2010 Jeep Compass

The 2010 Jeep Compass Review

The 2010 Jeep Compass comes standard with a four cylinder 2.0 liter engine and a manual five speed transmission. Other standard equipment this year includes the continuously variable transmission (CVT), active front head restraints, and, on the Limited model, automatic climate control is available.

The biggest advantages of the 2010 Jeep Compass are the optional flip down tailgate speakers and its discount price. Other that that there’s not much new about this year’s Jeep Compass and it remains less than competitive in the compact SUV class.

The 2010 Jeep Compass is based on the Dodge Caliber hatchback. However, it doesn’t much ride like a car because every bump can be felt. In addition, it doesn’t handle much like a car either but does handle like a truck. Also, its power train is so sluggish and noisy that you won’t want to rev it to very high rpms.

The 2010 Jeep Compass’s interior isn’t much better. Although there some improvements in the quality of materials used the 2010 Jeep Compass still has poor interior design that uses a lot of hard plastics. The 2010 Jeep Compass has good ground clearance and height but the small amount of cargo space and hauling ability is the smallest of any vehicle in the small SUV class.
The 2010 has some stiff competition this year such as the small wagons and hatchbacks including the non descript Kia Sportage, the Hyundai Tucson, and the Toyota Matrix and the Mazda 3, as well as the Toyota RAV4, the Subaru Forester, the Nissan Rogue, the Mitsubishi Outlander, and the Honda CR V. Many of these vehicles are considered at least as good if not better than the 2010 Jeep Compass at least as far as highway driving is concerned.

The 2010 Jeep Compass is available as a compact SUV that will hold up to five passengers. It is available in two trim packages which are the Limited and Sport models. The 2010 Jeep Compass comes standard with a CD player with an auxiliary jack and four speakers, a tilt steering wheel, air conditioning, fog lights, roof rails, and 17” alloy wheels. Optional equipment that is available on the 2020 Jeep Compass includes stain resistant upholstery, power assist handles, a removable flashlight, reclining rear seats, a height adjustment for the driver’s seat, keyless entry, cruise control, and full power accessories. All of these options on the 2010 Jeep Compass are standard equipment on the Limited model and also includes a six CD changer in the dash, a satellite radio, a steering wheel wrapped in leather, leather upholstery, heated front seats, and 18” alloy wheels.

The 2020 Jeep Compass has other options that are available on both the Sport and Limited models. The other option that is available on the Limited model only includes automatic climate control. The other option that is available on the Sport model includes a satellite radio. The other options that are available on both models are digital music storage with a USB audio jack, a navigation system that is based on a hard drive, a sunroof, a subwoofer, tailgate speakers that flip down, and six upgraded speakers.

Four wheel drive is optional on the 2020 Jeep Compass while two wheel drive is standard. The two wheel drive system is front wheel drive that only will automatically apply power to the rear wheels when it is requires, otherwise it remains in front wheel drive mode. In addition it can be locked in 4 wheel drive and provide as much as 60% of the engine’s torque to provide better off road traction to the rear wheels.

All of the 2010 Jeep Compasses come standard with a four cylinder 2.4 liter engine that produces 165 foot pounds of torque and 172 hp. The CVT system is optional and a manual five speed transmission is standard. The fuel economy with this engine and the CVT system in four wheel drive is 24 mpg highway, 21 mpg city, with a combiner fuel economy of 22 mpg. Either the two wheel drive system or the manual five speed transmission will improve these numbers somewhat.

The two wheel drive 2010 Jeep Compass also offer the optional more fuel efficient but less powerful four cylinder 2.0 liter engines that produces 141 foot pounds of torque and 158 horsepower. This engine comes with the same choices for a transmission as the four cylinder 2.4 liter engine. Fuel economy is 23/27/25 combined with the CVT and 23/29/25 mpg with the manual five speed transmission.

The 2010 Jeep Compass comes with the optional standard safety features of airbags in the front seat. The standard safety features that come with the 2010 Jeep Compass include traction control, side curtain airbags that are full length, and stability control with a rollover sensor. The 2020 Jeep Compass received five stars in government crash tests for side impact protection and four stars for front end impact protection. When the 2010 Jeep Compass was equipped with front side airbags, it received a good rating for side impacts but without the front side airbags only receiver a rating of marginal.

The 2020 Jeep Compass has improved somewhat in the interior department but still leaves a lot to be desired. There is a lot of use of hard plastics, the steering wheel doesn’t feel comfortable, and the gear shifter is flimsy. In addition, the dashboard is something less than aesthetically pleasing. The 2020 Jeep Compass’s wide rear roof pillars and fixed rear head restraints obstruct rear visibility and the seats are uncomfortable.

The 2010 Jeep Compass does offer some storage space that is useful such as on the passenger side of the dash there is an open bin. The 2020 Jeep Compass Sport model offers optional rear seatbacks that have fold flat capability for the seatback of the front passenger that is standard on the Limited model. This fold down seat capability will permit you to haul items that are longer in the vehicle. The cargo area in the 2020 Jeep Compass is somewhat small, and only measures 53.6 ft.3 when the rear seatbacks are folded and 22.7 ft. 3 feet behind the rear seats when they aren’t folded. This is less than most other small compact SUV that is available today.

The 2020 Jeep Compass equipped with the larger 2.4 liter engine and the CVT in four wheel drive is somewhat sluggish when trying to pass or merge. In addition, the 2.0 liter engine is also noisier and less responsive. It also doesn’t ride or handle as well as other small compact SUVs, especially on bumpy roads. However, it does do a fine job off the road and is just fine for those who don’t mind sacrificing some highway capability fir the ultimate off road experience.