CD Article: 2008 Jeep Patriot North

[CD_Editor]

Today's Test Drive:

The Jeep Patriot offers "generous passenger and cargo room" for a compact vehicle, and is "well-priced," says Editor-in-chief, Greg Wilson, but it can feel "underpowered" at times.  The Patriot North model is exclusive to Canada.
   
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Read the article | View the photos | All The Test Drives

[2hondas1BMW]

I actually like this vehicle. Looks alright (better than the Compass), it can "offroad" reasonably for a car based SUV and its roomy.

I am just sick of seeing Liberties everywhere, when this vehicle is more practical. 

[Leviathan]

My test vehicle was a North 4X4 model with a standard five-speed manual transmission

So many reviews are for the CVT models that it's nice to see a 5 speed thrown in. Seems like a pretty good bang for the buck.

[Mitlov]

Obviously the vehicle isn't perfect, and has some real flaws, Chrysler interior plastics and a dorky name being among them.  However, I still think it's a good option for a few reasons:

(1)  Genuine off-road ability combined with crossover on-road manners and crossover fuel economy.  That's a rare combination.

(2)  An honest-to-god manual transmission...something you won't find in a new CRV or RAV4.

(3--for Canada)  Unlike most (all?) import brands, Chrysler recognizes the parity of the Canadian and US dollars.  As a consequence, a base Jeep Patriot North is 70% of the price of a base CRV.  Some will pooh-pooh the vehicle for "selling on price instead of trying to be best-in-the-segment," but hey, plenty of us don't exactly have a trust fund, and 1/3 off the price of a base CRV isn't too shabby at all.

(3--for the US)  Lifetime.  Powertrain.  Warranty.

[Snowman]

I think this is a good offering from Dodge and a good balance as Mitlov pointed out. I think the balancing act has compromised the towing ability and as mentioned in the article power is lacking and would suffer loaded. I’m not sure if being Trail Rated by Dodge and meeting certain criteria involved testing on severely uneven surfaces were crossovers usually twist apart. The low towing capacity makes me think the structural integrity is not worthy of the Jeep nameplate. I know a few trails just around the corner I would like to test this thing on and see if the plastic panels pop off.

[banfield]

Obviously the vehicle isn't perfect, and has some real flaws, Chrysler interior plastics and a dorky name being among them.  However, I still think it's a good option for a few reasons:

(1)  Genuine off-road ability combined with crossover on-road manners and crossover fuel economy.  That's a rare combination.

(2)  An honest-to-god manual transmission...something you won't find in a new CRV or RAV4.

(3--for Canada)  Unlike most (all?) import brands, Chrysler recognizes the parity of the Canadian and US dollars.  As a consequence, a base Jeep Patriot North is 70% of the price of a base CRV.  Some will pooh-pooh the vehicle for "selling on price instead of trying to be best-in-the-segment," but hey, plenty of us don't exactly have a trust fund, and 1/3 off the price of a base CRV isn't too shabby at all.

(3--for the US)  Lifetime.  Powertrain.  Warranty.

Agree very much on the pricing vs. U.S. dollar point. Manufacturers like Chrysler who are giving us a break warrant support. The good visibility in this vehicle also appeals to me - derived partially from the upright windshield. Too many current vehicles have extremely raked windshields, leading to reflections in the windshield and A-pillar obstruction of the view.  I would seriously consider this vehicle except that I have an '06 Caravan and need a little more towing capacity.  Too bad about the CVT transmission, which seems to get bad reviews. The new-this-year mode allowing driver selection of specific shift points might eliminate the "rubber-band", high-revving
effect of the CVT, but acceleration would be slower, I expect.

Thanks to the test driver/writer for the thoughtful, detailed review.

[stodge]

I'd never buy a Jeep as I find them too boxy, but for a Jeep this one looks ok. It has a nice design and it's balanced; no odd bulges around its skirts. That interior, however, is dreadful. The design is awful and unimaginative, and it looks incredibly cheap. I know you buy primarily Jeep for the off-road features, but they have to improve that interior if they want to be taken seriously. Maybe they should buy Jatco's CVT?

The specification doesn't indicate performance figures - i.e. is it like a dog or acceptable? But the economy is decent though.

[2hondas1BMW]

That interior, however, is dreadful. The design is awful and unimaginative, and it looks incredibly cheap.

Like all Chrysler cars 

[sirAQUAMAN64]

This is a smart vehicle from Jeep. Exactly what a lot of people were looking for, with pricing hard to ignore.

[Mitlov]

You know what I'd like to see?  A Patriot SRT4, with the engine from the Caliber SRT4 and AWD to tame the torque steer.  Think "poor man's Grand Cherokee SRT-8," or perhaps "Forester XT on steroids."

