The 2011 Jeep Patriot may be no Wrangler, but it represents the direction the brand MUST take to stay relevant. For the consumer, it means a crossover that does many things well, especially for those who want versatility that will pay dividends in EVERYDAY driving, rather than those few moments on the Rubicon trail.
When the Patriot was introduced along size the Compass, it resulted in a collective groan from Jeep enthusiasts, watching the brand’s iron-strong off-road reputation being smelted right in front of them.
As hard as it was to hear for those who loved the unrivaled capabilities of the Wranglers and Cherokee’s of the world, Jeep needed the Patriot and Compass to survive. As the SUV craze turned into the crossover land grab, Jeep needed an entrant. It found two, actually, in the Patriot and Compass. These two 5-passenger crossovers that share more DNA with the Dodge Caliber hatchback then they do a Wrangler.
The major setbacks for the Patriot were not its off-road prowess (or lack thereof). Rather, its sub par interior and rough ride (especially for such a road-borne SUV) were its major hindrances. It was a common thread for almost all Chrysler products going into the recession and when the auto industry took a nosedive, people favored well-designed import brands like Kia, Hyundai, and Subaru. The Patriot and Compass were no different, and sales suffered as a result.
Since the bailout (and Fiat’s new ownership of the Chrysler brand) Jeep, Dodge, and Chrysler models are quietly and quickly being improved, starting with the interior. The Patriot that we tested is no exception. The once clunky, and ill-fitting panels of the earlier Patriot have been replaced. This new cabin doesn’t blow it away from the competition, but finally puts it on an even playing field. (that competition includes the Kia Sportage and Subaru Forester). The layout of controls has not been changed, rather the fit, finish, and actual design of the new dash, instrument cluster, and center stack blend for a cabin that’s easy on the eyes, and an easy place in which to spend the daily commute.
Trims for the Patriot are the Base($15,995), Latitude ($19,695), and range-topping Latitude X ($22,195), which we drove. Complete with the $3,700 customer preferred package, that featured heated seats, a leather-wrapped multifunction steering wheel, and a trip computer with compass and ambient temperature readouts within the gauge cluster. IPod-toting drivers should get a lot of use out of the standard audio input jack and the center-stack located 115-volt wall-style power outlet is great for anyone looking to charge a laptop on the road.
Our test model also featured the optional $650 Media Center 430- CD/DVD/MP3 player, complete with 30GB hard drive (which can store up to 6,700 songs), all operated via a 6.5-inch touchscreen display. Match that with the $375 Uconnect package, featuring Bluetooth, USB input jack, and 1-year Sirius subscription, and you have a crossover highly routed in real-world utility.
The rear pop-out flashlight is something of an easter egg, and will prove useful when camping or tailgating. I don’t suggest trekking to the Rubicon Trail to camp, though- that’s where the Patriot runs into trouble.
Base power for the Patriot is a 2.0-liter inline-4, making 158 horsepower, while the uprated Latitude gets a 2.4-liter inline-4 putting out 172 horsepower. That smaller engine will get you the better fuel economy, but you’ll be struggling to make it up to highway speed. If you want any semblance of power, go with the 2.4-liter.
The Patriot is available in both front and all wheel drive forms (Jeep calls it 4WD, but lets be serious, people). A FWD Patriot is a great choice if its space and fuel economy you’re after. If you live in an inclement region, one of the two all wheel drive models would be advised. To be precise, its two AWD-to-transmission combinations. Power is sent through either a 5-speed manual, and two continuously variable transmissions. The CVT II is an $1,100 option, while the CVT with off-road crawl ratio we tested is a $1,050 option. The latter setup gets the “Trail-Rated” accolade, and works simultaneously with the downhill descent control to bring some actual off-road chops to the Patriot.
For when Patriot meets an obstacle in the road or a seriously degraded dirt road, Off-Road Crawl Mode is engaged by putting the CVT into “Low”, and lifting up on the lever located at the bottom of the center console. It won’t turn the Patriot into a Wrangler Rubicon, but it WILL get the Patriot through some relatively rough terrain that some other road-going crossover drivers may have to think twice about. It is Trail Rated, but I would say just barely.
That moderate off-road prowess comes at a cost. The all wheel drive CVT Patriot gets 20 miles per gallon city, 23 miles, highway. That’s not very impressive. The best performer in terms of MPG’s is the base 2.0L with front wheel drive and the 5-speed manual gets 23 miles per gallon city, 29 highway. Nothing to write home about, but still, near 30 MPG’s is respectable.
So, its clear that the Patriot is not a rugged example of a long line of sold off-roading machines. Traditional Jeep? No, but the Patriot is, a capable everyday runabout that has what it takes to trudge through inclement road conditions. Fact is, those likely to look at the Patriot will never push it to the bounds of its soft-roading capabilities. Taking that into consideration may not ease the gripe of those diehard Jeep enthusiasts.
What should ease the pain is in knowing that the Patriot is a competent vehicle, and fully capable of selling well. The Patriot, and for that matter redesigned Compass, and Grand Cherokee (all vehicles that Jeep diehards would argue water down the brand) all must do well to ensure Wranglers will keep being built for decades to come.
