After more than 2 years of ownership and over 30k miles driven, I can finally say that Chrysler deserves to go out of business for giving the green light on something this horrible.
The Bad:
1) There is so much plastic used in the interior of the car that one might think there was a surplus of plastic up in Detroit.
2) The 2.4L engine is VERY underpowered and will make your life miserable. Going up a mountain will waste so much gas because the engine needs to rev at 5k RMP over the smallest hills.
3) Speaking of gas... Don't be fooled by the high MPG promised by the manufacturer. The car is heavy and the engine is too small for it to deliver what was promised. I live in Los Angeles so I got to experience driving the car in various conditions. I've driven it fast, slow, city, and freeway, and I get about 200 miles per tank (usually less) which is far less than the 20/24mpg advertised by the dealer.
4) Also, since everything is made from plastic, it is very fragile and will break. My freaking seat adjusting handle broke. A handle which you'd think be made sturdy since it is used so much, broke. Did I mention the squeaking which occurs when the plastic cover in the trunk rubs against the rest of the plastic in the car? Fun fun fun!. 80% of the car squeaks from different places.
5) On cold days the traction control indicators light up in the dash. Don't ask why because I have no idea. They go out on their own after about an hour of driving.
6) The transmission is an epic failure. It refuses to shift when you need it too and will keep revving the car at 5.5k RPM even though the car is not gaining speed. Remember the false MPG promise? This doesn't help either.
There are plenty more bad things with the car, but the ones I've listed should keep you from buying it.
The Good:
The only good thing about the car is that it's so poorly made that after a while you just stop caring. Drive it for about 3 months and you start feeling like you're 16 again and this is your first beater car. I would cry when something happened to my Lexus, but I actually smile when something happens to the Jeep.
Seriously don't buy this car. There are much better options out there for 15k even if they are slightly used. And if you do decide to buy the Compass, just remember that Chrysler (like the rest of the Big 3) did not build on their name brand, and therefore the depreciation on the Compass will prevent you from getting rid of it without taking a huge loss. In other words, make sure you LOVE the Compass before buying because you will spend a lot of time with it for years to come.
Why did you buy the thing in the first place?
I bought the car because after Lexus, I got into a really bad lease with a 350Z and had to get out of it. Jeep was the only company that was willing to add a large negative equity to the new loan.
So in other words, now you are buried upside down in the Compass (which you don't like) rather than stuck in a lease on a 350Z (which you didn't like either the lease or the vehicle). Is this the case?
He obviously never wanted this car in the first place, and felt "forced into" it, so now he finds every excuse to hate it. I really saw no valid complaint about the car. He just doesn't like the plastic or the way the VTi transmission shifts.
So you saw no "valid complaint" about the car even though I talked about the MPG, the underpowered engine, the plastic interior, and its inability to hold its value?
Seriously?
Most of which you might have discovered on the test drive.
"20th Apr 2009, 13:27.
So you saw no "valid complaint" about the car even though I talked about the MPG, the underpowered engine, the plastic interior, and its inability to hold its value?
Seriously?"
Yes, seriously. Your review is just complaining. A Jeep anything is not a sports car -- so much for your complaint about lack of power. However, you try to drive it like a sports car -- so much for your complaint about MPG.
"Inability to hold its value." Are YOU serious?!? Maybe if you had researched the vehicle, you would have learned what the resale of this vehicle was. Just like you might have noticed the quality of the interior the first time you sat down in it for the test drive. Of course, it wouldn't have mattered, because you apparently had no choice but to buy this car due to your desperation to get somebody to finance you.
Why not take a bit of constructive advice? It is in your best interest to quit being resentful and crying about hating this car. You would be better served to take care of it, be gentle with it, and keep it going as long as you can until you can get back on your feet. Maybe you think you "deserve" Lexus, but if you're "stuck" in a Compass then maybe you need to just deal with that.
Well that last comment might possibly be partly deserved (if not a bit harsh), but I don't know why anybody would "smile" when something "happens" to their vehicle. I don't think there is anything to "smile" about, nor do I think that the finance company would either.
26th Apr 2009, 12:06
"20th Apr 2009, 13:27.
So you saw no "valid complaint" about the car even though I talked about the MPG, the underpowered engine, the plastic interior, and its inability to hold its value?
Seriously?"
Yes, seriously. Your review is just complaining. A Jeep anything is not a sports car -- so much for your complaint about lack of power. However, you try to drive it like a sports car -- so much for your complaint about MPG.
"Inability to hold its value." Are YOU serious?!? Maybe if you had researched the vehicle, you would have learned what the resale of this vehicle was. Just like you might have noticed the quality of the interior the first time you sat down in it for the test drive. Of course, it wouldn't have mattered, because you apparently had no choice but to buy this car due to your desperation to get somebody to finance you.
Why not take a bit of constructive advice? It is in your best interest to quit being resentful and crying about hating this car. You would be better served to take care of it, be gentle with it, and keep it going as long as you can until you can get back on your feet. Maybe you think you "deserve" Lexus, but if you're "stuck" in a Compass then maybe you need to just deal with that.
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Please show me where I said that I think the Compass is a sports car, and please show me where did I say that I drive it like one. My MPG complaint encompasses (no pun intended) various driving styles, which includes driving it "hard" and driving it normally. I don't know where you are getting that I think that I drive an F1 racer from, but you are wrong.
I'll give you one thing though - I didn't do my research on the resale value, but I think it fair to warn others from making the same mistake. But, again, your argument about the crappy interior has no basis because there was no way I could have foreseen the car seat breaking, and the car squeaking, from a 5 min test drive around the dealership.
Perhaps it may seem that way from my original review, but I can assure you that I do not drive the Jeep as if I was a contestant in a demolition derby. I do not drive it into a wall and laugh... As much as I don't like the car, I still take care of it as I would my Lexus or any other vehicle, because it's my way of getting about the world.
My review was fair and honest as it came from MY experience with the Jeep. It is not my fault that it's the only negative review of the Compass, and it's not my fault you are taking it as if I was personally attacking you.
I'm just about done with this conversation, because it is not leading anywhere, so I hope you had fun. I know I did.
PS. There should really be a "reply" option so that we could address other comments in an organized fashion.
You are going from a Lexus and a 350Z to a Compass. Come on! What did you really expect? First off, your numbers 1 and 2 should have been discovered in a test drive, and the comment about depreciation should have been discovered if you did one ounce of research before your purchase. The comments about the rattles and the MPG being below the rating are your only legitimate complaints. Second, there is not a new car out there in the price range of the Compass that isn't filled with plastic and has an underpowered four cylinder engine. You get what you pay for (or maybe in your case you get the only thing you are allowed to get ;), no new car buyer should expect a Jeep Compass to have Lexus quality or the power of a 350Z.
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