Spares are hideously expensive. The clutch replacement along with the pressure plate costed me 1lakh.

BHPian kevinpaulreddy recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

I am an owner of Jeep Compass 2.0 D. Having driven the Jeep compass for over 4.5 years, here is my honest take on the car.

I will start with the down sides first as most of you out there would have already heard what this baby can do:

• The fit and finish inside the cabin for a 20 lac plus car is not up to the mark by any standards, especially the doors, the cabin light assembly and the glove compartment. the rattling noise has been there since day 1 and continues to haunt me till date. I would have complained about it for not less than 20 times to the service center in Gurgaon but they were unable to find a permanent fix for it. I finally gave up and decided to not pursue it. This way I keep my sanity because there is no resolution to this issue. I will live with it till I have the car.
• The battery does not last more than 14 months. Nobody is sure of the issue but the battery will go kaput between 12 to 14 months. My most recent battery was an Exide battery with 36 months warranty and they replaced it free of cost after the original one went kaput in 12.5 months. This is my 4th battery so far.
• The 2nd gear has an issue and you will experience lack of torque in second gear. It is a design flaw and there is no fix to it. I have had my clutch assembly and the pressure plate replaced at 96K KM and was hoping that it will eliminate the issue but it didn't change anything.
• The clutch pedal is very hard compared to other cars. I moved from a Mitsubishi Cedia to Jeep Compass and it was pain-full getting adjusted to the harder clutch. In retrospect, I feel I should have bought an automatic transmission.
• Approach angle is horrendous for a car that claims to be an SUV. My brothers Maruti Celerio is able to tackle certain terrain better than the Jeep.
• Spares are hideously expensive. The clutch replacement along with the pressure plate costed me 1lakh. An alternator bearing replacement costed me 13K. A regular service costs about 20k and a major service costs about 45K.
• The headlights are useless (Regular halogen) The throw of the light is inadequate. I do a lot of cross country driving and I struggle every time it's dark.
• The lug nuts had a tin cover welded onto them which did not allow me to use my OEM lug wrench. I got the tin cover removed by a welder and now the bolts are of size 16 and the wrench is size 17. As a temporary fix I bought a size 16 wrench off amazon. As silly as it may sound, it is true.
• Steering rack went bad and it costed 1lac to replace. Jeep does not repair it. It's a known issue and yet they continue to loot the customers.
• A constant noise from the drive terrain that is by design as per the engineers.
• The gear shifter does not feel as snug as you would like a car in this price point. It is very wobbly.
• Engine mount C has been replaced twice already.

Now lets move on to what I love about this baby of mine:

• The driving dynamics are as good as they can be. It's confident at high speeds.
• Steering feedback is top-notch and goes where you point the steering.
• No dearth of torque and once the turbo kicks, it's a wild animal.
• Noise insulation inside the cabin is excellent.
• The seats are extremely comfortable for long drives.
• Gets off the block quicker than you can anticipate and deals with high speeds like a boss
• The music system is excellent
• Built quality barring the cabin rattling noise is very topnotch.
• Excellent on turns making it an ideal car for the hills.
• Hill assist and auto handbrake work well in tandem to make driving effortless on inclines.
• AC is very effective and is still working after 4.5 years and no repair work so far not even a gas top-up has happened.
• Seating position and visibility is also good.
• The materials used in the cabin justify the cost and they have lasted the test of time with negligible signs of wear and tear.
• Excellent road presence.

I will conclude by saying that though there are a lot of upsides to own a Jeep, there are enough frustrating downsides which if not fixed would mean that I personally will not go for a Jeep product in the near future.

Regards,

Kevin

I replaced the windscreen wipers of my SUV because they were damaged. As for the fuel efficiency, I am getting 12 km/l in the city and 20+ km/l on the highways.

BHPian ramnaresh_2000 recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

This Jan 1st 2024 marks the 3rd year with my Compass. The ODO has recently crossed 43,000 Kms so I am sharing the service details, FE figures and some expenses incurred so far.

Service:

Completed the 4th service at around 34k on the ODO. The total damage was 24,800/-. A bit on the higher side, but I went with interior cleaning which costed some 2.5k and AC Cleaning as well. Apart from these 2, no other extra additions. Few of the charges just boil my blood, like wiper liquid is charged at 200 bucks, air freshener some 250 bucks which are totally unnecessary. I had to use pickup and drop service, hence did not argue with them. The service was done at Mody Service, the newly opened Jeep Service Center in Hyderabad (No more monopoly of Pride Jeep).

Insurance:

Renewed my existing Acko insurance, as I was fully satisfied with the claim I made. The quote was 24k this year with an IDV of 14 lakhs.

Summary of parts replaced so far in the last 3 years:

Battery:

Replaced with Exide, the battery died at my hometown, upon contacting the local Jeep showroom, they gave a contact who had a tie-up with them and he provided the exact configuration battery approved by the Jeep service center. Costed some 9.5k. This was replaced almost 1.5 years back, still working like a new one.

Wipers:

The OEM wipers served very well, they lasted almost 5 years (2019 make, I purchased in 2021). The harsh summers of 2023 damaged them, so replaced them at a local vendor with an un-branded one, they costed 550 bucks and lasted 3 months. I then went with Bosch and they are holding good, they costed some 650 bucks on Amazon.

Links

• 24 inch wiper
• 18 inch wiper

Modifications made so far

• Azoom HIDs - 14,500
• LEDs on Fog Lamp - 6,000
• DRLs LED - 4,500

Other Details:

Fuel Efficiency

Consistently getting 12 KMPL in the city and 20+ KMPL on highways (MID readings). I prefer COCO HP, COCO IOC, Nayara and recently JIO bunks. Never tried the XGreen, as it is not available in many parts of the city. I have been using the Wurth diesel additive recently. Noticed a calmer engine, till date used only 2 bottles. It is recommended to use 1 bottle for each 2k kms with full tank.

2023 has been a great year for me travel-wise, visited Pallakollu, Shiridi and many other places. For the first time of owning I will be getting the service done before hitting the 365-day mark.

