Terrible Review

Akula · Feb 12, 2008

Funny, that's the first review I've seen to pan the Patriot's handling.

Every other review praises the handling and steering, even Car and Driver, who should have an idea what a good handling car feels like. Heck, I know what a good handling car feels like, and the Patriot handles quite well; a dang sight better than any Toyota I have ever driven (those tend to handle like they uses liquid Valium instead of power steering fluid). Emergency handling is likewise good.

Yes, the engine makes weird noises. Yes, the interior plastics are so-so at best. But lousy handling? What are those idiots smoking?

I swear, CR knows less than squat about cars. They even admitted to using the halo effect when rating them (when they said that Toyotas no longer get "automatic buy" rankings).

As far as small SUVs go, the Patriot is just about the Miata of the bunch- it isn't overloaded with power (and is actually underpowered by about 30 horses), but it handles extremely well.

Ash · Feb 12, 2008

The biggest irony is that for me a 4x4 should have light steering, I don't want to have arms like Popeye to drive it. Secondly the interior, I like it. I have an 11 month old daughter who will no doubt get her sticky mitts all over it. It makes it easy to wipe down.

Sometimes I wonder whether the reviewers actually know or have a clue about what a proper SUV should be.

That said I did go for the Limited with the leather interior instead of the YES

metalhead · Feb 12, 2008

snowaquall said:
Hi everybody...I have been a member for a short time and this is my first post. I am planning on buying a 2008 Patriot North in a few days. I have read about a dozen reviews on the Patriot....all good.

In the December issue of Consumer reports there is a review of the Patriot.
Out of 17 SUV's tested, the Patriot ranked 16th and the Dodge Nitro was at the bottom of the list.

The Patriot was described as "being noisy...road noise is pronounced and engine noise is wearing. The steering lacks feedback with early understeer, sloppy handling, cheap looking and poorly finished plastic interior and poor emergency handling. No info available on reliability.

I'm wondering if anybody else has read this review and has any comments.
I also have a question...how many miles or kilometers on the odometer is considered acceptable when buying a new vehicle? Thanks in advance.

Let me say this about consumer reports. They favor the imports. They rarely give good reviews to domestic models. I read that same review and after I test drove the patriot I bought it. Look at what they compaired it to. Most of the models had V6's exept for the suzuki. They always complain about poor interiors cheap looking plastic yada yada yada. I have had my patriot for 3 days now and every day I drive it I love it more and more. My only complaint about the patriot is all 4x4 models should have 9 inches of ground clearance instead of just the trail rated model. Today I drove home from work in a snow/sleet storm and my patriot handled it better than my 2005 dodge dakota 4x4 that I traded in for the patriot. So the best review you can read is the one you write after the test drive.

Terasec · Feb 13, 2008

CR Alternate

Consumer Reports Recommended Alternates

▪ 2008 Hyundai Tucson
---Price 17K-$22K,
---140 hp-173hp
▪ 2008 Toyota RAV4
Starts at +$21K
166 hp

▪ 2008 Honda CR-V
---$20K-$25K
166 hp

None offer 4x4, just AWD
all cost thousands more
all have less HP,
to me there is no comparison

Belveder · Feb 13, 2008

I have an easy answer for you.Go and take a test drive at a Chrysler dealer and judge for yourself.You'll be able to see and inspect the vehicle with your own eyes and hands.I'm very happy and a pround owner of the Patriot. Good luck.

usswasp · Feb 13, 2008

I always keep a copy of Consumer Reports in the back of my Jeep just in case I run out of toilet paper while in the woods. It's a bit rough around the edges but it is sure better than tree bark. Come to think about it, tree bark is better reading than Consumer Reports. It's a win-win scenario.

jepstr67 · Feb 13, 2008

Shiner said:
The reviewer in that article is really trying to find something wrong with the patriot. Some of his points are true but he is arguing in the wrong car segment. The Jeep patriot is a small affordable SUV!!! Is it noisy? Yes. Is the engine a little underpowered coupled with a CVT that sucks any extra power away? Yes. Is it the most capable SUV on the market? No. For the price can you get any better small SUV with all of the fixings? No way! The price point on the patriot is the best selling point ever and no reviewer wants to mention it. There is no competition in this market. Sure it lacks alot of the other things small SUVs have but it costs on average thousands of dollars less.

