2008 Jeep Compass

When Jeep first debuted a concept version of what's now the production Compass, it sported a rallye-inspired body kit, large, grille-mounted driving lights, and low profile tires with red striping. The point was to get the race car fans at the 2006 Frankfurt show excited about the Jeep brand. Now that the real Compass has failed to generate much excitement, Jeep has decided to bring the Rallye idea back with the model you see here. With a roof-mounted spoiler, driving lights, chrome badging, and a body kit, the Rallye Edition Compass no longer looks like Hello Kitty. It looks like Hello Kitty wearing a ninja costume.

"Distinctive styling, ample power, direct steering

Cheap-looking/feeling interior, harsh ride over the rough stuff

The Compass's 2.4L Dual VVT four-banger has enough power (172 hp, 165 lb-ft) to keep up with others in its segment and feels strong enough on the freeway that overtaking isn't an issue with a small amount of prior planning. The CVT transmission (an $1100 option on the 4x2 configuration alone) offers Chrysler's AutoStick manual mode, which allows for driver-controlled gear changes, but left in automatic mode it can get real buzzy, real fast -- the nature of the CVT beast. With 3177 lb of curb weight to haul around, the Compass is hundreds of pounds lighter than many in the competition, and that shows on the road. Official fuel-economy ratings pitch the Compass at 21/25 mpg city/highway. Over roughly 900 miles of mostly freeway driving, we got an average rating of 21.5 -- near the bottom end of that range.

The STARTECH SD3 tuning kit for the Compass turbodiesel model can be installed by any authorized Chrysler-Dodge-Jeep dealer in less than 30 minutes. It unleashes the true power inherent in the two-liter diesel engine. The additional 40 hp (39 bhp) / 29.4 kW and the enormous torque that's already available between 1,750 and 2,500 rpm, are the result of an auxiliary control module that governs the engine electronics. The engine tuning can be further optimized with the STARTECH stainless-steel sport exhaust. The latter is integrated into the STARTECH individualization concept for this Jeep model based on a brand-new idea.

The Jeep Compass is a car-based vehicle that's enjoyable to drive and comes with a choice of front-wheel drive or all-wheel drive. First introduced as a 2007 model, the Compass is built on a front-wheel-drive, car-based structure, a modified version of the platform that supports the Mitsubishi Lancer and Jeep Patriot.

Emphasis during development of its engine was on fuel mileage; even carrying 3326 pounds, the Compass 4WD with a five-speed manual transmission delivers EPA fuel economy estimates of 22/27 mpg City/Highway.

The Jeep Compass is not a traditional Jeep with go-anywhere off-road capability. On the negative side, it appears to be built to a price and has modest interior materials and build quality. On the positive side, it offers safety, a comfortable ride, steady handling, high fuel mileage, and the reassurance of all-wheel-drive capability. Those positives and its affordable pricing make the Jeep Compass worth a look.