JEEP PATRIOT Review

Summary:

What we like: Interior space

What we don't like: Tyre noise

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JEEP PATRIOT review in detail:

"There is only one Jeep" - For years, Chrysler used this advertising tag line. But because of the benefits of platform sharing, the Chrysler Group now substantially gets three vehicles for the price of one: the Dodge Caliber, Jeep Compass, and now the Jeep Patriot. Far from being compromised by its close relationship with the Compass, the cheaper Patriot is likely to sell in reasonable numbers for its mix of value, off-road ability and relative refinement. If anything, the Patriot may lead prospective buyers to question the need for the Compass.

The Patriot's rectangular styling is supposed to recall the warmly remembered Jeep Cherokee. Jeep marketers say the Patriot's look resonates with current Jeep owners and with male buyers in general, whereas the more unusual styling of the Compass, they claim, appeals to women and to people who've never previously owned a Jeep.

The interior of the Patriot draws its inspiration from a granite block — square, grey and very purposeful. Strangely, the hard plastics and sizeable flat surfaces are not offensive but neither are they inspiring. Interior space is good and there are some nice touches such as the flexibility of the seating, which allows all but the driver's seat to fold flat, and the placing of the gear-shift lever raised part-way up the centre console where it falls easily to hand.

On the road, the Patriot is a good all-rounder. Ride quality is better than average for an SUV. Balance and stability of the MacPherson front-end and five-link independent rear suspension is good, the steering particularly so. The Patriot is happy to take on tarmac — within the capabilities of its 2.4-litre petrol (125kW and 220Nm) or VW-sourced 2.0-litre turbo diesel (103kW and 310Nm). Where the Patriot really surprises is off the beaten track, well off the beaten track. The Patriot's Freedom-Drive 1 all-wheel-drive system is an active system with a heavy front-wheel-drive bias but complemented by torque split software that doesn't need to detect wheel slip before feeding additional torque to the rear wheels.

Overall, the Jeep Patriot might be a bit better than its Caliber and Compass siblings but it's still far behind other vehicles such as the Honda CR-V, Toyota RAV4, or Forester.

When will the JEEP PATRIOT be updated next?

The JEEP PATRIOT update is expected to be around 0 2007

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