Upcoming Expenses:

Tyres

The existing Firestones are still intact, these are 2018 manufactured. Planning to upgrade to AT from HT, only option available on the existing size is Goodyears. Other options available in 235/65 but don't want to upgrade the size.

Detailing

It has been 3 years since it went through a detailing service. Planning to get ceramic coating as well.

I have been tracking expenses since day 1 in the Fuelio app, unfortunately lost the 2021 data when I shifted to new mobile. The below data is from 2022. Nice breakdown of all expenses incurred so far from Jan'22.

Maintenance includes all accessories like HIDs, LEDs, diesel additive, dashcam etc.

Overall it has been one of my best decisions to purchase this mean machine, the 2000cc Fiat-sourced diesel engine is a beast, and the cherry on top is that this is BS4, so no DEF issues or no Adblue headaches. Not faced any rattling issues so far (touch wood).

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.

I try to keep the rpms around the 2000 mark and tyre pressure at OEM recommended levels.

BHPian night_eagle recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

• Car: Jeep Compass BS6 Diesel MT Oct'22 model
• Usage: 75% highway; 25% city
• City: Bengaluru
• Odometer: 23500 kms
• AC: Switched on 75-80% of the time
• Lifetime FE (full tank to full tank): 15.1 kmpl
• City mileage: 13.5-14.5 kmpl
• Highway mileage: 18-19 kmpl
• Speeds: 100-110 km/h on highways, 25-30 km/h in city

I try to keep the rpms around the 2000 mark and tyre pressure at OEM recommended levels.

Mileage for my recent trips:

1. Bengaluru - Vagator - Bengaluru via Anmod Ghat: 17.5kmpl

2. Bengaluru - Rameshwaram - Thanjavur - Bengaluru: 17.3kmpl

Read BHPian comments for more insights and information.

Other cars that were on my list included Mahindra XUV700, VW Taigun, Toyota Hyryder, Honda Elevate and Hyundai Alcazar.

BHPian vattyboy recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Likes

• A gem of an Engine- Refined and Quiet.
• Features- Loaded to the brim.
• Gearbox- Very accurate and reliable Torque Convertor.
• Performance- 116 ps with 250 nm offers good drivability and fun.
• Mileage- This car loves to give a mileage of 15 in the city and 20+ on the highway.
• Brakes- Brilliant braking performance with all 4 disc brakes.
• Handling- No sign of nervousness at triple-digit speeds and slight curves.
• AC- It is a chiller.
• Good Noise Insulation inside the cabin.
• Gorgeous Panoramic Sunroof.
• Good Ergonomics for every passenger.

Dislikes

• Price- 24 lakhs on-road is quite high.
• No aerotwin wipers on a car worth 2.4 million bucks.
• Power windows switches are not backlit.
• There are no soft-touch materials in the car.
• Rear Number plate bulbs are yellow.
• Automatic wipers are not present.
• No seat lumbar support.
• High-beam throw headlights are not good.
• Noisy Centre Console.

Need for a New Car

• My Mercedes CLA and Jeep Compass maintenance are on the higher side, especially JEEP. Jeep Compass is proving to be unreliable and it asks for more maintenance than Mercedes. Jeep parts are also very costly somewhat comparable to the Big 3 Germans.
• Second reason is there are no ASS of Mercedes and Jeep in Udaipur.
• My reliable Kia Seltos is registered in Surat, Gujarat, so I can't drive it in Udaipur, I purchased it for driving in Surat whenever I go there for work. For almost 5 months a year, I have to live in Surat.

So this time I want a car which is-

• Reliable.
• Low Maintenance even after the warranty expires.
• Good availability of Service centres across India.
• Feature Rich.
• Decently powerful Engine.

Test Drives

Mahindra Xuv 700 Diesel AT

This was the 1st car on my list. I made up my mind that I would buy this SUV only without even checking any other car. I and my family went to the nearby showroom and took a test drive of the top variant i.e. AX7 L Diesel AT.

Everything was good in this car- a lot of space, engine power, refinement and pricing. The showroom experience was also good. I and my family were happy after the test drive and left the showroom asking the SA - if we could book the car tomorrow and if he would provide discounts. I came home very excited even if the SA didn't provide any discount I would have booked the car as the delivery date was promised within the next 10 days.

However, my excitement came to a halt when I opened Team BHP and went through the forum of Xuv700. I saw many bhpians share their story of niggles they are facing in their xuv 700 like-

A glitch in the infotainment screen, sometimes the rear camera does not work, Hill Hold Assist not working properly, a sound coming from the airbag module, and a recent thread in which a bhpian shared that his Xuv 700 was not unlocking in the midnight at his friend's house, car going into limp mode while going to the office due to some sensor issues etc.

After reading all this I was very disappointed. But with a heavy heart, I decided to rule this car out because this time I didn't want a car with niggles and unwanted ASS visits.

Volkswagen Taigun GT 1.5 Tsi EVO

This car is fast on the open road but at the city speeds, I experienced some turbo lag. The suspension is the best out there I have experienced in a car below 30 lakhs( except Innova). If you are hard on the throttle then mileage reduces to 8 kmpl. Acceleration is very good till 140 and high speeds are not felt inside the cabin.

Ruled this car out as it looks very small like a sub 4m car and due to the maintenance horror stories of VW and Skoda. Already there are 2 white elephants in my garage so I can't take the risk of adding another one this time.

Toyota Hyryder Hybrid

Rejected it due to noisy 1.5 L 3 cylinder petrol engine. Till 40 kmph the car is in EV mode which feels great to be in but after that, the engine comes to life. I pressed the throttle more and the engine felt stressed and noisy which reduced the overall driving experience. I also felt the doors and bonnet were very light. The mileage it was giving was mind-blowing i.e. 24 in the city but on the highway mileage of this car decreased to 22 kmpl as the engine kept on doing its duties to maintain the highway speeds.

Honda Elevate

I went to the Honda Showroom considering Top notch Honda's reliability. Took the test drive of Top Variant ZX Cvt with ADAS.

Honestly saying I don't like ADAS and I can't live with it, I don't like the artificial feel of a computer doing things for me.

