anyone else not happy with their patriot?

entrust · Nov 13, 2007

ok so i got my limited 4x4 5spd patriot in june and after 4500 miles im ready to get rid of it! there are 2 major things that i really dont like, first the gas mileage is much worse that it claimed, instead of 25/30 its like 22/25 and i dont have a heavy foot at all! i did a road trip this weekend and average like 23mpg over 600 miles! i got the patriot to get good gas mileage since my other car is a denali which drinks it! the other thing i hate is the gas tank is why too small! i drove to my friends this weekend which is 304 miles door to door and i had to make a gas stop! that rediculous that the car cant go 300 miles on a tank!

now to the little things, the shifter sucks, its hard to get into reverse, the turn signal stalks suck and are harder than they should be to activate.

for having a claimed 172hp it feels gutless, feels more like 100hp!

im sorry for a $23k vehicle i expected more, im i being to picky?

im ready to trade it in this week and get something else

zombie4569 · Nov 13, 2007

entrust said:
im sorry for a $23k vehicle i expected more, im i being to picky?

im ready to trade it in this week and get something else

Well let's think of this logically. You bought a first year vehicle with an estimated MPG that was recently changed for the '08 model year.

You are posting on a Jeep Patriot forum, so yes, we all realize there are issues, but still love our vehicles.

I have the same features as you, and there is plenty of power lurking in this 2.4 liter.

This vehicle is not for everyone and we understand that so if you are unsatisfied, please let someone else enjoy this fine piece of machinery.

DJ XS · Nov 13, 2007

you are getting good gas mileage.

Rottenbob · Nov 13, 2007

entrust said:
...the gas mileage is much worse that it claimed, instead of 25/30...

25/30 is the mileage that Jeep claims on a Patriot equipped with the 2.0 engine with FWD. The 2.4 engine with 4x4 is gonna be a bit less.

entrust said:
...its like 22/25 and i dont have a heavy foot at all!...

For a 4x4, that is pretty good. The Suzuki SX4 gets only about 22 mpg, and it is a much smaller vehicle.

entrust · Nov 13, 2007

but doesnt it seem rediculous that the patriot cant go 300 miles on a tank of gas?

Rake · Nov 14, 2007

Lots of good comments here. FWIW I'm car shopping and the limited range is a big, big issue for me.

eeyun · Nov 13, 2007

New EPA figures for your model of Patriot (5spd manaul 4x4) are 22 mpg city and 27 mpg highway, to which you are very close.

entrust · Nov 13, 2007

well new ratings dont do me a lot of good when i bought a car based on the 07 ratings which are false

zombie4569 · Nov 13, 2007

07 ratings were estimates by the EPA, which they do for all new vehicles. They announced that they made a mistake on the estimates for that year, which is why they are changed for 08. Please make your complaints known to them. They made this mistake for all new vehicles in 07, not just Jeeps. Please trade in your vehicle if you are not happy.

zombie4569 · Nov 13, 2007

http://www.kval.com/news/consumertips/11053361.html

Here is a link to one of many articles on the subject.

entrust · Nov 13, 2007

i dont mean to come across as saying the car is crap, its not and there are lots of things i like about it, i think its gonna be lots of fun to take snowboarding this winter since its a small fortune to drive my denali to the mountain and back

if i bought a sport model for like $16k i wouldnt be complaing but for $23k ill complaing a bit

zombie4569 · Nov 13, 2007

It's understandable to be unhappy with something, and I might be bias since I not only have one, but I also build them daily. I hope some of the options you got for the extra money was worth it. I pretty much got what I only really wanted, premium wheels and tires, cruise control, and fog lights. I'm planning on doing some more off-roading friday since I have the day off. Isn't that why we bought them?

epper:

quasimodem51 · Nov 13, 2007

Tiburon: I second that opinion as well. I have an '07 and I am very aware of the first model year shakedown issues. I went in knowing this and the fact that the MK series of vehicles are lower-end automobiles.

It has all the bells and whistles I am looking for with a nice hard plastic interior that is easy to clean (as opposed to my ire showing should someone spill orangeade on a leatherlike dash on a hot summer's day). It is a great blend of mall-terrain and legitimate off-road capability. Works for me.

