The Jeep Compass has received its fair share of criticism from purists, but the company insists aficionados aren’t the target. With that in mind, BusinessWeek decided to test the compact crossover the way it was meant to be driven — mostly on paved roads, with some gravel surfaces thrown in for good measure.
After taking the Compass around town, columnist Matt Vella concludes the crossover simply “can’t hold its own.” He says competition from the Honda CR-V , Ford Escape , and Toyota RAV4 make the Jeep a hard sell. From driving dynamics to performance, Vella question’s Jeep’s “new directions.” He says the engine feels “unrefined and underpowered on the road, especially merging into fast-moving traffic or climbing steep grades. Neither the engine’s sound (noisy, rickety) nor its pickup inspire much confidence.”
He also was unimpressed with the interior. “It’s a disaster zone of ugly, hard-edged plastics, poorly-designed ergonomics, and chintzy dials and switches. In fact, the interior was to me immediately reminiscent of the Saturn models desperately being phased out by General Motors (GM) to resuscitate that brand.” Vella gives the compass just half a star out of a possible five.
