Jeep Compass

[Aereldor]

Does anyone here own a Jeep Compass? Everyone's singing its praises but nobody's told me about any cons, and there have to be some. 

[PlayStation 2]

Like... a new Compass? Only person I could think of with a related car is @kaiju_wars but he doesn't have a Compass specifically. 

Although, as a whole, those FCA compact crossovers are decent. A bit expensive here in the US, but they seem to be decently reliable... barring some issues that Chrysler's implementation of the 9-speed automatic can have, at least if the Pacifica is to go off of.

[8tg]

One thing out of the way

n o t a r e a l j e e p

with that out of the way, it’s a fiat 500x and it’s assembled as if it were designed to be made from popsicle sticks and hot glue, the platform it’s built off of is a first-merge Chrysler/fiat nightmare that was designed for the sole purpose of being cheap to manufacture

its like the GM z platform except terrible because they’re putting larger vehicles than Saturn S series on it

 

its a 4wd dodge neon/dart, but only if you get 4wd, otherwise it’s basically just a tall dodge neon that costs twice as much

 

if you want a car in this category of small crossover, Honda HR-V, same type of car, except someone actually put more than 2 brain cells into designing it, and it’s cheaper 

[Bitter]

Pass. I've worked on them a lot and they're not fantastically made vehicles. They sound cheap, they feel cheap, they drive and ride cheap. It's just like driving a Dodge Caliber but worse.

There's a coolant housing on the side of the head that always leaks. They're prone to having low oil pressure over 150K miles. The CVT trans is troublesome, needs fluid changes every 30k like clockwork or it doesn't work right, it overheats itself just driving on the highway for no reason. Trans is good for about 100k miles, all the used trans are junk, and new ones are expensively out of proportion to what the vehicles cost. The flappy doodle inside the intake manifold binds and requires replacement of the manifold. Heater cores leak or clog or both.

 

I'd still take one over a Dodge Journey though.

[Sarra]

I, personally, refuse to own any Chrysler product. The only exception would be a Jeep...

 

Having worked on a few more modern Jeep products, though, I wouldn't touch a Compass. The Liberty is also a no-go.

 

I don't like the build quality, engineering direction, and especially, I do not like the fact that they are all built to a price. The Bean Counters have their hands deep around the necks of the engineering teams at Chrysler, and it really shows in the fit and finish of the end products.

[Rocketdog2112]

Chrysler has prostituted the Jeep name and product. 

[vetali]

Non Grand Cherokee Jeeps are some of the worst vehicles I have done used car inspections on (for us its a 20 mile test drive). Grand Cherokees have a decent platform and are fun with the v8s if you can deal with the interior, however you can avoid the Jeep tax and get a Durango which is the same thing. The Wranglers are a wildcard. I dislike them greatly, but people love them. So thats really down to wants/tastes.

[Bitter]

Ugh ever since they dumped the inline 6 the Wrangler has NOT been the Wrangler. That 4.0, besides the head gasket, was rock solid reliable with crazy good torque off idle. Just tap the gas and go. The 3.8 in the JK, while also a highly reliable engine, just doesn't have that same Wrangler feel as the 4.0. It's lazier off idle at low RPM and overall feels a lot slower. Some of that could be down to gearing I guess too.

 

But the new Pentastar 3.6 V6 hoooooboy. Don't expect it to be reliable. At all. It's like the song by The Offspring, She's got Issues.

[PlayStation 2]

5 hours ago, Rocketdog2112 said:

Chrysler has prostituted the Jeep name and product. 

To be completely fair, the Jeep name was always kind of a weird thing period... although nowadays it's Chrysler's volume leader for when full-size pickup trucks don't cut it.

[Sarra]

1 hour ago, handymanshandle said:

To be completely fair, the Jeep name was always kind of a weird thing period... although nowadays it's Chrysler's volume leader for when full-size pickup trucks don't cut it.

During the economic issues, when GM took the Government Bailout, I was honestly hoping that Chrysler would just fold. I really hated their products, advertising, and corporate management... And I still do.

