I just want to throw in my thought after owning a 2018 Compass Sport 2WD for a year.
I came from a 2015 Renegade and believe it or not, there's some significant differences. While the Renegade had a slightly tighter feel, the Compass is cushier and everything just seems slightly better placed. The slightly longer cargo area makes a big difference for me since I carry equipment in my job. What I noticed most of all and what really made me want to write this post is the transmission. The Renegade had the 9-speed auto. My Compass has the 6-speed auto which is only available in the Sport. It's a major difference! I'm sure most of you are aware of the history of complaints with the 9-speed. That is the sluggish acceleration, the unwillingness to downshift, the engine nearly coming to a stall at times, and not ever even getting it into 9th gear unless you're going 75mph downhill. I experienced all of that with the Renegade - a vehicle I really like otherwise. None of those issues are in my Compass. The 2.4L TigerShark is a much better engine than people think. It's the 9-speed transmission that makes it seem like a dog. While it's not at all sporty, my Compass accelerates from a stop or to pass at 70 mph without any problems. On top of that, I'm getting better gas mileage - especially on the highway. My Renegade never seemed to get more than 26 mpg in the best circumstances. My Compass gets 35 mpg cruising down a straight highway.
I also want to point out that in the 37,000 miles I got in my Renegade and the nearly 14,000 miles I have in my Compass, neither 2.4L engine ever seemed to have lost any oil. This problem that I see often in both forums doesn't happen to everybody.
Something needs to be done about that 9-speed transmission.
The attached photos were taken a year ago when I was trading in my Renegade for the Compass and had them next to each other.
I came from a 2015 Renegade and believe it or not, there's some significant differences. While the Renegade had a slightly tighter feel, the Compass is cushier and everything just seems slightly better placed. The slightly longer cargo area makes a big difference for me since I carry equipment in my job. What I noticed most of all and what really made me want to write this post is the transmission. The Renegade had the 9-speed auto. My Compass has the 6-speed auto which is only available in the Sport. It's a major difference! I'm sure most of you are aware of the history of complaints with the 9-speed. That is the sluggish acceleration, the unwillingness to downshift, the engine nearly coming to a stall at times, and not ever even getting it into 9th gear unless you're going 75mph downhill. I experienced all of that with the Renegade - a vehicle I really like otherwise. None of those issues are in my Compass. The 2.4L TigerShark is a much better engine than people think. It's the 9-speed transmission that makes it seem like a dog. While it's not at all sporty, my Compass accelerates from a stop or to pass at 70 mph without any problems. On top of that, I'm getting better gas mileage - especially on the highway. My Renegade never seemed to get more than 26 mpg in the best circumstances. My Compass gets 35 mpg cruising down a straight highway.
I also want to point out that in the 37,000 miles I got in my Renegade and the nearly 14,000 miles I have in my Compass, neither 2.4L engine ever seemed to have lost any oil. This problem that I see often in both forums doesn't happen to everybody.
Something needs to be done about that 9-speed transmission.
The attached photos were taken a year ago when I was trading in my Renegade for the Compass and had them next to each other.