2006 NAIAS: 2007 Jeep Compass

[Northstar]

2007 Jeep Compass from MPH-Online

Specs are also available at MPH.

[regfootball]

jeep name alone will sell this thing like hotcakes,but it looks nice, even if its not a real Jeep.

look for the pic with the handy ipod holder.....nice touch.

Edited January 9, 2006 by regfootball

[Bimmer325]

That front-end is worse than the Aztek. Period.

[zoomtm]

jeep needs to get a new style than that same front on all their vechiles.

[Cory Wolfe]

My initial reaction: "Oh my f**king god... You're f**king me... " Worst excuse for a Jeep... ever.

[RJB]

Horrible! Whats up with the cowcatcher frontend anyway?! So it is basically a baby Liberty. Why Jeep why?!!!!

[pow]

It looks horrible right now, but maybe it's one of those designs that you have to learn to appreciate. I'll check back tomorrow and see if I like it more. Definitely not bland, that's for sure.

[Flybrian]

It can do without the cheeks, I can tell you that.

[VenSeattle]

I'm somewhere between :rotflmao: and

I can't believe that made it to production.

[Croc]

I kinda like it...very original yet still unmistakeably Jeep. Yo se quiero.

[!!!TED!!!]

I clicked the link, expecting to see this:

Which is not great, but OK.

This was my reaction to the images I was subjected to:

[avant1963]

We all have to come to terms with these facts:

1. How many Jeep sales do you really think are based on "Trail Rated"? 30%? A little more? How many Jeeps sold in 2005 will travel the Rubicon? Actaully go off-road? My sister-in-law has a Liberty. Why did she buy it? It was cheap and cute. It has never been off-road and doubt she knows what Trail Rated is. That is buyer the Compass/Patriot is targeting. It's cute and usefull and probably priced well.

2. You can't stop the FWD-ification of Jeep. By this time next year, there will be not one, but two unibody FWD car-based Jeeps. Live with it.

3. This is a very smart financial vehicle (see point 1). This will grow Jeep sales without canibalizing sales of other DCX vehicles. There will probably a slight drop in Liberty sales, but I see this thing (including that thing it calls a front bumper) aimed at the female/light driver (like my sister-in-law) that will trade off-road prowess for better fuel economy (her Liberty is a gas pig).

If GM was smart, they would get a Wrangler-fighter for HUMMER in the next year or so, but we know the company isn't that quick to react to some possible Jeep refugees. As long as Jeep keeps the Wrangler true-to-form (which the 2007 seems to do) then Jeep shouldn't fear unibody too much from the sales/financial arena.

[BuddyP]

Sure doens't do it for me. Seems to be a lot of disproportionate shapes on the thing. I deffinatly don't care for it. Jeep new styling has seemed to go downhill lately. The new Grand Cherokee's went a bit boxier, the new commander has no style at all. I think my old '96 Grand Cherokee had more appealing style.

[C.H.U.D.]

Wow that's ugly. I hate all these new SUV's with the Gremlin rear quarter window.

[CSpec]

Wasn't Chrysler famous for bringing concepts to life untouched?

[avant1963]

Glad to see that DCX can make some use out of old 1988 GM-10 door handles.

I don't know why they went and putz'd with the front bumper. It throws the whole deisgn off, IMO.

[Ultra Magnus]

I just dont find it attractive. The only thing that looks right is the back.

[FUTURE_OF_GM]

WOW... That is ugly..... The concept was at least bearable.....

Jesus man.....

One cool thing I like though is the side trim... How it is made into the side of the vehicle.

I see A LOT of Highlander in the rear.... What makes the design SOOOOO bad IMO is the HUGE "bottom lip" front bumper and horrible a-symetric turn signals.

[w00t_man]

Five bucks says the body cladding on the Compass Rallye concept becomes the SRT-4 version.

[sciguy_0504]

Definately, whoever screwed up the front end design should be fired. It destroys the flow of the vehicle and makes it look like it has hampster cheeks stuffed with bedding. The interior is just plain nasty (saw it on Autoblog). DCX's star is quickly falling.

[The O.C.]

That front-end is worse than the Aztek.  Period.

What the hell ARE you smoking...?

[The O.C.]

I think Compass is a winner through and through.

I like the style....the profile....the Jeep front-end.....the "hidden" rear door handles....the wheels and tires....

Definitely cute, but with a sense of ruggedness mixed with sporty style. There's really nothing else on the market like it...

[Flybrian]

I have a serious problem with the rear door handles. First, its chintzy. Second, its clearly a Nissan styling trait. Third, it makes the profile look awkward. What Jeep has ever done hidden handles? None.

[Cory Wolfe]

We all have to come to terms with these facts:

1.  How many Jeep sales do you really think are based on "Trail Rated"? 30%?  A little more?  How many Jeeps sold in 2005 will travel the Rubicon?  Actaully go off-road? My sister-in-law has a Liberty.  Why did she buy it?  It was cheap and cute.  It has never been off-road and doubt she knows what Trail Rated is.  That is buyer the Compass/Patriot is targeting.  It's cute and usefull and probably priced well.

2.  You can't stop the FWD-ification of Jeep.  By this time next year, there will be not one, but two unibody FWD car-based Jeeps.  Live with it.

3.  This is a very smart financial vehicle (see point 1).  This will grow Jeep sales without canibalizing sales of other DCX vehicles.  There will probably a slight drop in Liberty sales, but I see this thing (including that thing it calls a front bumper) aimed at the female/light driver (like my sister-in-law) that will trade off-road prowess for better fuel economy (her Liberty is a gas pig).

If GM was smart, they would get a Wrangler-fighter for HUMMER in the next year or so, but we know the company isn't that quick to react to some possible Jeep refugees.  As long as Jeep keeps the Wrangler true-to-form (which the 2007 seems to do) then Jeep shouldn't fear unibody too much from the sales/financial arena.

I'm not against a Jeep crossover.. but the Compass. OMFG is it ever ugly. Worse than Aztek? No, but damn close, IMO. That front end is absolutely horrible. Worst part of it. It doesn't flow with the body at all. I agree with Bimmer there... Uglier than Aztek. It's like someone tried to chop a Liberty's grill and hood onto a random assortment of Nissan parts. Not a good mix... Ugh.

What are those who like it smoking!?!?!?

[ocnblu]

I'm a little scared. I haven't seen anything about the much better-looking Patriot lately. What gives? The Compass is way too funky for me.

[Northstar]

The front is really bad, and the side is pretty bad as well. Rear I can live with. The interior is much better than I was expecting giving the recent DCX interiors.

[MyerShift]

Front is ugly, and the rear doors are way too Nissan-like.

[99camaroSS]

i really hate that front end, it totally girlys up the jeep image and it looks like rolls on a fat person

[dumluk]

Just awful. All stereotypical 'tough guy' touches with no unifying theme at all.

But then, the Jeep designers haven't been all that sharp lately--just look at the new Wagoneer: it's a major step backward in that vehicle's development. All chunky and ungainly in all the wrong places.

At least the new Wrangler looks good.

[Guest YellowJacket894]

Well, then. I can see Jeep is selling out, sadly. Someone tell DCX that they can't make Jeep envy mainstream automakers and Hummer and still be true to its heritage all at the same time. It makes for bad Jeeps.

I guess if someone wants an SUV line with chest hair, they'll go Hummer.