Comments on: Jeep Patriot Review

By: HooverBucs

HooverBucs — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 13:40:06 +0000

I dont know if im the only one here that actually OWNS a Jeep Patriot, but i can tell you that it is a great jeep. i average about 26mpg and it handles great, and if you are talking ground clearance, buy the FD-II package and a Rocky Road Lift kit.

i dont know if any of you have ever heard the saying that”An artist must evolve to survive” well this is the same concept. Jeep knows that fuel efficiency will become more and more popular, and since the Wranglers and Grand Cherokees arent any Prius, they might as well make an affordable alternative that atleast embodies a jeep. even if it cant rock crawl or other such extreme off roading, i dont think that is what youll be looking to do with a patriot, if you did want extreme off road ability, then you would buy a wrangler.

Besides, who can beat only having to fill up every 2-3 weeks? or having as much cargo space as the patriot does with out compromising leg room?

The Pat is a great car, i recommend it 100%

By: rmarzolo

rmarzolo — Mon, 08 Dec 2008 22:30:28 +0000

I’ve owned my jeep patriot since May of 2007, got it brand new, Freedom offroad 4×4 II package, sport model manual windows, locks, by preference.. and I Love it!!! Before I owned a 1989 jeep cherokee limited for about 3 years, which I drove to 200k, The patriot is no cherokee, but the street perforance is definetly a welcome change, and improved gas milage.. snow handling is not as good, still excellent, but I probably need some snow tires to improve that aspect of it

I’m just about to hit 36,000 miles, so I’m about to take it in for a final check up, I did get the extended warranty. Mine did come with tow hooks and I’ve used them, table topped at local off-road site, so they’re useful, and solid.. I’ve heard they can’t be attached after manufacturing, but not sure, just ask them or call the factory! I’ve gone through 2 feet of water, been from soCal to Vegas 3 times, been to San Francisco once,a nd never had any major hitches. I really love this car and would recommend it to a friend or family who like to get off road from time to time, BUT It’s no offroad monster like my old cherokee so its no replacement, but it’s a dam close 2nd.. and for the street driving, its a huge improvement.

Remember this things built on the dodge caliber chassis, with a double reinforced A Frame, it has a CVT built by JatCo, who also makes trans for Mercedes, and the World engine, built together by hyundai, mitsubishi and Chrysler, so parts / replacements should be pretty cheap and easy to get. I take care of my Jeep, but I’m also pretty hard on it.. and it takes it, so far no complaints
worth mentioning, except it doesnt have the straight 6 I grew to know and love.. but new car, new gas prices and a new era, really make it all OK!!!

By: ARBS211

ARBS211 — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 05:47:25 +0000

I JUST READ ALL THE PATRIOT REVIEWS.. I WAS A HAPPY 10 YEAR 1994 GRAND CHEROKEE OWNER… THEN PURCHASED A 2003 LIBERTY.. I LIVE IN A SNOWY WINTER AREA IN MI. I RECENTLY ROLLED IT OVER AND TOTALLED IT.. I ALWAYS HAD HATED DRIVING IT IN WINTER!SO NOW IM THINKING PATRIOT OR COMMANDER? GAS MPG IS DRAWING ME TOWARD THE PATRIOT LIMITED… ANY LIMITED OWNERS HAVE ANYTHING “GOOD” TO SAY?
WANT ADVISE! THANKS

By: lancekoz

lancekoz — Sat, 25 Oct 2008 15:45:43 +0000

Update-

At 10K km, our 4×2 Patriot still doing well. Handling is fairly taught and lean-free, very unlike the review above, so maybe it was improved for 08. CVT should be overridden with manual feature (if you have it)on hilly or mountain freeways to reduce confusion.

Must concur with other post, lack of towing hooks is really, really stupid. Is there an aftermarket remedy?

By: dohccom

dohccom — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 05:30:03 +0000

Wow, bought my 2008 patriot in Dec 2008. Stick 4×4 AWD ESP 2.4lt. Frankly the handling issues stated in the review seem bogus unless this thing got re-calibrated over time. Frankly the stick handles like my VW GTIs of the 90’s and performance is not far off. I live at 9500 ft alt in Colorado and the ESP/ handling on snow is darn awesome (like a tank on treads). I would say handling issues are not a all the issue. Issue is Tire road noise on certain types of pavement and for my ride a heck of a lot of trips to the dealer for silly stuff: Tire pressure gages off, Radio likes to change stations, funky squeak in clutch peddle etc.

