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Old 4th August 2017, 17:08   #1651
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Re: Meeting the Jeep Compass. EDIT: Priced between 14.95 to 20.65 lakhs

Test Drove the Compass Today in the Longitude (O) variant.
(Please note that my Test Drive feedback may be a little Biased, because I have already booked it and am expecting the delivery in the next 10-15 days!)

I went to Landmark Jeep at around 1:00 Pm and there was a continuous line of customers waiting for the test drives, and there is good footfall at the showroom. The Good thing is that they have 4 Jeep Compass for Test Drives, so waiting time was 15 min only! This is really a segment first as I have till date not seen any company having 4 test drive vehicles of the same model !

Anyway, after the initial Formalities of Forms and Licence, I got into the test drive vehicle.

Initial Impressions:

The Build Quality as all others have also mentioned is very impressive and construction is top notch.
The interiors in the Beige finish of Longitude also look good in that combination.
The Music system surround is a dull black one instead of the Piano black finish in Ltd.

The Center Display (in the Speedo Console) is high resolution and really good in display quality. The seats are in Beige Fabric and the Door panels are leatherite in Beige colour.

On Starting the car, there is a slight diesel noise, which settles in quite fast and then the engine has only a slight Purr, and even till 3000 rpm, there is not much noise which comes into the cabin (the Acoustic insulation is very good and even the windshield is made of Acoustic Glass).

The Electronic parking brake is one thing which will take getting used to. In my first attempt to move away, I stalled the car as It had not disengaged automatically by then. In 2nd Attempt I got the hang and the car pulled away smoothly.

The Driver Seating height and the front view is good and it is a commanding position. Only gripe with the Front view is the Visible Wipers (in resting condition) and the IRVM Base, which is quite large and may getting used to. (In my current Skoda Laura and even the Yeti, the wipers were completely hidden when resting)

Coming to the Drive (which was a 10 min drive over a mix of roads):

Pickup in all gears was smooth and no turbo lag was felt, but at the same time, there was no strong kick also and the acceleration is smooth and gradual. The car picks up speed in no time and I was cruising at 100, and the car did not feel like 100 at all due to low engine noise and cabin noise. The High speed stability of the Compass is very good and it sticks to the road well. At high speeds the steering input is also well weighted and does not feel disconnected at all.

At slow speeds, when going over a broken road, the ride does feel firm, though much less than the Yeti which I had. Compared to the Yeti, the engine is far more silent. (Though on the engine front, I must also compliment the Creta Engine which is even more silent than the Compass engine).

During the Test Drive, the Sales person also told me to test the Emergency braking function of the Compass on an empty service road. When driving if the Electronic park Brake button is pulled up strongly, it brakes the car at Max brake and brings it to a halt, very suddenly. (However, people will need to be extremely careful with this function as if a kid sitting in the Passenger seat pulls the switch, it can cause an accident as it will stop the car dead in the middle of the road and people coming from behind may hit the car! Need to take care of this aspect very carefully - Probably with a family with Kids, it will be safer to cover this switch with a cover to stop this from happening.

I also drove the car over broken service roads and the suspension went through smoothly without any thuds or bottoming.

The Biggest plus of the Compass is the Build quality and the stability of the vehicle, apart from all the safety features which it offers.

In terms of Negatives, The only two negatives which I noticed were the Wiper position and the IRVM base. In the short test drive which I did , I did not find any other negatives.

Now waiting for the delivery of my Compass LTD (O) 4x4 in Minimal Grey (Silver) with Black Roof very soon!
Once I get the delivery I will be starting my detailed ownership thread and hope to also join the Gurgaon Offroading TBHP group with Anshuman and others!

Last edited by Behemoth : 4th August 2017 at 17:26.
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Old 4th August 2017, 17:16   #1652
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Re: Meeting the Jeep Compass. EDIT: Priced between 14.95 to 20.65 lakhs

Quote:
Originally Posted by Axe77 View Post
I’ve read some posts about how the Compass is going to badly “hit” some products.
You're right. It certainly won't.

It might bring FCA out of the last position in the market (which in itself is a great thing, for those of us who know the history of the company), but to become a real threat to the established players like Hyundai and Mahindra - it will a few more years of brand building and consistency.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Behemoth View Post
Now waiting for the delivery of my Compass LTD (O) 4x4 very soon!
Once I get the delivery I will be starting my detailed ownership thread and hope to also join the Gurgaon Offroading TBHP group with Anshuman and others!
That's great to hear. Their videos are really helpful to those looking at off road abilities.

