Junior Member
Join Date: Nov 2015
Location: Coeur d’Alene, ID
Posts: 21
I have a Trailhawk with about 2,400 miles and I've never felt anything remotely feeling like touchy brakes. They are responsive, predictable, and civilized. They obviously had a vehicle with issues that aren't common with the brakes. Also, as far as the engine is concerned, I do not feel that it is underpowered. My previous vehicle was a 2014 Compass 4x4 and this engine seems more refined and powerful. I will concede one caveat, however. The 9-speed automatic often gives the sensation that the engine is lugging. It can be irritating, because the only remedies are to bury your foot into the accelerator to force a downshift, or downshift manually using the stick. I'm getting pretty good at the latter, but the 6-speed auto in my old Compass always seemed to know what gear it needed to be in. This 9-speed is so reluctant to downshift, on the other hand, that I do find myself feeling somewhat exasperated. The engine has sufficient power to move this car along at a nice clip, but you have to fight with the transmission to get the engine up into the power band where it needs to be for spirited driving. FCA REALLY needs to look at a software update for this tranny. They'd have a lot happier owners, like myself, and their reviews from the automotive press would improve a lot too. The engine's not the weakest link, the transmission software is this car's Achilles heel, and it's an issue FCA could fix with a few lines of code.