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2007 Jeep Patriot Limited 4X4 Road Test

In critiquing automobiles, it's necessary to put preconceived notions aside

Jeep. Perfect in the wilderness, be it on the trail or at the campsite. (Photo: Justin Couture, American Auto Press)

and start each review with a blank slate. Do this and sometimes you find that comparative vehicles, despite being remarkably similar on paper, end up feeling, and more importantly being different. Sometimes you end up with high expectations, but are let down. Yet other times you end up with a diamond amongst the stones, like the Jeep Patriot. I'm not here to pull your leg or disillusion you; the Patriot is a good vehicle.

The Patriot was inspired by the classic Cherokee, and therefore has a bit of a retro look to it. It's boxy and upright, but somehow not quite as handsome, to my eyes. The boxiness looks somewhat forced on its compact dimensions and the sprouting fender flares appear overly complex. Nonetheless, this is quite clearly a Jeep, with its seven-slot grille, round headlamps and short overhangs that deliver class-leading approach, departure and breakover angles. It's been said that the Patriot was styled for guys in mind and the Compass for women, but the Patriot seems to gel better with those of both genders. During my test week it was dubbed cute on several occasions, proving that there really aren't any boundaries. If utility is one of the reasons for purchase,

Note the difference in shape between the Patriot (front) and its less appealing Compass cousin. (Photo: Justin Couture, American Auto Press)

the Patriot makes a point for itself with a near 90-degree upright tailgate angle, yielding a larger cargo hold than the rounded, sloping backside of the Compass.

The Patriot actually handles very well, even if you don't think of it as a Jeep, third best to the street-oriented Compass and the unbelievably capable Grand Cherokee SRT8. With a lower center of gravity than the usual off-road biased Jeep, it inherently resists roll, while the suspension's soft-ish springs eat up bumps with generous travel. As such, it will lean in bends, but far less than any of the usual compact SUVs out on the market, like the Honda CR-V or Ford Escape. I'd even go so far as to say that the Patriot can be pushed quite hard in the corners with confidence and without worry of tipping over, as its sun visor warning might suggest. True, the Patriot and the Compass might be very much the same car on paper, but because the Patriot is more Jeep-like in character, its capabilities simply feel more impressive. What's more is that ESP and ABS brakes are standard equipment, ensuring that this difficult to roll vehicle

The Patriot is an easy drive, simply because it's so car-like. (Photo: Justin Couture, American Auto Press)

will keep its wheels firmly planted on the ground.

Whereas Jon (Yarkony) might have taken the extremely spacious Saturn Outlook camping and Steven (James Day) the Wrangler Unlimited Rubicon for his overnight stay in the wild, I opted to put the Patriot to the test for my end-of-summer vacation. I'm not quite the active weekend warrior, but for my simple needs (girlfriend and I), it left a surprisingly pleasant impression.

For once in my life I was glad to have hard-wearing plastics throughout the interior. The dashboard and door panels might not have been the wipe-down vinyl floor of the trunk, but they cleaned up just as easily and didn't mark too badly. Having more finished edges, such as the creases around the glove box and trim, is something Chrysler should work on. I was tempted to take a Swiss Army knife to the excess trim that dangled around the edges of the dash top, but didn't. And speaking of the dash area, don't you think that out of all three cars that were spawned from the compact platform, the Patriot deserves the Chill Zone drink cooler in the glove box, since it's the most likely to be taken into the wilderness where

It may look like a hurricane's just touched down in here, but everything's easy and in its right place. (Photo: Justin Couture, American Auto Press)

chilled beverages are truly appreciated? Mind you, the boxy hole in the dash is perfectly useable too, for stowing frequently accessed items such as maps, and it's just the right size to stow a small-form umbrella. Likewise, Jeep could've pulled a Nissan Xterra and stuffed a first aid kit in place of the swing-down Music Gate speakers. I think a dark roofliner would be better too, as the cloud gray color looks like it'd take on muddy fingerprints and the juice of various forest insects far, far too easily. Other unexpected conveniences included a powerful, removable and rechargeable LED flashlight, perfect for setting up camp in the pitch darkness, and a 115-volt AC converter, useful for charging cell phones, laptops and other things that really don't belong in the great outdoors.

