Exterior

The Compass simply looks like the child of a Liberty and a Grand Cherokee. From the front, it most resembles the Liberty, while the rear bears Grand Cherokee-style taillights. However, the side has creased fender bulges that recall the Dodge Dakota pickup. Is it possible the Dakota delivers the mail to the Jeep household? Just a thought....

In this sea of look-alike crossover vehicles, what distinguishes the Compass — or at least the Limited trim level — is aluminum-look trim on the exterior. It's anchored by a rear-bumper overlay that's debossed with the Compass name. A similar panel is on the front bumper, minus the name. The doors have matching moldings that dress up a deliberate accent groove.

Even on the Limited, the side mirrors and door handles are black rather than body-colored. The standard wheels are 17-inch aluminum; the Limited has 18-inch aluminum wheels, which are an option on the lower trim level. The Limited's also come in chrome.

    See also:

    Occupant Restraint Controller (ORC)
    The ORC is part of a Federally regulated safety system required for this vehicle. The ORC determines if deployment of the front and/or side air bags is required in a frontal or side collision. Bas ...

    Rear Axle Fluid Level Check
    The rear axle oil level needs to be between 1/8 in (3 mm) below the bottom of the fill hole and the bottom of the fill hole. The rear axle fill and drain plugs should be tightened to 22 to 29 f ...

    Battery Saver
    To protect the life of your vehicle’s battery, load shedding is provided for both the interior and exterior lights. If the ignition is OFF and any door is left ajar for 10 minutes or the dimmer ...