I bought my 2011 Patriot on December 20, 2010, in large part because of the advertised gas mileage. The window sticker for my 2.4L, CVTII, 4WD is 21 mpg city and 26 mpg highway. Thus far, while driving in very light city conditions and then on a highway trip to Pittsburgh (from Erie, PA), I have been getting 17-18 mpg and 21-22 mpg, respectively. That is far below the advertised mileage, and that's with only a couple miles of 4WD driving time, and I do not let the vehicle sit idling at ATMs nor do I let it idle a long to warm up (kept in a partially heated garage). On my last vehicle (2007 Cobalt) I routinely beat the sticker mpg by 5-7 mpg, so my driving habits are not at fault.
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When I called the dealer's service department (Gary Miller Chrysler-Jeep. Erie, PA), I was told it's because of winter fuel mixture, the engine not being broken in yet, and even that the fan motor from the heater are the cause. The guy was serious about the fan motor on the heater. The EPA is very stringent about the conditions under which mileage ratings are published, so I don't buy the line. Modern engines are built to very close tolerances and require almost no break-in period. The winter fuel blend might be responsible for a little of the bad mileage, but this is 20% below advertised. It's at the very bottom of the range that factors in worst-case conditions like full load of passengers and cargo, hilly terrain, windows down, etc. My conditions are about as close to ideal as possible.
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With gas heading for $4 per gallon, this is very distressing. I specifically chose the Patriot over the Ford Escape because of the gas mileage. My 4-cylinder Patriot is getting the gas mileage of the 6-cylinder Escape - totally unacceptable. BTW, mileage calculations are via the Vehicle Information Center (VIC) computer that I ordered with it, so the values are not subject to filling at the same gas pump each time, tracking miles accurately, etc; the VIC calculates the values real-time, and I monitor them closely.
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For the first-ever Chrysler product in my 52 years, I'm not impressed.

Most of us on here had horrible gas mileage until we got a good couple thousand miles on the engine. I myself only saw 18mpg when new, but after about 3000 miles, I was getting 22-23 mpg around town (mine was rated at 21mpg City). Now some of that may be from break-in, some from the computer "learning" your driving habits, and some from learning how to drive a CVT equipped car, but don't despair just yet. The mileage will get better. Also these engines love heat, so while it may not be the heater blower fan directly, it is pulling coolant temp out of the engine.

I have a scangauge II hooked up on my Patriot, and in the winter I've seen the coolant temp stay at a steady 172 deg F. Some members have made up radiator blockers to get more heat into the motor, and thus also increase fuel economy. Myself, I remove the battery cover/fresh air duct which makes the engine breath the heated air under the hood. It helps offset the winter fuel mix, which will drop your fuel economy 1 or 2 miles per gallon.

Oh and don't rely on the EVIC just yet. Do the actual calculations on miles driven vs. gallons of gas pumped in. I'm pretty sure the EVIC only does average MPG and it may need to be reset or something. Especially if one of the dealer lot hounds hot footed around in the thing prior to you buying it.

Low mileage, cold temperatures, and winter mix fuel... all are going against you.
Hang tight till this summer and see what you can get.

IMHO, the perfect conditions for the Patriot are about 70°F, summer gas, 50-60mph speeds max. With those, I routinely beat the sticker rating by 2-3mpg.

Thanks for the response, guys. I did reset the EVIC to zero out everything. I'm just shocked at the cruddy mileage when I bought it specifically for good gas mileage. I sold my Ford Explorer three years ago because it got only a little worse mileage as what I'm getting now with this Jeep.

Have you been wearing your heavy work Boots ? I never beat the sticker rating, heck I never have gotten the sticker rating except driving downhill from the Mountains. Oh well.

Mmmm...obviously, is too new to get good mpg, any brand any car.

2nd, I noticed: the way that you normally drive, is a little bit different in the patriot. When I bought the pat, I got the same mpg than my Liberty 3.7 v6... but I learned to drive this jeep, and now I really love the mpgs. I own a charger, 5.7 hemi right now, but a couple of years ago, I owned at the same time the SXT with 3.5 v6, and guess what?? I got better mpg with the Hemi.

So, the weather conditions, how you drive, size, weight...manual, auto, CVT or autostick can get better or worse mpg.

