Test-Drive Tips: 2007 Jeep Compass
My review of the all-new Jeep Compass was just posted in Cars.com’s Research section, but once again it might be helpful for potential Compass buyers to take a second and think about the test drive before rushing to the nearest lot. Here are a few tips:
- Check the price. The Jeep Compass comes with either a five-speed manual or a CVT transmission. There are also front-wheel-drive and all-wheel-drive models. Make sure you check the various costs of these features; they impact the price significantly. If you can only afford a $17,000 vehicle, don’t even consider the all-wheel-drive Compass with the CVT. That brought us to a sticker of $21,185 with few other options. Try building a Compass online before heading to the dealership. (You may have to enter your zip code but you'll be forwarded to the appropriate page after that.)
- Take a long time to soak in the interior. If you don’t like the looks of it now, it will not grow on you. Don’t let the gimmicks like the flashlight and iPod holder sway you from the real issues of how the window buttons work, how the door handles and steering wheel feel in your hand, and how comfortable the seats are.
- When test-driving a CVT model you should floor the gas pedal from a dead stop. (Don’t worry; we doubt the salesman will even notice.) This form of automatic transmission performs in a gradual motion, so you won’t launch with a ton of thrust. It’s an unusual sensation, so make sure you don’t mind the lack of oomph. In this type of vehicle, I didn’t find fault with it.
- Flip down the rear seats and check out the cargo area. Were you expecting to have more or less room than this? What do you usually haul? If you’re moving down from a small or midsize SUV, the Compass has significantly less cargo room.
- Check the mileage. While the front-wheel-drive Compass gets a decent 26 mpg city and 30 mpg highway with the manual transmission, the all-wheel-drive version with the CVT gets only 23/26. That's adequate economy, but in no way is the Compass a mileage champ, despite its small size.
- Colors matter. While some vehicles look good in any color, I’ve found the Compass to be a more striking design in simple black or white than in the earthy tones familiar to Jeep shoppers. Again, you’ll be living with this purchase for at least the next few years, so don’t settle on a color you don’t like.
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The article is dead-on. I purchased a Compass last month and regret doing so. Although it looks great in black and I get a lot of compliments, the reliability has been very suspect. I have already been back to the dealer for problems with the CVT transmission. First it was leaking and then it was shuddering. Eleven days later and a new transmission I'm told the problem is solved. I regret not purchasing a CR-V.
Saw one of these on the road the other day. Ugggg, this thing looks like a Cadi SUV on heavy steroids. Jeep must have had extra plastic parts in the wherehouse and decided to glue them on a Liberty. The Compass will sell to former Jeep owners. The rest of us will shrug this Jeep Ugly.
I just bought a Jeep Compass Limited with the 5-speed manual transmission a week ago. So far, I'm very happy with it. I really like the handling and road feel - so many cars don't seem to have that "fun to drive" quality anymore that this one has. I got a little over 24 mpg on the first full tank of gas - not bad for a new vehicle in cold weather, but hopefully it will be better once broken in and with better conditions. The interior is nothing to get excited about, but overall I think it's a great small SUV. I've owned several RAV4s and CRVs over the last decade, so I know a little about this type of vehicle. I bought a Jeep because the other 2 companies no longer offer manual transmissions. So far, I'm happy with my decision!
I bought a Compass in December and, although I really, really love it, I'm definately having a problem; my airbag light keeps coming on and going off at random. I've had it to the dealership 3 times to fix it. First they said it was loose wires. Then they said it was a bad connection and ordered new parts. Thirdly they said it was a computer chip and said they replaced it. That was about 2 weeks ago and the damn light came on again yesterday. Comes on when it wants, while I'm moving or stopped at a light, and goes off when it wants. Sometimes it's only a minute, sometimes 20, i never know. WHAT'S GOING ON??
My mom has a Jeep Compass. I love driving it. It has great handling and I think it looks awsome. Its much nicer then the Rav4 or the CR-V.
As a commuter with a 120-mile round trip haul to work and back, I had to do something when gas hit $3.50 a gallon. I've been a truck owner for 10 years now and making the move to something else was a pretty nerve-wracking experience. I tried everything -- I mean everything -- and just couldn't find a vehicle I liked. Then I test drove the Compass.
This is a great little car! It's actually fun to drive. I'm really glad I made the purchase. Having said that, I will say that I did get a "Limited" with a significant number of options making it a $26,000 car. I really like it, however.
I've only had it for a week and I don't even miss my Dodge Ram 1500. Now, that's surprising!
I've had my Jeep Compass Limited for about 4 weeks and think it's great. We've gone up from a car but didn't want a gas guzzling 4 wheel drive (coz we are never going off road). We have a steep drive and ripped many a car bumper off. The Compass fitted the bill perfectly - not too environmentally unfriendly and is high off the ground. I like the interior - got everything you need and plenty of room to put things. The trunk is big enough and can take a surfboard and ski's. It rides nicely and I love the heated seats in the cold.
All in all it's pretty cute really and by going from big SUV's to smaller ones (when most city drivers never go off road anyway) we are helping to save the environment. That's has to be a bonus.
I bought my Compass in March and I am still in love with it. I also looked at the Dodge Calibur and Honda CRV and definitely am glad I went with the Compass. I didn't buy the jeep with all the bells and whistles but it is a nice little car and as the other posters have mentioned--it is fun to drive. My boyfriend always wants to take my car for trips even though he has a luxury vehicle.
