After 5 years and 75,000 miles it was time for my husband and me to trade in our 2003 Chevrolet Cavalier for a new vehicle. A lot had changed since we purchased the Cavalier. We got married, had a daughter and took in a very large puppy, Lucy. We needed something a little more family orientated that was affordable, fuel efficient, and could accommodate our 55 pound, 5 month old puppy. After several test drives, and a lot of begging on my husband’s part to purchase a new Ford Mustang, we settled upon a 2009 Jeep Patriot. Trust me, we were not in the market for this vehicle initially but all the cash incentives and the friendly service made this vehicle seem like the perfect fit. Unfortunately, we aren’t exactly thrilled with this vehicle 3 months later.
This Jeep’s specs aren’t really that spectacular. The Patriot comes standard with a 2.4 L 4-Cyl engine, 172 horsepower and 165 pound-feet of torque. It has everything else that you would expect on this type of vehicle. 16” tires, side curtain air bags, traction control, front wheel drive (we opted not to get the 4X4 because I wasn’t exactly going to take this grocery getter off roading), and an estimated 22 mpg highway. That might seem reasonable on paper, but this Jeep has a lot of flaws.
Let’s start with the high roll over risk. I honestly think that one strong gust of wind would throw this Jeep on its side, not that this isn’t a standard warning on most Jeep products. There is also absolutely no control with acceleration. You literally have to grip the wheel and hold is steady with all of your might to keep this vehicle straight on the road. We opted for a manual transmission that is very sluggish. The interior is also nothing to write home about. The most I can say for it is that the seats are passably comfortable and there is plenty of head room.
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You may think that it can’t get much worse, but you would be wrong. The Jeep Patriot is basically a glorified station wagon. The styling is cheap and generic. The colors available are classic Jeep, and that is not a compliment. Our Jeep is in Surf Blue and I honestly believe can be seen from space. At least it is easy to find in a crowded parking lot. The cargo capacity is big enough to fit Lucy, but I do not want to be the one to lift her in when she hits 200 pounds.
All in all the price tag is fair, which starts at about $18,000. The Limited Package, which includes 17” tires, leather trim, fog lights, heated front seats, and chrome exterior accents, will cost around $23,000. I can’t recommend anyone else buy this Jeep. If you are looking for something in the same price range, check out a Honda Element or a Toyota RAV4 instead.
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