And Zombie, likewise. If you had a hand in building my 07 stone white Limited in April, thank you. I have only the "flappen hood" issue and that has nothing to do with the folks on the production floor.

HoosierRon · Nov 13, 2007

For people who don't have a heavy foot, 172 hp is more than enough. I think your comment that the Patriot feels "gutless" tells us plenty about your light foot driving habits. You are getting 3-4 mpg below the EPA sticker. You are going to lose 1 mpg if you use gasoline with 10% ethanol (most metro areas do). You will lose at least 1 mpg if the pressure in your tires are low (which is comment when temperatures drop in the fall). You will lose several miles per gallon by driving your Patriot like it has the Denali's 400 hp V-8. Finally, you said you bought the Patriot for its mileage. Well, you lost another mpg by getting a 4x4 rather than a 4x2.

Drive the speed limit, fill up your tires, avoid ethanol, and you will get exactly what the EPA says you will get.

Terasec · Nov 13, 2007

9.3 0-60

Pat is slow,very slow.
21 mpg for a 4 cyl is also pathetic,
6cyl liberty gets better mpg and much better acceleration.
I bought the pat for 4X4. And price, was better off with a liberty

hasty10805 · Nov 13, 2007

I will put my 2cents in! The wife and I are happy with the Patriot! There has been some small things that has pi$$ed me off about it but we are happy for what we got! We were going to get a CX7 but for what we were wanting in options and 4*4 and what we were wanting to spend under 30g's It wasn't going to work out! The more I look at the MAZDA I am glad we got the Patriot!! What I am getting at is we had a 03 LAND ROVER DISCOVERY SE7 the best we got out of it was 13 mpg's!! The Patriot is not as good as it said on the sticker, but I knew that you can always go by them! I am very happy with the MPG's that we get out of the Patriot (22mpg) and that is Trail Rated! With the wife only drives in town only 10 min down the road!! We trade like every 3yrs but I think that we will keep this one for a lot longer than that! So if you here me complain about the Patriot it's because I have had a bad day! So we are HAPPY PATRIOT OWNERS HERE!!!

cadavev · Nov 13, 2007

I drive a 04 avalanche 2500 lt 4x4 and i bought the patriot for the mpg and to keep miles off my av. i am getting 25-26 mpg and i am very happy with the patriot i bought a sport 4x2 for 19,600 as it was a left over so i am very please at what i got for the moeny cause i got alot of options.

Cannoncocker · Nov 13, 2007

Love the RIOT .. HATE the CVT !!!

Neely2005 · Nov 13, 2007

Have you had the CVT Flash Update done on your CVT?

http://www.caliberforumz.com/showthread.php?t=2170

http://www.caliberforumz.com/showthread.php?t=2187

http://blogs.edmunds.com/roadtests/1625

You may have to create a Free Account to view the Links.

Wheezy · Nov 13, 2007

I'm happy with it aside from the cheap, hard plastic interior (I don't really mind the interior, but I do mind the irritating rattling that's created by the plastic).

One thing that also bugged me was the fact that the silver bumper on the Limited models is basically a black bumper with a very thin coat of silver paint on it. I had expected that it would be silver throughout the front and rear bumper, but after I noticed a stone chip took a small amount of paint off my front bumper, I realized it was an all black bumper underneath.

I'm quite happy with it otherwise; I look forward to throwing it around in the snow come Winter.

entrust · Nov 13, 2007

yeah i was almost thinking about trading it for a new liberty!

and as i said i dont have a heavy foot! i drive really easy and am very mindful of gas consumption but the thing still feels gutless, i almost wanna dyno mine but i dont beleive the horsepower rating is accurate at all!

drenglish · Nov 13, 2007

I'm happy with mine. I would surely be glad to have more performance, a bigger tank, and better mileage, but I knew what I was getting. My mileage is low (around 19) but that's because I do a lot of stop-and-go city driving and I'm sure the roof basket I added cuts mileage too.

But overall I find the vehicle comfortable, well equipped, and nice to drive, and as soon as I can get the time it's taking me on some nice backcountry adventures.

viprjrgirl · Nov 13, 2007

I am bothered by the fact that you said you paid 23,000 for it and are expecting more than the 16000 sport version.