 

3 hours ago, vetali said:

however you can avoid the Jeep tax and get a Durango which is the same thing.

Not sure if I agree with this. I saw some pretty well-destroyed Durangos, they drove like crap, and the interior was... Blah at best. They also tend to be rather over-priced for what they are, and are less capable offroad than a Grand Cherokee or Wrangler.

 

Then again, I worked at a lot, and we sold a Durango to a guy. I think it was 2 days later, they brought it back, and traded it in for a slightly nicer, one year newer, slight upgrade Durango... And 3 days after that, came back and bought the first Durango again (for himself, after his wife jacked the 'nicer' one?)... I joked with our sales manager that he should have thrown in the PT Cruiser next to it on the lot as a freebie (they insurance frauded that thing, because it was such a pile).

[vetali]

1 hour ago, Sarra said:

During the economic issues, when GM took the Government Bailout, I was honestly hoping that Chrysler would just fold. I really hated their products, advertising, and corporate management... And I still do.

 

Not sure if I agree with this. I saw some pretty well-destroyed Durangos, they drove like crap, and the interior was... Blah at best. They also tend to be rather over-priced for what they are, and are less capable offroad than a Grand Cherokee or Wrangler.

 

Then again, I worked at a lot, and we sold a Durango to a guy. I think it was 2 days later, they brought it back, and traded it in for a slightly nicer, one year newer, slight upgrade Durango... And 3 days after that, came back and bought the first Durango again (for himself, after his wife jacked the 'nicer' one?)... I joked with our sales manager that he should have thrown in the PT Cruiser next to it on the lot as a freebie (they insurance frauded that thing, because it was such a pile).

3rd gen Durangos are nearly the same as Grand Cherokees. Might be some slight differences especially in more optioned out ones, but I will agree that most Durango owners just drive the piss outta them and neglect them.

[Gix7Fifty]

Con: Chrysler transmission.

[Bitter]

1 hour ago, Gix7Fifty said:

Con: Chrysler transmission.

No. Jatco CVT, same as in some Nissans too and just a crappy trans. Some do OK for a while but they all go to poop unless you only drive around town for small trips. Long highway drives just RUIN those things fast.

[Aereldor]

On 1/1/2021 at 1:33 AM, handymanshandle said:

A bit expensive here in the US, but they seem to be decently reliable

 

16 hours ago, Bitter said:

they're not fantastically made vehicles. They sound cheap, they feel cheap, they drive and ride cheap.

 

14 hours ago, Sarra said:

I wouldn't touch a Compass. I don't like the build quality, engineering direction, and especially, I do not like the fact that they are all built to a price. 

 

6 hours ago, vetali said:

Non Grand Cherokee Jeeps are some of the worst vehicles I have done used car inspections on

avoid the Jeep tax and get a Durango which is the same thing. 

 

Thanks for all your responses, lads. I'm not a car enthusiast by any means so I appreciate all the information.

I'm actually helping pick out a family car in India, where they sell a 4x2 Petrol AT version of the Compass. There aren't many alternatives at this price (2 million rupees, or around $27,000 USD), used isn't an option here unfortunately. It's good to know they're built cheap and not super sturdy, especially since reviewers here say the opposite. 

[Bitter]

I don't know what cars are like in India but it might be a decent car there compared to what else is available. That price seems high compared to what they sell for here but I might be out of the loop, likely due to import fees and such. Is there an Indian made vehicle that might be a better choice? I know that Jeep refreshed the interior and exterior but I believe the underpinnings and drive train are essentially the same as the last gen.

[Aereldor]

31 minutes ago, Bitter said:

I don't know what cars are like in India but it might be a decent car there compared to what else is available. That price seems high compared to what they sell for here but I might be out of the loop, likely due to import fees and such. Is there an Indian made vehicle that might be a better choice? I know that Jeep refreshed the interior and exterior but I believe the underpinnings and drive train are essentially the same as the last gen.

