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.

    See also:

    Trip Conditions
    Trip Odometer (ODO) / ECO (Fuel Saver Indicator) — If Equipped This display shows the distance traveled since the last reset. Press and release the right button (on the instrument cluster) to swi ...

    Windshield Wiper Operation
    Rotate the end of the lever upward to the second detent past the intermittent settings for low-speed wiper operation. Rotate the end of the lever upward to the third detent past the intermittent ...

    Hill Climbing
    Hill climbing requires good judgment and a good understanding of your abilities and your vehicle’s limitations. Hills can cause serious problems. Some are just too steep to climb and should not ...