For day-to-day usability, there isn't that much to complain about, either. The 2.4-liter World Engine is subdued and is brisk enough even when bursting from the seams with cargo. No doubt, having a manual transmission helped things along. Even though this is the most powerful form of World Engine offered on the market, the Patriot doesn't really feel like it's got the full 172 horsepower top of the

A lot will fit in the Patriot. Just make sure you've got it all before heading out. (Photo: Justin Couture, American Auto Press)

line version (if you get the CVT, you get a smaller 2.0-liter 148-hp engine – another reason to stick with the stick). That said, it is plenty good. Without body-on-frame construction or a live rear axle to jostle things around, the ride is comfortable and smooth. In other words, it's a pretty painless vehicle to drive, and it's one of the only small vehicles around where you can truly enjoy the view.

One thing that we noted was that the car's electronic throttle caused the engine to rev when the clutch pedal is depressed, even if your foot is completely off the gas pedal, something we thought only happened in Hondas. Take your time when shifting gears; the console-mounted shifter doesn't like to be rushed and is prone to balking. Fuel consumption on the Patriot 4X4 is fairly good, and better than we expected. On our highway portion we recorded 31 mpg, and an overall average of 28 mpg. It should be noted that the Patriot's aerodynamic efficiency of 0.45 cd is an absolute disgrace in times when SUVs hover around the 0.32 cd mark.

Since this is a Jeep, we felt pretty silly having it around without taking it off

Don't be fooled into thinking you need the Off-Road package to go off-road. It's plenty capable without the Trail Rating. (Photo: Justin Couture, American Auto Press)

road, so we took the Patriot on a few light trails around our campground to see how it would cope as a non-Trail Rated vehicle. The terrain wouldn't have caused a CR-V or RAV4 to raise a white flag, but the Patriot handled what was pitched at it without problem. Its only real limiter to its capabilities is its lack of ground clearance, which is cleared by a one-inch lift when the Off-Road Group is selected. Still, even without the electronic gadgets derived from the CVT, such as the low range and the extra ESP functionality (hill descent control, brake lock differential), the grippy Goodyear Wrangler SR-A tires and the 50-50 lock for the 4WD system should be able to get owners out of most light-duty situations without trouble. In addition, activating this mode delays the point at which the ABS brakes will kick in, improving stopping distances on rough surfaces.

As if the pleasing driving experience and practicality factor wasn't enough to win me over, the pricing really sealed the deal for me. At $15,110, the Patriot is a grand cheaper than the much less appealing Compass (less appealing to me anyway), and comes with the same engine, gearbox ABS, ESP plus front, side and curtain airbags. It's also only $700 more than the base Caliber, which includes none of these features as standard, and has the smaller

A solid buy that makes plenty of sense. (Photo: Justin Couture, American Auto Press)

1.8-liter 148-hp World Engine. And purchasing a Patriot at the time this article's published, as part of the Fall Values promotion, will also earn you $500 back in cash allowance, which is a great bonus. Why anyone would buy any of the other three cars - especially the Compass - is truly beyond me... but I suppose styling, functionality and what constitutes value is a personal thing.

For 2008, Jeep has changed a couple of things. There are a few new colors available, most notably Orange, and there are Yes Essentials stain and odor resistant antistatic floormats available, a good thing in a vehicle that caters to outdoorsy lifestyles. Furthermore, non-Trail Rated Patriot buyers who opt for the CVT now receive a manual mode with six forward gears, which should help to eliminate some of the harsh buzziness during acceleration. I really don't see any reason for going anything better than the base model with air conditioning.

I used to feel embarrassed when I told people that I liked the Patriot, but after being reacquainted with it, I firmly believe that it's Chrysler's best product since the 300. The realization that the Patriot does everything a little SUV should, that it looks like a true and proper Jeep and that the prices aren't inflated in the least means that there's no shame in declaring it as a fantastic product.

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