I've been lurking this forum for a while as I was doing research on what I wanted in my next vehicle. Same thing I did. It came down to a 2012 Patriot Latitude with all the bells and whistles I was looking for. I bought this vehicle to haul my camera and camping gear while traveling. I'm sure i'll be posting photos and whatnot, but I honestly love the stock look of the patriot. So I won't be doing much for mods. Ha! My only worry is the included sunroof and the countless complaints of leaks.
The rain drops keep falling on my head thing seems to have lessened considerably in the later models. Keep your maintenance up...silicone spray the gaskets, use low volume air to blow out the drain tubes from time to time, inspect often, etc.
Welcome, lots of reading ahead of you because there si lots of good advice and help on these pages.
I find Google search is best for me to find general info on here...this forum always comes up.
If you have anything specific to ask there are tons of willing folks who really know their stuff more than able to help.