Talking more about the car there is no wow factor in it, I did not like the quality of its interiors. Felt the suspension was too stiff even stiffer than my Jeep Compass maybe the tires were overinflated. On hard throttle the engine was noisy. Due to its low torque of 145 nm, there is a need for a medium to hard throttle for good pickup and due to this, the engine revs at higher rpms and becomes noisy which causes discomfort to the ears and mind, it feels the engine stressed.

I didn't take the Test drive of Tata Harrier as I owned a Tata Tiago and Tata Indigo in the past, these 2 cars gave me a lot of trouble. My friend owns the New Safari XZA+ Dark edition and he is also unhappy with the car due to frequent niggles so I was afraid of spending 25 lakhs on it.

I didn't take a drive of Mg Hector because I don't like its looks and its soft suspension which reduces high-speed stability.

Now only Koreans were left on the list. Since I have Seltos 1.5 MPi Htk plus. I decided to have a look at the Hyundai stable and Alcazar gained my attention.

Hyundai Alcazar

I called the nearby Hyundai Dealer and asked them for a home test drive of the Alcazar Diesel AT. Within half an hour the SA was at my home with White Alcazar.

Loved its alloy wheel design. Sat inside the car and loved its interiors with a piano black finish in the whole centre console and around the Infotainment screen. I liked the nvh of the car and engine and took a 15 km long test drive in the city and on the highway.

2 things I didn't like in the Alcazar were:

• Power- Due to its sheer size the 1.5 Diesel is slow at picking up speeds.
• 2nd Row leg space- To add the 3rd row in the car, the leg space of the 2nd row is compromised.
• Looks- In my eyes, it looks neither here nor there.

Bid goodbye to the SA during lunchtime and told him that I needed some time to think. Now I was disappointed that no car was meeting my requirements. Due to that Day being a Sunday, I decided to take a nap.

Booking and Delivery Experience

After waking up from a power nap, suddenly a thought came to my mind of the Hyundai Creta in the evening and I was like Why Not?

• It will be quicker than Alcazar due to less kerb weight.
• There is no compromise in the 2nd-row leg space.
• Creta Top Variant Sx(0) has similarities with Alcazar Interiors like a piano black finish in the centre console which looks very premium.

Coincidentally at the same time, Hyundai SA called me asking me about the Alcazar. I picked up the call and told him that I wanted to have a look at the Creta too and as expected he told me about 6 months waiting on Creta.

I asked him if he could arrange the Top Model i.e. SX(0) Diesel AT if I bought the car at their price quotation without any negotiation i.e. their Insurance rate, accessories, warranty, the shield of trust etc.

He told me he would ask his senior and call me back. Within 5 minutes he called me back and told me he would arrange a car for me and deliver it in the next 5 days because the customer to whom this car was allowed was having a problem in the loan process.

I was on Cloud 9 after hearing this, I told him to give me in writing that he would deliver the car to me in the next 5 days to which he agreed but asked me to give him a booking amount of 25k first after which he can give me it in writing.

Immediately I transferred the booking amount to 25k to the dealer account and SA did what he promised. SA told me that he would receive the car in the next 2 days and provided me with the VIN.

As promised the car arrived at the dealer in the next 2 days. I requested PDI for which they obliged. I went to the showroom and SA took me to their stockyard in Nios CNG (an impressive car with lots of space and a refined engine).

I did PDI as per the team BHP PDI checklist and the car passed with flying colours. I was happy after seeing my car for the first time. After PDI we went back to the showroom and I transferred the amount to the Dealer's bank accounts by RTGS.

• Ex-showroom price - 19,03,000 /-
• Insurance - 93,500 /-
• Shield of Trust 2yrs- 11,000 /-
• Extended Warranty 5 yr/ 1.40 Lac km- 34,000 /-
• Accessories - 15,000/-
• RTO- 2,48,000/-
• VIP Number- 50,000 /-
• TCS- 19,000 /-
• Ceramic Coating- 30,000 /-
• Total Cost - 24,03,500 /-

After paying the full amount, I told the SA to deliver the car on 1 January 2024.

Delivery Day

Reached the showroom according to my muhurat time i.e 6.30 pm. The car was parked in the delivery area in a neat setup with a blue cover.

I like the professionalism of the Monarch Hyundai, Surat. They did everything which was asked by me, all the accessories were fitted in the car and the vacuum cleaner etc were neatly placed inside the boot. Generally, dealers forget 1 or 2 items on the delivery of the car but things didn't happen by Monarch Hyundai Surat.

First, we completed our muhurat of Taking the delivery of the car and then did a 30-minute photo session. The dealer played a Nice Song in the background for the delivery. They didn't have a big duplicate key which the dealers generally have so they handed over a bag of Hyundai which carried all the documents like invoices, RTO papers etc. They also provided a pooja thali and a pack of chocolates.

After taking the delivery of the car, we went to a nearby Mahadev Temple for the mandatory pooja of the car.

Process of Buying a Car from a Different State and Registering it in Your Home State

I bought the car from Surat, Gujarat and I will register my car in Udaipur, Rajasthan because no dealer in Udaipur could arrange the car in 5 days. So I can tell the process involved.

Ask the car dealer to give you a CRTM ( Certificate of Temporary Registration) slip. This costs about Rs 300/-. In issuing CRTM, the dealer asks you these things before the car delivery-

• In which RTO( City, State) do you want to register your car?
• Your Address of the City of Registration.
• Aadhar Card.

All the above information will be uploaded to the Vahan portal before the delivery of the car and then they will give you the CRTM slip after which you are good to go. CRTM slip costs Rs 300/- but many dealers charge differently for this. My dealer took Rs 4500/- for CRTM.

Now, from the date of delivery, you will have 1 month to reach your home city and submit all the RTO documents and road tax. The dealer will give you a file of all the documents which are to be submitted in the RTO, you will have to hand over that file to your RTO agent simply.

Don't worry about insurance as the Dealer will provide you with the insurance on the vehicle's VIN and Chassis number so there will be no issues with the claims in case of any mishappening while going to your home city.

Drivability of Creta 1.5 CRDi AT

Press the brake pedal along with the push button start and the 1.5 CRDi engine comes to life, it is so silent, and refined and feels like a petrol car.