You guys mention learning how to drive the CVT. I'm pretty new to the forum. How about enlightening the newbs with what you mean?

Check my Fuelly numbers for the first two tanks-horrible!!! Now here is a question? I've been getting 10.5 / 10.6 L/100km during the winter and then I did the computer reset and I got 9.7-huhh???? Next tank it went right back up. I reset it again and I'll wait to see what I get this time.

I have 25000 miles on my Pat and mileage never increased.. With the slightly bigger 215/65/17 tires it has actually dropped to 20 city 23 highway. With the 215/60/17 tires i got between 21-22 city and between 25-26 highway.

You guys mention learning how to drive the CVT. I'm pretty new to the forum. How about enlightening the newbs with what you mean?

As you may have learned yourself the cvt seems to really suck some power from the engine especialy in acceleration and passing vehicles. i think they mean watching your rpms, to increase fuel mileage and acceleration because of the tip-tronic option (Manually shift able automatic). the lower your rpms on the free/high way can increase your mileage dramatically. also when you use the manual option you can granny (drive at low rpms on straight aways and really get good acceleration by learning rpms.

this is just what i thought they meant i could be wrong. hope this helps.

I hope you guys are right about the engine just being new and the gas being a winter blend. My low fuel light came on today and the trip odometer indicated a total of 183 miles driven! I haven't filled the tank yet, but depending on how low the tank really is it could come out to 15-18 mpg. Granted, it was all city driving, but come on! My 99 Cherokee I replaced got the same mileage. Here's to hope.

I´m pretty sure, your engine is to new. Or you have a heavy foot!! LOL ;) just kiding.

I got 24 mpg CITY, driving very slow...well, not to slow. I try to keep my tach in 1,500 rpms always in city, to get 24 or 24.5 mpgs. If you feel something wrong, ask the dealer :D

regards and good luck!

I bought my 2011 Patriot Sport 4x4 FDI CVTII on Sunday 1/16/11. I went over 200 miles to a dealership to get mine. On the way home I went 176 miles on the interstate at 70 to 80 MPH then another 56 miles on 2 lane roads for a total of 232 miles. I filled up before I got home to start the week off with a full tank. I was able to put in exactly 10 gallons so 23 MPG on first tank. I have a long commute everyday and so far I have around 220+ miles on the second tank of gas and still have a little over a 1/4 of a tank.

I have the 4x2 with 2.0 and CVT II. I've been getting around 23. My commute is aproximate a mile or so of city driving with 6 traffic lights, then around 13 miles of highway at 70-75 mph, then 6-7 miles of 60 mph highway, then another 5 miles or so of city driving with another 7 traffic lights.

That said, mine just tipped 1000 on the odometer. I noticed this morning that I've gone 160 miles and still have a half tank of fuel so I'm thinking my mileage is going to be a little better this time.

2011 Patriot Sport 4x4 FD1 with CVT11
Just filled up my second tank full. I drive 80 miles a day.
70 miles on 2 lane roads and 10 on four lane.
Had 301.4 on that tank and filled up with 11.50 gallons
26 MPG compared to my TJ with 6''lift on 35's
:pepper:
WHOOP WHOOP

Just came home from a 600plus mile trip - mostly highway driving. 1650 miles total on the Jeep so far.

Fuelly tracking is looking good....
2.4, 4x4 CVT.

Basically I let the auto shift do its thing for the most part and keep the RPM's under 2-3k when possible. Basically 55-60 mph on the highways. No jack rabbit starts. I came from a 2007 Pontiac Grand Prix GXP V-8, yeah it could do 0-60 in under 6 seconds, BUT it cost ya....got about 14-17 average in that puppy.

I will take the 25 mpg average of the Jeep ;)

Oh yeah, took the Patriot to OBX - spent a day out on the northern 4x4 beach - it was rough, but the Patriot did OK... kept up with many of the big boys, several people stopped to ask how it got out there! The fully running average includes the day driving on the beach in 4x4 locked mode in low gear, high RPM to keep the torque up, so I am really happy!

