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By Royal FordBoston.com
July 2, 2006
It is an interesting test for this vehicle, which Jeep calls a small SUV and I think is almost a crossover. This model is not getting tagged with Jeep's rugged "Trail Rated" billing. Yes, the toothy grille does say Jeep. So do the round headlights, the 4x4 insignia on the rear gate, and even the roof rails. And yet, here we are, skimming through salt, flying over the sands, momentum keeping us afloat the way a water bug's speed over water helps leave surface tension unbroken. The goal in building this new kind of Jeep -- one of three the company says will differ from three other "Trail Rated' models -- was to distance some of them from the line's rugged past without sacrificing utility or mobility, according to John Plecha, director of marketing. That means the Compass will stand with the Grand Cherokee and Liberty in one class of Jeeps, while the Wrangler, Commander, and Patriot (built on the same platform as the Compass and the Dodge Caliber crossover) get put in the other. The goal, said Plecha, is to lure buyers who previously decided Jeep "didn't have the vehicle to meet their needs." This does not mean that the Compass and the rest of its group aren't equipped to do what most people who look for extra performance in their SUVs use them for: cruising to a beach to fish for stripers, getting to the hunting lodge in the fall, a trout stream in spring, or the ski chalet in winter. Yes, there are soft points on this Compass: MP3 capability, satellite radio, and a hipline that, while looking aggressive, is redolent of the family wagon. It is powered by a remarkable inline-4-cylinder engine, whose strong band of power seems to last forever, giving the impression of a far larger engine. The Compass comes as either a front-wheel- or all-wheel-drive vehicle, and with either a five-speed manual or an as-tested continuously variable transmission. The CVT, on roads and in the dunes, was a wonder. With its virtually limitless "gears" handled by contracting and expanding pulleys, there was never a sense of upshift or downshift on highways, twisting Oregon back roads, or even over beach and dunes. To Jeep's credit, antilock brake system, electronic stability control, and front-to-rear side-curtain air bags are standard on the Compass, as is an electronic anti rollover system. The stability control system, thankfully, has three settings: full, for normal driving; reduced threshold, for snowy conditions, where more driver input is necessary; and off, for times when the driver needs maximum "feel" from both throttle and wheels. Its all-wheel-drive system runs with 100 percent of the power up front under normal driving conditions, but can send as much as 60 percent of its torque to the rear as conditions (wet, sand, snow, ice) change. And it makes the change in microseconds. In addition, it can be locked into a total 50/50 front-rear split. One very cool touch is a flashlight tucked into the ceiling just above the rear door hatch. It is charged while stored and can be removed for emergencies. In both front- and all-wheel-drive models, there are two editions: Sport and Limited. The front-wheel-drive Sport starts at $15,985, while the Limited starts at $17,585. All-wheel-drive models launch from $20,140 and $21,740, respectively. The Compass, expected to go on sale by the fall, will compete quite capably with Ford's Escape, Toyota's RAV4, Honda's CR-V, Hyundai's Santa Fe and Tucson, and other compact SUV/crossovers. I continue to receive invitations from car companies to drive their new or latest versions of yet another gargantuan SUV, even as I watch sales of big SUVs tumble. More and more, these small, utilitarian rigs that will take us where no station wagon has gone before make sense. 2007 Jeep Compass THE BASICS Base price/as tested: $15,985-$21,740 (base prices, four models) Fuel economy: 23-30 miles per gallon (est.) Annual fuel cost: $1,679 (23 miles per gallon at $2.97 per gallon, regular, 13,000 miles per year) THE SPECIFICS Drivetrain: Front- or all-wheel drive Seating: Five occupants Horsepower: 172 Torque: 165 lb.-ft. Overall length: 173.4 inches Wheelbase: 103.7 inches Height: 65.2 inches Width: 69.3 inches Curb weight: 3,071-3,329 pounds
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