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SUVs Jeep Patriot Jeep Patriot
24 messages, Last post on Feb 13, 2009 at 9:53 AM
You are in the Jeep Patriot Forum. Your Hosts are steve_ & tidester
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Called the Jeep information line on 01/16.07 and a few dealers are getting the Patriot now. If they drive anything like the Caliber or Compass then this could be a huge mistake by DCX. One main issue is the CVT transmission. I drove the Caliber and that CVT acts like it's not sure what to do when you floor it and hit 60 mph. The blind spots were too many to count. This si not a very good replacement for the Neon, as I see it. We have had 3 Neons and they had more get up and go and they were more aerodynamic. We have a 1996 Neon with 193,000 and it still gets 29 to 32 mpg. I doubt any of these similar vehicles will do that. Farout |
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Getting very high lease quotes for Patriot in 21000-24000 range, depending on options, for 36mo. lease. Looks like mid-to upper $400s/mo for sign and drive (no money down, not even taxes). Not acceptable. Apparently there will be no lease incentives from Jeep for awhile. Will have to look at other compact SUVs like CRV. Like the traditional Jeep styling of the Patriot but not the quoted lease prices. Not happy. 
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You can buy then now, selection is somewhat limited as of now. Farout |
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Replying to: chas0215 (Feb 04, 2007 3:49 am) |
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| Jeep Patriot is Least Expensive Sport Utility Vehicle to Own | |
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I recently test drove a Patriot North 4x4 and I have to say I was very pleasantly surprised. When I first saw Patriot's interior a few months ago I was initially disappointed by its cheap look and feel. But maybe that was due to its beige color and the flimsy air vents. Now that I saw it in black, paired with a very nice leather-wrapped steering wheel, it didn't seem quite as bad anymore. The ceiling and pillar materials as well as YES cloth seats were actually top notch. The seats are also very comfortable. I also had a chance to inspect Ford Escape's interior for comparison, and it was downright horrid. Not only was it cheap, but it was also thin and flimsy and all panels from doors to dashboard could be moved easily with finger pressure. And what is with that weird crap Ford uses for their 'leather' steering wheels? What exactly is that made of? At least with the Patriot the interior feels absolutely solid and secure. In fact the whole truck has a solid feel to it. BTW, why are those roof pillars so thick? They are about 8 times bigger than those in my Subaru. Are they actually designed to support the truck's weight if it flips over, or are they just hollow inside? I liked the handling and the sitting position, although rear visibility was limited compared to my Legacy wagon. The CVT transmission does not only feel strange but also is completely non-responsive. I'm not sure if I'll be able to get used to that. Good luck trying to pass someone when you have passengers or gear in the trunk! It's a shame that the off-road package comes only with that CVT slushbox. Is it really that hard for car makers to make a 6-speed manual gearbox with one extra-low gear? That one option would have made Patriot significantly more popular, and would have been cheaper, lighter and more reliable than the CVT in the long run. I also think that a truly functional interior must definitely have bottle/cup holder in front doors, like those in the 2007 Forester for example. I found those very useful. And the rear cup holders should be foldable, in case someone needs to sit in the middle. These things aren't hard to make, but would mean a lot. Otherwise Patriot is a strong candidate for me and offers great value. I'm a Subaru fan, but the new Forester costs significantly more than what I'm prepared to spend. |
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How come there aren't any tow hooks on the regular Patriot? I've crawled around it 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. 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, 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. |
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Here is a 30,000+ mile report on my Patriot. I purchased an 07, 2.4 litre, FWD, CVT Sport with all the basic popular options and alloy wheels. First, I have only had it back to the dealer to update the CVT software and have had no other problems to date. I drive about 75% on the highway and get 26 to mid 28 mpg consistently. The ride is smooth and quiet with good handling and manoeuvrability. The Exterior: The paint seems good (mine is light khaki), but the sheet metal is noticeably thin. I had a plastic trim piece come loose from along the bottom of the windshield. Everything else seems very solid, tight doors and nice lift gate. I use Turtle Wax Ice for polish with good results because it works on the plastic parts too. I will eventually add a hitch to attach a bike rack. There is also an issue with the hood flexing at highway speed. Mine does this a little, but I understand that the hinges were redesigned to fix the problem. I may