29mpg in the summer, 27 in the winter average with 50% city 50% interstate driving

2011 Latitude X, FDII

5300 miles
21 fill ups recorded
Combined AVG = 22.93
Best tank avg = 25.48
Worst tank avg = 21.39

I bought my 2011 Patriot on December 20, 2010, in large part because of the advertised gas mileage. The window sticker for my 2.4L, CVTII, 4WD is 21 mpg city and 26 mpg highway. Thus far, while driving in very light city conditions and then on a highway trip to Pittsburgh (from Erie, PA), I have been getting 17-18 mpg and 21-22 mpg, respectively. That is far below the advertised mileage, and that's with only a couple miles of 4WD driving time, and I do not let the vehicle sit idling at ATMs nor do I let it idle a long to warm up (kept in a partially heated garage). On my last vehicle (2007 Cobalt) I routinely beat the sticker mpg by 5-7 mpg, so my driving habits are not at fault.
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When I called the dealer's service department (Gary Miller Chrysler-Jeep. Erie, PA), I was told it's because of winter fuel mixture, the engine not being broken in yet, and even that the fan motor from the heater are the cause. The guy was serious about the fan motor on the heater. The EPA is very stringent about the conditions under which mileage ratings are published, so I don't buy the line. Modern engines are built to very close tolerances and require almost no break-in period. The winter fuel blend might be responsible for a little of the bad mileage, but this is 20% below advertised. It's at the very bottom of the range that factors in worst-case conditions like full load of passengers and cargo, hilly terrain, windows down, etc. My conditions are about as close to ideal as possible.
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With gas heading for $4 per gallon, this is very distressing. I specifically chose the Patriot over the Ford Escape because of the gas mileage. My 4-cylinder Patriot is getting the gas mileage of the 6-cylinder Escape - totally unacceptable. BTW, mileage calculations are via the Vehicle Information Center (VIC) computer that I ordered with it, so the values are not subject to filling at the same gas pump each time, tracking miles accurately, etc; the VIC calculates the values real-time, and I monitor them closely.
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For the first-ever Chrysler product in my 52 years, I'm not impressed.

I bought my 2011 Jeep Patriot Latitude 70th Anniversary Edition 4 x 4 1 week ago and I have 1300 miles on it and I am averaging 25.6 miles per gallon. I am very happy with this

I got a 2011 Latitiude 2.4L CVT 4WD FDI in August. My Fuelly average is 23.6 MPG but it doesn't have the last fill as part of it( can't recall exactly what I got but it was low 23's again as memory serves ). I have about 1300 miles on the vehicle now.

Worst tank = 21.4( a good 50% + of the tank was towing my boat )
Best tank = 29.7( 90% highway run in CC @ 60 MPH )

Winter gas is here now as are colder temps so I expect to lose anywhere from 1-2 MPG until next spring. I DETEST winter gas. It absolutely KILLED my MPG when I had my 5.3L Silverado's and HEMI Ram's.

After 2 months of driving (3800 mi) I am thoroughly unimpressed with mine (sport 4x2, 5 speed, ac, cruise only options.) I'm averaging 18mpg town, 24 hwy. I don't drive like an idiot, but when I take off from a stop, i'm not driving like grandma either. The vehicle gets worse mileage than my 1997 VW Jetta (vr6 at, loaded 25 town, 31 hwy.) I have a bud at work with an 03 Liberty getting 31 hwy/25 city.....with the 3.7.......WHAT GIVES?! Can we reprogram our chips to the euro setup? I grew up on ford and Dodge....Mopar has NEVER let me down, until I bought a new car.......Next new rig will definitely NOT be anything related to the caliber.

I'm averaging right about what the sticker said.

After 2 months of driving (3800 mi) I am thoroughly unimpressed with mine (sport 4x2, 5 speed, ac, cruise only options.) I'm averaging 18mpg town, 24 hwy. I don't drive like an idiot, but when I take off from a stop, i'm not driving like grandma either. The vehicle gets worse mileage than my 1997 VW Jetta (vr6 at, loaded 25 town, 31 hwy.) I have a bud at work with an 03 Liberty getting 31 hwy/25 city.....with the 3.7.......WHAT GIVES?! Can we reprogram our chips to the euro setup? I grew up on ford and Dodge....Mopar has NEVER let me down, until I bought a new car.......Next new rig will definitely NOT be anything related to the caliber.

