What part of the country do you live is the bigger question. And if you already have a 4wd jeep getting the better mileage out of the 2wd might be a better option.

 

I live in the DC metro area. Bad weather hits us occasionally and in some areas the roads are not always cleared right away. I have had to kick my TJ in to 4wd high on a few occasions.

 

fwiw: I bought a 4wd, knowing I would regret not having it...

 

If you plan on keeping the wrangler I would say stick with 2wd. Sometimes I wish I would have got 4wd with mine, but if I had a wrangler on the side I woul much prefer the MPG gain with my fwd Pat.

I lived in Cleveland for a while and my FWD did great in the snow, no issues at all. Resale on a 4wd would be higher, but it sounds like you keep your vehicles for a while so it wont affect you too much.

 

I would have to agree with some of the other guys. If you plan on keeping your Wrangler than I wouldn't worry about the 4wd on the Patriot.

 

4wd in that part of the country is totally unnecessary and a waste of money. In up to 6 inches of snow, any fwd vehicle will be easy to maneuver.

Save your money and get 2wd, your jeep will be plenty capable. I live in Michigan, and my family has never owned a 4wd vehicle, I myself have a RWD vehicle as a daily driver. They are fine, fwd is a breeze to control in bad conditions.

Get the lighter, cheaper 2wd patriot, you'll never have a use for the 4x4


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I just got my pat in March. I commute about the same and my 2wd get between 25 and 29mpg . I live in nj. The snow hasn't been bad yet this year but the fwd did fine. I haven't had 4wd in over 5 yrs and haven't missed it my last car was fwd and cut through snow no issue. If your really concerned Get snow tires and a set of chains.

 

If that was my main criteria I'd get a nissan versa note... since you already have a wrangler

 

If you are keeping the wrangler and want something for mileage I wouldn't buy the jeep. Otherwise I've never regretted having 4wd but there have been plenty of times I'd wished I had it.

 

I agree with a few latest statements. If you need strictly a commuter car, buy something that gets better gas mileage. If you need a Jeep for its all weather capability, get 4x4.


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2wd doesn't do that bad at all. I've never gotten mine completely stuck anyway. With stock tires I am impressed. I can't wait to see what my Jeep will do with a nice set of AT tires. Hopefully I can find out in the next few months. My average MPG's lately have been 24.5 and I don't always drive slow, plus there are a lot of hills around here.

 

Here's my take ... All I know is... If your patriot will always stay on pavement/asphalt/cement you have NO NEED for 4wd. Why pay for something you'd have just for saying you have it?

I've been driving long wheelbase rear wheel drive cars in harsh Michigan winters for 7 years now , and while it's not easy I get through it, and a good set of tires, wit, and electronically assisted programs help and I'm fine I've never been put in a situation with my rear wheel drive charger that I could say I almost had an accident or there was a close call. I drive cautiously and smart.

Just be smart and safe and you'll be fine.

Use the money you save by not getting 4wd on mods


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4wd on a Patriot, while pricey, can be an advantageous thing to have. Granted, it may not be strictly necessary, but it's one of those things that is better to have and never need than to need it and not have it. Not only that, but if your main concern is fuel economy and having a Wrangler for backup, I would note that the Patriot's 4wd system will only get you maybe 1-2 mpg worse than the 2wd, and if you happen to get into bad weather while driving the Patriot, you'll have that second Jeep 4x4 system to get you through. Even if it never puts any power to the rear wheels, it's still wise to have, just in case.

 

Ha ha - any mod money is going toward the Wrangler. I bought it new in 2002 a few months after starting my first real job just out of college. I was married, but didn't have kids yet and had a 20 something mile commute. Though I have put crazy miles on it - now at +182k - I have been able to keep my Jeep while my wife always had a family vehicle for the kids - with the exception of a few years when she traded her '02 Liberty in for an '09 VW Beetle Convertible. As fun as that little car was she is now in a '13 Grand Cherokee (also with 4wd).

