Jeep Compass 3000km Long Term Review

The Compass continues to impress, but it has its share of minor annoyances

I have to start this report off with how versatile the Compass really is. Nope, not in terms of its dynamics, but in terms of where and how it fits in. It’s as at home looking dirty in a field as being spic and span in the lobby of a five-star hotel. That’s one huge tick as far as ‘one car that does it all’ goes.

 
I also like that the design is clean, crisp and no-nonsense, something that’s bound to age well. The interior too is minimal and classy. One cannot go wrong with a clean all-black colour theme either. In case you’re wondering, the black leather does feel warmer than usual when parked under the sun. I like to open the sunroof to let the warm air escape and set the AC at full blast — a couple of minutes later, the cabin is a comfortable place to be. 

We’ve had the Compass do multiple runs to Pune since the last report and a lot of aimless ambles around the city too. There’s nothing new to report here: it simply gets the job done. It continues to make me want to drive it often and everywhere too.  I would’ve liked the gearbox to be slightly quicker, but that’s about it. It’d also help if it was a tad more efficient, especially inside the city. Heavy bumper-to-bumper usage gets me anywhere from 8.5-10kmpl, whereas Expressway runs usually return 13.5-15kmpl. 

Now on to what I’ve learnt to live with the Compass. First up, the infotainment. It’s flawless for the most part. But when it does decide to throw a fit, it does so like a toddler. I find Apple CarPlay glitching maybe two out of ten times, and not even locking-unlocking-restarting the car seems to help. 

Secondly, the ventilated seats. Again, flawless in the way they work, but I really wish I didn’t have to fiddle with the touchscreen to get the system going. There are two blanks under the fan speed control, I see no reason why the switches can’t be placed there. Alternatively, if the voice command could activate the seat ventilation, that’d make life easier. 

Thirdly, the air-conditioning. I often have the fan speed manually set to full blast (or close to it). At lower speeds, the blower seems inadequate, especially during our horrid summers. Similar story at the rear, since it doesn’t get independent fan speed control. 

Then there are things I’d have liked to see in an SUV that costs as much as the Compass: auto up/down for all windows (and not just the front two), window/sunroof operation using the key and a recline function for the rear seat. 

We’re entering the final month with the Compass. Thankfully, there’s not much left to learn about it. That means I can enjoy driving it around aimlessly a whole lot more. 

Date Acquired: June 22, 2022
Km reading when acquired: 21,000km
Km done till date: 24,000km
Mileage: 9kmpl (City) | 13.5-15kmpl (Expressway) 
Highlights: 
Clean design. Turns heads, looks equally good when dirty and clean! 
Interior feels upmarket. Soft-touch materials are a big plus. 
Loves to be hustled on the highways. A driver’s SUV through and through.