The car feels very easy to drive in the city thanks to its light steering, good turning diameter and good visibility from the windows in all directions.

Release the brake pedal and the car starts crawling at 8 kmph. I noticed that the initial pickup is very strong due to the Torque Converter.

The engine and gearbox are match-made in heaven. There is no lag in the engine and the icing on the cake is the Perfect tuning of the AT gearbox which always keeps the engine in its turbo band.

• With a light foot, the gearbox shifts at 2000 rpm, and in no case, does it shift below 2000 rpm.
• If it senses that you want more acceleration and pickup it can stretch and delay the shifting till 4000 rpm.
• The gearbox in no scenario keeps the engine spinning below 1500 rpm. The moment engines go below 1500 rpm, the gearbox downshifts.
• In case you accelerate hard till 3000 rpm and you don't want to accelerate further and maintain that speed then lift off the throttle and the gearbox will upshift in 1.5- 2 seconds.

Mileage

Out on the highways, I tried testing mileage at various speeds. At 110- 120 kmph it gives 19.5 kmpl. Then I set the cruise control at 90 kmph and it returned 23.5 kmpl mileage. At 80 kmph cruise control, it gives 25 plus kmpl mileage and this is the max mileage Creta D AT can give.

• In the city depending on the traffic I am getting between 15 to 17 kmpl with very light input from the accelerator.
• With pedal-to-metal driving, the mileage can drop to 12- 13 kmpl.

Ergonomics and seating comfort

The first things I notice after sitting in the car are comfort, wide seats and all the ergonomics in place like the door handrest, gear lever, Infotainment system, power window switches etc.

I am 6ft, I Adjusted the front seats according to my height and there is a good amount of legroom left at the rear

The window glass is very thin.

Engine and Performance

Hyundai's 1.5L CRDi VGT engine makes 113.5 bhp /116 ps power and 250 nm torque from a low 1500 rpm. It feels adequately fast and is faster than 90% of cars on the road.

I can say confidently that it offers a good amount of performance after driving Big 2.0 L and 2.2L Turbo diesel Engines in my Compass and Mercedes daily. Yes, the 2.0L multijet and 2.2 L CDI of Mercedes have an edge but that extra performance comes into use only 10 out of 100 times on the highway when you are in a mood to smoke other cars.

It cruises 100-120 kmph very easily and effortlessly, even 140 feels smooth without any strain on the engine plus the mileage I get at these speeds deserves a standing ovation.

At 100 kmph engine spins at 2050 rpm. So the engine in its turbo zone just presses the throttle and zooms past the vehicle in front.

One thing I noticed was that slight engine noise creep inside the cabin only after 3000 rpm and that too doesn't feel like A noise from a diesel engine.

The engine is city-friendly due to 250 nm torque from low 1500 rpm the car accelerates quickly for overtaking or reducing the gap inside the city.

Out on the highway, I had fun keeping the engine between 2k- 3k rpm for performance and I was ahead of almost 95% of cars on highways. And I kept the engine below 2000 rpm to get better fuel efficiency.

Notice the AGM Battery

Continue reading vattyboy's ownership review for BHPian comments, insights and more information.

The SUV is over 5 years old and in the last 10 months, I have spent close to 4.5 lakhs on it.

BHPian vattyboy recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Hi guys, hope you all are doing well. I am here for your advice.

I own a Jeep Compass Limited(o) 2.0 Diesel manual which is 5 years and 2 months old right now. It was running fine till the 72k km mark. Then I met with an accident. You can check it out at the link here.

I got the car repaired at Jeep ASS and they did a very good job in repairing the car. The car just felt like new after all the repairs and I was happy at that time. I want to mention that the total bill came out to be 6.5 lakhs from which I paid 3.3 lakhs because I didn't have zero dep insurance cover at that time. In my life, it was the first time I didn't opt for zero dep cover and that happened.

Anyway, after getting the car repaired I closed my previous comprehensive insurance which was just 1 month old for which I paid 20k (I didn't get any refund because of this claim) and then I opted for HDFC ergo insurance with zero dep cover for 40k.

I also changed the brake pads, brake discs and timing belt for Rs 30k while the car was getting repaired

Now the car ran niggle free for another 10k km after which, there was a leakage in the injectors. The Jeep ASS suggested getting the injectors serviced because the car was out of warranty, they sent the injectors to 3rd party workshop and after 3 days returned the car to me. They charged Rs 10k for this.

The car ran well for another 5k km but now at present many niggles are coming into the car, Today I gave the car to Jeep ASS for checking and they will give the real estimate for the parts which need to be replaced on Monday.

1. I again saw the leakage from the injectors (Cost Rs 17k for 1 injector)
2. The alternator belt/ pulley is making a very weird kind of noise just like the noise that comes when the 2 metal parts are rubbed onto each other. (Cost Rs 10k for the belt, Rs 20k for the pulley and Ra 90k for the alternator) ASS will tell which is bad among these 3.
3. I think the Engine mounts are bad too, due to that there are vibrations in the engines and steering. (There are 3 mounts for 14k each, Jeep Ass will tell which is bad after checking)
4. Clutch is due for replacement. Cost- Rs 90k.
5. There is minor engine oil leakage from the bottom part near the dipstick. (Cost Rs 1k for repair).

Minimum to a minimum there is Rs 2 lakh expense ready right now. And in the last 10 months, I have spent close to 4.5 lakhs on the car. And even if I spend the 2 big ones then there is no guarantee that niggles will not pop up in the car in the coming days.

I can't conclude that this is all happening because my car got involved in an accident or Jeep as a brand is unreliable.

Also, there is no JEEP ASS in my city Udaipur so I have to take the car to Surat but it is manageable for me till 2024 end because I travel to Surat frequently for work, after that it will be a headache.

I want you guys to suggest to me, whether I should sell the car or I should retain it. (I will get close to 10 lacs for resale value due to it being involved in an accident) .