Just because your car cost more does not mean its better. The jeep starts at 16000 or 17000, what you add to it makes it go up in price, but not the "quality" you pay more for leather seats, or yes seats, more for CD player and speakers, more for AC and 4x4, more for AC and other things. But the overall make up of the jeep and parts and quality is the same as the 16000 version. More options does not always mean that your going to get better gas milage or be happier with your car.

silvermike · Nov 13, 2007

entrust, Sorry but I cannot help you here. I am getting excellent mileage out of an SUV, have adequate performance, have had zero defects, and am satisfied with the fit and finish of my early 07 Patriot.

I am very satisfied with the car and I can compare it direcly with my sister's CR-V and my in-law's RAV4 and can see that the Patriot compares favorably. The RAV4 4x4, 4cyl, and auto is much slower than the Patriot (CVT or manual) and I found the quality and interior design to be inferior for most areas. The CR-V is very nice and if I was never going offroad it would be a good choice --- at $7k more.

JRX · Nov 13, 2007

After 6 mos I've been real pleased with my FDII. For me:

- Good build quality
- Better MPG than EPA estimates
- Comfortable - good ride/handling/brakes
- Adequate acceleration (I LIKE the CVT!)
- Great looks/character. Not feminized like RAV-4, CRV.

Perfect? No. Are there things I would change? yes - I never owned a car that didnt have at least a few little annoyances.

johnda · Nov 13, 2007

The BIG thing that bothers me is people who buy cars like the Denali. A giant hunk of steel with an overpowered inefficient engine that can't handle worth a damn. Who needs that kind of performance in a car that will roll over at the first hairpin turn at Lime Rock racetrack. If you want Corvette performance at least get a car that can handle like a Corvette. All I read about these days are SUV accidents where the guy in the SUV was driving too fast for the conditions, ran somebody down at the cross walk, rolled their car or ended up in the woods.

The Patriot is a sensible SUV that really has decent performance and is efficient. Personally, I would not be caught dead in a Denali, Escalade or Navigator. Is my Patriot perfect? I guess not, but is any car 100% perfect?

My Patriot does what I want it to do and it does it reliably and efficiently. OK, rant over. I have some golf clubs I need to get in that baby before the temperature drops too far.

Wheezy · Nov 13, 2007

You haven't driven the newly redesigned GM full size SUVs then, if you feel that way. While I certainly respect that an SUV the size of a Patriot is adequate for your needs, that doesn't mean people buy larger SUVs for "performance" reasons, in the sense that they feel like taking it around a track.

I am quite biased, however, as I've been lucky enough to drive a brand new Tahoe for over a year before I got my Patriot. (It's my dad's Tahoe; I didn't give up a Tahoe for a Patriot

) My dad decided to upgrade to the Tahoe from a TrailBlazer, and the way the Tahoe handles in comparison to the TrailBlazer is unbelievable. I'm going to go out on a limb and say you'd have to be quite an idiot nowadays to roll over one of these 5000+lb beasts, thanks to all new anti-roll over mitigation systems.

We tow trailers and boats with the Tahoe, so I just can't see anything larger than a push-mower being towed behind the Patriot. I'm not saying the Patriot can't handle a boat (yes, I've seen many pictures to prove it), I'm just saying that it's much more comfortable towing something with a 5.3L V8, than a dinky little 4 cylinder CVT.

I apologize if I've severely annoyed/angered anyone, it's just that I tend to get irritated when people put down full-size SUVs for their "necessity" and other issues. I will agree that while the Tahoe isn't towing something on a weekly basis, it's put to more practical use than Escalades that have 24" wheels and are practically only a rolling status symbol.

AZCycle · Nov 13, 2007

It's too bad you're not happy with your Pat. I'm not sure you're going to get a ton of support since most of us here are happy with our choice. I guess my question to you is: Did you test drive it before you bought it? The apparent lack of power you claim would've been noticeable from the first 5-seconds you drove it.

I got the Pat for it's gas mileage, plus it fit my lifestyle better than my 1994 Ford Ranger. The Ranger claimed 175hp as well but coming from a V6, and it's mileage was terrible. (19/21 compared to my Pat's 26/29).

