The average age of cars on US roads just keeps getting older. There are a couple reasons for this: old cars tend to last longer than they once did, and new cars just keep going up in price. I favor older cars on here because, well, I favor older cars. But for today, I thought we’d take a look at a couple of vehicles that are actually newer than the twelve-year-old national average.
Yesterday we looked at a Datsun truck with a dump bed and a Dodge truck with a convertible roof. I knew the Dodge was going to be a hard sell, considering its price, and I was right: you all preferred the mini dump truck by a pretty healthy margin, even with its sketchy description in the ad.
I like the idea of the Datsun, but I also know that places that sell gravel and mulch and whatnot will deliver for a fee, and that just makes life so much easier. Besides, that thing has about eighty horsepower, and I bet the hydraulic dump mechanism adds five hundred pounds to it, which cuts into its cargo capacity. It just feels like the wrong truck for a dump bed. And I have always liked the Dakota convertible. I’ll just try to talk the seller down some.
The average age for a car in the US is about twelve years old. The newest car in our household fleet is that age, a 2013 Chrysler 300 with about 86,000 miles on it, and it is just now starting to show its age a bit. Its electronics are getting a little glitchy, and the transmission isn’t as silky-smooth as it once was, and there’s a rattle in the dash now and then. But still, it doesn’t feel old. I’ve sent cars to the junkyard that were newer than it at the time, and at least one with fewer miles on it. “They don’t make ’em like they used to,” the older generations are fond of saying, but I’m beginning to think that’s a good thing. Cars are expensive; they should last.
So today, we’re going to look at some newer cars for a change. I chose two fairly run-of-the-mill crossover SUVs, the sort of thing that sells like hotcakes these days. Could you drive either of them for a good long time yet? Probably. Would you want to? Well, let’s take a look and see.
2015 Jeep Compass Sport SE – $4,999
Engine/drivetrain: 2.0-liter DOHC inline 4, CVT automatic, FWD
Location: Burleson, TX
Odometer reading: 164,000 miles
Operational status: Runs and drives great
Probably no car brand has been more diluted over the past few decades than Jeep. “Jeep” used to mean stick axles, a rough ride (even in the “luxury” models), and the ability to traverse pretty much any solid ground. You bought one because you needed that capability, or wanted to look like you needed it. Now, in many cases, it’s just a grille design and a badge. Yes, I know the Wrangler is still more or less a proper Jeep, but then you have this little front-wheel-drive poseur.
I’ve actually never driven one of these, so I guess I shouldn’t be too hard on it. They’ve been a staple of rental car fleets for years, but somehow I always ended up with something else. This is a basic Sport model, with a 2.0 liter version of the Global Engine Alliance four, backed by a Jatco CVT. It’s basically the Applebee’s Appetizer Combo of drivetrains – a bunch of stuff nobody really wants, but everyone will pick at if there’s nothing else. It runs and drives fine, the seller says, and everything works.
It looks fine inside, and since it was a fairly cheap car new, it doesn’t have half its controls on a touchscreen. Looking at this photo, I’m reminded of why I don’t typically feature cars this new, and why there’s no way I could report on new-car news. I’ve just got nothing to say about it. Modern car interiors have become as homogenized as waiting rooms, all function and no personality – not uncomfortable, but not a place that inspires you to spend a lot of time there.
Jeep restyled the Compass in 2011 to look more like the Grand Cherokee, and less like a bug-eyed alien. It’s handsome enough, and this one looks like it’s in good condition. The real reason this type of car is so popular has nothing to do with styling, however – it’s all about that tall seating position for visibility, and a big hatch in the back for stuff. And if you want a car to fit into your life, rather than define it, it makes a lot of sense. I guess.
2018 Fiat 500X Urbana Edition – $5,000
Engine/drivetrain: 2.4-liter DOHC inline 4, nine-speed automatic, AWD
Location: San Francisco, CA
Odometer reading: 89,000 miles
Operational status: Runs and drives great
When Fiat came back to the US market in 2010, it was with the 500 subcompact, a retro-styled shot directly across Mini’s bow. It was a big success, so of course, all Fiat’s subsequent models had to be called the 500 something, because everyone loves a franchise. First there was the 500L, a four-door version of the 500 that looked oddly inflated, and then this car, the 500X, came along, with better proportions and all-wheel-drive, but still clearly a 500.
A 4WD Fiat isn’t as new a concept as it may seem to Americans. The little Panda that was never sold here was available with 4WD way back in 1983, and before that, Fiat made a Land Rover-esque SUV called the Campagnola. The 500X probably doesn’t have the goat-like off-road abilities of those two, but I bet it does well in the snow. Powering its all-wheel-drive system is a 2.4-liter “Tigershark” inline 4 and a nine-speed ZF automatic. You could get a 500X with a manual, but only the base model, and only front-wheel drive. This one runs and drives great, and doesn’t have many miles on it.