Excellent points! This is exactly what bothers me about reviews. This is an great vehicle for the money.

patnorth23 · Feb 13, 2008

Back in November '07 or so, Consumer reports announced that they would no longer give Toyota an automatic recommendation. What does that say about their objectivity. After that announcement, I felt betrayed. For how many other companies do they automatically issue a recommendation -positive or negative?

HawgGuy · Feb 13, 2008

I traded in a Wrangler for my Patriot and as most of you know Consumer Report hated the Wrangler and I doubt if any of you former or current Wrangler owners feel that way. I guess what they want is a SUV that rides as smooth as a Buick and probably also handles as well.

jepstr67 · Feb 13, 2008

Ash said:
The biggest irony is that for me a 4x4 should have light steering, I don't want to have arms like Popeye to drive it. Secondly the interior, I like it. I have an 11 month old daughter who will no doubt get her sticky mitts all over it. It makes it easy to wipe down.

Sometimes I wonder whether the reviewers actually know or have a clue about what a proper SUV should be.

That said I did go for the Limited with the leather interior instead of the YES

Dog proof vinyl seats. That is why I love the 25D Patriot. A quick shot of 409 and all is new again.

neilcrichton · Feb 13, 2008

Consumer Reports auto testers end up sitting alone in the old folks home, complaining about the rocking chairs, bitching about the food, wondering why they could never get a date, and why no one comes to visit them. Bitter people!

drenglish · Feb 13, 2008

A couple of observations on the Consumer Reports article:

If you are a member, you can read online reviews by CR _readers_. Despite what the editors say, the readers love the Pat. I think that a large part of it is that we buy what we want, and not every vehicle is right for everybody. So CR's basic argument, that any vehicle is best, overall, has to be taken with a grain of salt.

Second, they review cars as transportation appliances. The standard they always use is the Toyota Camry. From that perspective, I agree with them. The Patriot is lousy if you judge it by whether it's a Camry or not.

They have done some good things by advocating safety and the like, but they are a little rigid and dogmatic when it comes to car reviews. I agree with the Neil C that they are a bunch of uptight humorless folks.

johnda · Feb 13, 2008

These bozos do not understand the Pat. They expect a limosene that has the handling of a porsche. Give me a break. I love my Pat, I love the engine sound, I love the feed back from the steering and being able to feel the road beneath me. It really handles very nicely on the back country winding and hilly roads around here, stops on a dime, and scoots real well. It has very comfortable seats and good visibility. I also like the utilitarian interior because I use my Pat as a trail buddy and treat it like a small pickup with a camper back. Best all around do everything car I have ever had. So there!

Silverone · Feb 13, 2008

Purely subjective. The only accurate thing they publish are the historical stats based on actual repairs and ownership. Compared to the other 4wd station wagons I've owned, the Patriot is getting very close to the top of the list.
Stick to testing toasters.

Akula · Feb 13, 2008

drenglish said:
Second, they review cars as transportation appliances. The standard they always use is the Toyota Camry. From that perspective, I agree with them. The Patriot is lousy if you judge it by whether it's a Camry or not.

That shows their ultimate ignorance regarding vehicles. The Camry is a transportation capsule. There's a reason it tends to fare poorly against other midsized cars (it has gotten whupped regularly by the Accord, Altima, and even the Sonata the last few years)- it is NUMB. Sure, it was reliable, but even that has slipped recently.

If you try to compare any vehicle to one that is in a completely different segment, you not only fail at a basic understanding of automobiles, your logic skills are deficient and you're probably boring at parties too.

That's like whining about the Corvette because you can't drive the kids' carpool with it. Or expecting a minivan to carve up twisty back roads and put a smile on your face from the engaging experience. Or whining because a F-250 towing a camper gets 9mpg. Or wanting more towing capacity on a Ford Focus. And on and on and on.

A Jeep Patriot has nothing in common with the Camry other than the number of tires. Expecting it to drive like one is flat-out foolish, because something that numb, when taken off road, will get you stuck out there.

