I absolutely love this car. I just bought mine (in the 4x2 Sport package, with most of the dealer options preinstalled except for the navigation system and EVIC). My last couple of cars were an '02 Ford Focus and a '98 Escort. I also own a '65 International Harvester Scout 80 4x4 pickup for those situations where a REAL manly vehicle is required ;)

Anyway, I was initially looking to buy a Wrangler, but I got led towards a good deal on a Compass. The two factors that really sealed the deal were economics: gas mileage and insurance cost.

I read a _lot_ of reviews before I put down the cash, and I read almost the same comments everywhere. The conclusion I've reached is that most people who reviewed this vehicle had some very preconceived notions about what it was "supposed" to be, and they are reviewing it with respect to those particular notions, rather than analyzing the car purely on its merits. I don't know whether it's the fact that this car sits in the suburban SUV category (as opposed to the fun-sport-offroad Wrangler category) or whether it's just the Jeep name on a non-Jeep-y car, but I think the Compass has had a lot of negatively biased press.

My first impression on the test drive was that the car had no legs at all - I had to stomp on the gas pedal harder than I'm used to, and it didn't really seem responsive. However this is purely an illusion. The reason it doesn't seem to feel frisky is that the continuously variable transmission doesn't give you the exciting jumps and bumps and rapid RPM changes that a normal automatic transmission exhibits; it's just a smooth acceleration. The ride is pretty quiet - almost all of the noise you'll hear is tire noise. The base 4-speaker sound system is great; I'm glad I didn't upgrade. I only ever listen to my iPod anyway - so the aux in jack is appreciated.

Engine braking is a lot heavier on this car than I was used to - I don't know if this is common to SUVs, or specific to the CVT. Once you get out on the highway and get a chance to play with the vehicle properly, you'll find it has plenty enough acceleration to dodge New York traffic. It's not much of an adjustment to get used to this behavior, but it's different enough from other cars and trucks I've driven that I can see why someone might form a poor opinion of the car based on a very short test drive.

Do not bother with the so-called manual ("autostick") transmission; it is entirely fly-by-wire computer controlled, the computer can override you at any time, and in my opinion it offers no utility whatsoever that the "L" gear on an automatic doesn't do just as well; the "manual" versions still have the same CVT as the auto versions. (Note that I'm not talking about the REAL manual transmission, which is really a real manual tranny with a real clutch - I'm specifically talking about the ultra-high-end autostick flavor). Unless you really enjoy driving stick, again I think it is a better idea to stick with the normal auto trans. This vehicle is designed to spend its time in traffic, not roaming the tundra - and in city traffic, manual transmissions are annoying.

The 4x4 option is probably worth it if you have severe enough snow and ice conditions, but remind yourself constantly: this is NOT a Willys or even a Wrangler, this is strictly a suburban and highway vehicle. The 4x4 might help you out of a few specific situations (e.g. front wheels in a snowdrift).

Speaking of snow, we just had a little snowfall here and I've had a chance to try it out in 6" of slush. The verdict: it pretty much handles like a big car. Ground clearance is low, so you'll scrape over tall drifts. The traction control feature works very well; I mostly see it kicking in when I'm climbing hills, and it does help keep the car straight and prevent tire spinning.

As SUVs go, this one is pretty small. This means fairly easy parking and acceptable gas mileage - I'm getting in the low 20s, which is not far off what I was getting on the Focus under the same driving conditions.

Insuring this vehicle was amazingly cheap; even cheaper than my Focus (which is five years older!). It's a bit of a mystery, but I think it is because all the safety features you can think of are already standard - ESC, ABS, anti-rollover, side airbags, etc.

Aesthetically, I like the styling a lot. It's clearly of Jeep ancestry in its appearance from the front, but it's modern and pleasing to the eye. Some people compare it to the Pontiac Aztec, a vehicle which I loathe. I don't see the comparison at all, myself.

The interior is roomy in both rows of seats and the cargo area is fairly good (about the same floorspace as a station wagon, but considerably taller). I like the solid plastic flooring in the cargo area; no muddy pawprints to clean off the carpets! It also has a seatbelt for the center rear seat, which I haven't seen before.

I've read some people complaining about a "cheap look" on the interior - I don't see anything to criticize, myself. It's certainly more luxurious than any of the other vehicles I own. Fit and finish is a 9/10. The reason it lost a point is that the model I have has self-adhesive faux woodgrain finish pieces on most of the dash surfaces, and the fit of one or two of those pieces isn't perfect.

This is a comfortable, roomy, smooth-riding vehicle for family outings, going to the price club, taking the pets to and fro, and miscellaneous road trips. It's relaxing to drive and seems to have very good safety features. It's not a dune buggy and it's not designed to take you on a Lewis and Clark expedition through the wilderness. If you understand the target applications for this car, you'll appreciate that it works very well for those applications.

Bottom line: Don't just read a review. You should test drive the vehicle, feel the interior and the handling, and consider such driver-specific issues as: Do you really intend to go off-road with it, ever? How important is it to you to get good gas mileage? How often do you actually NEED to negotiate three feet of snow?