New Car Review: 2010 Jeep Compass Sport

By Bob Plunkett

The 2010 Compass Sport is Jeep's economy-minded crossover utility vehicle for the compact class. The Compass offers fun-to-drive handling traits with front-wheel-drive or all-wheel-drive traction options, but the issues of 2010 add a new powertrain option from a fuel-sipping 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine oriented with FWD traction and a five-speed manual transmission to deliver up to 29 mpg for cruising down the highway.

Fuel economy ratings for the larger engine in Compass range from 23/28 mpg (city/highway) with FWD and the manual stick to 21/24 mpg (city/highway) with AWD and the CVT.

With the car-like suspension and a quick-to-respond rack and pinion steering system aboard, Compass seems to eliminate all of the effort required to drive a SUV. It's easy to maneuver in city traffic, as we discover when threading through congested downtown streets in Portland, Ore., at the outset of a day of driving tests. And it looks sharp too -- so sleek in a taut package dressed with progressive shapes.

   

Clever concepts make life comfortable inside Compass:

    * A self-recharging lamp in the headliner of the cargo bay snaps out of its housing for flashlight duty.

    * Right front seatback folds down to fashion a flat table-top surface.

    * Sliding armrest -- to fit a petite driver.

    * 115-volt power outlet -- to juice electronic gear.

    * Cradle -- for your iPod or cell phone in a flip-open pocket of the center armrest.

 Jeep brings the 2010 Compass to market with low price points which begin below $19,000.

 

 

 

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