This one isn’t all that exciting inside either, especially compared to the small 500’s stylish interior, but it looks functional enough. It looks like it’s in good shape in the photos, but we don’t get a clear view of the driver’s seat, which always gets the most wear and tear. I’m not saying that the seller is necessarily hiding anything, but they could be. I’ve gone to look at cars before that didn’t show the driver’s seat in the ad, and found popped seams and worn-out fabric. They do say everything works as it should.
It’s the Urbana Edition, which apparently accounts for the blacked-out trim and gunmetal gray wheels. (I’ve spent quite a bit of time in Urbana, and I don’t recall that being the fashion there, but whatever.) It has the requisite crossover SUV black wheel arches, but at least Fiat was fairly restrained with them; they’re not big flares sticking out or anything. It’s in good condition, especially for being a city car; I don’t see any door dings or scuffs on the bumpers that you might expect from a life in the concrete jungle.
I have to be honest: neither one of these is very inspiring to me, but from a pragmatic point of view, I can understand why someone would want one. They just work as transportation, and sometimes, that’s all you need. So what do you think? If you had to choose between a Jeep that’s not really a Jeep, and a Fiat that’s only kind of a 500 (and you do; that’s how the game is played), which one will it be?
The Fiat, only because I know of two owned by family and friends here in the states, and they work. Specifically in Italy and Switzerland (relatives), a couple more owned there. Always wondered how the quality of European built versions compared to versions built in North America.
The US-market 500L is made in Italy
This is a 500X, not a 500L. But yes, the 500X is made in Melfi, Italy for all markets, including the US. Our Jeep Renegade is also made there.
Fun fact: there’s a little molded-in spider in the gas cap area of the Renegade with a quote bubble that says “Ciao, baby!” likely as a hint to its Italian construction.
Yes, 500X, that’s what I meant, sorry for the typo 😐
It’s not like either one of them was particularly relevant, at least in the ‘States, so I completely get why you mixed them up.
I remember my grandfather showing up to visit us circa 2014 in a rented 500L, and remarking upon how ugly it was. And this was a stylish man who’d previously owned a classic Fiat 124 Spider and any number of prettier cars.
Given that the Compass is an entry-level front-drive model, I suspect it may have started its motoring life on a rental lot. That’s not necessarily bad – I got a 2002 Focus SE with the eight-valve engine after two years and 43,000 miles with a local rental agency, and it had no mechanical issues apart from an intermittently flickering airbag light (which came on steadily in its last few months) over the four years and 55,000 miles before its death at the hands of a hit-and-run driver – but I’d really like to see the CarFax for it, especially since it’s at a dealer.
The Fiat is a bit newer and lives in hilly-but-bougie Noe Valley, so it’s equally as likely to have been treated decently. My brother bought a similar-vintage Renegade new for my niece, which they all liked (my niece wasn’t thrilled enough to get her license , alas), and it held up well until it was totaled. The ad states it’s front-drive also, but it’s offered by a private party, and I wouldn’t have to pick it up in a state that’s actively subverting democracy, which makes up for its unfortunate lack of the legendary Jatco CVT.
I’ll splurge the extra dollar and go Fiat here. And the 9 speed transmission is double anything I’ve ever owned!
Both are steaming piles.
Neither, who cares.
Although we must give credit to whoever detailed that jeep, you know those seats were covered in cheetos.
The Compass with a CVT is a ticking time bomb, especially with those miles. With the FIAT you get something MUCH newer and modern with less than 100k miles, perfect for getting an extended warranty to cover all the things if you’re not handy.
I went with the Jeep. The Fiat seems nicer, but I don’t think it is a good bet. I think the low odometer reading might be misleading. This vehicle is from San Francisco. Those 89k miles presumably included a lot of creeping up and down very steep hills at 10 mph, with interspersed prolonged idling in traffic. This is a vehicle where an odometer and an hour meter could give very different impressions about the life this vehicle has lived.
The Jeep is boring, but that may be a good thing. Boring vehicles like the Compass are mostly bought by people who just want an transportation appliance to drive at precisely the speed limit to their middle management job at an insurance company. No one abused a Compass, because they weren’t bought by people who tend to abuse cars, and they aren’t fun to abuse anyway. If I am going to buy the automotive equivalent of a toaster, I’m going to pick the one that lived an easier life, and that is almost certainly the Compass.
I once had a Compass as a rental car. Certainly in the top three worst cars I’ve ever driven and it was nearly new. Can’t imagine how bad a 167,000 mile one would be. Fiat all the way.
These both seem like good deals as transportation. The Fiat at least has a bit of personality and might not immerse you in despair every time you walk up to it. Does The Autopian have annual in-house writing awards–the Topies? If so, I nominate this line: “It’s basically the Applebee’s Appetizer Combo of drivetrains – a bunch of stuff nobody really wants, but everyone will pick at if there’s nothing else.”