Last edited by CrAzY dRiVeR : 4th August 2017 at 17:20.
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Old 4th August 2017, 17:20   #1653
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Re: Meeting the Jeep Compass. EDIT: Priced between 14.95 to 20.65 lakhs

Quote:
Originally Posted by PrideRed View Post
A test drive will only reassure your decision.
Ah - But you dont understand - I am convinced about the Compass. It ticks almost all the boxes for me. Space is not a constraint for me.

The point is I dont need a vehicle as of now!!
Taking a test drive is only going to reinforce what I think about it and really mess with me !!
Have consciously remained away from the showroom - I can assure you - takes a ton of will power!!

I am pretty sure that the 4x4 version will do a better job at soft off roading than most other vehicles in this price range.
I am keen to know how it will manage the highspeed handling On Road. Specifically vis a vis a good / decent sedan. (as in 70% of the sedan handling - 80% or so on)

In spite of it not being light - It has on the Diesel Limited 4x4 - 103 BHP/Ton & 213 Nm/Ton - which is not bad. Though I will certainly not complain if they increase the power
This vehicle IMO (for those not wanting / needing more than a 4 seater) has the near perfect balance of size, weight, design, safety, power, handling, ruggedness, abuse friendliness, practicality, comfort, cost of ownership

Plus there is one more reason - This time - when I purchase a vehicle (I have purchased 2 vehicles when they were just released and a third one just as it transitioned into a face lift) - I want it to be at least one year in the market.
Automakers have this habit of introducing more features or collapsing trim levels at times. I dont want to lose out. I am not typically much for after market features and functions
And this comes in 3 trim levels and 2 option packs !! and a 4x4 Variant.
Unlike many people here - while I have driven an AT and I live in a traffic congested city and I am still in favor of a MT - so I am not looking / waiting for an AT.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Behemoth View Post
waiting for the delivery of my Compass LTD (O) 4x4
@Behemoth - Thanks for the views & CONGRATULATIONs - What Color?
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Old 4th August 2017, 17:34   #1654
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Re: Meeting the Jeep Compass. EDIT: Priced between 14.95 to 20.65 lakhs

Autocar India has published an interview with Chief Designer of Jeep Mark Allen

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Old 4th August 2017, 18:01   #1655
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Re: Meeting the Jeep Compass. EDIT: Priced between 14.95 to 20.65 lakhs

Quote:
Originally Posted by PM - B View Post
Plus there is one more reason - This time - when I purchase a vehicle (I have purchased 2 vehicles when they were just released and a third one just as it transitioned into a face lift) - I want it to be at least one year in the market.
That makes so much of sense for someone who is not in a hurry and not carried away by the big noise that has come with Jeep Compass. One year will tell a lot about the product, road presence, ASS. The only downside is that if it clicks and they get the grip of the market, the prices might get jacked up.
Regards
Sravan
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Old 4th August 2017, 19:01   #1656
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Re: Meeting the Jeep Compass. EDIT: Priced between 14.95 to 20.65 lakhs

Quote:
Originally Posted by skchettry View Post
The only downside is that if it clicks and they get the grip of the market, the prices might get jacked up.
Regards
Sravan
Not an issue either, given the prices at which it has launched. Compass is typically compared to a Tucson everwhere, and it undercut it by a whopping 3 lakhs on the base model. That is why we saw outburst of relief/joy for 4-5 pages after price announcement, before people started seeing merit in features of Octavia, or space in XUV/HEXA etc.

Bottomline is, Compass is priced at such differential from a Tucson that jacking up by a few thousands or even a lakh or so also, it is still going to be at a steepish discount over its rivals. Net-net, wait and watch seems to be a winning strategy with Compass.
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Old 4th August 2017, 19:10   #1657
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Re: Meeting the Jeep Compass. EDIT: Priced between 14.95 to 20.65 lakhs

Quote:
Originally Posted by skchettry View Post
That makes so much of sense for someone who is not in a hurry and not carried away by the big noise that has come with Jeep Compass. One year will tell a lot about the product, road presence, ASS. The only downside is that if it clicks and they get the grip of the market, the prices might get jacked up.
Regards
Sravan
Yes, but a year old product would also get various discounts. I feel Jeep has some small creature comfort missing which could have been added, i am also waiting as of now for a year to see the service reviews on T-BHP. Burnt myself once by being an early buyer of Fiat.
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Old 4th August 2017, 19:32   #1658
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Re: Meeting the Jeep Compass. EDIT: Priced between 14.95 to 20.65 lakhs

Thank you guys for reverting with such clear advise.

