For those in snowy climes...

jeepmuck · Jan 10, 2009

Silly question, but do you find yourself shoveling your driveway less, now that you have your Jeep? I know the Patriot isn't the beast a Wrangler or Cherokee, but it does really well. Dig this pic of mine:

~8" of snow, no problem

Bimmer_2002 · Jan 10, 2009

I haven't used a shovel yet to get me out of my driveway. Quebec didn't received as much snow as last year, but we still have alot. Last year was a mess, considering I was driving a Focus.

APT · Jan 10, 2009

Still need to clear snow for wife's car and for end of driveway from snow plow. Got a new snowblower this year, but last year, I just drove over the snow to pack it down.

Sean3424 · Jan 10, 2009

Last year i had a honda civic it was stuck in my parking lot for a better portion of the winter. This year i'm pulling people out of the same parking lot same amount of snow. I don't even have the option of shoveling here

heckler · Jan 10, 2009

shovel? no way!

I left the Vibe buried for the last three weeks.

jepstr67 · Jan 11, 2009

For the kind of snow we have been getting in Wisconsin and Minnesota, Patriot ground clearance is not adequate to get by without plowing first. I love the Patriot's frugal fuel nature, but when it comes to un-stoppable, I love my CJ Scrambler more.

Kenigan · Jan 11, 2009

Our patrol van got stuck in the snow with it's rear-wheel drive. I walked back to the office, picked up my Pat and completed my shift in the Jeep. Never had to stop once to dig 'er out.

TOMMYB78 · Jan 12, 2009

who needs to shovel thats why i bought the jeep..even in central WI

UPKEV · Jan 12, 2009

Here in the U.P. we have gotten 145 inches to date and almost everybit of it is still on the ground. Usually we have a few days here and there where the temps rise a bit and the snow settles or melts...not this year. So there is no way to get out of shoveling even to just get to the patriot in the first place.

johnda · Jan 13, 2009

When we get snow predicted, the wife's Camry goes outside beside our one car garage and the Patriot goes in. We have a plow guy who is contracted to plow above five inches of snow, but below that my Patriot becomes our personal Zamboni machine as I run it back and forth on our circular driveway making a path.

pdxbubba · Jan 13, 2009

Plowed roads? In what we're driving, we don't need plowed roads!

jepstr67 · Jan 13, 2009

It really sounds like I need better tires on my Patriot. Most of you get far better performance in piles of snow than I do.

Schoat333 · Jan 13, 2009

Both the Fiance and i have 4wd (Her escape and my patriot).

Needless to say i did more shoveling in the yard for the dog to crap than i did in the driveway.

DetroitFlyer · Jan 13, 2009

Snow, what snow?

We have had a decent amount of snow here in Motown. Our 2007 trail rated Patriot has had zero problems with my snow covered driveway. My Honda Accord gets stuck, but the Jeep handles it like it is not even there! I never did like clearing the driveway anyway!

UPKEV · Jan 13, 2009

jepstr67 said:
It really sounds like I need better tires on my Patriot. Most of you get far better performance in piles of snow than I do.

Maybe but you just might be used to more capable vehicles.

APT · Jan 13, 2009

jepstr67 said:
It really sounds like I need better tires on my Patriot. Most of you get far better performance in piles of snow than I do.

Hey there are only 4 places that any vehicle comes into contact with the ground. They are all rubber. Significant?

The variance among tires on the market that fit any given vehicle is huge. Has anyone tried 3 season summer only tires in the snow? The only reason why other vehicles seem more capable in snow than your Patriot would be the tires are more appropriate for it.

g-unit · Jan 13, 2009

I wish I didn't have to shovel snow but if i didn't i would have 2 feet of compacted snow/ice on my driveway and it wouldn't melt until July. Speaking of July, it has been pretty warm the last few days, +1°C (you know...t-shirt and jeans weather:wow

, so the snow is melting fairly quickly, but never fear there will be a few more dumps of snow before summer! Also I just bought a snow blower the other day and I havent got to use it yet!

On another note our Jeep has been excellent this year in the snow and we haven't got stuck once...I even tried! I used to have a Civic and have been wondering how we got around/survived with the old Honda for so many years! Just last week we went out for dinner and when we came back home the grader had been by and left a 2 foot pile of snow/ice chunks infront of our driveway. I looked at my wife, looked at the snow pile and punched the gas and drove right through/over the snow pile. Then I spent a hour clearing the snow so that my wife wouldn't get stuck in the morning with her car.

patriotpierre · Jan 20, 2009

jepstr67 said:
It really sounds like I need better tires on my Patriot. Most of you get far better performance in piles of snow than I do.

That's an understatement...you need better winter tires

jepstr67 · Jan 20, 2009

UPKEV said:
Maybe but you just might be used to more capable vehicles.

That could be. I am constantly bedeviled by low ground (snow) clearance with the Patriot.

The biggest problem is the Patriot is completely flat on the bottom. Other Jeeps have things like the axles that hang down and cut the top off of the snow first. The Patriot has angled plastic from the bumper down under the car, making it one giant ski with 4 wheels. The front angle compacts the snow in the center and pretty soon there is less weight on the wheels and too much resistance on the smooth underbelly of the car.

I still love the Patriot for long trips on little gas over snowy roads.

UPKEV · Jan 21, 2009

jepstr67 said:
That could be. I am constantly bedeviled by low ground (snow) clearance with the Patriot.

The biggest problem is the Patriot is completely flat on the bottom. Other Jeeps have things like the axles that hang down and cut the top off of the snow first. The Patriot has angled plastic from the bumper down under the car, making it one giant ski with 4 wheels. The front angle compacts the snow in the center and pretty soon there is less weight on the wheels and too much resistance on the smooth underbelly of the car.

I still love the Patriot for long trips on little gas over snowy roads.

I think it really might be a case of where did you come from. I came from an 02 neon, so my pats additional 3 inches of ground clearance makes me feel like I am king of world (usually if I don't try and climb 3 foot ice piles and get high centered).

Folks coming down from something with more than 9 or 8 as the case may have it probably feel a little low.

As far as it compacting snow, maybe you can build a 2x4 snow blow like the guy on you tube did for his patriot and push all that snow out of the way.

For those in snowy climes...

jeepmuck

Bimmer_2002

APT

Sean3424

heckler

jepstr67

Kenigan

TOMMYB78

UPKEV

johnda

pdxbubba

jepstr67

Schoat333

DetroitFlyer

UPKEV

APT

g-unit

patriotpierre

jepstr67

UPKEV

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