Now, I agree with you that compared to my Ranger, the Pat usually doesn't have the get-up-and-go but I expected it. I just KNEW I was getting 4-cylinder performance so I wasn't disappointed. But those 175 horses ARE there... they're just accessed a little differently. I can easily chirp the tires on my Pat, and that is with the CVT. And passing is easy if you just anticipate the CVT's "pause to rev-up."

Well, good luck and I hope you find a vehicle that you're happy with.

Terasec · Nov 13, 2007

yes CVT is quite different

smoother and quieter, definetely,
better? well may be a matter of opinion,
I like the CVT when cruising on back roads,
nice feeling when holding between 40-60 mph,
I dont like it off the line,
few times i accelerate to enter traffic,
and a vehicle that was hundreds of feet away, is now right on my back as i am still trying to get up to speed,
did notice i get better acceleration when i give it half throttle as opposed to full throttle, and wait for some speed before trying to accelerate harder,
I am not an aggressive driver,
have had my fun in the past,
but do like some performance from my vehicles
Overall am happy with the pat for the price,
4x4 for $20K
works for me

Randoo-N-CJ · Nov 13, 2007

Terasec said:
few times i accelerate to enter traffic,
and a vehicle that was hundreds of feet away, is now right on my back as i am still trying to get up to speed

I have to agree with you on that one. I thought I was going to cause an accident the first time I tried to merge onto a speeding I-74 here. Mannn, it just does NOT accelerate fast as shifting transmissions do. (where they go up to and just past max torque/HP and then shift to just below those again, etc.)
I love my Pat, but I have had to adjust my thoughts on how to merge with high-speed traffic now.
Getting used to the CVT shouldn't be a trial-by-fire, if ya know what I mean..:icon_rolleyes:

Still, our Pat is a keeper

charlimc · Nov 13, 2007

I find that when merging the Autostick really shines. You have better control over the aceleration- Merely downshift one or two "gears" to get to the peak power point and then upshift as required.

I also find that flooring the accelerator with the CVT is counterproductive- I push the gas pedal about halfway down to accelerate, I then briefly let up and then come down hard. It takes a little practise but I am finding that the acceleration of the Patriot is good- compares with my 3.7 litre Dakota- but gets much better MPG (30 versus 15 with the Dakota).

SMJPG2008 · Nov 13, 2007

For me and a daily driver, Patriot is perfect for me.
Now for towing, yes something full size is nicer. Right now we're towing a 18 ft trailer with a V-6 Nissan. Down the road in a few years it'll have to upgraded so we can tow a little bigger trailer so we will need more power.

I love my Patriot, I'm going to drive it into the ground, when the motor blows or whatever comes first. I will drive it spitting and sputtering. I'm quit happy with, no complaints. It's been the best vehicle I've ever owned. First Jeep and I will be buying another Jeep when the Patriot goes spitting and sputtering down the road to it's resting point on the hill at the ranch.

No the Patriot isn't for everyone. I will admit I didn't test drive a Patriot, I did test drive the Compass. I did my research and a lot of it. I knew what I was getting into. I knew what to look for and still look for. For me it's perfect. Is it perfect for my neighbor probably not cause they have three kids and are talking about having a baby in a few years. Is it perfect for some other neighbors probably. We are all different and we all have different needs. Do some of us jump into things blind yes, do we later regret it, yes.

If your not happy 90-100% and feel your lacking the OOOMPH as in power, then trade it in and get a V-6 or something. If your wanting a Jeep, try the Liberty or the Grand Cherokee. I think they will meet your needs for what you need. Your gas mileage will be a little less than the Patriot but if you are seeking more check them out.

I personally for me, I perfer a 4 cylinder. For going up in the mountains, towing, whatever we do, we got our pickup.

gagemaster2000 · Nov 13, 2007

I gotta say I'm very happy with my patriot, Pushing 3000 miles now and the gas mileage just keeps getting better.

I filled up yesterday after spending the weekend with my honey driving all over Kalamazoo shopping in and out of stores stop and go driving and still
averaged 25.4 mpg for a 4X4.

This is by far the best all around 4X4 i have ever owned and still look forward to driving it everyday. Would do it all over again and I really don't miss my Sierra or it's gas mileage.

anyone else not happy with their patriot?

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