Quote:
Originally Posted by CrAzY dRiVeR View Post
If it's for him, better to get him what he wants. And the first two lines clearly say that the Compass is not what he wants. Get the Merc itself.
Off course I don't want to be imposing my evaluation of what is right for him.

Quote:
Originally Posted by lamborghini View Post
Haven't driven the Compass, but an all new car will be much easier to maintain for your father - especially as the roads he will face everyday are poor (barring those highway journeys).

That aside though, the old C250 is built like a rock and is a fantastic vehicle! Ride, handling, and performance will be better than a Compass; and also the 6L cheaper price tag will help to mitigate maintenance costs. Not to forget the better interiors and ambience that will be associated with the C Class.

Given the part in quotes above, it seems he has his heart set on the C making it a no-brainer; especially as you yourself have an E Class and are well versed with maintenance costs & service support that would be applicable to you.

Is this the variant with the 5 speed gearbox, or the 7 speed gearbox?
My Dad is not an auto enthusiast, but a driving enthusiast. Strange as it may seem, if something goes wrong with the car, he will still not make any effort on his own, will just drive to the service outlet and the only thing he will ask them is - "what's the damage" So if any attention is needed I will have to do it, I am his concierge for the car, period. It doesn't make any difference which car he owns, and if I am not able to get the problems rectified in reasonable cost, the car is not worth it! But then he has come a long way in accepting the cost of service on a MB, though he has never paid my E class service bills ever.

I am not sure about the GB, but looks like it is a 5 speed, I am going to see the car again in a day or two, will certainly let you know.

Quote:
Originally Posted by PrasannaDhana View Post
C250 is a hoot to drive, it looks better(personal opinion) and it is a Mercedes! I would go for the C250 without any second thoughts. At 17 lakhs, it is good value for money too!

My friend just upgraded from a C250 to an E350. The pre-owned E class was bought for 21 lakhs. So you have multiple options with the 3 pointed star under 24 lakhs.
I guess that's the right thing to do, thanks.
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Old 4th August 2017, 19:44   #1659
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Re: Meeting the Jeep Compass. EDIT: Priced between 14.95 to 20.65 lakhs

I will be needing a compact SUV of sorts for long drives which can also multifunction for short city drives . We dont pack much so dont need a behemoth, so the size of the Compass is somewhat ideal. However a automatic is a must. I just realized that the Tucson Petrol automatic comes in at 23.5 on road here compared to 20.7 for the Jeep Compass. The big advantage being 6 airbags versus 2. I know Compass will soon have a Diesel auto but looking at the pricing of the manual diesel 23.5 here, it would be safe to say it could be around 25L, which is a bit too much. Going to have to jump in for one of the Tucson or Jeep petrol automatics ! Tough decision.

Last edited by kartavya : 4th August 2017 at 19:57.
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Old 4th August 2017, 19:49   #1660
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Re: Meeting the Jeep Compass. EDIT: Priced between 14.95 to 20.65 lakhs

The features, variants, engine and transmission combinations are weird to say the least. Probably a result of a pointless survey FCA did.

Why do I need 4x4 to get 6 airbags? I can't get people in the back without driving the rear wheels?
Why do I need to get a diesel car to get manual transmission? and don't even get me started on why petrol doesn't even get 6 airbags or 4x4 at all.

And then to add fuel to the fire, the price difference between petrol and diesel is only 50K which is peanuts in this segment especially considering how heavy this car is and the 100NM extra in the diesel is probably vital to the performance. I hope FCA corrects their engine/ transmission combos and rationalises the feature set across variants and drive type.
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Old 4th August 2017, 20:08   #1661
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Had been to Jeep showroom again for TD and to check all the nitty gritty that a Jeep Compass can offer at a price That I can afford. Following are the details of my visit.

