The Jeep Patriot is a beautiful-looking compact crossover SUV with exceptional performance and a spacious cabin. It wants to resemble the Jeep Grand Cherokee, but unlike the Cherokee, it is quite cheap to maintain.
Additionally, the Jeep Patriot stands tall and has excellent ground clearance with a trademark Jeep grille. Nonetheless, if you want a powerful off-road SUV, the Jeep Patriot is not one of those cars. And like most cars, the Jeep patriot also has several issues that interested buyers should be ready to deal with.
Even though the Jeep Patriot is rated to be slightly above average reliability, this car is cheaper to maintain. It will cost the user about $596 to maintain the Jeep Patriot annually. This is cheaper considering many SUVs require at least $650 to maintain annually.
History of the Jeep Patriot
The Jeep Patriot is a compact crossover SUV made by Jeep. Additionally, it comes with a front-engine with the option of either a front-wheel drive or all-wheel drive. This car debuted in April 2006 at the New York Auto Show. This vehicle was produced between 2007 and 2017.
Additionally, the Jeep Patriot comes with two different 4-cylinder engines and two transmission choices. Interested buyers can either select a 5-speed manual transmission or CVT. But for individuals that want an automatic transmission, they should select a model made after 2014 as the manufacturer added a 6-speed automatic transmission option in 2014.
Features of the Jeep Patriot
Appearance
In terms of appearance, the Jeep Patriot is not one of the best-looking compact crossover SUVs on the market. Nonetheless, it still looks good and it has a decent interior. Some of the features that it boasts include 16-inch alloy wheels, vinyl-wrapped steering wheel, tinted windows, and folding rear bench seats.
Performance
The Jeep Patriot is offered in three different models; sport, latitude, and limited. The sport variant is the least performing car, followed by latitude. While the limited variant is the best performing trim. Some of the things that are different in these models are wheel size and engine power.
The bests performing Patriot is the Patriot High Altitude with a 2.4-liter inline-4 engine that delivers a maximum of 172 hp and 165 lb-ft torque. On the other hand, the Patriot is fitted with a 2.0-liter inline-4 engine with a maximum of 158 hp and 141 lb-ft of torque.
Comfort and safety
The Jeep Patriot is not a very large car. Nonetheless, it is very comfortable as it can seat up to five people. On top of that, it comes with five doors. However, several users have complained that this car comes with a small cargo space, which may not be conducive for long journeys or for people who want to carry a lot of luggage.
The car has a total of 23 cubic feet. When the second row is folded, it provides a total of 46 cubic feet. When all seats are folded, it provides 53.5 cubic feet. This is quite decent but not as large as most of its competitors.
Fuel-efficiency
Most SUVs are not fuel-efficient. However, the Jeep Patriot is very fuel-efficient. It has an outstanding EPA rating of 23 mpg in the city, 30 mpg on the highway, and 25 mpg combined. Note that the more advanced the trim, the less fuel-efficient the car will be.
Therefore, the most fuel-efficient Jeep Patriot is Sport FWD, while the least fuel efficient variant is the Patriot High Altitude 4X4. The latter has an EPA rating of 20 mpg in the city, 25 mpg on the highway, and a combined 22 mpg.
Price
This is one of the cheapest compact SUVs on the market. On top of that, it is very cheap to maintain. However, the price varies according to the variant that you’re buying. If you’re buying the sports variant, you will have to pay around $19,000, while the High Altitude variant will cost you about $27,900.
FAQ
Why was the Jeep Patriot discontinued?
This crossover SUV was discontinued because it did not sell well. Even though the car was decent with good performance and cheap, it lacked a lot of technologies. As a result, many people found it unattractive as Jeep did almost nothing to improve the technology in the car.
When you compare Jeep Patriot with its rivals, you will find that they were far more advanced with better technologies. For instance, the Honda CR-V and Subaru Forester.
What are the common problems of the Jeep Patriot?
Jeep Patriot is a very reliable car and it records a few problems. Nonetheless, it also comes with several common issues that interested buyers should be aware of. These include electrical issues, transmission problems, rust, ball joints failure, premature CVT failure, and engine problems.
How fast is the Jeep Patriot?
The 2017 Jeep Patriot is the fastest car in the line. Unlike the older models that took 10.7 seconds to accelerate from 0 to 60, this car takes just 8.2 seconds. On top of that, it has a top speed of 126 mph, compared to its predecessor with 112 mph.
What is the most reliable Jeep Patriot model year?
The 2017 Jeep Patriot stands out as the most reliable model year. Unlike most of its predecessors, this car reports fewer issues, despite being more advanced. On the contrary, the least reliable Jeep Patriot model year is the 2008 model. This car has a lot of issues that will force you to spend more time in the garage and spend more money.
After how long does the Jeep Patriot start developing issues?
Some users have reported issues as early as 40 miles. So, if you want your car to have fewer problems or last over 200,000 miles, proper care and maintenance are needed. Furthermore, you will need to exercise good driving habits. Regardless, most Jeep Patriots start having issues after 100,000 miles.
Conclusion
The Jeep Patriot is not a perfect SUV, but it is one of the best-used Jeep SUVs that you can purchase. Thanks to its outstanding performance, excellent cabin, and fuel efficiency. Like most cars, this vehicle also has its own challenges, which include engine, transmission, and electrical problems.
All in all, it is an exceptional car that will last very long if properly maintained. What’s more, it is cheaper to maintain but it’s not great for off-road use.