Jeep Compass

Jeep Compass

Average. Jeep's new Compass is a big leap in terms of looks, but interior quality lets it down.

Jeep's Compass looked like it might not have much of a future when the global financial crisis hit the brand hard, but Fiat's leadership and huge American taxpayer investment in parent company Chrysler mean the model is back.

The car on sale now is a far better looking model than the bug-eyed vehicle that preceded it, but is not quite the premium product the company would like. This is no bad thing though, as it is recognisably a Jeep, which is to say it looks like a chunky off-roader rather than a soft road-bound car.

Inside there is less of a spartan feel, with a generous level of kit on offer in all but the very lowest of trim levels. However the quality of the materials in the cabin is not to a standard that will challenge the Compass's rivals, with a large amount of cheap plastic on display. The door panels feel particularly unpleasant, despite being strong enough to take most abuse thrown at them.

Among the large quantities of plastic, there is a pleasing amount of storage in the cabin of the Compass, with large pockets in the door, central console and glove compartment. It also stretches to the rear, where the boot is a decent 458 litres with the seats up, and 1,269 litres with them dropped. This is far better than similar SUVs from the likes of Ford, but still a long way off the larger Hyundai ix35.

On the road the 2.2-litre diesel best suits the Compass, and it feels fast enough to carry it past most slow-moving traffic should the need arise, with 0-62 taking just under 10 seconds with the highest power version. None of the other engines are particularly quick though.

The downside of the diesel engines is their noise. While the sound-deadening is adequate enough to keep intrusion to a minimum, the clatter of the rugged oil burner certainly never disappears. There is also a noticeable degree of wind noise from the large wing mirrors when you reach motorway speeds.

For those that are taken by the Jeep's image, the Compass does provide a decent mix of rugged looks, four-wheel drive appeal and acceptable refinement.

However, for those that just want the size and practicality and are not so bothered about the butch appearance, there are better value and more well equipped options available.