand blows across the pavement but not much beyond that.
Money Matters
At the Sport’s $22,090 base price—AWD adds $1500—the Compass’s interior is a throwback. The fabric on the seats is rugged, the carpet isn’t plush, and the plastic pieces are very plasticky. The equipment level is modest, but many 21st-century essentials are accounted for: Power windows, power door locks, power mirrors, a backup camera, and push-button start are standard. After all, we are a civilized people.
Our test vehicle was further equipped with the $595 Sport Appearance Group (aluminum wheels, tinted glass, and roof rails), the $695 Cold Weather Group (heated front seats, a heated leather-wrapped steering wheel, floor mats, and a windshield-wiper de-icer), and the $495 Technology Group (satellite radio and rear parking sensors). A $245 compact spare tire brought the total to $25,620. That’s very affordable for a useful, roomy vehicle with all-wheel drive. (We tested a 2017 Compass for this review; for the 2018 model year, prices have increased slightly, and the Technology Group adds a bunch more features than before.)
But the compromises are apparent. The 5.0-inch center-touchscreen display is so small as to restrict the backup camera’s usefulness, there’s not much in the way of support in the seats, and this is not a quiet cruiser. It never does anything untoward on the road, but it never does anything particularly entertaining or impressive, either. Roadholding is modest, with the Compass orbiting our skidpad at 0.80 g.
This Compass reached 60 mph from a stop in 8.4 seconds, confirming that the laws of physics still apply to 3416-pound Jeeps with 180 horsepower aboard. Don’t expect this engine to pull well in sixth gear—and it’s also not thrilled about fifth. Those two gears are overdrives, and they’re somewhat useful when cruising in them on an interstate, freeway, or down the eastern slope of the Rockies. But up the slightest grade, it feels as if a drag chute has just deployed. For many situations, fourth is the best cruising gear, and sometimes passing will mean dropping down to third.
In daily driving, there’s something fundamentally appealing about such an unpretentious machine. It’s the sort that will wear its parking-lot dings, shopping-cart scrapes, and scratched bumper covers with noble pride. It’s nothing special, and that makes it kind of special.
If you want driver engagement in this category of vehicle, you should buy a Mazda CX-5. And the Honda CR-V has it all over the Compass in terms of utility and refinement. But the least expensive all-wheel-drive CX-5 Sport and CR-V LX are almost $3000 more than the Compass Sport 4×4—with the difference likely even greater once dealer discounting comes into play. At this price-sensitive end of the market, that matters. In places like Montana, Vermont, or Colorado, where all-wheel drive is a virtual necessity and commutes are rarely stop and go, the Compass Sport 4×4 is an attractive alternative to yet another Subaru. And it looks more or less like a Jeep.
Specifications
SPECIFICATIONS
2017 Jeep Compass 4×4 manual
VEHICLE TYPE
front-engine, all-wheel-drive, 5-passenger, 4-door hatchback
PRICE AS TESTED
$25,620 (base price: $23,590)
ENGINE TYPE
SOHC 16-valve inline-4, aluminum block and head, port fuel injection
Displacement
144 in 3 , 2360 cm 3
Power
180 hp @ 6400 rpm
Torque
175 lb-ft @ 3900 rpm
TRANSMISSION
6-speed manual
DIMENSIONS
Wheelbase: 103.8 in
Length: 173.0 in
Width: 73.8 in
Height: 64.6 in
Passenger volume: 100 ft 3
Cargo volume: 27 ft 3
Curb weight: 3416 lb
C/D TEST RESULTS
Zero to 60 mph: 8.4 sec
Zero to 100 mph: 27.8 sec
Zero to 110 mph: 38.6 sec
Rolling start, 5-60 mph: 9.5 sec
Top gear, 30-50 mph: 20.8 sec
Top gear, 50-70 mph: 23.8 sec
Standing ¼-mile: 16.6 sec @ 83 mph
Top speed (governor limited): 112 mph
Braking, 70-0 mph: 193 ft
Roadholding, 300-ft-dia skidpad*: 0.80 g
*stability-control-inhibited
C/D FUEL ECONOMY
Observed: 24 mpg
EPA FUEL ECONOMY
Combined/city/highway: 25/22/31 mpg
John Pearley Huffman has been writing about cars since 1990 and is getting okay at it. Besides Car and Driver, his work has appeared in the New York Times and more than 100 automotive publications and websites. A graduate of UC Santa Barbara, he still lives near that campus with his wife and two children. He owns a pair of Toyota Tundras and two Siberian huskies. He used to have a Nova and a Camaro.
Jeep Compass 2017
В конце 2016-го года на Лос-Анджелесском автосалоне состоялась презентация второго поколения внедорожника Jeep Compass. Новинка поступила в продажу уже в 2017-м. Дизайнеры автобренда решили не подвергать модель кардинальной переделке экстерьера, сохранив традиционные эстетические линии кузова. Новинка сохранила характерную для легендарных внедорожников радиаторную решетку и колесные арки в форме трапеции.
РАЗМЕРЫ
Габариты визуально сбитого внедорожника Jeep Compass 2017 составляют:
| Высота: | 1625мм |
| Ширина: | 1819мм |
| Длина: | 4394мм |
| Колесная база: | 2630мм |
| Клиренс: | 203мм |
| Объем багажника: | 770л |
| Масса: | 2086кг |
ТЕХНИЧЕСКИЕ ХАРАКТЕРИСТИКИ
Новинка построена на платформе, которая лежит в основе модели Renegade. Она уже доказала превосходные ходовые качества и проходимость, которые имеют ключевое значение для внедорожников.
Моторная гамма состоит из внушительного перечня силовых агрегатов. В список входят, как скромные 2.0-литровые дизельные и бензиновые двигатели, адаптированные для городских условий, так и производительные 3.0-литровые моторы, которые отлично подходят для Off-Road поездок. Трансмиссия у Jeep Compass 2017 полноприводная, но для более скромных агрегатов есть возможность заказать исключительно передний привод. Коробка передач для новинки либо 6-скоростная механика, либо 9-ступенчатый автомат.
| Мощность мотора: | 140, 150, 170, 175 л.с. |
| Крутящий момент: | 229-250 Нм. |
| Пиковая скорость: | 192-200 км/ч. |
| Разгон 0-100 км/ч: | 9.5-10.7 сек. |
| Трансмиссия: | МКПП-6, АКПП-9 |
| Средний расход на 100 км: | 6.2-9.9 л. |
ОСНАЩЕНИЕ
Покупателям Jeep Compass 2017 производитель предлагает более 70 разных систем безопасности и комфорта. В список может входить внушительный перечень ассистентов для водителя, несколько вариантов обивки салона и оборудование, обеспечивающее максимальный комфорт независимо от типа дорожного покрытия.
Фотоподборка Jeep Compass 2017
На фото, представленных ниже, можно увидеть новую модель Джип Компасс 2017, которая изменилась не только внешне, но и внутри.