Very Surprised

[josholiver1]

Going to the dealership i was expecting a boring test drive of a Jeep Compass, but it looked interesting and i wanted to try it. I have to say im actually really surprised! I really liked it! It was comfortable and drove pretty well. The CVT was interesting to drive and the 4 wheel drive was great. The acceleration wasnt anything to be proud of, but it was OK. There were so many cool features like nav,flashlight,rear liftgate speakers and 4X4 lock. I took the Compass to a local area where there was some loose sand, and it did exceptionally well. It felt much more sturdy and rugged than the vibe. It felt like it had the same amount of room that the vibe had, but with more of an SUV feel. The vehicle that i felt the interior was simmilar was to is the ford explorer, they were very similar and i liked that. The only concern i have is that it may be just "too cute" for me, the exterior is kinda feminine... Overall i really liked,and would consider it as my next vehicle depending what GM does w/ the 08 vibe

[ColonelPanic]

My bro-in-law has a black one, it was pretty sharp! Good lookin' vehicle. Didn't get a chance to really check it out much, but from what I saw, it wasn't bad.

[josholiver1]

The dealer suggested i take the caliber for a ride and even though its basically the same car, they felt like two completely different worlds...

[AKLGT]

it's a jeep. of course it's going to feel more rugged. the vibe was never meant to be an SUV.

[Psychobroker]

Quote, originally posted by AKLGT »it's a jeep. of course it's going to feel more rugged. the vibe was never meant to be an SUV. Ok, but it's a rebadged Caliber, so "Jeep" has very little to do with it.

[ramenboy...]

i would think the caliber and compass W0ULD feel like totally different cars...one's meant to be a kind of higher end replacement for the neon, and the other's got more wheel travel and higher ground clearance...suv-light

[Psychobroker]

Quote, originally posted by ramenboy... »i would think the caliber and compass W0ULD feel like totally different cars...one's meant to be a kind of higher end replacement for the neon, and the other's got more wheel travel and higher ground clearance...suv-lightI wouldn't say they are totally different. Aside from a couple inches here and there , Compass = Caliber. However, the Compass does have an available 4WD system, and simply looks much more appealing. Compass:ExteriorLength: 173.4 in. Width: 71.3 in.Height: 65.2 in. Wheel Base: 103.7 in.Ground Clearance: 8.4 in. Curb Weight: 3329 lbs.Gross Weight: 4435 lbs.InteriorFront Head Room: 40.7 in. Front Hip Room: 52.3 in.Front Shoulder Room: 54.6 in. Rear Head Room: 39.9 in.Rear Shoulder Room: 54 in. Rear Hip Room: 51 in.Front Leg Room: 40.6 in. Rear Leg Room: 39.4 in.Luggage Capacity: 22.7 cu. ft. Maximum Cargo Capacity: 54 cu. ft.Maximum Seating: 5Caliber:ExteriorLength: 173.8 in. Width: 68.8 in.Height: 60.4 in. Wheel Base: 103.7 in.Ground Clearance: 8.1 in. Curb Weight: 3308 lbs.InteriorFront Head Room: 39.8 in. Front Hip Room: 52.2 in.Front Shoulder Room: 54.2 in. Rear Head Room: 38.9 in.Rear Shoulder Room: 53.4 in. Rear Hip Room: 49.6 in.Front Leg Room: 41.8 in. Rear Leg Room: 35.6 in.Luggage Capacity: 18.5 cu. ft. Maximum Cargo Capacity: 48 cu. ft.Maximum Seating: 5The Compass has a whopping .3" ground clearance advantage over the Caliber...

[ramenboy...]

Quote, originally posted by Psychobroker »The Compass has a whopping .3" ground clearance advantage over the Caliber... that's all?!?!?!?! why does it look like there's so much more wheel gap in the compass?aside from the bobblehead commercials for the compass, i'd lean towards the caliber. IF i had to.thanx for the breakdown, psycho

[coldmm803]

the wheel well is more square on the compass

[ramenboy...]

Quote, originally posted by coldmm803 »the wheel well is more square on the compassah ha! THAT and the fact that the compass is a whopping 5 inches taller than the caliber i'm sure also contributes to the 'jeep-like' nature of the car

[Whelan]

Just get the Jeep. Although both the Caliber and Compass are supposedly marketed towards a more femine crowd. And to think if they make the Caliber SRT, then you get Compass SRT as well )The 4WD system of the Compass is not meant for heavy off-road use. It is similar to the Trix/Vibe (albeit a different system) where it is more for road going hazards. In other words, my girlfriends Liberty Renegade will eat you Moving along, have you also looked in the Jeep Patriot/Nitro. I def. like the Patriot more, same engines I believe but def. a more SUV appearance. Patriot looks like a baby Commander (love the Commander) and is the one geared more towards the male audience.