Overall not a bad ride with quality probs. Seen 31 MPG with my ride…. And runs at 80 mph from Co Springs to Denver with ease.
http://www.dohc.com

By: japtida55

japtida55 — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 15:46:00 +0000

and by the way this page is supposed to be a review about the patriots half these people are talking about every car or jeep but the patriot go buy a patriot and then come post a review

By: japtida55

japtida55 — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 15:28:18 +0000

its funny the people giving it bad review don’t own one I just bought the limited with four wheel drive and I must say coming from 2005 all decked out pathfinder this small suv is a steal. I got fully load leather seats a phone holder built into the arm rest that you can close or leave it open to see your phone (the best feature). As far as the inside I have so much more elbow and head room in this vehicle than that big ass gas guzzling pathfinder (11.9mpg) I can actually move around comfortabley and I am big guy 6ft 280. as far as the plastic there is no more plastic in the patriot than other suvs at least this plastic is durable and does not scatch or tear easy and with 2 year old twins that is a plus. as far as how it drives the power is good enough to get you on the highways at a good speed and manuouveurs good enough to feel very comfortable in heavy traffic. if your looking for a sports car feel in suv then look else where. the patriot has the feel and look of a true SUV to me is a plus. My only complaint is you do here some road noise from the tires and the stereo could be a little better quality but other than that if you are looking for good looking great gas MPG (28mpg) that has plenty room inside to hall a couple of kids around and supplies and to do alot of everyday driving for pleasure or business there is no other small SUV that hold a candle to the patriot. I only paid 18k for this compared to 36k for the POS pathfinder I leased for the last 3 years and thank god I leased it because they wanted 19k payoff on it and only wanted to give 12k trade in for it.

By: Ocelot

Ocelot — Tue, 29 Jul 2008 08:08:22 +0000

ladies and gents ,

i have almost read all of your posts..and i’m enjoying this so far . sorry for those who i havn’t read theirs.

i do own a JEEP PATRIOT 2007 which is identical to 2008.

what most of you have said about the interior is right. it’s cheap. very reliable but cheap . it’s no fancy car interior wise, and what i hate the most about this car is the engine itself ! it’s such a shame that “JEEP” produce such a poor engine power.comparing with japanese rivals they all superior the patriot engine wise, this superiority didn’t exist when the Cherokee was here !
the engine sounds like it’s sophicating when i hit the pedal for more speed!!

i have to give the credit for the exterior engineer because i just LOVE how it looks from the outside unlike the compass. i had so many great reviews for my car about its looks, SO MANY. it’s small but big ! it’s sporty yet family car , it’s so eyes catching vehicle. i bet anyone would hook up with a lot of chicks cause of it ;) lol

i will narrow this down.

my motives why i bought this car.
1- OFFORDABLE (good price)
2- Great looks ( HOT )
3- fuel consumption (very econimcal)

have a great day :)

By: jefty_jeff

jefty_jeff — Sun, 27 Jul 2008 14:25:42 +0000

How come there aren’t any tow hooks on the regular Patriot?
I’ve crawled around a North edition and couldn’t see any type of attachment points anywhere.

To me part of the fun of owning a 4WD vehicle is being able to help others at the roadside: pull other cars out of snowbanks and ditches etc.
I do it all the time in my Subaru, every winter.
Are people who own Patriots with Freedom Drive I or the 5-speed manual never supposed to go off-road at all?
Because if they do, even if they don’t help others, sooner or later they will need to get some help, and without any tow hooks at all it will be very difficult to get help, even if they go wheeling with a buddy.

I find this very disappointing.
Somebody correct me if I’m wrong.

By: VA-REBEL

VA-REBEL — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 20:17:37 +0000

I purchased a Jeep Patriot July 27, 08 but before I did I test drove HYUNDAI SANTA FE, CHEVY EQUINOX, FORD ESCAPE, TOYOTA 4RUNNER AND FJ, MERCURY MARINER, MAZDA TRIBUTE and of course the Jeep Patriot. Jeep Patriot was fun and easy to drive and the seats are comfortable. Of all I test drove the Jeep Patriot was best of the bunch. When I bought it home and my wife drove it, she wanted me to buy her one, that’s how good it is.

