Safety

For an entry-level vehicle the Compass comes stacked with safety features. Side curtain airbags, traction control, an electronic stability system and antilock brakes all come standard at the $15,985 entry price.

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety just released crash-test results for the Compass' sibling, the Dodge Caliber. It received a Good rating, the best possible, in the frontal crash test, but got a Marginal score, the second worst possible, in both side-impact and rear-impact tests. While the two vehicles aren't identical, the results should be similar for the Compass.

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    Headlamps With Wipers (Available with Auto Headlights Only)
    When on is selected, and the headlight switch is in the AUTO position, the headlights will turn on approximately 10 seconds after the wipers are turned on. If the headlights were turned on by th ...

    Traction Downhill
    Shift the transmission into a low gear, and the transfer case into 4WD LOW range. Let the vehicle go slowly down the hill with all four wheels turning against engine compression drag. This will ...

    Engine Oil Selection
    For best performance and maximum protection for all engines under all types of operating conditions, the manufacturer recommends engine oils that are API Certified and meet the requirements of C ...