Here's what GTO had to say on the matter:

• Keep it. Read my thread on the 5-year car dilemma.
• Also, read my thread on NOT selling your car just because of repairs.
• A true upgrade from the Compass will cost a lot of money. The car is built like a tank and has a wonderful motor and an excellent suspension setup.
• A known devil is better than an unknown angel. New cars from almost all manufacturers are facing niggles & problems. The only 100% reliable cars today are cheaper Marutis using old engines & transmissions, and some other cars using traditional tech (e.g. Elevate with its tried & tested motors).
• What you need is a really good independent mechanic in Udaipur or any nearby city. You will shave 50 - 70% off your repair bills.
• You say you've spent 4.5 lakhs on the car, but that includes the accident repair cost, right? You cannot count that under regular maintenance & repairs.
• As the car ages and you near the 100,000 km mark, a lot of wear & tear components will naturally need replacement (e.g. your clutch, suspension). Even if you spend 50 - 100k a year in keeping your Compass in top shape, it is worth it. No point selling such a good car for 10 lakhs, and then another 20 - 30 lakhs on its replacement.

Here's what BHPian Sanidhya mukund had to say on the matter:

Agree with GTO. If you will have to replace the Compass with another car, it will cost you a pretty penny. Makes more sense to have it fixed at an independent garage and keep it for another 5 years.

However, I see that you also have a Seltos and a CLA. If you do not need three cars, and won't be replacing the Compass with a third new car, then it makes sense to sell it off. Spending a fortune maintaining a niggle prone car that you do not need will cause unnecessary headaches and expenses.

Here's what BHPian sachin_cs had to say on the matter:

That's a huge amount and spending it on a 6-year-old vehicle would be a strict no for me, until and unless you've an emotional attachment. I would have agreed with members to keep the car with you for long, if just required regular service but from the above post it seems, your car needs much more than that. For example, Arun sir's Compass is running without many issues and has done more than 1.32L kms IIRC, but not so in your case. You have enjoyed the car thoroughly and anyway you are past the 5-year upgrade itch, sell it and buy that XUV, it's a great machine.

Here's what BHPian Raghu M had to say on the matter:

Contrary to what people are suggesting, I wouldn't keep the Jeep. It's 6 and the niggles it's throwing are unbelievable. I don't see the statement - 'built like a tank' relevant at all. If anything, it's hardly reliable. With such teething issues, what's the guarantee that you won't get any in the future? Of course, it will cost a lot to upgrade but isn't reliability part of the package? The 7OO would be a perfect choice IMO.

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.

31.5 lakhs on road is expensive for a Tata, but then there are all the bells and whistles on offer.

BHPian ank_bhp recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

2023 is coming to an end with many things in mind a dilemma stuck too.

Writing this on behalf of my brother who is a regular reader to Team-BHP website.

Thus need your inputs! Let's start

The Question: My brother's currently daily driver is a Skoda Rapid TDI AT clocked almost 1,70,000 kms in a decade.

As per Delhi Transport Department rule says any diesel car which is 10 years old shall not ply in NCR. So our beloved, humble German car will no longer be of use. So what next?

The Requirement:Replacement car should tick following boxes:

• Diesel Automatic
• High Ground clearance (To tackle bad roads)
• Panoramic sunroof (Obviously)
• Decent average (50-70 Kms daily running)
• Something SUV'ish.

The Options: Jeep Meridian Limited (O) AT, Jeep Compass Limited (O)AT, Pre-Owned Mercedes GLA 220D, Pre-Owned BMW X1 Diesel or a 2023 Tata Harrier Dark Fearless AT.

Jeep Meridian Limited (O) AT: Meridian is a nice car, feature loaded car no doubt in that just few things odd primarily hefty price tag . 42.5 Lakhs on road considering the Meridian is just a Jeep Compass with 2 additional seats.

Thus ruled out.

Jeep Compass Limited (O) AT: Compass is again great product but really liked half of the car specially front and interior, once at rear (screams for facelift) things have not change since initial launch 2017. Thus ruled out.

Tata Harrier Dark Fearless AT: 2023 Tata Harrier is such a looker from any angle and ticks the above boxes. But few things feels like they have not put together for eg: Roof lamp switches have a strange 90's spring clank sound to it. Steering vibrations at idling, full lock steering wheel to either side and the vibration increases even more.

Likes: Tried and tested Fiat's 2.0 Multi-jet diesel does the duty coupled with Hyundai's torque converter things are pretty reliable on that front compared to German's cumbersome TDI and DSG pair.

31.5 lakhs on road is expensive for a Tata, but then there are all the bells and whistle on offer.

The Dilemma: Does it make sense spending 30+ lakhs on Tata!

Even though they (Tata Motors) are updating Harrier very frequently to keep it in good shape with the market since its initial launch, or should look for the Hybrid twins for mileage concerns over diesel. Or should buy pre-owned luxury cars like Merc GLA 220D or a BMW X1 Diesel.

Here's what BHPian PrasadS had to say on the matter:

Why not consider the Slavia? I think it'll tick most boxes and still be same/better in some departments like Rapid.

Slavia Pro's:

• Petrol instead of Diesel - Since it'll be in Delhi, we don't know the future of Diesel so why risk it?
• High ground clearance: Slavia has that covered
• Sunroof : Although not panaromic it has one.
• Average: is good due to cylinder deactivation tech(source: Forum Slavia thread)
• SUV’ish : Not, but ample space due to boot + sedan comfort.

Btw, I'm a 2017 Rapid TDI manual owner. I contemplate a lot about my next move, but man she makes me smile every time i drive and the thought goes away

Here's what BHPian ex-innova-guy had to say on the matter:

Considering you are in Delhi, preowned BS3/4 Diesel vehicles are surely not ideal.

• The hybrid twins you mentioned in later posts would get you from A to B with not much fun.
• If you are considering the Harrier why not take a TD of the XUV700 too? Has got most of the features and niggles are more or less sorted.
• Wildcard- Seltos Diesel. It is a fantastic value for money car.

Here's what BHPian vishy76 had to say on the matter:

I think a pre-owned Tiguan TDI will fit your use case just fine.

• 200mm of ground clearance
• Fuel economy in the city is around 10-12 and on the highways, easily goes upto 18-19
• Also has AWD a standard
• Highline gets a pano sunroof

A better option would be the Kodiaq, but I couldn't find well kept examples within my budget.

