Jeep Patriot

Its pedigree is obvious at first glance. With its body-color, 7-slot grille and straight-edged side panels, Patriot’s 2-box design recalls the slabby but almost-iconic Jeep Cherokee midsize SUV that enjoyed a marketplace run spanning two decades, until it ended in 2001.
Patriot lacks crisp acceleration on-road.


Other notable cues include slightly exaggerated fender flares. They help retain Jeep’s trademark trapezoidal wheel-well shape and complement the cross/utility vehicle’s high belt line.

With an overall height of 65.7 ins. (167 cm), Patriot is slightly taller than its pudgier Jeep platform-mate, the Compass. The latter was developed to capitalize on strong focus-group response from women, while the Patriot’s straightforward design played better with men.

Of the two, Patriot clearly seems more fetching.

Though trimmer to the eye, it is marginally larger than the clumsy-looking Compass. Patriot boasts a length of 173 ins. (440 cm) and a width of 69.1 ins. (176 cm).

Both CUVs share a 104-in. (264-cm) wheelbase.

Access and egress is effortless, while the driver’s sightlines are unencumbered by Patriot’s compressed greenhouse. Both of these attributes benefit from Patriot’s command-seating position.

Legroom is more than adequate, front and rear, with dimensions of 40.6 ins. (103 cm) and 39.4 ins. (100 cm), respectively. Concave front-row seatbacks afford rear passengers a little space to stretch.
Touch points lack tactile satisfaction.


And for occupants not paper-trained, there is YES Essentials stain-resistant, odor-fighting, anti-microbial upholstery from Milliken Automotive. This $250 option goes well with the cargo compartment’s rubber mat, which features a rugged diamond-plate pattern.

With its rear seats folded down, Patriot’s cargo volume grows from 23 cu.-ft (0.65 cu.-m) to 54.2 cu.-ft. (1.54 cu.-m), more than enough to accommodate a large kennel.

The instrument panel is stylish and well organized, but the proliferation of plastic is a major bone of contention. Not the quantity of plastic, but the quality.