Afaik the India compasses are locally manufactured, but there are Indian competitors. Tata (Indian) makes a car called a 'Harrier', with the 2020 variant based on the Jag Land Rover D8 platform (Land Rover Discovery Sport, Range Rover Evoque). Catch is it's built super cheap, drives and handles worse than the Compass and is almost the same price. There's also no petrol variant, which is a problem here.

 

The only other cars that compete are a Hyundai and an MG, which suck for different reasons

[Bitter]

Well if it's the best there is available then it's the best. Can you rent one for a few days or a week and see how you like it? That's what I normally advise people to do when they're unsure about buying a car.

[vetali]

Yeah that kinda changes things if they are in India. Options might make it the best available.

[Aereldor]

7 minutes ago, Bitter said:

Well if it's the best there is available then it's the best. Can you rent one for a few days or a week and see how you like it? That's what I normally advise people to do when they're unsure about buying a car.

No rentals right now, but I might know someone who owns one in the exact variant that I want it - last year Jeep got voted the most trusted car brand here, which blew up sales. 

 

The Compass actually starts at $22,000 and the cheapest petrol manual is the variant I'd get, but my family's keen on AT, the extra airbags, and a sunroof, which bump it up to $27,000

 

The only other car here which is sold pretty much worldwide is the Honda CR-V, which is great but also like $38,000, so not really an option. 

[dizmo]

Honestly in that price range you're going to have to pick your disadvantages; no vehicle is going to be perfect.

That said, what's wrong with Hyundai? Over the past decade they've improved their quality by leaps and bounds. You can get a diesel SUV within your budget. Having been in both, I'd much rather have a Hyundai than a Jeep. I'd never get a vehicle with a CVT transmission, aside from maybe a Subaru.

[Gix7Fifty]

1 hour ago, Bitter said:

No. Jatco CVT, same as in some Nissans too and just a crappy trans. Some do OK for a while but they all go to poop unless you only drive around town for small trips. Long highway drives just RUIN those things fast.

Moot point, still shitty tranny.

[Aereldor]

24 minutes ago, dizmo said:

Honestly in that price range you're going to have to pick your disadvantages; no vehicle is going to be perfect.

That said, what's wrong with Hyundai? Over the past decade they've improved their quality by leaps and bounds. You can get a diesel SUV within your budget. Having been in both, I'd much rather have a Hyundai than a Jeep. I'd never get a vehicle with a CVT transmission, aside from maybe a Subaru.

There's a problem with Diesels in India - they keep introducing laws to wipe them out. Legislation hiked the price of Diesel up from half the price of petrol to the exact same. Diesel cars become illegal to drive if they're more than 10 years old. The surprise introduction of stricter emission standards made a load of diesels illegal overnight, and they might do it again... Always had diesels, but it's the end of an era. I may even get the cheap land-rover-based Tata if the upcoming petrol variant doesn't suck.

 

The only comparable car Hyundai makes now is the Creta, which has the advantage of being cheaper at $25,000. The consensus appears to be that the petrol auto version doesn't compare to the Compass, but I'm definitely considering it.

Edit: it's worth mentioning that indian Hyundais are built like shit and from lower-tier parts.

[PlayStation 2]

2 hours ago, dizmo said:

I'd never get a vehicle with a CVT transmission, aside from maybe a Subaru.

Considering that I've seen CVT WRXs with rebuilt transmissions after four years, I wouldn't even trust that shit.

[Mling]

Avoid anything with CVT transmission. They just dont last. I've driven an older work vehicle where fixing the transmission cost more than the car was worth. It was horrible to drive.

 

However Toyota has brought out a CVT with a mechanical first gear which should extend the life of the transmission and give it better take off. I haven't driven one yet.

[Mling]

4 hours ago, Aereldor said:

I'm actually helping pick out a family car in India, where they sell a 4x2 Petrol AT version of the Compass. There aren't many alternatives at this price (2 million rupees, or around $27,000 USD)

you get the toyota hilux in india? I got my 4 door petrol RWD for NZD$30k, about 1.5 million rupee. They last forever. The new models are really nice to drive and just as safe as an SUV.