By: RETAHIGGINS

RETAHIGGINS — Thu, 15 May 2008 02:31:54 +0000

Thank you all for your responce to my question about the new Jeep Patriots. I too use to be a Jeep person. I finally went to test drive the Patriot. It isn’t a short person vehicle. It was a very uncomfortable drive. For me to reach the pedals the steering wheel was in my chest, plus you sit lower than the Cherokee classic, which means you feel the road more. I like sitting up high so I can see what’s coming at me. I decided I would go with a Mercury Mountaineer. Wow – the differences were emence. A smother drive – more comfort everything I wanted and more. I could see everything.
Looks like I may no longer be a Jeep person.
Bye ya’ll.

By: Bearwrestler

Bearwrestler — Wed, 14 May 2008 23:50:24 +0000

I own the good ol’ Jeep Cherokee with the 4.0L. I get a consistent 20mpg over years of service. I have 215,000 miles on her and am looking for a replacement to try and save what I have left of her for as long as possible. I have built 4 other classic Jeeps and own 2 of them currently. I AM a Jeep man.

Reading what I have, I will not be buying a new Jeep until the good people of DaimlerChrysler (or whatever holding company owns the market share currently) gets their heads out of their butts.

I have heard that in 2000’s, when the Germans acquired Chrysler, they acquired it because of Jeep’s renown name (and sales market). They have defeated us by sending them down the tubes.

My next vehicle would have been the 4 door Wrangler, but their fuel economy is below standard average. I now look to Subaru for a quality vehicle.

By: bearbs119

bearbs119 — Fri, 02 May 2008 05:52:30 +0000

Hi, my husband and I just purchased our 2007 Jeep Patriot in March. We really like it. The only thing we aren’t crazy about is the torque (kinda slow starting) but otherwise the gas mileage is great (300 miles from full to empty) and my insurance dropped $100. Granted, I paid a bit more than the MSRP because of the negative equity on our trade in, but I feel like it was worth it in the long run. In no shape or form do i regret buying this vehicle.

By: lancekoz

lancekoz — Mon, 24 Mar 2008 21:17:25 +0000

Great handling in an inexpensive, rugged vehicle

Pros:Perfect mini-suv handling, good steering assist, great for mild rough stuff
Cons:A bit small in back compartment, interior issues

I bought this in urban Mexico to deal with lots of potholes and occasional rough roads in the country. I was not in need of a “real Jeep,” so I won’t be whining about “off-road cred.”

After 5000 kms, it seems like an incredible deal. The CVT transmission and handling is smooth and comfortable for crowded, in-town driving. Manual override is great on the big hills, and use it if the CVT bothers you. Middling power seems fine. Suspension provides good balance on rough roads. The front seats are very comfortable, but the interior has some thoughtless touches, most notable is the lack of armrest padding. The slick and fairly small back area is a drawback.

By: jbauman

jbauman — Tue, 04 Mar 2008 03:34:12 +0000

I bought one of these things about a week ago and I dig it…Went from a Saab to this and the first thing I did when I got home was fold the back seats down toss in a blanket and let the dogs own the back…It’s price point and hard plastic everywhere interior allows one to not cringe with every drop of drool or claw on the arm rest…Clean up is a snap and with the wheel package I think it looks pretty slick and gas mileage is very good for vehicles in this category…I did order a 5spd without even driving it…I did drive the CVT and it sucks…I’m very happy with this vehicle and find it quite fun to drive…I can finally take the dogs out with me without having them killin’ each other in the back seat of my Saab…This is my first American car….ever…I’m 35…

By: jepstr67

jepstr67 — Sun, 27 Jan 2008 15:37:54 +0000

As the reviewer says, hard core Jeep people are going to drive Wranglers, or in my case a Willys and a CJ. However I’m adding the Patriot to my stable of Jeeps because of it’s better mileage for on road driving. Jeep has a history of providing vehicles to meet a variety of needs. Most vehicles are offered in both 2 and 4 wheel drive. As for the Compass, it is nice to see Jeep return to the car market for the first time in 55 years. It makes a person wonder how the 1948 Jeepster would have done if it could have offered full time all wheel drive.

By: jefty_jeff

jefty_jeff — Fri, 04 Jan 2008 18:21:21 +0000

keithid,
instead of the CRV perhaps you should consider a Subaru Forester/Outback or a Suzuki Grand Vitara. Both come with 5-speed, have good ground clearance and 4WD, and have much nicer and pleasant interiors and overall build quality. Look for a used one if a new one is too expensive.

