My Portuguese Odyssey in the Jeep Compass e-Hybrid

Chapter 1: The First Impressions – A Love at First Drive

It all began with a swift love affair the moment I laid eyes on the Jeep Compass e-Hybrid, the 2023 model. The vehicle exuded a charm that promised adventure and luxury. As I settled into the driver’s seat, I was enveloped by a surprisingly well-built interior, silent yet responsive. It was like stepping into a cocoon of comfort, ready to tackle Portugal’s scenic routes. Our destination? Many! The big waves of Nazaré. I know, it was not the right season, still 5m waves are not your ordinary waves from where I’m coming from. The westernmost point of continental Europe at Cabo da Roca. The charming town of Cascais. And very little did I knew, this week-long romance would be a rollercoaster of delights and quirks.

Chapter 2: Nazaré – Riding the Big Waves in Style

Nazaré, known for its colossal waves, the biggest in the world they say, was the perfect first stop for the journey. The Compass Hybrid’s engine roared to life with a punch that felt like it could take on even the biggest swells. On the highway, the car was a dream—stable, quiet, and impressively powerful. The front seats, with their very well built lumbar support, kept me comfortable even during the long drive. But, like a surfer catching a rogue wave, I quickly noticed the vehicle’s quirky suspension. The car leaned heavily forward when braking and tipped back dramatically when accelerating, a bizarre dance for a supposedly sturdy SUV. It looks like a very typical Jeep thing as I noticed the exact same behaviour on the Wrangler that I drove in Canada some time ago. Anyway, need to admit that compared with the Wrangler, was by far better.

Chapter 3: Cabo da Roca – Where the Land Ends and the Sea Begins

Driving to Cabo da Roca was a test of the Jeep’s maneuverability on narrow, winding roads. Here, the hybrid system shone, providing a smooth, quiet ride. However, the joy was dampened by the disappointing lack of automation. Forgetting to manually engage the handbrake when parking on steep inclines was an unwelcome hassle. The automatic handbrake disengagement, which worked every second time, and let’s not forget the dashboard, all info arranged in some square screens that made no sense initially but, like an acquired taste, became somewhat tolerable over time, still not my cup of tea at all. Then come the lane assist, or whatever that thing was supposed to do. Basically the only thing that it does is hardening very abruptly your steering wheel making it very hard to correct whatever you were doing. I was not able to figure out what it was supposed to do as for sure was not keeping the lane and not really in direct relation with crossing the road lines. Misterry remains.

Chapter 4: Cascais – Coastal Beauty and Urban Challenges

The picturesque town of Cascais was a blend of coastal beauty and urban complexity. Navigating its narrow streets and tight parking spaces highlighted the Compass’s substantial turning radius, making U-turns and parking manoeuvres a bit of a gymnastic feat, as you need to stop and do few manoeuvres to deal with some of the very tight turns in some of the underground parkings. The reversing camera was crystal clear, big plus, but the 360-degree view was distorted beyond usefulness, like trying to see through a fish-eye lens. Inside, the sound system was a pleasant surprise, delivering crisp and powerful audio, which made up for the inconsistent quality of the cabin materials. High-quality surfaces were placed where you rarely touched like the top of the dashboard or door panels, while frequently used areas were covered in less impressive plastic, like the top of the door, where you rest your elbow, or central console.

Chapter 5: The Hybrid Experience – Silence and Hassles

As a hybrid, the Jeep Compass was at its best in slow, quiet drives through Lisbon’s narrow lanes. The electric mode was a blessing, but charging was a nightmare, and for sure not Jeep fault but the whole industry messing it up for so long. The app-based system, available only in the local language and requiring a local mobile number, was a barrier too high. It made me switch for the simplicity of a petrol pump: swipe your card, fill up, and drive off. Despite this, the hybrid system delivered on performance, providing enough power to keep your running and navigate the city’s labyrinthine streets.
Sure, for a minimum charge of 2 hours and a full charge of 11 hours, when empty, you just cary a lot of death weight around that will still recharge with some minimal juice from breaking during your petrol powered movements, but that’s all.

Chapter 6: Final Thoughts – The Pros and Cons

Pros:

Impressive Build Quality: Solid construction with a comfortable and silent cabin.
Powerful Engine: Plenty of punch for both city and highway driving, even that is only 130HP
Excellent Sound System: High-quality audio experience.
Comfortable Seats: Especially the lumbar support, which is easily accessible.
Hybrid Efficiency: Quiet and efficient in slow, urban driving.

Cons:

Odd Suspension Behaviour: The car leans heavily during braking and accelerating, coupled with strange vibrations.
Lack of Automations: Handbrake doesn’t engage or disengage reliably; needs manual operation.
Unreliable Sign Reading: Often misses or misinterprets road signs.
Complex Cruise Control: Requires multiple steps to activate. Typical for all non premium cars that are just adding the feature to check the box but hardly practical.
Annoying Seatbelt Lock: Won’t let you move the car even a few centimeters without the seatbelt on. What a annoyance when you need to move your car just a bit more in front in a parking lot.
Inconsistent Interior Material Quality: Good materials where you don’t touch, cheap plastics where you do.

In conclusion, the Jeep Compass Hybrid Plug-in 2023 is a blend of delightful highs and some minor lows. It’s a vehicle that shines on the open road, quality materials in general, well built, but then struggles with the finer details of daily driving and automation as any non-premium car. If you can live with its quirks, it offers a unique and comfortable driving experience. I really liked it!

About the car:

Jeep Compass e-Hybrid
Fuel: bezin / electricity
Power: 130 HP
Model: 2023