Drove a Compass Today

BKH · **Posted:** Tue Oct 24, 2006 6:29 pm

One of the guys I work with bought a new fully-loaded Compass for his son's college graduation (man, I wish my folks could have done that for me!). He had it today, so he let me drive it over lunch. It's a nicely packaged CAR. It rides REALLY well, is VERY quiet, and is SO slow you feel like you could get out and run faster. When I put it in AWD, it was almost like you had to push the little thing to get it going. I'd never driven a CVT before - and frankly, I hope I never have to drive one again. Maybe it was just the lack of power, but I couldn't understand how that car, having 170 some horsepower should be that slow. The only culprit could be the CVT. I don't think it weights THAT much.

He thought this would be great for his son b/c it has AWD, is too slow to get into trouble, etc. I agree. For what it is, I was pretty impressed. If it just had more power and/or a regular automatic transmission. I'm sure it will sell well. When it was parked in the University parking lot, it was getting lots of attention from students walking by - if that's any indication, they hit their target market with a bullseye.

Has anyone else driven one?

rs4mtnitro · **Posted:** Tue Oct 24, 2006 7:42 pm

I drove one and I also didn't like the cvt but it was only 2 wheel drive.

Elwenil · **Posted:** Tue Oct 24, 2006 8:09 pm

I drove a stick the other day. It wasn't much better. Stripped down Sport model and it couldn't get out of it's own way.

ShoreRenegade · **Posted:** Wed Oct 25, 2006 9:47 am

I have been very underwhelmed by CVT's so far. My parents have a Saturn Vue 4cyl with the CVT and I freaking hate it. It's slow, and has this annoying whine as it cycles through the "gears". It's a shame because CVT has real promise. They only seem to be using it on small engines so far.

Jeepjeepster · **Posted:** Wed Oct 25, 2006 10:51 am

How does it have a promise? The setup cannot handle any torque what so ever. Thats why they are using it in small cars like that.. :wink:

I cannot believe it feels under powered.. They used that engine in the libby and people said it good kinda good? I know the compass weighs less than the libby..

saxdogg · **Joined:** Fri Jun 02, 2006 7:26 pm **Posts:** 199

Nissan's seems to work just fine and its strapped to an almost-300 HP V6 in the maxima and the murano. I've read good reviews about it.

hooperswish · **Posted:** Wed Oct 25, 2006 11:39 am

Sorry for the ignorance, but what is cvt and what is the theory behind it?
Thanks,
Steve

saxdogg · **Joined:** Fri Jun 02, 2006 7:26 pm **Posts:** 199

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Continuous ... ansmission

Here ya go!

Jeger · **Posted:** Wed Oct 25, 2006 11:48 am

Continuously Variable Transmission.

http://auto.howstuffworks.com/cvt.htm

I am not sure what type chrysler is using but I believe that CVT's will be more and more common. A CVT hooked to a diesel would be ideal, it could keep the diesel in its optimum powerband very well.

Jeger · **Posted:** Wed Oct 25, 2006 11:56 am

HA, HA, sometimes its hard to choose between wikipedia, and howstuffworks.com :lol:

Jeepjeepster · **Posted:** Wed Oct 25, 2006 12:02 pm

saxdogg wrote:

Nissan's seems to work just fine and its strapped to an almost-300 HP V6 in the maxima and the murano. I've read good reviews about it.

Can they tow anything? How about offroading? Do they handle heat and strain really well? Ive not researched these things really good, just going by what ive learned about them so far.. :wink:

saxdogg · **Joined:** Fri Jun 02, 2006 7:26 pm **Posts:** 199

Without looking anything up, I'm pretty sure the murano for example has a pretty modest towing rating...not very much at all...KJ probably tows more. As for off-road, I couldn't say....I doubt many muranos go off-road EVER.

Jeger · **Posted:** Wed Oct 25, 2006 1:10 pm

Jeepjeepster wrote:

saxdogg wrote:

Nissan's seems to work just fine and its strapped to an almost-300 HP V6 in the maxima and the murano. I've read good reviews about it.

Can they tow anything? How about offroading? Do they handle heat and strain really well? Ive not researched these things really good, just going by what ive learned about them so far.. :wink:

I think I read somewhere that the Challenger tractors, made by CAT are available with a CVT transmission.

Marlon_JBT · **Posted:** Wed Oct 25, 2006 4:36 pm

Jeepjeepster wrote:

How does it have a promise? The setup cannot handle any torque what so ever. Thats why they are using it in small cars like that.. :wink:

I cannot believe it feels under powered.. They used that engine in the libby and people said it good kinda good? I know the compass weighs less than the libby..

The 2.4L World Engine has never been in the Liberty.

BKH · **Posted:** Wed Oct 25, 2006 4:42 pm

Wasn't the Liberty's old 4-banger originally a GM engine from the old X-cars? Somebody told me that a long time ago. Correct me if that's wrong.

Elwenil · **Posted:** Wed Oct 25, 2006 4:47 pm

BKH wrote:

Wasn't the Liberty's old 4-banger originally a GM engine from the old X-cars? Somebody told me that a long time ago. Correct me if that's wrong.

Find that person and smack them. The 2.4L is based off the old 2.2L, 2.5L engines by Chrysler. The 2.4L Turbo in the GT Cruiser and Dodge SRT-4 was basically the same. The only engine Jeep has used in recent memory that was GM based was the old junky 2.8L V6 in the Cherokees and that was a throw back to the AMC era and was soon phased out.

Drove a Compass Today

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