I agree that the Patriot’s not having a manual transmission in the off-road package is a let-down. They could have made it a 6-speed with one extra-low first gear to get the same crawl ratio.
19:1 is only 35% lower than the typical 14:1 1st gear ratios. Would it really have been that hard to make a low 1st gear, and start the car in 2nd most of the time? People would have loved it a lot more than the CVT, and it would have been cheaper and more reliable too!
The Grand Vitara even with an actual 2:1 transfer case, a locking diff, and is cheaper than the Forester.

By: keithid

keithid — Mon, 17 Dec 2007 04:47:01 +0000

I have a question about the Freedom 2 package. I live in the mountains, so driving in snow and durability for washboard roads are my big issues. I prefer a stick for snow, but Patriot doesn’t come with the Freedom 2 package in stick. Should I care for my purposes (no rock crawling)? Would the CRV actually be better than stick? Thanks!

By: lancekoz

lancekoz — Tue, 11 Dec 2007 16:27:16 +0000

I bought this in urban Mexico to deal with lots of potholes and occasional rough roads in the country. After a thousand kms, it seems like an incredible deal. The CVT transmission and handling is perfect for in-town driving. Middling power seems fine. Suspension great on the poor roads. The front seats are extremely comfortable, but the interior has some thoughtless touches, most notable is the lack of armrest padding! The slick and fairly small back area is a drawback.

By: bplankton

bplankton — Mon, 05 Nov 2007 06:59:44 +0000

I own a Jeep Patriot and I disagree with the review. I think it is a good car for a good price, with an awesome warranty. It’s really comfortable for a tall person like myself and it gets decent gas mileage. All that talk about not competing with the CRVs and RAV-4’s is nonsense. Those cars don’t provide good room for the driver, cost a lot more, and don’t necessarily excel in providing good gas mileage. I have the Freedom 1 drive, which is adequate for snow, etc. This car’s definitely worth a look.

By: jjan158

jjan158 — Sun, 21 Oct 2007 01:00:58 +0000

I LOVE my Partriot. With highway speeds averaging 60 MPH in the USA, and most people driving 55 in teh fast lane, my Patriot has ample power to take me from point A to point B.

I am an owner of 6, count them 6, vintage muscle cars with engines in the 500hp area. They aren't worth a hil of beans as 'The Man" is watching for me to open them up. So who cares it a vehicle can go 0-60 in 5.5 seconds, it isn't worth the money to feed gasoline to something that can

The Patroit is a fun little vehicle that brings a smile to my face everytime I get in it

Your's Truly.

Jim Jankowski

By: caramor

caramor — Sat, 15 Sep 2007 04:30:17 +0000

Okay, I own a Patriot, and I love driving it! At first, I needed to get use to the transmission but it works great after you adjust to it. I get good gas mileage even though we live in the mountains. I have taken it on the freeway several times and it works fine. I do not know what these guys are complaining about? The back seat is very comfortable for adults to sit in and usually surprises people when they get in it. It does not have any of the fancy gadgets that you see in some cars today but who needs it and they are available as options if you can’t find the movie theatre yourself! I have not had an opportunity to take it out on back roads but a lot of the roads I take are dirt and rock roads and it has been great!

By: elaineen@aol.com

elaineen@aol.com — Mon, 10 Sep 2007 02:53:32 +0000

The owner’s manual has ten pages of info. on towing. Most of which I do not understand since I do not plan to tow anything. With the 2.4L engine with automatic the max. towing capacity is 2000lbs.

By: RETAHIGGINS

RETAHIGGINS — Sat, 08 Sep 2007 21:01:16 +0000

I have been thinking about purchasing a patriot, but hesitant, because I need one with a tow package. Does anyone have any information about the towing capabilities of the Patriot?

By: elaineen@aol.com

elaineen@aol.com — Fri, 31 Aug 2007 17:43:39 +0000

I have 2500+ miles on my Jeep Patriot 4×4, trail rated with the Freedom II package. I also own an HHR which is comparable to the Cr-V, RAVA4 and Escape for city roads. All these vehicles would be shredded if they chased my Patriot through washboard dirt roads. Do not mix apples and oranges. The trail rated Patriot is for mild off roading and rugged dirt roads. The only vehicle that can match or exceed it was the previously mentioned Toyota F-J which locally sells for $10,000 more and lacks the fuel efficency. Only drawback is the tiny 13.5 gallon gas tank. Mileage so far is appox. 25 mpg.