Your bud with the Liberty is pulling your leg. Are you getting your numbers from the EVIC?

Your bud with the Liberty is pulling your leg.

Agreed. NO WAY a Liberty gets those MPG numbers.

If you don't offroad, don't do the outdoor thing and don't have snow, there is no reason to go the added expense of a 4X4. The people I know who have 4X2 Patriots and Compass got them because they liked the Jeep label and look and see their vehicles as excellent small station wagons. There are a lot of hatchbacks around but not many small station wagons. The 4 wheel drive function is only part of the vehicles utility. Most other makes don't offer a comparable sized station wagon as they want you to buy their SUV line. I know you can get 4X2 Escapes, and other brands, but they price out much higher than a 4X2 Patriot. Easy to load, carries a lot of stuff, has a lot of options for racks and hitches and the 4X2 is competitive in gas mileage with hatchbacks.

I just switched to 89 octane fuel to see if a little less spark retard would equate to better fuel economy.

I just switched to 89 octane fuel to see if a little less spark retard would equate to better fuel economy.

With a modern vehicle you need to do at least 2-3 tanks to give the computer time to relearn for the new octane before you start checking the MPG. If you can reset the computer before using a new octane it makes it learn faster.

I actually ran 89 the other day as the 87 pump was down. The end result was no MPG bump but I did not expect one after just 1 tank.

I ran 91 octane for 5 tanks and didnt notice anything, so i went back to 87.

I bought my 2011 FDII CVT Lattitude in late October. It now has 3200 miles on the clock after a long holiday road trip. My mileage improved at least 2mph from the first thousand miles to the last. I'm getting 20 city / 22 hwy at regular speeds of about 70-74. I've learned these cars suck horribly over 75.

I bought my 2011 FDII CVT Lattitude in late October. It now has 3200 miles on the clock after a long holiday road trip. My mileage improved at least 2mph from the first thousand miles to the last. I'm getting 20 city / 22 hwy at regular speeds of about 70-74. I've learned these cars suck horribly over 75.

All vehicles will lose MPG at those speeds not just Patriots.

Well I know everyone else has already said it. I will too just because I had the same thought when I bought my Patriot. The engine does take a few thousand miles to break in before you get the better MPG. I drive to the beach once every few months and its roughly 200 miles to where I want to go. I usually end up with slightly less than a quarter tank of gas. I could probably do better if I had a lighter foot on the interstate.

Give it some time and try a few different things. I noticed after I got used to not flooring it at Green lights and taking a little longer to build up speed. I saved a lot in MPG. Lately i've been getting roughly 24mpg.

My Fiancee has a 2012 Hyaundai Accent and that car gets 38mpg driving to the beach with a 2.0L. I was really impressed with that.

With just over 800 miles on my '12 Pat I've found my MPG has improved with every fillup. First was just under 25 MPG, last was just over 26. I do mostly highway miles and have been carefully breaking it in. I also have the 5 spd manual and 2.4L engine and have been working to improve my shifting to maximize fuel economy.
I try to keep the RPMs around 1,500 on secondary roads and 2,500 on the expressway. I shift up to the highest gear at the lowest RPMs I can without lugging the engine. Sometimes I can get into 5th gear at about 35 mph if there are no hills and the RPMs stay pretty low. I have around 200 miles +/- 5 at the half tank point.

To get the most out of any vehicle I believe you actually have to work at it, develop driving habits that save fuel all the time not just when you think to do it.

W.
I try to keep the RPMs around 1,500 on secondary roads and 2,500 on the expressway. I shift up to the highest gear at the lowest RPMs I can without lugging the engine. Sometimes I can get into 5th gear at about 35 mph if there are no hills and the RPMs stay pretty low. I have around 200 miles +/- 5 at the half tank point.

To get the most out of any vehicle I believe you actually have to work at it, develop driving habits that save fuel all the time not just when you think to do it.

first off I drive a v8 suv and am saving to buy a 2x4 07-09 Patriot in cash because I hate interests rates and am either driving my untill it wears out , or untill i have the cash to buy the patriot. my rpm's are on v8 5.0 mercury mountaineer.

