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Consumer Reviews for the Jeep Compass
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So let's talk about that motor and trans
Paul_L, 12/24/2020
2021 Jeep Compass Limited 4dr SUV 4WD (2.4L 4cyl 9A)
My wife drives a Compass Limited AWD, there are tons of reviews everywhere that talk about the seating, size, comfort, whatever. Let's talk about the big bugaboo - the complaints about sluggish performance.
First off, there is nothing wrong with the motor. Period. Wind it up to over 3k RPM and it will go, no question about it. Fast revving, lots of fun, plenty of passing power, pay … attention or you can hit the redline quickly. The problem is the transmission - leave it in automatic mode and you'll never see that power, it shifts into high gears early and STAYS THERE. It's maddening, but you can easily overcome the problem by slapping the shifter to the left and using the manual-matic shifting function to go down a gear or two. On a flat 45 MPH road, trans wants to be in 7, when I drive it's in 5, maybe 6. Try it and you'll see what I mean, it's a bunch of fun if you want it to be.
Oh, if the problem ended there. While this technique works (I use it every time I go out) the engineers have designed a delay in the downshifting to prevent numbskulled drivers from downshifting too fast into a gear that's too low. Wish they wouldn't do that, I'm not an idiot. At the very least, they could make this delay settable in the Settings on the info screen. Would also help if it had shifter paddles flanking the steering wheel but I suspect the built in radio buttons are in the way of that idea.
Finally, for those who can't be bothered with manual mode, someone at Chrysler needs to explain they didn't provide a Sport mode for the automatic that shifted later and stayed in gear longer. Car would be an absolute blast and would only require one more shift gate with an "S" printed next to it and a different transmission map. Must be emissions, cost cutting, fuel economy, who knows, but it's pretty inexcusable no matter the reason.
So why, after all this, do I think you should buy one? It's the entire package. Car is solid as a BRICK, absorbs our crappy Michigan roads no problem, feels like it's indestructible. Best infotainment interface in the industry, hands down, and I should know because I've seen them all (auto auctioneer). Great styling, great value for the money, especially the Limited which always seems to offer aggressive lease deals. Standard heated seats and (fat, leather) steering wheel on the Limited, once you have that feature you'll never live without it again. Easy to park, lots of available safety features, I could go on and on.
I have a larger family and can grab the keys to a variety of cars, including my daughter's Ford Escape AWD with the 1.5 turbo and a decent trans. That car gets better fuel economy, shifts fine and is zippier. But it drives and looks like a mini-minivan. Hand me the keys to the Compass every time, thank you. It just has the IT factor that is hard to explain.
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