Used 2016 Jeep Compass for Sale near Ithaca, NY

The Compass shows its age in many ways, but Jeep has managed to keep this crossover competent in the red-hot CUV segment.

Small, car-based SUVs are the hottest, fastest growing corner of the new-car market, and they now make up the largest segment in the market, too. These vehicles combine the driving mannerisms of a car, the cargo space of a wagon, and the commanding driving position of an SUV. Most of them are incredibly competent, but this wasn’t always the case.

As recently as the mid-2000s, automakers were putting out mediocre vehicles, and at that time an idea on paper such as a crossover hadn't been fleshed out in practice. That was the climate when the Jeep Compass arrived in 2007. The 2016 Jeep Compass improves on those original efforts while still showing its age.

But there is still value in the Compass, and in a market where crossover prices are creeping upward, the aged Compass can offer value as a discount option, with incentives likely available.