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 Even with all-wheel drive, it barely contends with a much more outdated Subaru Impreza.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:
Venting Sunroof — Express
Press and release the Vent button within one-half second
and the sunroof will open to the vent position. This
is called “Express Vent”, and it will occur regardless of
sunroof position. Duri ...
List Button (CD Mode For MP3 Play)
Pressing the LIST button will bring up a list of all folders
on the disc. Scrolling up or down the list is done by
turning the TUNE/SCROLL control knob. Selecting a
folder by pressing the TUNE/S ...
Rear Window Defroster
The rear window defroster button is located on the
climate control panel. Press this button to turn on
the rear window defroster and the heated outside mirrors
(if equipped). An indicator in t ...