Community Forums

PDB · 07-27-2006, 08:27 AM

Does anyone know if the new Jeep Compass can be towed 4-down??
Paul

troth · 07-27-2006, 10:49 AM

Good question! I can't find anything on it. My gut feel says not towable four down because it's All Wheel Drive...

rebelsbeach · 07-27-2006, 11:16 AM

Can't imagine Jeep coming out with something that's not towable four down...

Cruzer · 07-27-2006, 12:52 PM

This isn't as much a Jeep as the traditional Jeeps have been. It's actually built on the same platform that is the new replacement for the Dodge Neon. The Compass may look like a Jeep as far as styling goes but it's designed to a younger crowd into the Daimler-Chrysler fold that isn't interested in going off-road but want the Jeep style. Therefore, all the traditional Jeep things, such as "always towable 4 down", may not necessarily apply to the Compass.

rebelsbeach · 07-27-2006, 01:29 PM

<STRIKE>Jeep Compass</STRIKE>

There.....took THAT one off my list of one's to look at!!

Thanks Mark!!

Cruzer · 07-28-2006, 03:07 AM

I hear ya.

I love Jeeps but that one never even made it to my list.

If you want more info on what it really is try This Link to a recent article in Autoweek.

rebelsbeach · 07-28-2006, 03:14 AM

From the article Mark references...

"Compass is a new type of Jeep vehicle for nontraditional Jeep buyers," says George Murphy, Chrysler global marketing vice president. "It allows the brand to compete in the fast-growing compact SUV segment, where there is increasing market demand for fuel economy, ride comfort and efficient packaging in an SUV."

YEEEECK!!!!

I think if I go Jeep it'd be a four door Wrangler....

ISLAPP · 07-28-2006, 04:16 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by rebelsbeach:
I think if I go Jeep it'd be a four door Wrangler....

Nah, Bob. I see you in a Commander. Three seater with multiple sun roofs!!
Mike

rebelsbeach · 07-28-2006, 04:56 AM

YIKES!!

Actually I had heard the rear set area was small in the Commander, but now I'm wondering if they were speaking of the "third seat" area...

Truth be known, if I do anything $$$ related right now I'll be dividing into half afterwards!!!

She's still reelong about the cost of the B-B-T !!!

PDB · 07-28-2006, 04:10 PM

Well, from what I can determine, the Compass has a Jeep grille and that's about it. As Cruzer said, it's a Dodge Neon, two-wheel only, front wheel drive car. No more off-road capabilities than the Dodge has. Supposed to compete with RAV4, Ford Escape, etc etc.
I just lost interest.

Teach · 07-28-2006, 05:14 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by PDB:
Well, from what I can determine, the Compass has a Jeep grille and that's about it...

Motor Trend evidently feels the same way. They just reported on it in September issue.

Cruzer · 07-29-2006, 04:25 AM

Hey Bob, can you get a Jeep grill to put on the front of the B-B-T? It'd have to be a size "huge" though.

Gary the Wombat · 07-30-2006, 01:08 PM

I'm so glad I bought my Wrangler in '04. I think Dr. Z is turning them into girlie cars.

Cruzer · 07-30-2006, 08:29 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Gary the Wombat:
I'm so glad I bought my Wrangler in '04. I think Dr. Z is turning them into girlie cars.

Actually, yes and no.

While the Compass is designed for a non-traditional Jeep audience, namely teens who want the Jeep styling but never plan on going off-road, the new Wrangler is definitely tough.

On the way home from church yesterday I passed a Jeep dealership that had a 4 door Wrangler parked out front. Naturally, I nailed the brakes and had to investigate. It turns out that there was a Camp Jeep celebration going on at Elkart Lake's Road America the following weekend so they brought a 2007 Wrangler Unlimited 4 door out as well as two Jeep Compass models to show. They all had Michigan manufacturer plates on them. Meanwhile they were parked at the nearby Jeep dealership from some PR effect.

I looked at the Compasses and laughed. The suspension reminded me of a light duty minivan.

But when I looked at the Wrangler I was impressed. My initial thought was "A 4 door Wrangler - that's sacrilege!".

But, in person it really looked kinda cool. It reminded me of an H3 Hummer as far as styling goes. But the H3 is based on the Chevy Colorado pickup platform while the 4 door Wrangler was all Jeep. The front lateral support arms were longer than my 2005 Unlimited, giving it more of a long arm suspension. The electric sway bar disconnect (splits the middle of the anti-roll bar) is controlled from inside the cab, and the typical skid plates, etc are all there. The tires were on 17" rims - BF Goodrich Mud-Terrain T/A LT255/75R17 but this was a Rubicon model, with lots of ground clearance so I don';t know if the 17" skins go on the non-Rubicon models or not. The roof is a removable hard top. Two panels pop off T-top style over the front seats, and the rear 2/3rds comes off as a section, then the two rear side panels. This means that your hard top can be stored in a flat stack rather than requiring a huge chunk of garage space (and a winch). There was a soft top included as well. I'm not quite sure how a 4 door Wrangler will look with the top down though. If you remove the doors it might look cool - kind of like the Kubelwagen command car from the Afrika Corp

.

Anyway, this vehicle is a real must-see. You get toughness as well as room. We may replace our Grand Cherokee with it some day. Still, I plan on having a 2 door lifted Wrangler for the seriously tough stuff.