[coldmm803]

I hear the liberty's arent that great off road either, my friend took his moms and got it stuck in mud going to a trail

[josholiver1]

I wouldnt buy the compass to take it off road or compete with a "true" jeep, i was just surprised at the inital quality and the overall car thats itAnd i know the vibe was never ment to be an SUV or compete with jeep, its just in alot of add's compare the vibe as a better choice over "gas Guzzling Suv'sThe sales man also told me to take the patriot for a ride, which i do like the styling of the commander so it would be a good choice also, but i dont know how much more bigger it is and how the MPG are...

[Whelan]

From what I gather, the Patriot/Compass use the same engine. Not sure if the Patriot has a V6 option though. I have had the gf's Liberty in some nasty slop. Also be aware that most SUVs come with plain jane all seasons. If you wanna go mud bogging, be sure to get yourself a set of nubbies. Makes a world of difference.Not to mention, letting some air out of the tire to get a bigger footprint on mud so it doesnt get stuck.Hell just two weeks ago I used her car with some chains and pulled a big ol Crown Vic out of a down sloped parking lot (unpaved, covered in ice/snow. The Crown Vics rear tires were buried halfway into the mud at the bottom of the lot.) 4 Lo and a steady pull, popped it right out!

[ToolGuy]

I am leasing one and really like it! I wanted the Jeep over the Compass for a few reasons, one being the Jeep has optional tinted windows and I like the look of the Jeep better. I have the 2 wheel drive Compass. The Boston Acoustics stereo rocks too! For all intensive purposes the Patriot is the same as the Compass, just looks different. Same engine same CVT auto trans, same lift gate speakers, same looking rims, same looking interior for the most part, same stereo... The Patriot is a little longer and that REALLY is it. Jeep said the Patriot is more for guys and the Compass for females. OK yeah whatever Jeep! A duplicate model in one brand is not good!

[Whelan]

Good call MiVibe I figured they were fairly similar and one was marketed for M F. But to me I would drive either or. My gf, commented how she thought the Patriot was as big as her Liberty, lolol. I said, babe, pull up next to one. So we went to a Jeep dealer and sure enough, we def. have the bigger car.I didnt realize they utilized so many similar parts though other than framing, engine, etc. They really are like the Vibe/Trix combo. I've never been a fan of the Dodge cross hair thing. It's getting old to me. Even the new Chargers that are out look fairly plain from the rear as well. Jeep has grown to 7 models from the original 3 (Cherokee, Grand Cherokee, Wrangler) to (Commander, Grand Cherokee, Liberty, Patriot, Compass, Wangler, Wrangler 4-door)I still say Jeep should bring the pickup truck backSaw this at the Auto show a few back. Great lookin truck. Oh and if you didn't realize I'm a Jeepaholic. Family has had 96 Cherokee Classic, 99 Cherokee Sport, 02 Grand Cherokee Laredo, and now the 05 Liberty Renegade.

[ToolGuy]

Yeah, I "know" a lot since I support DamilerChrysler and thus have to drive a Jeep, Dodge or Chrysler product for work.Have you seen the new Liberty yet? I do not have a pic myself but have seen them. Longer wheel base then the current Lib, door handles like the Nitro. Shares the same platform as the Nitro too. Oh yeah the Jeep Scramblers! I think that was what the Jeep truck CJ thing was years ago. And keep driving those Jeeps!

[Whelan]

There will always be a Jeep in the fam. The new Liberties are boxed out more, going more for the Commander look as well. I love the 3.7L, its fairly ballsy. Not to mention that yes the Scrambler is what I was thinking of. Based right off the CJ's.

[TRDman]

Quote, originally posted by Whelan »From what I gather, the Patriot/Compass use the same engine. Not sure if the Patriot has a V6 option though. It has no V6 option. You and MiVibe are right: the two are essentially the same car, the only difference being that the Patriot is available with a slightly more "rugged" 4-wheel-drive system (with a low range) and steeper approach and departure angles that are supposed to give it actual off-road ability. Josholiver1; the Compass has, I believe, the same mileage as the Patriot (for similarly equipped versions), so the only factor that may put you off of the latter is that it is marginally more expensive (if I have my facts right).

[Whelan]

Just saw an ad for the Patriot, starts at $14,995. Thats right in the same range as the Compass.It should be interesting to see how they both do cause I can't remember when a car company offered two very similar models at the same price range.