Jeep's new direction
PACIFIC CITY, Ore. -- In off-roading, there is an almost inviolable axiom: ``As slow as possible, as fast as necessary." Not here. Not on the sands of the Oregon coast, saltwater spraying from the wheels of the 2007 Jeep Compass, gas pedal to the floor as we head toward a looming dune. Speed, not careful creep, is the sole order of the day. We have to ascend quickly because the dune will eat the Jeep to its undercarriage if it bogs and spins.

It is an interesting test for this vehicle, which Jeep calls a small SUV and I think is almost a crossover. This model is not getting tagged with Jeep's rugged ``Trail Rated" billing. Yes, the toothy grille does say Jeep. So do the round headlights, the 4x4 insignia on the rear gate, and even the roof rails.

And yet, here we are, skimming through salt, flying over the sands, momentum keeping us afloat the way a water bug's speed over water helps leave surface tension unbroken.

The goal in building this new kind of Jeep -- one of three the company says will differ from three other ``Trail Rated' models -- was to distance some of them from the line's rugged past without sacrificing utility or mobility, according to John Plecha, director of marketing.

That means the Compass will stand with the Grand Cherokee and Liberty in one class of Jeeps, while the Wrangler, Commander, and Patriot (built on the same platform as the Compass and the Dodge Caliber crossover) get put in the other.

The goal, said Plecha, is to lure buyers who previously decided Jeep ``didn't have the vehicle to meet their needs."... source (http://www.boston.com/cars/car_reviews/articles/2006/07/02/jeeps_new_direction/)

Interesting view point brought up in the article. I wonder how many ZJ owners will disagree with being lumped into an urban use group! The Compass gets some good text throughout.

What are these "classes" he is grouping the vehicles into? Boxy shape vs. Sleek shape?

It certainly has nothing to do with off-road ability, because a trail rated Commander is pretty much the same thing as a trail rated Grand Cherokee with a boxier look and third row seat.

Being a 93ZJ owner, I will admit that GCs and Commanders are mall crawlers. New GCs and Commanders are too expensive for most owners to take off road for fear they might break something or scratch the paint. Now that the GC has been around for while, there is a slowly building base of people taking their ZJ/WJs off road since they are more affordable (and the engines last forever -- mine has 176k on it and I've seen reports of people well over 250k).

I agree SirFuego, those classes clearly have nothing to do with anything but looks. If you want to classify them by capability, I see three classes: the Compass and Patriot are the Light-Duty Jeeps, The KJ, XK, and WK are the Mid-Duty, and the Wrangler and Unlimited (and the Gladiator should it be built) are in the true offroad class. And as a ZJ owner, I don't at all disagree with the current Grand Cherokee being considered urban... because it is. My biggest gripe about the WK isn't the IFS, lower ground clearance, or longer wheelbase... it's the look. The ZJ and WJ were and still are extremely distinctive. The WK blends in with the mass of other SUVs, and is only a small step above when it comes to capability.