When the Aztec was discontinued, I thought the Compass took over the mantle as the ugliest new American mass produced vehicle. Everything about it just looked displeasing to the eye.
Not that the 500X isn’t homely itself*, I guess I’d be spending some quality wrench time with the Fiat.
*Double negatives are required around here, right?
500X > 500L
True.
The Fiat seems like a car that you could actually enjoy on some level. It’s cute, nicely appointed and fairly tossable.There’s an actual personality there. Fiat all the way today.
It’s not even Friday, much less Freaky Friday, but when the Jeep is the FWD, Jatco equipped econobox and the Fiat is the AWD subcompact SUV, I’ve got to think they’ve switched identities. Is today’s Hobson’s choice a sub rosa plug for “Freakier Friday”?
I have an irrational disdain for the penalty box entry level Jeeps. I’m not even someone who has any semblance of loyalty towards the brand either outside of Grand Cherokees being mainstays in both my immediate and extended family, but there’s just something that irks me about a lousy front wheel drive European economy car with the Jeep grille and logo slapped on it.
It’s never sat right with me, and what makes it even worse is that I see a fair amount of them trying to be actual Jeeps…with an assortment of rubber duckies on the dash, all sorts of national park/trail/etc stickers on them, and the like. I’m hardly someone who cares about what people think of my car (I drive a spicy Korean econobox that makes fart noises) or projecting a certain image….but come on.
So give me the Fiat. It’s also full of FCA badness, but at least it’s quirky and has actual gears. I expect it to run away with this one. Entry level not real Jeeps are a hard sell to enthusiasts and a Jatco CVT is the final nail in the coffin for all of us except one specific commenter….
I also have an intense hatred for these Jeeps. I was disgusted in the early 2000s when Jeep starting spitting out garbage like the Compass, Liberty, Patriot. Hopefully these examples are in the first chapter of some college marketing textbook called, “Devaluing Your Brand 101.”
My wife was looking for a new car back in the day and had owned Grand Cherokees before, so she was tempted by the Compass. Hated it with the passion of a thousand suns. Bought another Grand Cherokee. To this day she makes gagging noises when she sees a Compass.
Yeah, I went Fiat.
I don’t think it’s irrational. If Jeep wanted to do the FWD poser version, that alone might have been acceptable, but the fact that they bungled it this badly is so nasty.
I don’t have much opinion on either, but I spent 4.5 years in Urbana, so that is my determining factor here.
It is named for Urbana, IL right?
Right?
I am picking the equivalent to Taco Bell. Cheap, you find them everywhere, and you will regret it later.
I’d walk away and look for something else. As someone who lemoned his last Stellantis product, I cannot recommend anything built during the FCA/Stellantis era.
Fiat is kind of a steal. way below book and it has an actual transmission, though I will say the 9 speed and 2.4 in a FWD Chrysler 200S sometimes seemed to have trouble figuring out what gear to use first thing in the AM. But it never failed in 120k miles, so that is OK I guess.
Hmmm the exact powertrain of my aunt’s 2009 Caliber with more miles than I would expect the transmission to last, or something that’s not that.
Tough choice.
The Compass’ design embodies moral turpitude. Add a jatco cvt and you have a recipe for something that is undesirable on aesthetic and functional terms at the same time. Bravo.
The Fiat is a vastly better car, even being a small crossover with a slush. Go figure.
Slush is always better than Droning overheating Jatco’s. just saying.
I do agree. I just dislike slushes, so comparing it to a cvt is just choosing a less heniouns misery.
I have always hated the Compass styling (and the Renegade), because it was such a blatant cash-in on venerable design cues. I hate the 500X for the same reason, but less intensely, because the end result looks slightly better. So there you are.
That generation compass with the CVT is a truly abysmal penalty box without a single redeeming quality. The fiat in this case is newer, just over half the miles, no CVT, AWD, and has some charm. While I’d never recommend a 500X to someone, this was the easiest choice in a while.
This is a real Turd Sandwich vs Giant Douche
Newer, lower miles, a real transmission and WAAAAAY more stylish? The Fiat should run away with this.
Fiat, please. Fewer miles, more style, and a real automatic.
Beat me by THAT much!!
Aren’t these essentially the same vehicle? Or is this the Compass that is just barely not a made-over 500X?
Either way, I wouldn’t take either one of them unless it was thrown in free with something else that I really, really wanted.
Nope. This year compass is still on an older platform. The second generation compass was moved to the same platform as the 500X though.
Isn’t the Renegade the same platform as the 500X? Did all 3 end up on the same platform?
I think the Renegade was more the 500X with an arguably better looking 2 box design. I always liked them as they reminded me of a Scout, and they even offered a 6 speed manual at one point, but most are the 2.4 and 9 speed that I see these days. And the Manuals all seem to be behind the 1.4 Turbo Motor, which I am not sure is a long lived little guy with miles. https://www.cars.com/vehicledetail/df13cb07-de94-4e02-a1b6-07f44653b568/?