Photo by Mario James
2008 Jeep COMPASS

Mario James, Gleaner Writer

About three months ago, Automotives tested the Jeep Patriot which, pound for pound, was the best value crossover sport utility vehicle (SUV) in this tester's opinion.

The Patriot has more space and luxury compared with the other products in its class. It has the power to go anywhere because of its 2.4 litre inline four, which is joined to a new-fangled CVT transmission. While not outstanding in any one area (except ride and off-road-ability), the vehicle is a pleasure to drive, and many will love it for its great interior amenities.

But, the Patriot has a little brother - the Compass. Whereas the Patriot has the length of a seven seater, (even if that option exists, it won't be offered here. I checked) the Compass sits on a smaller wheelbase, which sort of limits its role as a full-on family hauler. But with more than half tonne less weight to carry around, and having the same size inline four as its big brother, the compact SUV pegs the fun-to-drive meter.

Less fuel

Less weight means less fuel stops; mpg figures now are on par with the smaller engine equipped RAV4 and CRV. The Toyota RAV4 and the Compass get the same 27 mpg. But, by virtue of its bigger engine, the Compass has all of 172 hp compared to the 150hp of the RAV4.

The biggest obstacle to buying vehicles meant for the American market in Jamaica is the unavailability of right hand drive. But there has been some kind of revelation at Jeep; Chrysler has begun to market vehicles to the rest of the world. So, the Compass and the Patriot are both - drum roll, please - right hand drive!

This firmly places them in the market as major players, and they now have winning hands. They have more power, more clearance, genuine jeep off-road prowess and reliability (remember, this is the same company that makes the Wrangler CJ, a legend in its own right) and are now being offered with the same mpg figures as the products imported from the land of the rising sun!

Off road, the vehicle feels like a soft CJ.

The drive train is mounted low in the chassis, with the attendant benefits of a low-roll centre and centre of gravity. Power delivery starts from low revs, and is very linear (none of that running-out-of-breath feeling that you might expect from such a large four cylinder).

Independent suspension

On road, the independent suspension soaks up potholes with a smoothness that is only available from the unibody Jeep line; the driveline also doles out power to the front wheels, giving the platform a front wheel drive feel. Off road, grab the T-handle located between the seats and, presto, each wheel has an equal share of the engine's prodigious power curve. In practice, the system is seamless, with no clunks, whirrs or clicks to tell the driver what is going on. A single light glows on the dash, informing the user that the vehicle is in off-road mode.

The shorter wheelbase means that the car can get in and out of more spaces than the Patriot can, and entrance/departure angles are improved because of this. The only thing the bigger Patriot has over this model is space and the descent control.

Several amenities

Compass' interior is utilitarian, maybe too much so. But it's filled with amenities that are sure to please. The entertainment system, like those of the new Mitsubishi Lancer line, is the best in class. Boston Acoustics have done their homework, and four eight-inch woofers thunder away in the Compass' rear compartment, with two on the tailgate being able to swing down for your very own tailgate session. The front passenger seat backrest folds down flat, and voila! picnic table. The interior is made in such a way that it is easy to clean, the dash and carpets being stain resistant and the rear cargo area covered with material that can easily be removed for washing.

At $3.742 million, it is a serious class contender, because that price configures the interior with leather seats. With its trail heritage, for real off-road prowess and creature comforts, Compass has stepped it up a notch on the Asian imports - big time!

Send feedback to mario.james@gleanerjm.com