After reaching showroom the sales guy informed that test drive is only possible within their premises of showroom and they will allow visitors to drive on road after only after 6th August. This annoyed me because I had specifically asked on phone if TD is possible today. Seeing my disappointed a senior lady advisor jumped in to handle the situation. My 4x4 off roading mood immediately switched to cruise control mode and I polite asked her to show me base sports model which she did eventually.

The base model come for 17.21 lakhs on road (2lakhs more then the Duster ADW I am waiting for) here in Bhubanshwar. I found nothing impressive in the base model. I felt as if the black fabric upholstery, the blank buttons on steering wheel, the black metal wheels & the 5" screen in front are just trying to hint me that how poor I am who can't afford the luxury. After some 3 minutes I decided that I will push my budget a bit more and go for 'longitude' then 'sports' model if at all am going for Jeep Compass. The 'longitude' is certainly better but the 'longitude option' is something that I found satisfactory features wise in all respect. I did a TD around the jeep showroom premises. The fit and finish is really impressive in Longitude option. Loved the output of speakers fitted on the doors.

After getting down I started doing some maths on GC and approach angle. The GC under the front bumper is around 180mm (now I measured this on an empty vehicle). May be this is a decent one for many but not for me. The other thing that I was worried about was 17 degrees approach angle due to some nonsensical bumper design. In my opinion this is too low for an SUV. The break over and departure angles are great though. A guy at jeep tried to convince me that approach angle is not important for off roading, what matters is departure angle. This was enough for me to depart from the showroom.

Compass is certainly one of its kind in the segment and is an engineering marble but what I know, that this vehicle cannot serve my purpose. In my opinion this vehicle is not for regular off roaders who do travel for a purpose or profession. This vehicle is more suitable for weekend getaway with family and friends for enjoying the countryside IMHO.

I would wait for my Duster ADW.

Thank you all for sharing your views

Quote:
Originally Posted by C300 View Post
You will be happy either ways. Both are competent cars.

My only advise is not to reject Compass assuming its fancy. Going by the reviews so far its better engineered and built like a mini tank. It should serve you longer on broken roads.

Thank you sir for the review, after doing a short physical survey of the vehicle in the showroom I decided to drop the idea of buying the tank as it wouldn't fire on targets I intend to.

Last edited by moralfibre : 5th August 2017 at 04:12. Reason: Back to back posts.
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Old 4th August 2017, 20:49   #1662
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Re: Meeting the Jeep Compass. EDIT: Priced between 14.95 to 20.65 lakhs

Quote:
Originally Posted by agambhandari View Post

Why do I need 4x4 to get 6 airbags?
No answer to this I guess

Quote:
Why do I need to get a diesel car to get manual transmission?
Maybe I am mistaken here Petrol should get both MT & AT though Only in Sport & Limited variant
Probable answers here can be the gearbox - these are chosen out of the in house portfolio depending on max input torque handling capability and cost.

Quote:
and don't even get me started on why petrol doesn't even get 6 airbags or 4x4 at all.
The 4x2 Petrol to the 4x4 Petrol In my view would differ in weight by at least a 100 KGs and the added weight with the limited torque in a fuel efficiency obsessed country (kitna deta hai) like India - would only lead to a bad rep.

This again I think was answered by @CrAzY dRiVeR earlier - that neither do other manufacturers.
Quote:
Originally Posted by CrAzY dRiVeR View Post
Probably the manufacturers don't believe that a demand exists for these top end petrol automatics.

The trend is the same across manufacturers.

SCross - No petrol
Creta - No SX(o) AT

Hexa - No petrol.
XUV 5OO - No petrol.

Tucson - No petrol GLS, manual or AT.
Tiguan - No petrol.

Hope Jeep realizes that there is an opportunity here

Quote:
And then to add fuel to the fire, the price difference between petrol and diesel is only 50K
I assume the above has been answered by other BHPians earlier - The Petrol also being a Turbo Charged Engine leads to a smaller gap in prices


Quote:
especially considering how heavy this car is and the 100NM extra in the diesel is probably vital to the performance.
I guess you have answered your question yourself - heavier vehicle - petrol turbo would not be adequate for performance - so double whammy - poor performance and mileage


@ALL


The compass website has a differnt interface for specifications today - It is more user friendly and with more details

http://www.knowyourcompass.co.in/jee...s-details.aspx

This is how it looks with comparators and drop down
Meeting the Jeep Compass. EDIT: Priced between 14.95 to 20.65 lakhs-1.png

