2007 Jeep Compass

The Jeep Compass: Versatility and value

Sat, Dec 9th 2006

When did DaimlerChrysler become such an innovative, value-oriented car company? I guess I just haven’t been paying much attention since I bought my Plymouth minivan — reliable, dull ol’ Forrest — a decade ago.

First, the Stow ‘N Go seats on the Dodge Caravan knocked my socks off, enabling a very comfortable minivan to go from hauling a soccer team to hauling a team of sled dogs in about the five minutes it takes to fold all the seats into the floor.

Then, I get the Jeep Compass Limited 4×4, the new “cute ute” from the venerable line of rugged off-roaders. Another winner from the DaimlerChrysler team! This one’s a great dogmobile, at fantastic price — starting below $16,000 for the two-wheel-drive version, the four-wheel-drive test vehicle I drove had just about everything (including heated seats) for less than $25,000.

What to like? Just about everything:

• The seats fold easily, and completely flat.
• The cargo area has rubber matting instead of carpet, making clean-up after dirty paws easy.
• Fuel economy is a 26/30, better than most of the cute utes I’ve been driving.
• Good cargo space, with not much of it unusable. As with most cute utes, my side-by-side crates won’t fit except in a “T” formation. Again, with smaller or fewer dogs — or those who use harness restraints– this isn’t an issue.
• Well-placed cargo anchor hooks, and lots of them.
• Good ground clearance and easy changeover to the four-wheel drive, both of which you’d expect in a Jeep, after all. This vehicle would have no problem handling the fields I’m often training in.

The only dog-related complaint? The cup holders are down low between the front seats, easy for a dog to put a foot in (or a tongue, in the case of my youngest retriever, McKenzie, who loves lattes.)

Aside from the doggie aspects, this little SUV is fun to drive and very responsive. It’s a pretty darn cute, too. The design of the front reminds me of a cross between the Jeep Liberty and the Dodge Nitro. I guess they were aiming for a more masculine look than the Liberty, and the compromise is a good one. The heated seats are awesome, which was a surprise considering the ones in the Dodge Grand Caravan were wimpy.

The Jeep Compass would be a great dogmobile even at a higher price. But at less than $25,000 as tested with almost all the options, good fuel economy and four-wheel drive, it’s definitely one of the best value-oriented dogmobiles I’ve driven.

-- Gina Spadafori

Carguy Comments:The Jeep Compass is a new compact entry to the rugged Jeep brand. It combines the functionality of an SUV at the price of a small car or pickup truck. The 172-horsepower, 2.4-liter World Engine, a joint venture with Chrysler, Hyundai and Mitsubishi, gets 26/30 mpg. Cargo capacity is 60.7 cubic feet and is emission rated as a ULEV II vehicle.

-- Keith Turner, The Family Car

Jeep Compass points toward great value

Barking Lot Banter: Like a magnet, the cuteness factor of the Jeep Compass will draw you toward the compact utility vehicle, and the functionality will keep you there. Able to take on almost any training situation you can produce, the Compass confidently handles almost any training field situation with a flair for fun.