I just watched the edmunds.com overview of the Compass, I was trying to get some incite into how quick/slow the 2.5L motor is for the PAT. They stated that the motor has 172 horsepower and should essentially be very quick.....but that the CVT trans really does a horrible job making the vehicle fairly slow @ 1-60 times being 10.1 seconds. How about all of you with the 5 speed manual trans? Have you driven the auto CVT? DO you think the 5 speed is any quicker? Or does it just allow you to control the vehicle better? I am not big on a 4X4, 5 speed, but Jeep shows that the 4X4 with 5 speed actually gets better gas mileage....and if it were a little quicker than the CVT it would probably be a better option for me. Chime in, thanks.

According to Car and Driver Magazine May 2007 pg. 144 "We much prefer the crisp shifting of the five-speed manual that's standard with the 172hp, 2.4-liter four [cyl]...and we much prefer tha performance that goes with this combo: 8.7 seconds to 60 mph and 16.6 at 83 in the quarter, comparable to a six-cylinder Cherokee and quicket than a V-6 Liberty." I have a sport 4X4 w/ FDII and crawl ratio CVT. Many articles I've read refer to the CVT as being very load and annoying. I disagree with this. When you floor the CVT Pat the engine jumps straight to red line and stays there until you lift off the gas. I find this no louder than other vehicles running at red line. The acceleration of my Patriot is adequate for safe entrance onto freeways or passing. If you want to drag race buy a Corvette! Also, the cvt makes climbing obstacles much easier than a manual trans. I hope this helps.

great info, I appreciate it! My main use of the 4X4 will be beach, soft sand, offroading. So I'm not too worried about climbing obstacles (I live in Florida) There was another discussion about the CVT having problems in the sand...but thats a whole a totally different discussion...so I'll just keep it to the power train topic that I posted.
THANKS AGAIN! :smiley_thumbs_up:

The CVT isn't bad... anywhere in the 8.0 second - 10.5 second range is very typical times for a SUV. Be it 4 cylinder, 6 cylinder or 8 cylinder (each engine pushing more and more weight)

The manual I've never riden in but I have no qualms with the CVT performance at all.

I own the 5sp but test drove the CVT and found performance was similar and adequate for either. Your biggest concern will probably be that the stock tires are not good on sand.

Test drove the CVT. Didn't have a problem with it at all but opted to wait and test drive the 5-speed. As soon as I did, I fell in love with it! Performance-wise I don't think there was much of a difference at all but I think the 5-speed gives you a lot more versatility with acceleration and maneuvering (such as merging onto the highway)

I'm actually pretty happy with the CVT2L in my Pat, but if the low-range offroad stuff where available with the 5-spd I probably would have gone that route. The offroad package was higher up on my list then the 5-spd. Plus the local dealership had one on the lot that had all the options that I wanted. Gotta love instant gratification :)

If you are worried about 0-60 times, you may as well upgrade to the Jeep Grand Cherokee (GC) with hemi engine (Overland or SRT8). The SRT8 will get you to 60 mph in a hurry, quicker than comparable Porsche, BMW, Mercedes SUV's; plus it will tow a lot. If the times are important, go with the GC. For most car reviewers, this is a big deal, but for the common person who will use the patriot as a daily driver, it is no big deal. it will get to point a to b, and you will still have a lot of fun.

The patriot CVT 0-60 times are on par with comparable 4 bangers. Maybe a couple of them are 0.2 seconds faster. If you need to race these guys, then there may not be too much difference. Then, you may want the manual. Manuals are better for that type of driving anyway.

If you are on a budget, interest in fuel efficiency, don't need to tow; then either a Patriot CVT or Manual will work fine. If you are a driving enthusiast, then the manual will get you more bang for the buck (manuals are just fun to drive). I have a CVT2L, and it is a great engine & gets the job done. I don't have any complaints. It is very smooth for daily driving & offroading. Take a test drive of the CVT & manual.

I personally think peoples issues with speed are ridiculous I mean yeah its no speed demon, but I sold my Durango with a 4.7 (2wd) and traded into my Patriot Sport 4x4, 5 spd. Its every bit as fast, and considering it keeps up with normal traffic on the Autobahn here in Germany I do not see how people could ever have an issue in the states.

Lightening-fast getaways are nonsense in a family vehicle. Torque is where it's at, and the Patriot delivers. On a long uphill grade, the little 2.4 just grunts along, never getting bogged down or feeling like it's straining. I haven't driven many 4-cylinder cars that can handle increasing load like the Patriot can, and I don't intend to spend the rest of my life amid the trucks in the slow lane topping grades at 45 mph.

I assume that when they test the 0-60 times they really shift the 5 speed hard and fast (perhaps popping the clutch a little) in order to get optimal performance. For most, this does not reflect normal driving conditions. I think that under normal driving there will be no difference.

but with a 4-cyl, I really felt the need to have that sort of control. I mean, you want to get going if you really need to, and I can't imagine how an automatic would get the job done.

Also, I have a lot of mountain driving to do - and my Grand Cherokee was what I call 'temperamental'. Sometimes it cruised MacDonald Pass (over by Helena) at 65 -70, other times it was like driving a slug. And I do know how to drive.

And as someone said - a 5-spd is just plain fun to drive. Maybe I've not been driving long enough - more than 20 years, less than 30 - and I had a couple of my guy friends try and talk me into the automatic. Couldn't do it though.

Deliver date: July 23rd. :pepper:

5 speed can be fun... depending on the car and conditions. If you live in an area with stop and go traffic, a 5 speed can make a drive to and from work awful! If you live in an area with non-congested streets with curves and many opportunities to down shift, it can be great!

Personally, I do not think the Patriot is built to be a very exhilarating 5 speed and would not buy it for that reason. I would buy it in a 5 speed if gas mileage was an issue.

I have always driven 5 speeds and yet ordered an automatic patriot. I did this mainly because of traffic in my area and partly because I would not buy a 5 speeds unless the car was built to perform where the 5 speed could be utilized.

I test drove the automatic and I think it handled better then similar vehicles. I have read where people are negative and positive on the CVT and have yet to understand what the negatives are looking for in a 172 HP engine paired with an automatic.

A 5 speed has one real positive over an automatic in my situation: downshifting. I like being able to downshift in traffic for passing/merging to push the RPS up for more power. I think the automatic on the 08 has manual shifting option... but I have driven cars with this before and have rarely used it (only used it to test it). Reality for me is that the Patriot automatic has enough power that I do not anticipate using the manual shift option.

Hope this helps... I say try both on an extended test drive with hills included. You may find very little difference. From what I know about the CVT, it should adjust better then most automatics to the hills.

Since I am planning for the full trail-rated package, the CVT has to happen for me. I have read lots of opinions from the car reviewers and they sample dozens of cars each year. Most are so car-centric ( as in no other form of motive transport and so stuck in the shiftable auto tranny paradigm), they are not accustomed to something new. I know that CRX had to dumb down the CVT shifter for the Caliber because of *complaints* about shifting or the lack thereof [sigh]. I would like to hear from real people with real jobs -- who use their vehicles day in and day out rather than a few hours. How does the CVT work for you guys?

I understand it is different. I liken it it to the way a snowmobile moves out. I have no problem with how a snowmobile *changes gears* because it is expected. I am prepared to shift my auto tranny paradigm to accept the new technology. I want to be positive about the CVT.