The final drive ratios are different on the two petrol variants and both seem to be the 4x2 variants - Hence this should imply 2 different gearboxes in use.
Attached Thumbnails
Meeting the Jeep Compass. EDIT: Priced between 14.95 to 20.65 lakhs-3.png  


Last edited by PM - B : 4th August 2017 at 20:54.
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Old 4th August 2017, 21:55   #1663
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Re: Meeting the Jeep Compass. EDIT: Priced between 14.95 to 20.65 lakhs

Quote:
Originally Posted by shaktinanda View Post
In my opinion this vehicle is not for regular off roaders who do travel for a purpose or profession. This vehicle is more suitable for weekend getaway with family and friends for enjoying the countryside IMHO.

I would wait for my Duster ADW.

Thank you all for sharing your views
Your only other choice is the Mahindra Thar CRDI; I am not counting the Force Gurkha at all for the obvious reason. I read Crazy's post saying that you are in the market looking for an AWD with somewhat compact dimensions, otherwise I would have recommended you the XUV500 W8 AWD also. I'd still suggest these two Mahindras though....

I have both these cars, XUV and Duster 110 AMT, but neither of them are AWD variants which I don't need. The Duster offers much better ride even on stock Apollo tyres when compared to the XUV which now rides on Michelin Primacys. I am a new owner, but IMHO, the Duster 110 does not make sense unless you'd want 4WD or AMT, because both these variants are truly unique. Nevertheless, you may still want to read up more about the nozzle issue that sometimes crop up in the 110PS engine.

Quote:
Originally Posted by OSH View Post
I don't know if this is correct or wrong but it is good to see Tata having so much confidence in their Hexa.
Not a wise move IMHO. A lot of people who hate TATA vehicles are still aware about the fact that the Hexa is a feature-rich, loaded car. When TATA places such an ad, it simply invites the attention of such folks immediately to the new kid in the block. Another fully kitted car in town, and it's name is Compass!

Also note that the Compass has a big advantage over the Hexa. It is smaller in size, and I know tons of people who don't dare driving anything bigger than a Swift.

Last edited by sandeepmdas : 4th August 2017 at 22:10.
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Old 4th August 2017, 22:29   #1664
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Re: Meeting the Jeep Compass. EDIT: Priced between 14.95 to 20.65 lakhs

Quote:
Originally Posted by Axe77 View Post

Many may consider the extra money for 4x2 petrol AT not worth it over the Creta. Others may consider the 4x4 diesel capability worth the spend over the Duster. Some may only want the Hexa since it offers more car per rupee spent. Others (like me) may consciously prefer the compactness of the Compass. To each his own.
Any reason why Innova Crysta is missing from the list? Going by pricing, Innova Crysta is the one that matches Jeep Compass . On Road pricing of 2.8Z AT is about 25-26 lacs here in Bangalore which is what 4x4 Limited would cost.
Also the 2.4GX goes head on with Sport with both costing about 19 lacs.
No matter what gets launched, this overpriced T is least impacted.(9300 copies sold in July).
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Old 4th August 2017, 22:41   #1665
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Re: Meeting the Jeep Compass. EDIT: Priced between 14.95 to 20.65 lakhs

Quote:
Originally Posted by sandeepmdas View Post
Not a wise move IMHO. A lot of people who hate TATA vehicles are still aware about the fact that the Hexa is a feature-rich, loaded car. When TATA places such an ad, it simply invites the attention of such folks immediately to the new kid in the block. Another fully kitted car in town, and it's name is Compass!

Also note that the Compass has a big advantage over the Hexa. It is smaller in size, and I know tons of people who don't dare driving anything bigger than a Swift.
Look at this in another way, like you said, the people who hate Tata will go and inquire about the Compass because Tata themselves compared the two cars, ok done. Now, when they come back and find out that Hexa offers much more at a lower price range of 11.99 - 17.49 lakhs(ex-showroom) their opinion about the Hexa may change, won't it be in favour of Tata then ? I have not gone through the detailed list of features for both these cars but from what I have read quickly, Hexa has more features than the Compass.

Regarding the size difference which you feel will be a deal breaker for Hexa, I agree that some people prefer driving small/compact cars but at the same time some people like their big/butch looking cars and let us not forget that at the price range of these cars, people will look to get more out of their car be it feature wise or space.
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