New Pat owner signing in.

Dwartz Farquhartz · May 22, 2008

I didn't plan it this way, but I bought a new Patriot yesterday.

I'm a long time Jeep owner. This is my 11th Jeep. The dealer I use is run entirely by one family, and they have been a Jeep-only dealer through the Willys/Kaiser/AMC/DaimlerChrysler/Chrysler eras, and they have become friends to my wife and I.

But I didn't think I could afford a new Jeep. I spent Wednesday in 2 states and 3 counties looking at used cars and getting really fed up with car dealers. I had called my friends at the Jeep dealer twice during the day and asked about used vehicles. The salesperson (the daughter) told me I should think about a new '07 Liberty - they had $5k rebates.

But - I'm a big guy and I just didn't feel comfortable in the Liberty. The service manager (the son) told me to try a Patriot. I never would have believed how comfortable it was - and with the smaller engine, better mpg to boot! I already have the other Wrangers, so I can live with something a little less "Jeep-ey."

So, I spent some time with the sales manager (the mom), said hi to the safety lane inspector (the dad), and drove home my new Patriot.

Sorry for the long winded intro, but I'm delighted with my Patriot and so is my wife.

It's slate blue, CVTII, 17" wheels, RAQ radio, heated seats, SIRIUS, etc.

snowaquall · May 23, 2008

Congrats and welcome from Canada.

quasimodem51 · May 23, 2008

Welcome and congrats. Our other vehicle is a 98 Cherokee and there is no doubt about it, the Cherokee is a serious hauler. Way more torque than our Patriot but it takes way more gas to move the 4 liter beast as well. At a 1.27 /liter for gas, you will be very satisfied that the Patriot is powerful enough.

Wade · May 24, 2008

Welcome Dwartz... No need to apologize about the post above... That little Patriot will grow on you as time goes on and you'll go from liking it to loving it real quickly... This is a great place to learn all about your new ride... Post us some pics when you can... Again, welcome to the JeepPatriot.com forum...

sellout · May 24, 2008

Welcome from a fellow New-B. Gotta love that "weird blue gray color" !

Aus Patriot · May 24, 2008

Congrats on the buy.

Dwartz Farquhartz · May 25, 2008

Thanks for the welcome(s). How do I upload pics to the gallery? I found some directions, but when I click on the link, it says I don't have authorization to upload photos.

Here's my new Pat:

EuroPat · May 25, 2008

Thanks for the pictures, Dwartz. So it's your 11th Jeep! That's impressive. Let us know more about how you like the Patriot because we need experienced Jeep owners like you. Welcome to the forums!

Dwartz Farquhartz · Jun 4, 2008

I was reading some other posts, and I decided this was still the best place to tell a litle more of my story.

Having a Pat for a week or so now, I've had to alter my long-held Jeeper beliefs. Come to think of it, they've evolved over the years.

Got my first Jeep in 1978 ('51 military M38, which I still own). In '85, I bought my first new Jeep ('85 CJ-7). That was totaled by a drunk driver, leading me to buy my '86 CJ-7. I even worked a summer for the local Jeep dealer.

A few years later, family needs caused me to trade in the CJ on a Grand Wagoneer. What a change. Up until that time, I thought the only true Jeeps were CJs. But...driving a Grand Wagoneer wasn't a tough pill to swallow.

Since then, my wife and I have had a couple Grand Cherokees. I still own a '92 Wrangler that I use for plowing, and my wife has her '05 Wrangler Rubicon Unlimited. Last year, I picked up a '63 Willys/Kaiser Wagoneer (the 1st year for the big Jeeps). And last week, I traded in a Grand Cherokee in on the Patriot.

Test driving, and now owning the Patriot made me realize a few things.

I know this may sound insulting to some, but I was really angry that Chrysler decided to badge-engineer the Compass & Patriot off the Caliber chassis. In my opinion, that just one of many reasons the American manufacturers have failed. Too many GM, Ford & Chrysler cars shared everything but a few trim pieces - heck in the case of the Omni/Horizon and the Neon, who could really tell the difference? I didn't want Jeep to become another company to go down that road.

But, I always accepted the Patriot, because it doesn't look like a Caliber, and you can outfit it to be trail rated. So it wasn't that hard to make the decision to buy the Pat.

But - I've realized that my needs are different from my "wants." I needed a vehicle that got acceptable gas mileage, which until now just wasn't possible. Plus, it's not like I'm taking my daily driver wheeling anymore - those days are long gone. If I really feel that need, we have the 2 Wranglers.

So...I've made this exceedingly long and I apologize. But I've been raving to everyone I meet about my new Jeep, and those that know me are probably startled by my apparent change in opinion. I think I've startled myself!

New Pat owner signing in.

Dwartz Farquhartz

snowaquall

quasimodem51

Wade

sellout

Aus Patriot

Dwartz Farquhartz

EuroPat

Dwartz Farquhartz

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