I do the same as you on rpm's(keep them low!) 1.5 rpm's a lot of the time and 2.5 max , if I really feel i must. Im the guy going down the highway at 55mph while the speed limit is 70 to save on rpm's and gas. I like to accelerate slowly when taking off, even if cars are behind me no more than 2.5 and sometimes as low as 1.5 which may piss some drivers off, o well though.

do you think that it is better to drive 14 miles going 1.5-2 rpm's max or 10 miles city driving with the potential of a lot of stops and goes if, redlights arnt timed right?

first off I drive a v8 suv and am saving to buy a 2x4 07-09 Patriot in cash because I hate interests rates and am either driving my untill it wears out , or untill i have the cash to buy the patriot. my rpm's are on v8 5.0 mercury mountaineer.

I do the same as you on rpm's(keep them low!) 1.5 rpm's a lot of the time and 2.5 max , if I really feel i must. Im the guy going down the highway at 55mph while the speed limit is 70 to save on rpm's and gas. I like to accelerate slowly when taking off, even if cars are behind me no more than 2.5 and sometimes as low as 1.5 which may piss some drivers off, o well though.

do you think that it is better to drive 14 miles going 1.5-2 rpm's max or 10 miles city driving with the potential of a lot of stops and goes if, redlights arnt timed right?

Expressway driving is the way to go to maximize MPG unless a secondary
highway offers the chance to go the same way at a slower speed and few stops. City driving always hurts mileage. I also overinflate my tires, it's above Chrysler's recommendations but below the tire manufacturers max pressure. It rides a little rougher but it helps at the pump.

After reading all your responses, I'm going to have to try and have a bit of patience, because I'm having some poor gas mileage issues as well. I'll probably be hitting 1000 miles tomorrow, and for the first 4 tank fulls I've gotten an average of 24mpg (30%/70% city/hwy) Sticker said I should get approx 27-29 hwy, and I've heard others have been getting around 32. If I could at least get 28 I'd be happy as can be. Coming from a car that got 30-33 on average it's a bit of a hit on my pocket book, but worth it for my happiness ;) I just hope it'll right itself in the coming weeks and I can get that better gas mileage. As I put approx 235 miles on it a day, I need to know it's gonna get better... otherwise me and the dealership will be a talkin'.

I've even adjusted my driving habits so I don't zoom off, trying to keep it under 2500 rpms like some of you suggested (which is hard on this lead foot of mine), and trying not to let it sit idle for long. Also trying to fill up at better gas stations, and avoiding the Circle K's and BP's because their gas is plumb horrid! Even in my Honda Fit, I'd only get 29-30mpg if I filled up there.

Any other suggestions?

Any other suggestions?

Check your tire PSI in the morning when its cold, before you drive it. I would keep it at 35-36

And slow down :D It seems MPG drop once hit 70+

Check your tire PSI in the morning when its cold, before you drive it. I would keep it at 35-36

What he said. :notworthy:

I increased the TP on my PAT from F:35/R:35 to F:38/R:37. The weight distribution on a PAT is something like F:53/R:47.

I inflated my Tires to 36 PSI prior to taking a trip over the Hills also kept my foot out of it which is surprising and got 27 MPG. Goody, Goody. The same Trip awhile back with my foot in it, Tach at Redline alot I got about 14 MPG. Big difference when I change my Driving Style. CVT 4x4 FD 1, oh sorry this is 2x4 Thread or 4x2 how bout FWD oh well.:confused:

Check your tire PSI in the morning when its cold, before you drive it. I would keep it at 35-36

Well, I'll have to get one of those thingamahbobs to do so, lol! But def will do that, thanks for the tip.

PS... got 25.97 mpg today, so it's getting better! First tank full was 22mpg.

And slow down :D It seems MPG drop once hit 70+

Figures :P I'm trying to keep it below 75, but most of my driving is done on rural roads going anywhere between 60-70 so I think if I can keep it down to 70 on the interstate, that'll work :P Thanks for the tip!

What he said. :notworthy:

I increased the TP on my PAT from F:35/R:35 to F:38/R:37. The weight distribution on a PAT is something like F:53/R:47.

Sweet, thanks ;)

315 miles on my last fuel-up when the "Low Fuel" alarm came on today...

