Jeep's Misguided Compass

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Easily the best thing about the car is the suspension, which is smartly paired with the 18-inch wheels and is well-calibrated overall. Steering is responsive though by no means sporty. The four-wheel brakes also work as advertised.

That the Compass isn't intended for serious off-roading gets top billing from Jeep, but it's still available with four-wheel drive. The model I tested performed as it should on hard-packed gravel roads, though I didn't dare take it down soggy, unmarked forest trails the way I might a Wrangler. It also did admirably well guiding me through bad rain. I have no doubt that the system should be able to handle as much suburban snow and ice as you can throw at it.

Exterior styling is a mixed bag. The oversized front bumper and high wheel-well arches look, to me, awkward and disproportionate to the rest of the body. Besides the customary seven-slot Jeep grille, it seems the Compass' designers tried to merge the Liberty's front fascia with some of the Cherokee's sleeker lines. But the result looks more like a loose collection of Jeep elements than a vehicle with its own identity.

Nevertheless, for most consumers, even a tangential hereditary link to Jeep's past will suffice as enticement. And I must admit, despite awkward proportions, the Compass doesn't look out of place nestled on the lot between a Wrangler and a Cherokee. I should also point out that customers flocked to the Liberty when it was released with similar design cues.

The Compass' cabin is a major downer, though. It's a disaster zone of ugly, hard-edged plastics, poorly-designed ergonomics, and chintzy dials and switches. In fact, the interior was to me immediately reminiscent of the Saturn models desperately being phased out by General Motors (GM) to resuscitate that brand. These days even budget cars can't afford to feel this, well, cheap.

The interior does have some playful features. The armrest has a folding stand that's built for an iPod or other MP3 player. The trunk compartment's dome light can be removed with three clicks and used as a flashlight; it is surprisingly bright and useful.

A regular power outlet is mounted into the center console allowing you to power a laptop or vacuum cleaner. Though the manual acknowledges it's possible to completely drain the battery using the outlet, it is cryptic about the exact conditions under which this can occur. And though amusing, none of these features are likely to sway serious buyers.

The upgraded audio system performs very well for the price, reproducing music from a CD or the auxiliary audio-in jack very clearly and crisply. The liftgate has a set of speakers that fold down for tailgating. This is a neat idea but the lack of independent controls in the back makes it impossible to adjust the volume or change tracks without climbing in front.

Buy It or Bag It?

If you're interested in the Dodge Caliber but put off by its vivid styling, the Jeep might make an acceptable stand-in. Otherwise, there's no other vehicle in the segment that doesn't manage to present a better overall package than the Compass.

Does that mean the Compass won't sell at all? Probably not. Chrysler's calculations that it can rope in some buyers with aggressive pricing and Jeep-esque styling isn't a wild proposition. But it risks alienating loyalists and diluting the brand.

The most ardent Jeep die-hards will most likely never accept a crossover like this one under the Jeep badge. I might be willing to if the company offered a competitive, well-designed model that didn't feel like a half-hearted afterthought.

Matt Vella is a reporter for BusinessWeek.com in New York.