We have 14K on our '07 Patriot Limited with the CVT. It is by far the best tranny for in town driving we've ever used. It always seems to allow the Jeep to perform at the correct level of power for any condition, which includes in town, hills up and down that really slow most small cars. Plus 22mpg in town and 25 + on the highway.

This week I was in a rental '07 Chrysler Sebring, it had the 2.4l and four speed auto. Very smooth shifting but you could still hear the motor trying to keep the car moving. Plenty of power and watching the tach move up and down even more than the Jeep was interesting as it shifted gears. The biggest difference is how much more compression the CVT has. When you let off the gas the Jeep slows down where as the Sebring felt like it would free wheel and you had to use the brakes to slow down.

No denying it is different but I would recommend it to most drivers. I know I still have a soft spot for a good five speed stick as well.

So far the only hick-up was one of the window switches wasn't pluged in all the way and fell off so the widows quit working and the dealer fixed that and check all the others as well.
The wife got to try a real 4X4 this winter and the Patriot never slipped even though she could feel the ESP and brakes working. That's when she really fell in love with it.

2007 Jeep Patriot limited White with big stereo
2007 Dodge Ram quad cab long bed, Inferno Red 6.7l (408 ci) 6 speed auto

Thanks and I agree with your assessment. My wife has a 2.4L 4 Speed Eclipse (vs our 2.4L CVT Patriot). I prefer the CVT for everyday driving. (the Eclipse has more acceleration because its lighter/aerodynamic).

Yup, for in-town cruising the CVT is super-smooth. Regular autos (even smooth ones) feel rough now! It's a little less at home on the highways, but still not the worst I've ever driven. In the mountains, it felt right at home.

:smiley_thumbs_up:

So far I have been very happy with the operation of the CVT- suits by driving style very well. One of the reasons I purchased was because there is engine braking unlike most automatics these days that just take off going down hill. The engine braking is very important to me since I live in the coastal mountains where the streets are all 10% to 16% grades and our driveway is at 20%. Put a couple inches of snow on it and travel becomes very interesting.

The only quirk with the CVT that I have found is when climbing and the grade eases a bit it will "go hunting" i.e. go to a higher ratio, lug the motor, go to a lower ratio, motor revs up, repeat. It only does this once or twice on my way out and almost always about the same spot on the road. I tried using low, but found that even in low the ratios can still change and it will still hunt. Thought about doing the auto-stick conversion, but it is such a minor quirk- why bother?

Another interesting thing I found is that the CVT can only change ratios while the wheels are turning- this explains why I can feel it changing into the lowest ratio while coming to a stop.

:smiley_thumbs_up:

So far I have been very happy with the operation of the CVT- suits by driving style very well. One of the reasons I purchased was because there is engine braking unlike most automatics these days that just take off going down hill. The engine braking is very important to me since I live in the coastal mountains where the streets are all 10% to 16% grades and our driveway is at 20%. Put a couple inches of snow on it and travel becomes very interesting.

The only quirk with the CVT that I have found is when climbing and the grade eases a bit it will "go hunting" i.e. go to a higher ratio, lug the motor, go to a lower ratio, motor revs up, repeat. It only does this once or twice on my way out and almost always about the same spot on the road. I tried using low, but found that even in low the ratios can still change and it will still hunt. Thought about doing the auto-stick conversion, but it is such a minor quirk- why bother?

Another interesting thing I found is that the CVT can only change ratios while the wheels are turning- this explains why I can feel it changing into the lowest ratio while coming to a stop.

Since it's happening in the same physical location, I'm betting it's your right foot that's at issue. The CVT watches what your foot is asking for. If it sees you let off the gas, it assumes that you're up to speed and looking for best MPG. It spools back to lower revs which lugs it. You then respond by getting back on it, and the CVT says "oops, silly me!" and revs go bak up.

Does this sound about right? Drove a Ford Freestyle that did this everytime I got near a curve going uphill. Needed to slow a bit to see around the corner and confused the tranny every time. Don't see any way to keep it from happening - seems to be one of those things where engineering meets reality and chaos reigns (if only for a moment!).

The autostick is a step in the right direction I think. Best of both worlds.

I traded a Chevrolet HHR with a 4 speed automatic and I would say the Jeep CVT is much better. Granted I bought the 5 speed in my Patriot, but when I drive (when she let's me drive) the wife's Compass, I really like the CVT!