The only thing you might miss is the sheer performance of the 1.5 TDI in the lighter Rapid. The Tiguan is a lot heavier and makes around 40hp and 80-90 nm more. The DSG also feels sluggish at low speeds. Test drive a used example and see if you like it.

Read BHPian comments for more insights and information.

I am writing this with a lot of sadness inside but now I am seriously considering to replace the car.

BHPian Sids85 recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

I am an avid follower of Team-BHP threads and its various contents. This is my first ever post on this forum. I look forward to some honest suggestions and opinions on my post. I come here to write about a dilemma and the way out.

I live in Thane and my daily commute entail covering approximately 40-50 kms for a round trip from home to office and back. I currently own a Jeep Compass Petrol DCT 80th Anniversary edition (Limited). I just love the car and the feel it gives while driving. It definitely gives the feel of a car one segment above. Everything is top notch; build, interior cabin, even the music system although it is not branded.

Unfortunately, the dark side is that it is a MASSIVE fuel guzzler. Being a Petrol AT, along with the quality of roads and traffic condition we face it just sucks the petrol and my wallet (pun intended) dry. In City, it struggles to give a mileage of 4-5kmpl whereas on highways, it reaches 14-15 and on some very good stretches even touches 18 kmpl. Considering the weight of the car and the engine power, I cannot fault it.

I am writing this with a lot of sadness inside but now I am seriously considering to replace the car. Before a suggestion comes about having a second car for daily commute, I would make it clear that it won't be possible for the family to maintain multiple cars for different commute types. Also At is the preferred choice since both me and my wife drives and we need the ease of automatic. From the family point of view and after considering my commute routes, the drive is split as: Home -> Office -> Home 70%. Long Journeys outside city - 30%.

Based on the above my preference is towards a Diesel car, a breed going extinct, not exceeding 20-25 lakhs price range with good ground clearance. I would like to make it clear I am open to Petrol vehicle as well if someone can prove the real world fuel efficiency to be good. In the meantime, I have shortlisted the following cars in my mind for consideration after test drives.

• VW Virtus GT 1.5 DSG - Spacious and amazingly fun to drive. Wife just drools over it
• Kia Seltos Diesel AT XLine - Comes with all the safety, feature rich, ADAS and almost compliments the Compass for a Like to Like replacement.
• XUV700 AX5 Diesel AT - 5 seater although misses out on many features, even basic ones like Auto dimming IRVMs.
• (A second hand Jeep Compass Diesel S model - Coz I love Jeep

Many would ask why I haven't mentioned the Hyryder/Grand Vitara. I had taken the test drive with my wife for the Hybrid but the quality especially the door (sounds like a click rather than a thump while closing) didn't inspire confidence. Harrier/Safari Diesel are fuel guzzlers themselves. Not sure if the upcoming Creta will get a Diesel AT on launch.

I look forward to getting some good suggestions. Want to make an informed decision and hope that the forum gives the right guidance. Ending with a final pic of my Jeep

Here's what GTO had to say on the matter:

Let's get one thing out of the way. With very few exceptions, no powerful AT will ever give above 6 - 7 kmpl in a crowded city. They are all guzzlers. The Civic AT & i10 AT were notorious for just 6 - 7 kmpl. My Thar Petrol AT gives 6 kmpl. If the traffic is really bad, it can even drop to 5.

Now, clearly, you love everything else about your Compass:

Why sell a car you love to save 2000 - 3000 rupees a month?

How about getting a cheap EV like the Tiago EV for this? Dirt cheap running costs, butter-smooth driving experience and small size might make it perfect for the city. Take the max warranty and you don't have to worry about maintenance.

Option 2: Do a lateral upgrade. Sell used, buy used, so you don't lose money. Swap your Petrol AT out for a Diesel AT (although you'll find many more of the Diesel MT in the market). As an added bonus, the Compass' diesel engine is the superior IMHO.

Here's what BHPian antz.bin had to say on the matter:

If the monthly running for your commute is roughly 1000km (45km*22 days office a month, fuel at 105/litre), that is 20-22k in just fuel on the Compass. So it's definitely not just 2-3k its really more than even the 9-10k you mentioned.

With a Tiago EV XT LR, the EMI would be about 16k (including the current discounts) and <1000 for electricity. Even less if you go for the Tiago MR or MG Comet. You will come out ahead by about 6-10k with the additional car and still keep your Jeep for highway use.

The other option was the like for like replacement with Seltos Diesel Automatic. 1000km on that will cost about 7k in fuel for the commute. But those don't come cheap either. The EMI itself will be roughly 37k and you eventually come out just 6k ahead on monthly payments in the best-case scenario on a car that is a segment down and inferior in terms of safety factor as well.

The final option is to go all Electric and opt for a ZS EV instead. What you spend extra over the Seltos in this case, you will get back in fuel savings. Highway usage will be rewarding as well, and the car has some discounts ongoing to make the deal sweeter.

Here's what BHPian Shreyans_Jain had to say on the matter:

Keep the Jeep for highway usage. It is unmatched on open roads, and every other car feels like a downgrade once you are used to Compass.

For your local commute, but a cheap EV like Tiago or Comet. Else, buy a cheap CNG hatchback like Tiago or WagonR or Baleno and use it as your daily beater.

Here's what BHPian svsantosh had to say on the matter:

So multiple cars ruled out in the family....

I can clearly see a wrong choice made while the Jeep Compass petrol AT was bought without looking at the cost of ownership and the practicality of a highway bred SUV doing 70% city duties. You are not alone, deciding on a car is akin to choosing your life partner, at least in Tbhp Parlance. We have threads and prospects discussing 'what car' for over 3-5 months before choosing one.

Your options are limited with various pros and cons.

1) CNG - I would not convert a Compass AT to CNG, but you can save a LOT!! Trust me - upto 50% running cost can be saved, but resale value will tank to near 0%

2) Sell to a well known used car dealer and pickup a Petrol AT with a pre-fit CNG, consider it a lifestyle downgrade but directly addresses your monthly bills concern.

