What's Wrong With This Picture: Trail-Rated Edition

by Edward Niedermeyer

Published: December 9th, 2010

what s wrong with this picture trail rated edition

The Compass has long been Jeep’s answer to the Cadillac Cimarron, failing to live up to the brand’s ideals while simultaneously cannibalizing its platform-mate(s). But apparently the refreshed anti-Jeep is about to get a dose of Jeep’s signature marketing: Trail-Rated status. According to the rarely-wrong-about-these-kinds-of-things Allpar.com

the 2011 Jeep Compass with Freedom Drive II will be Trail-Rated, the first time a Compass has achieved that designation. To accomplish this, the Compass moved the rebound springs to the same architecture as the Grand Cherokee, and raised the height by one inch for models with Freedom Drive II.

And if a Patriot can be “Trail-Rated,” why not a Compass? On second thought, why invest in a new Compass at all, Trail-Rated or not? Either way, we’re tits-deep in irony considering Dodge’s Ralph Gilles recently “ revealed” that Dodge’s outgoing models all rode higher than the competition, and that

Lowering the car looks better. It looks a little bit smarter. It handles better. And more important is the fuel economy

Or, as Ripley doubtless said with his dying breath, not.

#Branding #Enthusiasm #FuelEconomy #Jeep #Marketing

Edward Niedermeyer

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Ponchoman49 on Dec 10, 2010

Even worse is how Chrysler expects this ugly duckling with a Patriot front end grafted to a RAV4 with the same lackluster outgoing powertrain and a gasp....4600 price increase will fare begs the question "what the frig were they thinking" edition!

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- Rudiger on Dec 10, 2010
  
  No problem on the sticker-shock $4600 price increase. I'm sure Chrysler already has the plans in place to immediately slap $3000 on the hood of the brand-new, redesigned Compass (and they'll still make $1600 more than the old one). Trouble is, most consumers have long ago gotten wise to the big rebate gimmick that, unlike Toyota and Honda that rarely do rebates at that level, causes big drops in resale value. Chrysler will get few takers.
  
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Robert.Walter on Dec 10, 2010

"Lowering the car looks better. It looks a little bit smarter. It handles better. And more important is the fuel economy." Does Ralph get paid to say nonsense like this? If so, it's all good...

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Recent Comments

Golden2husky The biggest hurdle for us would be the lack of a good charging network for road tripping as we are at the point in our lives that we will be traveling quite a bit. I'd rather pay more for longer range so the cheaper models would probably not make the cut. Improve the charging infrastructure and I'm certainly going to give one a try. This is more important that a lowish entry price IMHO.
Add Lightness I have nothing against paying more to get quality (think Toyota vs Chryco) but hate all the silly, non-mandated 'stuff' that automakers load onto cars based on what non-gearhead focus groups tell them they need to have in a car. I blame focus groups for automatic everything and double drivetrains (AWD) that really never gets used 98% of the time. The other 2% of the time, one goes looking for a place to need it to rationanalize the purchase.
Ger65691276 I would never buy an electric car never in my lifetime I will gas is my way of going electric is not green email
GregLocock Not as my primary vehicle no, although like all the rich people who are currently subsidised by poor people, I'd buy one as a runabout for town.
Jalop1991 is this anything like a cheap high end German car?