Jeep Compass gets Slammed

[southtj]

Detroit architect Andrew Hetletvedt, 32, castigated the Compass for "unnecessary sissy-ness" and said that while Jeep is "one of the strongest names in American motoring," the Compass was "spiritually wrong."

Some worried that the Illinois-built Compass was poised to damage the reputation of the storied Detroit brand, which has its roots in the battlefields of World War II (curiously, the new car's basic architecture was engineered originally by Japan's Mitsubishi). Panelists appeared to be strongly at odds with Chrysler executives such as Trevor Creed, the company's senior vice president of design, who said the Compass "offers the credibility and characteristics associated with the Jeep brand name."

"Jeep, to me, no longer can justify having that 'rugged' reputation attached to its brand name," wrote Michael Lysaght, 18, the U-M freshman, in his driving log. "A Jeep is supposed to bellow 'run me into the ground.' Instead, this Jeep says, 'You guys want to go to the mall?' "

Detroit bus driver Julian Franklin Jr., 51, a self-described Chrysler booster who drives a 1996 Dodge Intrepid, put it more simply.

"That thing is ugly," he said. "It really is. It just didn't do anything for you."

http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060802/AUTO03/608020302/1149


Ouch. :shock:

 

[SenorCole86]

Well shoot, if they'd only called me while this thing was on the drawing board. I woulda told 'em it was a bad idea, nobody would like it, and that they would lose diehard supporters. *sigh* tsk tsk Dr. Z.

 

[redrooster]

It looks like a Ford Focus Wagon with a Jeep grill.
A retro Pacer would have been a better idea.

 

[dropseys]

I saw a commercial and i think they are trying to attract kids i.e. 16 year old girls who love boy bands. I actually saw one on the road and was liek what the hell? My wife even says its ugly.

 

[mud4feet]

"Some worried that the Illinois-built Compass was poised to damage the reputation of the storied Detroit brand......."


ummm............since when did they start making Jeeps (Wranglers, I'm speaking of, which I believe is what they're refering to) in Detroit?????? Better look a bit south......good ol' Toledo!

 

[GaryMB]

I think the 2002 2-door concept version looked pretty cool; not in a jeep way, but in a more sporty, Porscha Cheyene sorta way...but still with some offroad-looking features. I don't like the 2007 model, it definately seems like something designed more to attract the "16 year old girls who love boy bands," like Dropseys said. I think it's another one of those landmark mass-produced embarrasments of engineering, kinda like the Scion XB but not as bad, and will still somehow manage to sell. I'm all for Jeep having a more street-conscious line of cars, as long as they still have the offroad ones, but the compass isn't exactly what I had in mind...

 

[Saurian]

I read that article in the paper at lunch the other day. They went on to say that, out of the 10 people who drove it, I believe the same 10 that drove the Caliber, and 10 out of 10 of them would buy one, 0 out of 10 would buy the Compass, and only 2 out of 10 would recommend one to friends and family, one of them with reservations about doing even that...