Available solely with 4-cylinder engines measuring in at 2.0L and 2.4L, the Compass is the smallest of the Jeeps, and a twin to the much-boxier Jeep Patriot. Its bones were shared with the Dodge Caliber before that was killed off in favor of the new Dodge Dart.
One of two compact SUVs from Jeep, the Compass was originally derided as too soft for the Jeep brand, both in styling and philosophy, since it’s a car-based design built on a front-wheel-drive platform. With boxier, more traditional Jeep styling, the related Patriot was more popular until the Compass was restyled in 2011 to resemble the Grand Cherokee.
The Compass competes with the Chevrolet Equinox, Honda CR-V, Subaru Forester and many other small crossovers.
While many drivers associate the Jeep brand with superior off-road capabilities above all else, the Jeep Compass puts an equal focus on efficiency and drivability, which remain heavily desired traits in the small crossover segment. Rated for up to 30 mpg on the highway, the Compass is a good option for those who want to drive it to work during the week and take it on a few off-road trails on the weekends.
Jeep has $3,000 on its compact Compass SUV and Dodge is looking to clear out stocks of its 2014 Charger ahead of the 2015 facelifted model with $4,250 on the hood and its discontinued Avenger mid-size sedan with $3,000. Among the top lease deals are the Acura ILX compact, which has a $270 monthly payment over 36 months with no money down.
One of the automaker’s entries, the iconic Jeep Wrangler SUV, could rank highly on any number of the industry’s “best” lists – especially those for exceptional off-road vehicles, top resale values or most-affordable convertibles – but instead gets singled out here for its ungainly road manners and paltry passenger comfort, among other factors.
