Going & Stopping

Want a thrilling driving experience? This Jeep doesn't have one, but that's OK; you don't need to peel out at traffic lights if you're driving a Compass. What you need to know is that at highway speeds, the Compass doesn't waver. With some heavy boxes in the back and my wife in the passenger seat I was doing more than 80 without noticing it on the highway (this one was well-paved).

Now here's where we have to talk about the CVT. The three-lettered transmission option might be a mystery to car buyers, but it shouldn't be. Just think of it as an advanced automatic transmission that transitions between gears very smoothly — so smoothly that most people wind up missing the jolts a standard automatic delivers when shifting from one gear to the next. The CVT is also supposed to aid in fuel economy. I was very disappointed, though, with the 23/26 mpg city/highway of the Compass. Even with all-wheel drive, it barely contends with a much more outdated Subaru Impreza. It might compare to those compact SUVs we mentioned before, like the Toyota RAV4 and Honda CR-V, but it doesn't come close to compact hatchbacks like the Mazda3 and Toyota Matrix.

The 172-horsepower engine was pretty hum-drum and nowhere near as exciting as the same setup in the Caliber. It was driving at highway speeds that made me enjoy the Compass as a competent commuter, not the launches from stoplights.

Braking wasn't nearly as acceptable; during one real-life emergency braking maneuver there was significant shudder from the brakes that had me a bit tense. Brake feel in day-to-day driving, however, was solid.

    See also:

    Tire Pressure Monitor System (TPMS)
    The Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS) will warn the driver of a low tire pressure based on the vehicle recommended cold tire placard pressure. The tire pressure will vary with temperature by ...

    Remote Keyless Entry (RKE)
    This system allows you to lock or unlock the doors and liftgate, or activate the panic alarm, from distances up to approximately 66 ft (20 m) using a hand-held Key Fob with RKE transmitter. The ...

    Floor Mat Safety Information
    Always use floor mats designed to fit the footwell of your vehicle. Use only floor mats that leave the pedal area unobstructed and that are firmly secured so that they cannot slip out of position ...