Under normal circumstances, this is where I recap one of the Larz Anderson Lawn Events, reporting the winners of each category. That just would not do this past Sunday justice. This was one of those days that reminds us why the car is so important to us. Reminds us that, while many cars have turned into rolling appliances, and less and less people know how to drive a stick shift each year, those that still care have a place to go and revel in what they cherish most about automobiles. (more…)
My time spent at the Larz Anderson Museum has been quite fruitful so far this Summer. First, with the classic delights of British Car Day, and then with the thoroughly modern experience of getting behind the wheel of the all-new Porsche Boxster Spyder, its safe to say I’ve had my share of thrills.
That paled in comparison to what was to greet me Sunday June 20th (last Sunday). German Car Day was in full swing, and it was enormous. On the drive up to the museum, Porsche 356 roadsters could be seen darting up back roads in packs. Entering the grounds, I was greeted with the largest collection of cars ever to turn out for the German Car event (the largest single show was one of the past iterations of the Tutto Italiano, taking place August first this year). (more…)
Last week, members of the New England motor press, including yours truly, were treated to automotive wares old and new, as historic automobiles set the stage for some face time with the latest Boxster from Porsche. The setting was the Larz Anderson Auto Museum, the stone and mortar structure is a masterpiece made for a spectacular location. Any automaker choosing this site for a press event surely must keep their product in high regard.
The vehicle in question on this evening was the 2011 Porsche Boxster Spyder. What another version of the Boxster? Oh, but its so much more. The Spyder is a holistic approach to lightening the vehicle in the name of a more pure driving experience. Most notably, the convertible top has been completely gutted, and replaced with a makeshift canvas bikini top. It is held down by tension hooks on the corners of what is one of the prettiest rear cowls I’ve ever seen. That lack of a power top resulits in a 46-lb weight savings, and that’s just the beginning. (more…)
Spending time around classic British roadsters is good. Seeing them on the lawn of a historic auto museum styled after a French Chateau is even better. That was the setting for British Car Day 2010, part of a series of meets for various automotive genre put on by the Larz Anderson Auto Museum in Brookline, MA. As the oldest Automotive Museum in the country, this non-profit is home to vehicles such as a true “horseless carriage” built by Winston in 1899, but the story on this day was outside, on the Museum lawn.
I was immensely pleased to see a full helping of Jaguar E-Type roadsters(above), their long hoods and elegant lines captivating young driver’s imaginations long before Lamborghini’s were status quo for automotive pinup. It was fascinating to see those classic E-Types placed along side their successors, XJ-Coupe(below left), which was produced for only three years (’75-’78), and the XJS (below right), which was produced up until 1996. The black one seen here is an aggressive-looking XJS V12, “post-facelift” model, as they are called after 1991. (more…)
My friend’s Jeep Cherokee experienced the always-fun occasion of a cracked head, leaking coolant into the engine and ruining bearings- engine swap time! My brother also owns a Cherokee so he took the reigns of this problem and tracked down a replacement motor for a swap. (apples to oranges, it can be less labor intensive to swap an engine than it can be to open one up and repair it- we’ve done a swap before on an 87 4Runner, so it was the most viable option)
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Our travels took us from my parent’s suburban neighborhood about 20 minutes south of the NH-Mass boarder up to Amherst, NH. On the way up, a place caught my eye, with banners, old-style gas pumps, and classic automotive ads. I thought the place to be unique, but we had business to handle. (more…)
JD Power recently released the results of its 2010 Manufacturer Web Site Evaluation Study, and for the second year in a row, Kia tops the list, with Honda and Acrua coming in second and third. In the press release from jdpower.com, Arianne Walker highlighted the strong points of the top finishers: (more…)
I’ll be the first to admit that I’m not a big NASCAR fan. Its comprised of 4+ left turns which are actually just two big left turns on an oval track. The term stock car is a joke, as there are countless race series’ that run cars closer to stock than the cookie-cutter cars with laughable models such as Impala and Camry (both are front wheel drive, and neither run a V8, or manual transmission). Having said that, I can understand why NASCAR is a popular sport (yes, the strain on drivers is enough to call it that). The crashes are epic. A perfect pit is a thing of choreographed beauty. Its a general shock to the senses. I’ll watch it for roughly five minutes. (more…)
Few things get me as excited here at WheelsTV as being in the presence of history. Earlier in the summer it was the Vintage races at Loudon, NH, and the Greenwich Concours d’Elegance (videos on both of those coming this fall!). I got another opportunity Saturday, September 26, in Brookline, MA, at Bonham’s Classic Car Auction. These are the types of events I circle on my calendar.
The setting was the breathtaking Larz Anderson Auto Museum property. It had been some time since I had been to Larz, but it all came back to me when I took the approaching street and saw rolling hills, elegant landscaping, and the museum itself, essentially a former carriage house to a mansion, both owned by U.S. diplomat Larz Anderson and his wife, Isabel, with a car museum inside. It seems a fitting structure to protect treasured examples of automobilia. (more…)
I’ve never really been too partial to the look of the Z4, or to the man behind its lines. It came about during the much lamented/praised Chris Bangle era at BMW, and while the Z3 replacement was also conceived with the help of Danish designer Anders Warming, no doubt Bangle’s twisted notion of beauty was the guiding force in the Z4 coupe and roadster.
Bangle’s time at BMW is over, and we are just seeing the evolution of his (some say) revolutionary designs. The 3-Series and 7-Series for 2009 got just a little more softened visually, and in the process laid the foundation for the next generation of BMW road cars. The next example of this shift is the redesigned 2009 Z4.
While the overall shape of the new Z4 is continued, the silly “switchblade” design has been dropped for smoother head and taillights, flowing body lines, and an all new retractable hard top. (more…)
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