It is a four door carryall offered with two wheel or all wheel

road look without the muddy fenders

The 2015 Jeep Compass Latitude is the Jeep for people who want a Jeep in name only. It is Jeep Lite, which may be good for folks who want the functional equivalent of a small, all wheel drive station wagon. But it is not to be confused with something such as a Jeep Wrangler, or even a Jeep Renegade.

Automotive columnists, I among them, have ridiculed the Compass, introduced in 2007, as a marketing exercise gone awry. We are not entirely right. In fact, it is arguable that we are entirely wrong. auto market is a big place, with up to 16 canada goose outlet store uk million new car, truck and crossover utility buyers every year. Crossover utility models make up one of the fastest growing segments, a category occupied largely by people who want something that looks like a canada goose outlet in usa sport utility vehicle but functions in the manner of a family station wagon or minivan.

That is where the notion of «crossover» comes in. It bespeaks compromise. It canada goose outlet new york city addresses need.

Not everyone canada goose jacket outlet needs or wants a rough, rock crawling sport utility vehicle with dedicated four wheel drive. Crossover buyers don’t want to pay for the enormous amounts of fuel it usually takes to run those things. The older those buyers get, the less inclined they are to climb into and out of large SUVs with super high ground clearance. And no matter how well it is engineered, rare is the full size SUV that is any fun to canada goose outlet jackets drive in Washington, New York or other urban cities.

Thus, we have models such as the Jeep Compass Latitude largely reworked for the now moribund 2014 model year and continuing with a few spiffs and subtractions for 2015.

It is best to think of this car as a small Jeep station wagon expressly designed for urban driving. That perspective elevates its value and explains why enough people have been buying it since 2007 to keep it in production.

The Compass Latitude fits perfectly in the city. It is easily maneuverable in heavy traffic and relatively easy to park when it’s time to turn off its optional 2.4 liter in line four cylinder gasoline engine cheap canada goose uk (172 horsepower, 165 pound feet of torque).

«Optional» engine? Yes. Standard on the Compass is a 2.0 liter four cylinder gasoline engine (158 horsepower, 141 pound feet of torque). It is useful only for saving fuel. The 2.0 liter engine canada goose outlet nyc gets 23 miles per gallon in the city and 30 on the highway, compared with 21 mpg city and 28 https://www.cheshuntteamministry.org.uk highway for the 2.4 liter model.

My recommendation: Go with the 2.4 liter, buy the extra gasoline and cruise with reasonably good power. To be blunt: The smaller engine is an absolute drag.

But the good news is that the Compass’s build quality has improved dramatically since 2007. The first model was a crafted embarrassment flimsy materials, improperly mated parts, that sort of thing. But Fiat Chrysler Automotive, Jeep’s current owner, seems to have gotten a handle on things. The Compass Latitude used for this column was expertly put together. The body was tight. The interior was attractive, well organized and fixed with canada goose outlet high quality materials.

The new Compass is available in five trim levels Sport, Latitude, Altitude Edition, High Altitude Edition and Limited. When shopping in this marketing forest, it’s probably best to choose an all wheel drive version of the Latitude and be happy, unless you want to plush things canada goose outlet uk Canada Goose Online sale up by going with the Limited.

Just remember that restraint in the compact crossover utility segment makes the best sense. It is a value segment, an economy segment, the purpose of which easily is overwhelmed and ultimately ruined by loading on options.

For example, Jeep offers a $650 Freedom Drive II off road package with a continuously variable automatic transmission affixed with an «off road crawl ratio.» Translation: Don’t buy it. Most of you who buy Compass models aren’t really going off road anyway. If your passion is off road driving, you should buy something else maybe a Jeep Wrangler or Nissan Xterra.

Besides, the continuously variable automatic transmission cheap canada goose offered for the Jeep Compass feels like a rubbery, poorly responsive mess in on road driving.

Nuts Bolts

2015 Jeep Compass

Bottom line:If you want a fuel efficient, city friendly, snow capable compact wagon with a relatively low price and decent utility, buy the Jeep Compass Latitude. If you want Canada Goose Outlet a rough and tumble, rock crawling, stream fording SUV, buy something else.

Ride, acceleration and handling:Good marks in all three in on road driving.

Head turning quotients:It reminds me of one of those fake designer bags with Gucci or Yves St. Laurent logos. The Compass has Jeep labels and classic Jeep grille imprints everywhere. But it is canada goose outlet canada no more a real Jeep than one of those bags is a genuine Gucci or YSL. Still, those bags serve their functional purpose in much the manner that the Compass fulfills its mission.

Body style/layout:Largely carried over from 2014, the 2015 is a compact, front engine crossover canada goose coats on sale utility vehicle. It is a four door carryall offered with two wheel or all wheel drive.

Engines/transmissions:The Compass Latitude driven for this column came with a 2.4 liter, 16 valve in line four cylinder gasoline engine with variable valve timing (172 horsepower, 165 pound feet of torque) linked to a six speed automatic canada goose outlet reviews transmission. A 2 liter four cylinder gasoline engine is standard in the Compass line, as is a five speed manual transmission.

Capacities:Seating is for five people. Cargo capacity with all seats in place is 22.7 cubic feet; with rear canada goose coats seats folded, it is 53.6 cubic feet. The Compass can be equipped to tow a trailer weighing 2,000 pounds. Fuel capacity is 13.6 gallons. Regular gasoline works fine here.

Mileage:I averaged 27 miles per gallon in highway driving.

Safety:Standard equipment includes ventilated front disc and rear drum brakes; four wheel anti canada goose outlet uk lock brake protection; emergency braking assistance; stability and traction control; side and rear head air bags.

Prices:The Compass Latitude starts at $24,795, with an estimated dealer’s canada goose uk outlet invoice price of $22,400. Price as tested is $28,570, including $1,390 in options (onboard navigation, rearview backup camera, Chrysler Uconnect Voice Command with Bluetooth and other items) canada goose clearance and a $995 factory Canada Goose sale to dealer transportation charge. Estimated dealer’s price as tested is $26,370. Dealers are willing to bargain on this one.