3) Do (2) but go for a Diesel AT - catch here is only expensive marques came in diesel AT and you end up deeper into the rat hole. You will shell out more on repairs on the german AT issues (VW, Skoda, pain!)

4) Bite the bullet and downsize to a Hyundai MUVs or a Maruti AT which is known to be a wee bit cheaper than a full blown Petrol AT SUV.

I would suggest you work backwards from you 'upper limit' monthly or yearly car ownership costs (fuel/maintenance/insurance/repairs) and share it and we all can work towards suggesting a choice of car(s).

Here's what BHPian vattyboy had to say on the matter:

I am a Jeep Compass Diesel owner.

My car is 5 years old and now it is asking Mercedes kind of money for its maintenance and the resale value of it is very poor in single digits.

Apart from good stability at high speed, the car is overall very unreliable at 80k km injectors failed, the vacuum pump failed, the alternator failed, and mounts failed in 5th year of ownership. And you know how good we bhpians keep our cars, so there are no signs of abuse on it but the car failed to be reliable.

Jeep parts are ridiculously expensive 80k injectors, 90k alternators, 12k vacuum pump, 80k clutch etc.

And you are selling your car for mileage, so don't expect very good mileage from 25 lakh diesel SUVs with 2.0L engines. They will give 9 to 10 kmpl in city conditions and not more than that, so your criteria will not be fulfilled.

Only Kia Seltos Diesel AT has the guts to give 14 kmpl in the city and 20 on the highway. I will recommend selling the compass as it's unreliable and getting Seltos Diesel.

Seltos due to stiff suspension can only match the 85% dynamics of the compass below 30 lacs.

Read BHPian comments for more insights and information.

IOC claims that this diesel variant improves the noise level and fuel efficiency along with reduced carbon emissions.

BHPian arun_josie recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

ODO @ 1,35,000 Kms and my experience with XtraGreen diesel:

Since the return drive from the Rajasthan trip, I have been using the XtraGreen diesel from IOCL. They claim that this diesel variant improves the noise level and fuel efficiency along with reduced carbon emissions. My last 4000 Kms+ is on the XtraGreen diesel, but I am not able to feel any improvement in the noise levels. Maybe the improvement is very minimal for me to pick it. There is an improvement in fuel efficiency though.

During my last drive to Nagercoil, I got 20.1 Kmpl which I have never gotten before. For a similar type of relaxed drive, I have got up to 18.5 Kmpl but 20 is something which I didn’t expect.

This is the full trip detail (this include drives in traffic inside Nagercoil town as well)

As reported in this post, there was a dent on the left fender due to a hit by an unknown vehicle when Scarlett was parked near the stadium in HSR layout. It happened 5 months ago and it has been bothering me ever since. So, I got this removed and repainted at PPS Motors two weeks back. The whole repair work cost 9k. From the looks of it, they have done a good job.

Pics after the dent removal and repainting work:

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.

Since it was sourced from a Jeep Compass Trailhawk in the US, I faced multiple challenges installing it on my SUV.

BHPian commander.sri recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

"An idle mind is a devil's workshop" said a few great minds. Well, mine is no different but my devil is more of a DIY nut.

And so, evolved the crazy idea in my mind over the weekends of why cannot replace/upgrade the crazy & outdated looking limited feature MID in my 2018 D-MT Limited (O) Jeep compass's instrument cluster to a more advanced & exquisite 7-inch multi-color MID. Pulled my fancy & trendy electronic brick we all love to carry these days - my mobile phone (literally a brick - it's a FOLD 4) and started looking for any pointers online who had the similar "DIY Khujli" for feel-good upgrades.

Well, the regular Google search surprisingly had little to no information on someone pursuing similar thoughts. Maybe none wanted to fiddle around with FCA's (FIAT Chrysler Automobiles now part of Stellantis group) fancy wiring and security protocols even for auxiliary equipment which keeps on trying its best to throw some or the other error when something is upgraded/replaced. After a thorough and detailed search over the web of the world with various combinations of keywords/tags, found a video on YouTube where a gentleman (YT Channel: South Hawk Computing) from the US tried swapping an old one for a new 7" multicolor MID. However, the upgrade/replacement was a mere plug-and-play as he replaced the whole instrument cluster with an updated one. Interesting right? Nope - it ain't for us.

Although the video gave some detailed insights on how to get the instrument cluster out from the dash and replace another, the real bummers which barged-in later could be categorised in three words - "Kmph", "Odometer" and "Proxy alignment".

First Bummer - "Kmph"

As we all are aware that Jeep is an American brand with significant numbers of the model Compass on the US roads than in any other country and definitely much more than in India. This gives a high chance of sourcing the desired instrument cluster from the salvage yards in the US and yes, I was able to find one on ebay US for 50 USD for the whole instrument cluster with a cool 7" multicolor MID. Here comes the first bummer - "kmph" - the speedo was in MPH aligned for the US market and we are with our metrics in KMPH.

This is where most of the logical part of my brain got me worried and finally came out with a solution of opening both my old cluster (with kmph) and the new (with mph), swapping just the interfaces with each other did the job. By bringing both the instrument clusters together and focusing on the interfaces made it very evident that the difference is primarily on the speed level markings on the speedos and not with the movement/function of the speedometer needles.

So, opened both the clusters, removed the speedo needles by rotating them anti clockwise, swapped the interfaces and fixed them back. It might sound silly but as they say, problems which sound larger than life could really be solved by meagre common sense. More on the other bummers with detailed pictures as the saga continues.

Some pictures clicked while addressing the first bummer - "kmph"

Second Bummer - "Odometer"

Later came-in the time for the second bummer word - "odometer". Well, the first part of the issue was with the odo reading as it had everything shown in miles than in kilometers (obviously). Was able to address the same by quickly fiddling with the settings in the instrument cluster for changing the units from Imperial to Metric.

Then comes the second part with the FCA's way of things - the number of kilometers/miles the vehicle has run is hard coded along with the VIN number into the instrument cluster's memory and cannot be flashed/altered ever, even if we connect the unit to a different vehicle! So, my actual odometer reading at the time of replacement was 58748km and after the upgrade reads 21003km. It was good to know that the replaced cluster came-out from a vehicle which was less run than mine.

