Five years and close to two lakh kms of ownership experience is a perfect window for a change/upgrade. My humble steed, the Linea MJD had served us well in the past 5 years and I had no plans to upgrade it. But, a chance test drive and some deep discounts going on for the Jeep Compass pushed me over the edge to upgrade from the Linea. The temptation to bring the Jeep home was too much and resistance was futile.
Right from the launch of Jeep Compass in June 2017, I’ve had an eye on it. Not just for the looks, but the ride handling as well. I was thoroughly impressed when I took a test drive, way back in 2017. However, Linea was doing its job perfectly and we didn’t feel the need for an upgrade then. But things changed in March 2019. Oh! we never know on what life has in store for us!
I did think about retaining the Linea as a spare car. But it was not a viable option for us due to budget constraints. Also, the Linea will be driven sparingly with the Jeep in the garage and it’s bad to leave such a great car unused. So, after a lot of thought, we decided to let go of the Linea for a Jeep Compass.
A quick summary based on my experience so far:
Likes
- Power! 173bhp on tap and it is very nicely distributed. (Of course, it’s a big upgrade for me from Linea MJD)
- Excellent performance and handling on the highway. Its rock-solid at good speeds.
- Tight suspension. At moderate speeds and above, the potholes and uneven surfaces are absorbed well. (Basically, the ride quality is stiffer than plush)
- ‘Drivability’ inside the city is good too.
- Smooth gear shifts and I like the gear knob, cool metallic finish, and nice grip to hold too.
- Clutch is light (not in the Harrier league though), has a long travel like Linea. Initial batch had clutch issues which is fixed now.
- Braking is excellent with all 4 disc brakes.
- A meaty steering. It has a nice grip and it is handily wrapped in leather.
- Quickly got adjusted to the driving position and no ergonomic issues as well.
- Nice and comfortable leather seats with good under-thigh support. (Like in linea, it is a bit on the harder side)
- Excellent NVH levels either while idling or at speeds.
- Excellent build quality
- Interior quality is good. Be it the buttons or plastics or the finish.
- Equipped with side/curtain airbags along with front airbags
- Good fuel efficiency for a 2L / 173BPH engine
- Bi-Xenon Head Lamps
- Reverse camera clarity is good and it directs you based on steering input.
- Dual zone AC. You have an option to set a different temperature for either side. (Driver/Passenger side)
- It’s a head-turner from any angle
- Liked the dual-tone exterior.
- Of course, with plans for Sikkim, Leh-Ladakh in the future, it’s good to have a 4×4 car
- The service interval duration is every 15K Kms, just like the Linea MJD.
Dislikes
- White interiors. With two naughty kids, it’s a pain to maintain the interior.
- Something which I miss big-time is the “Rain-sensing” wipers. I was so used to it in the Linea. It comes in Limited Plus though.
- Engine guard is not metal. They should have provided a metal engine guard like in Trailhawk.
- Cruise Control. Not a deal-breaker but a good feature to have these days
- Blank buttons in the steering wheel, this was supposed to be for cruise control
- Reclining option for the rear seat would have been nice.
- Bumper lip is low. I have seen many owners who have replaced the bumper lip from the Limited Plus model which is a little shorter than this and helps with better ground clearance
- Exide battery. I am seeing many complaints from other owners with the battery dying in 1-2 year’s time frame.
Neutral
- Space, it is adequate and nothing to complain about. Rear seat leg-room is more than Linea’s and no complaints from any rear-seat passengers so far. Space is not in the leagues of Harrier/XUV 500 though.
- Boot Space, again it is just adequate. The Linea has more boot space than the Compass. During long drives with the family, we have to arrange the luggage strategically to accommodate more things. There is some space available in the spare wheel compartment as well. Removing the parcel tray helps to increase the boot space, but we have not tried this so far. Removing the parcel tray also means that the luggage will be visible via the windscreen.
- Rear seat is for 2 adults + Kid. It will be difficult for 3 adults to fit in comfortably.
- Thick A-pillar, especially the one on the left side is a hindrance while taking sharp left turns. With the left ORVM kind of an extension from A-pillar, it makes things difficult.
- I feel the steering heaviness while taking U-turns and the turning radius is not that great as well.
- Auto-head lamps is a miss too which was there in Linea
- The display unit could have been bigger. (Limited Plus gets a bigger one)
- Tinted glass windows. This is another miss from Linea.
- Service Network. It’s not a Maruti or Hyundai or Tata or Mahindra with wide network.
– Arun Josie
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