I bought my Compass in March and I am still in love with it. I also looked at the Dodge Calibur and Honda CRV and definitely am glad I went with the Compass. I didn't buy the jeep with all the bells and whistles but it is a nice little car and as the other posters have mentioned--it is fun to drive. My boyfriend always wants to take my car for trips even though he has a luxury vehicle.
i bought the jeep compass and i recieved it january 4th,2008 just a few days ago and it randomly shut off and when i acelerate i loose all power? wtf i have an appointment at the dealership tmrw
Just picke up the Jeep Compass last night. Still tryint to get used to the slow take off on the CVT. Brakes are noisy and rough. Bringing it into dealership after weekend to look at it.
well the dealership said that I HAVE TO CLEAN THE THROTTLE!!! wtf im pissed and ive had other problems with the jeep compass im fuming it has 32,000k sometimes wen i shut it off and get out of my car it smells like something is burning! and today i was at the lights and i was on my brakje pedal and i got allot of vibration then i got home and pulled in my driveway and it started to sound like a god dam diesil from insode the cab!!!!! it has turned off and sometimes i cannot accelerate cuz of the goddam cvt accelerates wen it wants 2 sometimes you push the gas and it just revs! wtf and i can floor it and it wont go over 2,000rpm's UGHFK
and last week my gas pedal decided to get stuck by itself and no it wasnt my mat that got it stuck...im going back to the dealership i bougt it from 18 days ago and im going to bring a can of whopp ass and a can opener and someone is gona have allot of explaining to do!
Just bought a 2007 Jeep Compass Limited 5 speed manual about two months ago. Really like it and fun to drive but....... Parked it on a very slight incline yesterday with emergency brake on and in 2nd gear. went back less than 5 minutes later and the vehicle had rolled backward about three car lengths. Brake still on and transmission still in 2nd gear. Very alarming. Obviously we called service.
Anybody else heard of this?
Always put a manual trans in reverse when parking on a hill. Make sure you pull the brake all the way up also
Last weekend, I rented a Jeep Compass to go snowboarding at Mammoth, California with my wife. Initially, I was a bit worried about its ability to handle the steep mountain climbs over the Sierras as it was billed as a compact SUV. But, I was pleasantly surprised at how poised it handled going up the twisties on Interstate 50. It capably kept up with all the brawny Yukons and Tahoes racing up the mountain roads. I especially liked how the smooth CVT got up the climbs without jarring downshifts. It took a while to get used to hitting the gas on passing lanes and cruising by other cars with hardly a noise or complaint from the engine. Plus, it handled the tight turns almost like a car.
I found the Compass to be very easy to drive and the suspension was accomodating enough for the long ride. Visibility was great and it had some ingenious little design touches like a sliding visor that I had only previously seen on cars like my E500. With its short wheel base, it was super easy to parallel park in tight spots that were impossible for full-size SUVs or even large sedans, which brought big smiles on our faces when I tried to find a parking spot right next to the ski lifts.
The interior layout was well-thought out, especially for hauling a couple of snowboards and gear, making it very easy to load and unload. Otherwise, the dash area was nice and clean with a big and very useful storage pocket above the glove compartment. The seats themselves adjusted well for a fairly comfortable ride over the 750 mile round trip up and down the mountains.
In short, it was a fun ride that took care of business with no fuss. And, to top it all off, the Compass got amazingly high gas mileage. I had seen that Jeep had rated it to 23 local and 28 highway, but I was stunned when I ended up averaging right over 33 miles per gallon for the whole trip. Considering that well over half of the driving was in steep mountain passes or local traffic, I thought the gas pump was broken when the tank topped off with only 11 gallons after driving over 360 miles up through Lake Tahoe to Mammoth. I even over-filled the tank a little to prove to myself that it was actually full. It pulled off the same trick on the way back to San Jose.
Afterwards, my wife and I resolved that our next car should be a Jeep Compass since it had all the car-like features we wanted and the high gas mileage to over-come our staunch aversion to gas-guzzling SUVs. When we saw online that it was only about $17K for the model we were driving, we were sold. And, I must commend the product managers at Jeep for coming up with a vehicle that can handle our snowboarding trips now and a couple of future rug rats later.
Had to make a trip last summer and the transmission on my truck 86'd itself two days before I left. Rented a Compass and loaded it to the max with pretty heavy stuff. Made a 500 mile round trip and got 30+ MPG. I was impressed with the ride, handling, gas milage, interior, comfort, and how about that gas milage. I got my truck back and filled it up only a few more times before I decided to buy a Compass. I have had it a month and it is everything I thought it would be. I actually bought the exact same vehicle that I had rented (2litre with CVT) It gets 27.5 around town and over 30 on the road. Can't wipe the grin off my face yet. The CVT is different but easy to get used to. I read a lot about lack of power? It may not be a jackrabbit but it is a long way from a turtle. Give one a try, you will be impressed.
I have had my Compass from Jan 08. I bought it as a winter car and got a great deal.
I love this little Jeep, great on normal roads and with the 4x4 lock in, no problems in deep snow and light off road mud. I don't 4 wheel, but I have stayed with other 4x4 Jeeps in bad weather with no fear. The 8 inch clearance puts you high on the road as well.
Great car for a young daughter as well, safe and well designed.