Test drove one today, now I cant really compare it directly to a Patriot but they are very nice, a bit bigger and this one had the Vista sunroof on it so the roof was almost all glass.

Test drove one today, now I cant really compare it directly to a Patriot but they are very nice, a bit bigger and this one had the Vista sunroof on it so the roof was almost all glass.

Funny you mention this, my wife (the biggest "non-car" person around) asked if we could drive by the Ford dealer to check one out yesterday. We did and she loved it. She really dug the panoramic roof option.

I evened it out by going to the Jeep dealer and finally seeing a Patriot in person (albeit base model, but a Pat nonetheless).

Hi there.

I am quite torn between these two vehicles. I know that they aren't in the same class, but can't help compare the standard & optional features of both...which are remarkably similar. Except Jeep seems to include a lot of features with the LTD model, whereas Ford makes you purchase package upgrade upon upgrade in order to get something like a power driver's seat, which should be standard in a car of that price. Anyway, the styling of the Edge is more me, but its MPG really causes me to hesitate. Plus, there's a $7,000 between the cost of my 'built' Edge SEL vs. my built Patriot LTD. It's hard to justify spending that money. I'm also worried about the quality of the Patriot's interior, which appears to be more utilitarian vs. the Edge's near-luxury appearance. Which isn't necessarily a bad thing, just a consideration. My only major concern about the Patriot is the long-term viability of the CVT. Also, I don't like being forced to purchase leather seats with the LTD...I'm not a big fan of leather as a rule and am especially dubious of the quality of the leather offered in vehicles of the Patriot's price range.

Anyway, I've been reading this forum, a Compass forum (since the Compass has been out for a year and is pretty much the same thing as the Patriot), and a few Edge sites so that I can gather as much information as possible. I haven't yet dared to test drive either vehicle, as I'm afraid to get the new car 'fever' before I have my down payment together. :)

Thanks for letting me vent!

...My only major concern about the Patriot is the long-term viability of the CVT...

Yeah, I think the CVT reliability is an issue for a lot of people. I saw an ad for a Patriot that mentioned the option of buying an extended warranty. However, when I searched the Jeep website I couldn't find any details regarding the extended warranty (i.e. how much it costs, how many years/miles it is good for).

As far as the price difference between the two models, I'm thinking that the Kia Soul is going to be much more of a direct competitor to the Patriot than the Edge. The Soul is supposed to be coming out in "early 2008" (which probably means Fall 2008). It is a small crossover with masculine (though not particularly rugged) styling that I think will give the Patriot a run for it's money.

http://gadgets.autoblog.com/2007/03/07/kia-gives-its-blessing-to-u-s-soul/

I hear ya on the CVT but my main concern was not the cvt but a new model and I felt the same about the Edge. I went in to look at the edge but I test drove the escape instead - new look old/tested 1 million plus sold escape. All standard airbags (seat mounted too) + traction / anti roll systems standard is a nice upgrade over the out going models too. Steering is much improved with a speed sensitive power steering system. Really improves the ride.

I like the escape but If it doesnt pan out for me then i may trade in for an edge or a diesel version of patriot in a few years. Please DCX make a diesel version. Diesel Liberty may be an option by then too tho.

Anyways Happy Car Hunting.

I saw an ad for a Patriot that mentioned the option of buying an extended warranty. However, when I searched the Jeep website I couldn't find any details regarding the extended warranty (i.e. how much it costs, how many years/miles it is good for) -- Rottenbob
Well, that answers one question. I thought I'd read that the CVTs would come with some kind of extended warranty at no additional charge. However, I could never find that article (or it may have been a message on this or another forum) again to confirm, so now I think it was just a figment of my imagination. Since there are so many unknowns associated with this type of transmission, you'd think that DCX might sweeten the pot with a better standard warranty for the gun-shy folks.

...but my main concern was not the cvt but a new model and I felt the same about the Edge. -- PatriotFan
Yeah, I am also concerned about 1st year models. However, reading about Ford's efforts at quality control have made me feel a lot better about taking a chance on the Edge. As for the Patriot, I'm hoping that the Patriot designers/builders worked out whatever kinks via the Caliber and Compass; I consider the Patriot to be almost a 2nd year model. Also, I hope to increase my chances of avoiding the 1st year curse by purchasing the 2008 version of whichever car I decide to buy. I know that going with the 3rd year model would be better insurance, but there's no way I'm waiting another year to buy a car.

Speaking of the Ford Escape...I lurk at the "Blue Oval News/Blog" site often, and those folks are really high on the Escape. I'm sure there are some lemons in the bunch, but there seems to be a high level of customer satisfaction with that vehicle.