get mine fixed. The Interior: The front seats are very comfortable (I'm 6'2"  180 lbs) and the YES Essential fabric is great (Florida). The back seat can hold three adult sized children fine, but two is better of course. Overall, the interior is good with a nod to Jeep utilitarianism. My complaint is it scratches too easily. Also the beige colour is a bit unappealing but okay. I think the grey looks better. Carpet is nice, and the plastic stowage area cleans easily. The rear and passenger seat folds flat making it possible to put 8' lumber inside and close the hatch. Plywood and the like must go on the roof. The A/C works well in conjunction with the tinted windows. The knobs and controls feel of lower quality but placed well and intuitive. The fog lamp switch is clumsy and the turn signal stem is stiff. I hope they improve these. Radio is very good for factory. Visibility is good to okay, as the A and B pillars are a bit bulky. However, good mirrors and a higher sitting position help a lot. Engine and CVT: The 4 cylinder is strong and reasonably smooth. The oil, air filter and spark plugs are easily serviced with a well organised engine compartment. One of my hesitations with buying this was the CVT and its reliability. I watched the Dodge Caliber for over a year to see how they were doing and read of testing that showed a 300,000 mile durability cycle. I am hoping for at least half that at a minimum. After driving the CVT for a while, I think I am a convert, and will be completely won over if they prove to be reliable. It does take some getting used to, but once you do, they are great. However, if you are the gas-mashing type and aggressive, it will fight you and make a lot of noise. I routinely pull away from everyone at stops with very little pedal and passing at highway speed is easy with only a little nudge. The CVT shines with mountain driving as the RPMs ramps up without straining the motor at all. I find myself passing lots of cars on my way up, and on the way down, the CVT pays back again by applying engine braking keeping the car at speed without using your brakes much at all. Again, it is very fluid when you learn how to drive it. My wife's Scion xD will hunt for the right gear and thrash the engine. The CVT steel belt is supposedly good for the life of the vehicle and requires no service until 100,000 miles (fluid change). Safety: Front and side air bags, ESP, ABS, roll mitigation and four wheel disc standard on a $15000 vehicle. The body looks and feels stout with multi-layered steel with internal bonding structural foam in-between key areas. The door thresholds are box beams with sturdy looking A and B pillars forming a cage around you. It has very good crash test ratings and my insurance company actually lowered my rates. Overall, I am very happy with my Patriot, but time will tell as it is too new of a vehicle. My last Cherokee gave me 170,000 trouble free miles. Before that I milked over 300,000 out of a Dodge Dakota with very little trouble. So my expectations are high. I have read where many Dodge Calibers are on car lots with over 100,000 miles still running strong. That's a good start, and I have not heard of any pandemic CVT failures. These CVTs are made by JATCO and have been used in Japan for many years now with good results. Ford's CVT seemed problematic at the onset. Understand this is an economy vehicle starting under $16K going into the low 20s. Mine was under 19K and optioned well. So this Jeep represents a good value to me, is solid driving, nice on the eyes, decent fuel economy and inexpensive respectively. I would gladly drive a stripped version 5 speed, crank windows, vinyl seats and steel wheels if all I could afford was $15k.
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Bought our Patriot end of Oct/2007. We endured an exceptionally hard winter in Colorado 2007/2008. I am very happy to report our Jeep Patriot 4x4 Trail-Rated (w/CVT) proved exceptionally stable and stout in many trips up and down and over the Continental Divide, even over rugged Hoosier Pass (Breckenridge-to-SouthPark) about 11,00-ft elevation, above tree line.. Patriot muscled right over in the worst possilbe conditions - extremely heavy winds, blowing/drifting snow, low to non-existent visibility: zero complaints, steady as a rock, great grip, nice and tight. The only problem the whole winter was when newly-licensed teenager was able to 'break the wheels' making a turn on icy street and hit the curb in an awkward way - which expensively boogered up the suspension and steering. Runs fine now after the fix. Jeep also ran great during the hot summer. That thing likes to get up hills, for sure. Can't wait to take it off-road this Fall at Kenosha Pass. Only real complaint is during a slow deceleration there is a definite dead spot at about 12 - 15 mph. Local dealership techie said this was because of the way transmission software is set up. He said that this dead spot comes about because of exigencies built in to the CVT protocol that need to account for a quick acceleration should it occur in that range, He was going to check with "his people" to see if there would be fix for this, but I never heard back. All-in-all, I like this vehicle, especially all the interior room and the way it handles on-road during inclement situations. |
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