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2008 Jeep Compass Review

STYLING | 6 out of 10

Expert Quotes:

It doesn't look rugged
Edmunds

Contemporary, car-like contours
Kelley Blue Book

Lacks the overall refinement...especially in interior decor
Consumer Guide

Stylistically, the 2008 Jeep Compass is a softer version of the Jeep Patriot on the outside, with less of the traditional boxy Jeep look, more rounded corners, and a carlike appearance. The CarConnection.com prefers the exterior styling of the Patriot to the 2008 Jeep Compass. Inside, the Compass has bargain-basement interior styling like its Patriot and Caliber cousins.

The Jeep Compass shares its architecture with the Dodge Caliber and the Jeep Patriot. Of the Jeep variants, Kelley Blue Book characterizes the Compass as more suited to the buyer looking for a more carlike small SUV and says the 2008 Jeep Compass "Looks exactly like what it is -- a cross between a station wagon and a sport utility vehicle, made by Jeep." The exterior style of the Jeep Compass has some elements shared with the entire 2008 Jeep line, including round headlights and the familiar slotted vertical grille. Most viewing angles will reveal uncharacteristically rounded corners and some bloated proportions that are "unusual" and "not rugged" looking, according to Edmunds, while "Jeep Modern" is the phrase chosen by Kelley Blue Book. Cars.com mentions that the aluminum trim pieces on the bumpers and doors help distinguish the Jeep Compass from the other small crossovers in the segment.

Moving to the interior of the car, Cars.com finds more metallic accents, with standard chrome accents added to the door locks, door handles, and radio knobs, which give a little pizzazz to the Compass. Jeep equips the Compass with a two-tone interior as well, which helps break up the monotony created by a monochrome interior. Regarding the interior styling, however, the vast quantities of hard plastic lead the editors of Edmunds to describe the cabin of the 2008 Jeep Compass as "less inviting" than its Japanese and Korean rivals, a sentiment shared by ConsumerGuide. Kelley Blue Book has nothing bad to say about the interior, simply referring to it as "contemporarily styled" and "straightforward" in design.

Conclusion

The 2008 Jeep Compass has an uncharacteristic style that’s not pleasing to most reviewers; the interior is stark, but purposeful.


Read More of this Review:

  1. styling
  2. performance
  3. quality
  4. safety
  5. features

Other Choices:

It's easy to identify the popular Ford Escape as a reasonable competitor to the Jeep Compass. If you have the opportunity to drive a 2009 Escape (available after June 2008), you'll enjoy a much more substantial vehicle that offers V-6 and gas/electric hybrid power in addition to a four-cylinder with a six-speed automatic.

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See the Jeep Compass in Other Years:

2009 | 2008 | 2007

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