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Full 2013 Jeep Compass Review
What's New for 2013
Base Compass models with a manual transmission eke out an extra mile per gallon on the highway, now coming in at an even 30-mpg rating.
Introduction
The Jeep brand is famous for a couple of reasons, but never has one of those reasons been exceptional fuel economy. The entry-level 2013 Compass tries to get Jeep personality into the gas-saving game by attaching a few of the brand's signature styling elements and various (optional) off-road components to what is essentially a front-wheel-drive car platform. As often happens when an automaker tries to accomplish two rather disparate missions, the result is a vehicle that serves neither purpose particularly well.
If you're considering a 2013 Jeep Compass to get the kind of serious off-roading ability most of us imagine when we see the Jeep badge, know that the Compass really isn't the right tool for the job. Jeep itself sets a narrowly defined parameter here, saying that to operate the Compass in "moderate off-road conditions" you must equip it with a special off-road equipment package. And that's only after equipping the Compass with some other required optional hardware, including the larger of this Jeep's two four-cylinder engines and, well, four-wheel drive.
That's where the Compass hits the crossroads. While the base Compass with a manual transmission earns respectable fuel economy ratings of 23 mpg city and 30 mpg highway, they're for a vehicle that's essentially a front-wheel-drive car and far from what you might use for moderate off-roading adventures. Not really much of a Jeep at all. Go for the larger engine and all the equipment needed to use the Compass off road and fuel economy estimates plummet to 20/23 -- pretty dismal figures for a compact car and essentially defeating the purpose for buying a compact anything.
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