I expect to have about 335 miles on this tank when I fuel-up in the morning.

What he said. :notworthy:

I increased the TP on my PAT from F:35/R:35 to F:38/R:37. The weight distribution on a PAT is something like F:53/R:47.

Just an update on the TP... it's actually already at 38, so I won't add anymore... but I kinda zoomed it a bit today, so didn't get as good as yesterday... but hopefully next week I'll get a little better. I'm really focused on the RPM's now... I never really cared about that before, but definitely trying to stay under 2500 for hwy acceleration, although there are instances when I have to gun it... like today when a Semi saw me coming on the on-ramp and SPED UP to try and keep me from getting in front of him. God I hate that! I'm gonna go faster than him anyway, but some of these truckers are just DB's cause they can be. It's why I got a sticker I'll be putting on my car tomorrow that says "You just got passed by a GIRL!" LOL! I drive in a particularly rednecky part of florida that when they see I'm a girl driving faster, they literally SPEED UP when I try to pass 'em. Happens EVERY day, and mostly in Plant City. Just a mixture of stupid people there! And I'd say it's 60/40 on the snowbird to redneck ratio. I'd avoid it like the plague if I didn't have to deliver crap there. Between the snowbirds going 20mph below the speed limit and the hillfolk that go 20mph ABOVE the speed limit, whenever there is an accident, you know it's bad... helicopters and 2+hour lane closures ALL the time. I just wanna go my 5mph above the speed limit and be happy LOL!

315 miles on my last fuel-up when the "Low Fuel" alarm came on today...

I expect to have about 335 miles on this tank when I fuel-up in the morning.

337.5 miles, 12.804 gallons of fuel, 26.4 MPG

Just filled up at Chevron, the Patriot took a tad less than 13 Gallons. I went 377.4 miles, I say 29 MPG. About 2 MPG more when not on the hills. Must be the Chevron Gas and the PowerStar Spark Plugs or the AEM Intake and inline Flowmaster the Amsoil, a combination of all of them. I'll take it. GatorGirl where are you ?

Just filled up at Chevron, the Patriot took a tad less than 13 Gallons. I went 377.4 miles, I say 29 MPG. About 2 MPG more when not on the hills. Must be the Chevron Gas and the PowerStar Spark Plugs or the AEM Intake and inline Flowmaster the Amsoil, a combination of all of them. I'll take it. GatorGirl where are you ?

I'm in Florida... all flatlands mostly, but lots of heat :(

Just filled up at Chevron, the Patriot took a tad less than 13 Gallons. I went 377.4 miles, I say 29 MPG. About 2 MPG more when not on the hills. Must be the Chevron Gas and the PowerStar Spark Plugs or the AEM Intake and inline Flowmaster the Amsoil, a combination of all of them. I'll take it. GatorGirl where are you ?

My 26.4 MPG setup included Regular gas from the "American Owned" Service Station (yes, a real service station that does not sell snacks, food, beer and such), OE plugs, OE filter, OE intake, OE muffler, M1 0W-30, three adults, three lunch buckets and snow tires. I'll take it too.

Oh, I forgot to include snow storms and ice. I also need to verify my snow tires/speedo against GPS.

My 26.4 MPG setup included Regular gas from the "American Owned" Service Station (yes, a real service station that does not sell snacks, food, beer and such), OE plugs, OE filter, OE intake, OE muffler, M1 0W-30, three adults, three lunch buckets and snow tires. I'll take it too.

Oh, I forgot to include snow storms and ice. I also need to verify my snow tires/speedo against GPS. I better account for my larger knarly tires and loaded Patriot too. Put your lunches in sack and throw out the buckets it'll save ya some weight too also buy Beer in Cans not Bottles. Thank You Patriotic Patriot Owners, Murman er Florida Girl or all of ya. I'll up my MPG by 2- 31MPG and climbing, last call.;);)

Don't know if anyone still has an interest in this thread, but we get 27-29mpg every tank now that we're over 3000 miles on the odometer. To be honest, I should mention there is almost no city driving in the mix, and no very high speed highway miles either.

On a long drive if I don't go over 60mph I can touch 30mpg on the highway now. My average is closer to 26mpg with a mix of driving.