[prufrock]

I think this is a great vehicle for -- wait for it -- the north.

A 4wd vehicle that can be had around $20K? Where I am, people would laugh if you took this thing off-road. But to help you get through some snow drifts during the winter? It's fits the bill, and probably works a lot better than the awd on demand systems in most of the SUVs around here.

This to me seems to be the kind of vehicle parents will buy for their kids to go off to university in. Cheap, huge dealership base, good cargo room, and safety-wise it's better than most.

I can't imagine looking at a Calibre when this can be had for so little.

[mrthompson]

Provided the CVT doesn't prove to grenade prematurely, I would consider one of these as a 'used' purchase in the next few years.  It ain't fancy, but it gets the job done.

[Sir Osis of Liver]

I looked one over a week ago or so. The interior seemed better than on the Caliber. A very useful amount of room inside also. Bigger cargo area than the Vibe, and better visibility.

A 5 speed AWD model with the features I wanted came to $21,000. Very respectable. I wouldn't generally go for AWD, but this thing really LOOKS like it should be AWD.

[PJungnitsch]

I looked at one back in March. Didn't get to drive it (they were rare back then) but had a good look over the one the dealer had.

From my notes back then:

Had a good look at a local one today, a base 5-speed. On paper this looked like the perfect vehicle, good ground clearance, standard ESP, 4wd AND good mileage, hatch, flat load floor. Not a wide vehicle, but lots of headroom, and front and back seat area seemed reasonable. Rear seats fold flat easily.

But that interior is nasty! I'm used to pickups where the standards are historically low, and my 20 year old one is no prize. But Chrysler really is plumbing the depths to how cheap you can spec interior materials. The armrest, with all its flip mp3 holder/sliding armrest goodness is made of the same stuff you buy at Canadian Tire for twenty bucks. Interior by the Dollar store. The only thing I've been in similar was a late 90's Chev Cavalier.

Anything else I've driven lately has been miles ahead. The interior of the Liberty's right beside it on the same lot look miles better, hard to believe they were built by the same company.

Good
Standard ESP
Good ground clearance
Lots of headroom
Hatch
Rear seats fold easily, and made a flat load floor to the back
Good mileage for a 4X4, 9.3/7.4, or 30/38
Six airbags

Bad
Exterior styling only ok. Somehow not nearly as nice in the flesh as in photos. I really like the Cherokee, this is like the Cherokees fat dorky brother.
Interior styling only ok, doesn’t seem like the design team went to much effort.
Cheaply built interior. Really cheap. Lots of clever design, sliding, flipping, but terrible materials used.
Vinyl seats! Have not seen those for a long time.
Hardly any features on the base, manual everything
Engine access for servicing looks terrible, engine bay short, components crammed in, lots of covers.

Conclusion
On paper looks like the perfect vehicle, but nasty up close. The dollar store interior just gets worse the harder I look. Like a late 90’s Cavalier, looks like it would scream ‘sucker’ during its payment life.

[Leviathan]

Re: Lacking power mentioned. Wasn't there another thread recently asking the musical question "how much is enough"? The Patriot has a more power than my Tribute and I've not had a problem keeping up with city traffic when loaded with 5 adults nor passing on the highway. Anyway, I don't recall the interior causing a gag reflex when I sat in one at the car show and it is certainly better than the Calibre (not saying much!).

[Mitlov]

Vinyl seats! Have not seen those for a long time.

Ever been to a BMW dealership?  "Leatherette" doesn't come from cows.

[PJungnitsch]

Vinyl seats! Have not seen those for a long time.

Ever been to a BMW dealership?  "Leatherette" doesn't come from cows.

IIRC this isn't the stuff you mistake for leather. This is old-school vinyl, like what very basic pickups come with if you are not careful.

[Sir Osis of Liver]

The one I looked at really didn't seem that bad regarding materials, and the seats were cloth.

Lets compare it to it's cute ute competition in the high teens, low twenties......And there we have it. The Patriot is the class leader in a class of one!

[Mitlov]

The one I looked at really didn't seem that bad regarding materials, and the seats were cloth.

Lets compare it to it's cute ute competition in the high teens, low twenties......And there we have it. The Patriot is the class leader in a class of one!

Exactly.  I can see paying 5-10% more for a Honda-quality interior.  But 40% more?  Yikes.

[dr_spock]

I went to the Autoshow just to see one.   I liked the exterior but was disappointed with the interior.  It felt cheap, maybe to keep the costs down.  The base price is pretty attractive for a new Jeep.