Limited 4dr 4x4
2011 Jeep Compass

Least Capable Jeep Still Lost In The Woods 2011 Jeep Compass - Click above for high-res image gallery Let's be honest here: The Jeep Compass should have never been built – at least not in the form it took. A derivative of the compact Dodge Caliber, the Compass is neither a real Jeep nor an SUV, but a singular testament to how badly Daimler mismanaged the brand over its decade of ownership. And sales have proven this out. Although the Compass did well in the first year after its May 2006 launch, interest quickly cooled, and through the end of 2010, Chrysler had totaled only 111,000 Compass sales. The company managed to move fewer than 16,000 of them last year. A "softroader," the Compass was meant to compete in the growing field of compact, front-wheel-drive crossovers often derided as "Cute Utes." The misguided, condescending and paternalistic attitude of the Germans running DaimlerChrysler at the time was that young women would flock to the Compass, while its mechanical twin, the Jeep Patriot, was designed for the boys. While the Patriot at least looked like a Jeep – the much-loved, discontinued Cherokee – the googly-eyed Compass was cartoonish, like a Jeep animated for the Powerpuff Girls. Continue reading Review: 2011 Jeep Compass... %Gallery-119906% Photos copyright ©2011 Steven J. Ewing / AOL Since its launch, the Compass has been called out for a host of shortcomings, starting with its cheap and noisy interior. While Chrysler revamped the instrument and door panels, along with adding some sound dampening in 2009, the 'ute has finally received a more thorough overhaul for the 2011 model year, with some additional upgrades including a new steering wheel, a new front fascia and grille with a revised hood to match, along with a new four-wheel-drive package that confers a "Trail Rated" label to this least illustrious Jeep. Nobody can argue against these moves hugely improving the 2011 Compass, but after spending a week with the vehicle, we find that the changes have done little to move the needle against the competition – especially considering Chrysler continues to raise the model's price. For 2011, the base Compass starts at $19,295, some $4,000 more than Jeep was asking at introduction. At the top of the range, the Compass Limited 4x4 has experienced a similar price creep and is now wearing a $25,995 sticker, up $860 from last year. Our test model, in mid-range "Latitude" trim with the new "Freedom Drive II" off-road package, carried a shocking $27,485 window sticker. That's more expensive than a similarly equipped Liberty – a real rock-crawling Jeep. Even more galling than our Compass tester's sticker price, however, was its fuel economy panel. The normally reasonable highway mileage, which can even hit 29 mpg in front-drive configuration with a five-speed manual and the smaller 2.0-liter engine, drops to just 23 mpg in the "Trail Rated" Compass models. Chalk this up to a ride height that's been raised by an inch, some extra weight in the form of …
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