2010 Jeep Patriot

[regfootball]

quick summation

JUST SAY NO.

MSRP a little under 23. White, front drive 2.4 CVT.

Highs - better than expected engine performance, better than anticipated CVT behavior, solid 'trucklike' (Jeeplike?) feel, feels robust and secure (or did it just feel porky), steering that was decently quick, decent gauge layout and controls, seat was ok in terms of comfort, gets out of its own way (with a lot of groaning), basically sounds like you are driving a tractor.

Lows - rear seat accomodations are a bit of a joke, so is cabin with, so is the cargo space, lots of road noise, lack of powertrain refinement, cheap interior, whole thing feels 15 years old, oddly quirky styling of Jeep on a FWD chassis, nothing in the way of steering and suspension feel, dash is constricting on front driver and passenger, ergonomics are strange, only 21/25 epa mpg.

basically what you have a vehicle that is way behind the curve in packaging and space utilization, refinement and NVH, fuel economy, interiors, sense of detail and quality......just say no. One might say at this price you must accept some shortcomings and be ok with its basic function but the competition is too fierce.

One qualifier here....if you don't need to bring people in the rear seat and aren't in desperate need of a cavernous rear cargo area.....it may serve well for the single or couple that can afford to fold down the second row.

As it is, the vehicle needs a bitchslap. The steering and handling and road feel need work. Is it a car or a truck? Decide. If you like em trucky you maybe won't mind this. But why does trucky have to equal road noise and general lack of refinement?

New interior is improved but really still behind the curve mainly due to material quality. If the seats didn't feel ass cheap maybe it would be livable.

I guess too it depends on your frame of reference. If you are one that typically is not used to this size of vehicle or one with this amount of space, then perhaps you find this worthwhile to deal with the bad points.

Patriot pricing has never really been an issue. The styling depends on how you feel Jeep meshes onto a crossover platform. MPG is less than what it should be. The engine and transmission do not let the driver down. It's everything else in the tactile and sensory feel of the vehicle.

Maybe this is why Jeep is different. This could also be why Jeep shouldn't be in this segment unless they can get it right.

A Mitsubishi outlander despite an inferior CVT is a better all around choice. I shudder to think how much better an Equinox or (gasp) even a CRV would feel in comparison to this.

I feel no remorse. Due to an advertising bit, I got 25 bucks for the test drive.

So, to be fair, I will give it a C.....ok, C+ and move on. Some folks may like this sort of thing.

If only one thing Jeep did to this vehicle was to eliminate the horrible road noise, and the NVH in general, then perhaps we can talk.

I wouldn't drive this vehicle for free. The only vehicle I disliked more on a test drive was the Suzuki XL7.

I would so drive a Toyota Matrix several times over before this. I can't think of a redeeming quality about this vehicle....or at least a compelling one that I would say, 'if you like this, buy this'.

Peace out. Now I know why the Equinox sells so well........

Edited September 19, 2010 by regfootball

[Robert Hall]

Apples and oranges as far comparing to the Equinox--the Equinox is much larger, almost Grand Cherokee sized.

I suppose the Patriot nominally competes with the CR-V, Rav-4, Tuscon, and Sportage. GM doesn't have anything that small in NA..

Edited September 19, 2010 by Cubical-aka-Moltar

[regfootball]

it's not even an issue of what size or class or price this thing competes in.

its pretty near unfit for consumption at any price or class until they get the refinement and interior sloppiness under control.

i leave a test drive thinking my cobalt is a luxury car in comparison, this pretty much says it all.

some of it they can fix, some its not worth the spit.

the ford escape is a far better choice even. the kia twins can be had for some price. a bottom end equinox (current version) has to crush it.

Edited September 19, 2010 by regfootball

[regfootball]

Apples and oranges as far comparing to the Equinox--the Equinox is much larger, almost Grand Cherokee sized.

I suppose the Patriot nominally competes with the CR-V, Rav-4, Tuscon, and Sportage. GM doesn't have anything that small in NA..

yet the magazine comparos and even gm's own advertising compare it directly to those.

try again.......

the tucson is fantastic by the way. refined but with still a little too much noise...at least it delivers the mpg....

Edited September 19, 2010 by regfootball

[pow]

They sold pretty well when C4C was around. Maybe it'll do better if Chrysler chopped $7,500 off the MSRP... because it certainly is worth about $15,000, max. Wasn't the base MSRP for these in the $14Ks when it first came out?

[pow]

I borrowed a 2011 xB from Zipcar, and thought that was a pretty awesome car for $17K. Lots of interior space, good power, well-equipped... that should really be the Patriot's competition. The CR-V and RAV4 seem larger.

[regfootball]

They sold pretty well when C4C was around. Maybe it'll do better if Chrysler chopped $7,500 off the MSRP... because it certainly is worth about $15,000, max. Wasn't the base MSRP for these in the $14Ks when it first came out?

perhaps the msrp should be adjusted to reflect what the price would have been 15 years ago, aka the age the vehicle feels like.

[daves87rs]

They sold pretty well when C4C was around. Maybe it'll do better if Chrysler chopped $7,500 off the MSRP... because it certainly is worth about $15,000, max. Wasn't the base MSRP for these in the $14Ks when it first came out?

+1

[A Horse With No Name]

Agree with you here, Patriot is an utter TURD...