Third Bummer - "Proxy Alignment"

Now comes the biggest bummer - "Proxy Alignment". Before we get into what it is, let's look at what are those plethora of issues which are engulfed in this classification.

• Flashing Odometer Reading - A standard FCA protocol triggered by the BCM/BCU (Body Control Module/Unit) when any modification is done with the vehicle and its electrical auxiliaries even when replacing with genuine spares.
• Air-bag System Service - An error caused due to the change in airbag positions from Left aligned ones (LHD in US) to Right aligned ones (RHD in India).
• Mis-matched Door Ajar Warnings - An error similar to the one above caused due to the change in door positions from Left aligned ones (LHD in US) to Right aligned ones (RHD in India).
• 4WD Service - The replaced instrument cluster came from a Compass TrailHawk with 4x4 system and since that's missing from my 4x2 one, an error gets thrown.

By looking at the exhaustive list above, it might look extremely complicated to fiddle with especially the airbag error but when we understand the logic behind why they are getting thrown and how to eliminate them, the solution is absolutely simple - that's "Proxy Alignment" in FCA language which aligns all the connected units to BCM/BCU and other related modules including the ECU.

Proxy alignment is the default nomenclature used by FCA guys at their ASCs where in they connect the laptop with their proprietary diagnostic software called wiTECH v2.0 through the OBD connecter below the steering column, run a diagnosis for errors (DTCs), clear the errors, then run proxy alignment which re-aligns all the connected devices and guess what - all the above errors are gone as my instrument cluster is now re-aligned with the features and options my vehicle is manufactured with.

Please be advised that there is a high chance that none of the "experts" at your nearest Jeep ASC might really know about this and would normally straight away deny saying it will not work/we know better/please don't teach us kind of responses but will absolutely exhibit a "pleasurable silence" after all gets sorted in 2 mins of their time with just a click of a button when we insist doing it.

There is a setback though for this process where the instrument cluster updates itself to the newest version of its firmware and shall now have the 80/120 speed beeps like the ones bought after July 2019 when this so-called safety measure was rubbed on to the 4-wheeler manufacturers in India.

The final video after replacing the instrument cluster but taken just before getting the "proxy alignment" done. So, you might still see the errors listed in the Bummer 3 section.

P.S ~ My sincere apologies for the shabby pictures. Tried my best to capture all that I could in a not-so-lit environment while solely working on the project. Cheers.

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.

A 16.1 km/l fuel efficiency figure is very good for the kind of drive and the terrain that we covered.

BHPian arun_josie recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

A cross-country road trip to Jawai, Rajasthan from Bangalore.

It was Uttarakhand in 2015 and Himachal in 2017. The Uttarakhand and Himachal drives happened in my previous car Fiat Linea. I could never make another long road trip like this happen to date after Scarlett(my Jeep Compass) came home. 6 long years. That is when I came across the flyer for the Zanskar Valley Jeep trail organized by Jeep India. I was itching for a cross-country road trip and this one fit the bill. I signed up for it and waited for the event. But due to inclement weather, flooding and landslides in Himachal, this drive got postponed to a later date just a day before my start from Bangalore. It got postponed again and finally, it was canceled. I must confess. The disappointment was real as I was so looking forward to it.

Then came the announcement from Jeep India about a Jeep trail in Rajasthan due in November called “The Royal Entourage – Jawai Trail”. I have crossed Rajasthan twice but never stopped to explore the state. Looking at the schedule it required a minimum 5 days of leave and with schools reopened after the puja holidays, I didn’t have the option to take my family along.

For the Zanskar Valley drive, I didn’t have any second thoughts but this time I was unsure and didn’t register immediately. That is when one of my friends (Midhun) who also drives a Jeep Compass (4x2) showed interest in joining me for this drive. So, after discussing it with him and my wife, I decided to go ahead with the drive and register for it (53K for two persons). He will be joining me in my Jeep Compass.

Getting prepared for the drive:

• I got the 1,30,000 Km service done @ PPS Motors
• I got the Wheel Alignment/Balancing done at Madhus
• Made sure that the spare wheel was good
• Two Sensairy sensors had to be replaced.
• Verified the pollution certificate and confirmed that it has validity
• Got backup batteries for the car keys
• Got some snacks and dry fruits
• Few water bottles
• First aid kit
• Torchlight

Day 1 (Bangalore – Pune – Mumbai, 1000 Kms)

With all the excitement for this drive, as usual, I didn’t get proper sleep the night before the drive. The plan was to start at 3:30 AM, but there was a slight delay. We could start only by 4:15 am. Midhun came and parked his car at my place, and we started the drive. We hit the NICE road in no time and took the Tumkur road towards Mumbai. It was a weekday and hence the car traffic was less on the road. I was maintaining 100 Kmph initially and once I crossed Tumkur, I was able to maintain 110-120 Kmph. Less traffic helped us to be consistently around this speed. Some spirited drive on the Chitradurga bypass helped us to cross the Davangere toll in exactly 3 hours.

When the daylight started coming out

The traffic was higher while crossing Kolhapur. We were nearing Solapur during lunchtime. paragsachania suggested to stop for lunch at Hotel Pranjali. We reached this place around 1:45 pm. This place is known for non-veg food apparently. So, we tried mutton thali and it was absolutely delicious and very different from the usual fare we get in the south.

We crossed Pune by 3:30 PM and took the Mumbai-Pune Expressway. Since we didn’t stop anywhere after lunch, we decided to make a stop on this highway but the food courts there were super crowded, I have never seen such a crowded place on the highway. So, we didn’t want to waste any time there and continued moving towards Mumbai.

Also, by then the ICC World cup semi-final had started and we watched this match for some time and then proceeded.

Reached Navi Mumbai by 5:30 PM. Our stay was at Thane and the room was booked by HVK. We reached our hotel by 6:45 PM. His RoutO was very helpful in crossing Mumbai city. It was a nice room and at a good location for an easy exit towards Gujarat. We also went out for dinner with him.

Continue reading BHPian arun_josie's travelogue for more insights and information.