2008 Jeep Patriot Sport 4X4 Road Test

The Jeep Cherokee, along with Nissan's Pathfinder and Toyota's 4Runner, will all

Jeep takes a page from the history books, styling the Patriot after the old Cherokee. (Photo: Dan Heyman, American Auto Press)

go down in history as the vehicles that ushered in the SUV movement. It's these SUVs that helped give the segment such a strong foothold in the automotive marketplace today. Unlike the too-much-for-the-road International Harvester Travelall and monstrous first generation Chevy Suburban (I guess the classic Jeep Wagoneer fits in here too), vehicles like the Cherokee were pioneers of sorts in their ability to scale the size and bulkiness down without getting rid of vital off-roading gear like the rigid body on frame construction and the low-range transfer case. And yet, they were still capable of taking their drivers and passengers well off the beaten path.

So, when 2001 came, and the Jeep Cherokee rolled off the assembly line for the last time, I'm not ashamed to say that I had a little tear in my eye. I was convinced that Jeep was making an error by abandoning the classic model, which had carved such a niche for itself. Its replacement, the Liberty, while cool, just didn't quite have the muscle or no-nonsense air about it, and don't even get me started on the treatment given to the front end of that vehicle. Yes, it had Jeep's trademark seven-slot grille and rounded headlamps that hearken all the way back to the Willys that started it all

It's the cheapest 4X4 currently sold in America. (Photo: Dan Heyman, American Auto Press)

during WWII, but the unpainted plastic fenders (Trail Rated versions, however, received body colored items) flanking the fascia and softly sloping hood softened the image as a whole, while the tall roofline and proportionally narrow width gave the impression that it wasn't all that stable, even while stopped. Of course, the off-road dynamics of that truck were still respectable, but I just didn't sense the same Jeep passion from that vehicle that I did when a Cherokee was present.

You can imagine my relief when the Patriot first made an appearance in New York during the 2006 auto show season. This, I thought to myself, was a proper Jeep. There was no slanted hood, steeply raked windscreen or rounded corners; the Patriot had enough 90 degree angles to make a mathematician blush, wonderfully flared fenders that looked like they belonged on an H3 (whose right to use a 7-slot grille was, coincidentally, authorized just after AMC - American Motors Corporation - purchased the Jeep Corporation from Kaiser - 1970 - and formed the General Products Division of Jeep for producing contract and non-commercial vehicles, which was almost immediately renamed AM General Corporation, the company that created the HMMWV or "Humvee", later known in the retail world as the Hummer H1 when General Motors bought the rights to the Hummer name and began selling it and expanding the brand to include the H2 and H3) and a wicked set of dark gray five-spoke alloys that looked like they were straight off of a late '90s

It may be small on the outside, but fold down the rear seats and there's plenty of room. (Photo: Dan Heyman, American Auto Press)

Cherokee. I thought to myself “Jeep is back! This is the vehicle, from a stylistic standpoint anyway, that the Liberty should have been!” Now that I've had the chance to sample a Patriot first hand, I'm happy to say that its not a bad little vehicle underneath its muscular contours, either.

In the metal, so to speak, the aggressive angles are accentuated. The fender flares, in particular, appear to be even more prominent than I found from looking at pictures of it. Sure, some may say they make for a slightly busy view from the front or rear quarters, or from the side, but I disagree as I think they are instrumental in demonstrating what the little Jeep is all about. I say ‘little' because, well, the Patriot is. This was my first surprise when I saw one in person as it appears positively squat compared to the tall standing Liberty. At 173.6 inches from nose to tail it's definitely not long, and at 69.1 inches high it can't exactly be called ‘tall' either, especially when one considers that its little Compass brother (or sister) comes in at 173.4 inches and 65.2 inches, respectively. This was the one thing that took some getting used to — having girls approach me with lines like “that's a cute car, what is it?” Guys, on the other hand, seemed to think it to be on the small side, often giving it confused looks,

Stamped-in name plate gives the Patriot a rugged look. (Photo: Dan Heyman, American Auto Press)

accompanied by something along the lines of, "What? That's a Jeep?" But then you realize that this is what Jeep has been gunning for all along, a rugged-looking crossover. Underneath, it's got a true unibody construction that proves it is a little more on the crossover side, which should appeal to a broader consumer base than your typical Jeep product. It's got the tough Jeep line, but not the classic Jeep ride quality and macho-man image.

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