CR's rank incompetence and intellectual dishonesty with their vehicle ratings have made me seriously doubt their ability to look objectively at anything else. I'm not even sure their magazine would make good toilet paper- too slick, too harsh, and too expensive. I'd rather spend my money on some Charmin.

AZCycle · Feb 13, 2008

snowaquall said:
Hi everybody...I have been a member for a short time and this is my first post. I am planning on buying a 2008 Patriot North in a few days. I have read about a dozen reviews on the Patriot....all good.

In the December issue of Consumer reports there is a review of the Patriot.
Out of 17 SUV's tested, the Patriot ranked 16th and the Dodge Nitro was at the bottom of the list.

The Patriot was described as "being noisy...road noise is pronounced and engine noise is wearing. The steering lacks feedback with early understeer, sloppy handling, cheap looking and poorly finished plastic interior and poor emergency handling. No info available on reliability.

I'm wondering if anybody else has read this review and has any comments.
I also have a question...how many miles or kilometers on the odometer is considered acceptable when buying a new vehicle? Thanks in advance.

So have we convinced you yet?

I have to agree with the rest here. I only take consumer reports (as well as all other professional reviews) with a grain of salt. I look at current owners' opinions, test drive, and then form my own opinion. Anyone who buys a vehicle only on reading a review by someone else deserves to get a lemon, IMO. YOU have to do the research and you have to come to your own opinion.

Yes, the engine is a bit "growly" but it's never bothered me. Much less bothersome than the terrible highway growl off my old Ranger's tires. Yes, the interior is a bit on the cheaper LOOKING side, but it has held up wonderfully in the year I've owned my Pat.

I guess all I can say is: I bought the Patriot knowing where it stood. I did not expect Mercedes quality at a Hyundai price.

quasimodem51 · Feb 13, 2008

Does CR really do that??? I mean do they establish one particular model and give it a value of 1 where all vehicles compared will either have a value of less than one or greater than 1??? Come now. Sure sounds to me like the Aston-Martin would have a failing grade just in the cost department alone.

I guess CR has not quite grasped the apples and oranges concept yet.

Pitiful.

JoeBecker · Feb 13, 2008

quasimodem51 said:
I guess CR has not quite grasped the apples and oranges concept yet.

They don't care to know what the fruit is, they only want to know whether the fruit is imported by Del Monte or homegrown by the Aldi brand supplier (low cost supermarket).

In their perfect world the best fruit would probably be an orange (the Honda CRV of the bunch): Perfectly round with a nice texture. The Patriot would be a pineapple: Poorly shaped with a rough texture.

HoosierRon · Feb 13, 2008

quasimodem51 said:
Does CR really do that??? I mean do they establish one particular model and give it a value of 1 where all vehicles compared will either have a value of less than one or greater than 1??? Come now. Sure sounds to me like the Aston-Martin would have a failing grade just in the cost department alone.

I guess CR has not quite grasped the apples and oranges concept yet.

Pitiful.

An Aston Martin would fail for the following reasons:

1. Trunk is smaller than a Camry's trunk -- not enough room for a walker.
2. Lower gas mileage than a Camry -- gas cap difficult to remove with arthritic hands.
3. Less back seat leg room than a Camry -- entire quilting club will not fit.
4. Harsher ride than a Camry -- dentures knocked loose.

snowaquall · Feb 13, 2008

Just wanted to thank everyone for the feedback on the Consumer Report review of the Patriot. I have read 15 reviews on the Patriot to date and Consumers had the only negative on. ...all the other reviewers loved it. I will be ignoring the Consumer article and as soon as I can get a satisifactory deal I will be getting a sport with the north package and a 5 speed mt.

There is a great review today on the 2008 Patriot Limited in Canadian Driver. For anyone interested its www,canadiandriver.ca

Thanks again for the feedback.

Terrible Review

Akula

Ash

metalhead

Terasec

Belveder

usswasp

jepstr67

patnorth23

HawgGuy

jepstr67

neilcrichton

drenglish

johnda

Silverone

Akula

AZCycle

quasimodem51

JoeBecker

HoosierRon

snowaquall

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