I had a look at a Patriot which is more or less the same vehicle as the Compass. The first thing that struck me when I got inside was the incredibly cheap-looking hard plastic interior. That and the hard-edged square styling is enough to put me off, never mind that Chrysler's immediate survival is a questionable prospect at best.
What model year? Remember:
Well maybe I shouldn’t write that I’m at a loss for words, but honestly… I’m at a loss for words. There isn’t that much to say about the interior of the Compass — it isn’t exciting, it isn’t earth-shatteringly good, nor is it earth-shatteringly bad — it’s just there, just another car interior.
I suppose it does have some nice points, like the heated seats, which provide two levels of heat and work fairly well; and the pen holder just in front of the shift lever is great for holding a pen! Seriously, though, Jeep has improved the interior from the 2007 model I drove two years ago.
In my review then ago I mentioned that the grey plastics were monotonous and that some material inserts in the door panels would do wonders. I didn’t get material inserts but I did get some type of rubbery / semi-soft plastic inserts, and a black dash rather than grey. To be honest, it makes a huge difference in the perceived quality and attractiveness of the interior.
It was an '08, I don't remember the model. IIRC the MSRP was around 21 grand if that helps. Chrysler's had a bad rep for cheap interior plastics for years. Any improvement here is a good thing but it's only incremental, and I think it's a little late for that.
