Most people don’t buy a car with the hope of excelling off-road. Even so, most drivers want a city car but one that can also dominate in the off-road. The Jeep Compass is a soft-roader. It is a compact SUV which you will seldom drive on rougher roads than the cottage trail. However, if you want a city car that assures you that you can also go off-road with, then the special Trailhawk edition of the Jeep Compass is what you should go for.
2017 Jeep Compass
According to Jeep’s senior manager for product strategy, the only thing the 2017 Jeep Compass shares with the older model is just the name. The new model has many design changes which include the new 2.4 liter i4 engine, extra 66mm in wheelbase and a redesigned cabin which is much better.
The 2017 Jeep Compass has replaced both the old Jeep Compass and the Patriot. The Patriot was more popular in Canada and it wasn’t sold widely in the world. The new Jeep Compass is 15cm longer than the Renegade and 23 cm shorter than Cherokee. According to the senior manager, this vehicle looks more like a baby Cherokee; which is not a bad thing at all. This new model will be built in 4 countries and it will be sold across the globe.
Jeep Compass Price Tag
The price tag of the new Jeep Compass starts at $24,900 that is for the Compass Sport. This one has a 6 speed manual transmission. Jeep only expects only 3% of Canadian buyers to go for this model. It is uncommon to see such a refined car with a stick-shift. The second-least expensive is the automatic North edition that goes for $30,895. For these prices, you will only get front-wheel drive which is available for both the Sport and the North. For an extra $2,500 in each trim, you can upgrade to a 4WD.
For the front-wheel drive in the North edition, you will get a tried-and-true six speed automatic transmission. All the 4WD versions, apart from the manual Sport, come with the Jeep’s 9-speed automatic. This transmission is engineered to save fuel. All the top 3 gears are all overdrives.
Manual Transmission
Manual transmission improves fuel consumption. They can deliver an estimated 7.8 liters per 100 kilometers. On the other hand, the 180-horsepower engine is not as power at higher speeds in spite of its 175 lb-ft of torque. The ride is also a tad too loud mostly because of the noisy tires. However, this model is still great in the city life. The 4WD has a towing capacity of 2,000 pounds. This is higher than other vehicles in this segment.
What You Can Expect
With $34,895 Limited, you will get the safety software and technology that you would expect to find today. The features include lane departure assistance and blind-spot warning. The active cruise control feature is also available.
The Trailhawk is less expensive at $32,895. It is built for the off-road, with extra skid plates, additional driving mode and improved ground clearance. It has a 20-to-1 crawl ratio. The Jeep Compass is very capable off-road.