The purpose of my commuter vehicle would be to serve my 86 mile daily death commute and serve as a back-up kid hauler and grocery getter. At first I looked at the usual suspects for commuter cars like the Civic and Corolla, but just did not like them. Then some cool domestic cars came out - the lastest generation of the Ford Focus, the Chevy Cruze, and the Dodge Dart as well as the Hyundai and Kia offerings. At the same time I also liked the boxy takes on the commuter car - the Kia Soul, the Nissan Cube, and the Scion xB. I liked these as they combined the attributes of a commuter car with a bit of utility. I could fold down the seats and put things on the roof if I needed to make a Home Depot run. These vehicles are OK now, but they may be a little to strange looking to have long term and I do keep vehicles for a long time. All of a sudden a few weeks ago I came across the Patriot. It was boxy, but in more of a simple classic Jeep sort of way and got relatively good MPG with 4wd as an option that really doesn't seem to have much of a penalty on MPG. Additionally it was made in America by an American company that I already had bought from and loved and available at a reasonable cost. If the Patriot just got a bit better MPG like the compacts I was previously considering it would be a no-brainer. If money wasn't an object and I was going for smiles per gallon as opposed to miles per gallon I would go out and buy a brand new JKU Rubicon through AEV with 35's and all of the goodies and an SRT Challenger. That's just not realistic right now. Maybe next week though

 

Sounds like a 6sp automatic FWD Pat suits your needs perfectly. It'll handle your commute, kid hauling, Home Depot/Costco trips and fun runs with ease. The vehicle has a wide range of utility value. You also have a strong dealer network in the DC/Balt area.
My daughter's had two and will be getting a 2014 in a few months - she won't drive anything else.

 

I've lived in New England all my life and I've worked in the DC area. I see all kinds of snow and FWD is just fine -- just keep good tires on it (which you should anyway). Mine came with LS-2s which were adequate. After the first winter I switched to General Altimax Artics which were better. Still, for DC area, the LS-2s are probably all you need. I wouldn't waste money on 4wd or dedicated snow tires.

We're getting 6-10" tomorrow and I'm going to work in my FWD Patriot, and I will get home and I won't bother to clean the driveway. When the snow gets outrageous we do have 4wd available, but that's mostly needed for our driveway, not the roads.

Final word of caution: 4wd is only for starting up in deep snow. You will corner no better and stop no sooner with 4wd. Unfortunately, many people imagine that with 4wd its going to stick to the road better. NOT! In fact, I've heard credible arguments that 4wd provides less not more traction when cornering.

Believe it or not, my FWD Patriot is better(!) than Wifey's 4WD Wrangler on the highway in snow. Yes the Wrangler will start up on a hill better and faster, but the Patriot will do it too; just lay off the gas cuz power makes you lose traction. When it comes to hills, the Patriot has a 60/40 weight distribution in favor of the front so you ought to be able to find enough traction to climb. On the highway the Patriot has a longer wheelbase, narrower track and narrower tires -- all advantages. You wrestle with ruts in a Wrangler and it is much more likely to dance.

And the other 360 days of the year you're getting 2-3 better mpg. That's a lot of ice cream cones for the kids next summer!

 

We're getting 6-10" tomorrow and I'm going to work in my FWD Patriot, and I will get home and I won't bother to clean the driveway. When the snow gets outrageous we do have 4wd available, but that's mostly needed for our driveway, not the roads.

I stand corrected. That would be on Thursday into Friday.

 

I never leave home without my 4wd.

 

Before I bought my 2011 JK, we bought the 2010 Patriot. Frankly, if it wasn't for a desire to have AWD, I'm not sure we would have bought the Patriot.

Buy what you like, but I'm getting 24 to 29 mpg with a 4x4 Patriot, I have used the AWD locked in multiple times (including today's snowy commute, 60 miles each way), and if you look at resale, the "hit" for 4x4 is minimal. People often say "I don't care about resale"... well, until it's time to sell or trade.

It is my own personal opinion, but I'd rather have a Dodge Journey or a larger sedan than a Patriot if 2wd was the option. Jeeps are 4x4, to me. No disrespect to anyone.

 

Frankly, if it wasn't for a desire to have AWD, I'm not sure we would have bought the Patriot.

Buy what you like, but I'm getting 24 to 29 mpg with a 4x4 Patriot, I have used the AWD locked in multiple times (including today's snowy commute, 60 miles each way), and if you look at resale, the "hit" for 4x4 is minimal. People often say "I don't care about resale"... well, until it's time to sell or trade.

It is my own personal opinion, but ............ Jeeps are 4x4, to me. No disrespect to anyone.

Amen to that!!!!

 

Umm... Journey is FRONT WHEEL DRIVE.

Front wheel drive and four wheel drive are both SO EASY to drive control and maneuver in the snow.

It takes the most amount of skill to drive Rear wheel drive in the snow no doubt.


Other two options... Piece of cake, no matter what car were talking about


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Umm... Journey is FRONT WHEEL DRIVE. Sent from AutoGuide.com App

Really? I stand corrected.

 

Yup drove a 2011 journey one winter... Flawless in a foot of fresh snow. Front wheel drive gives you magnificent control in slick and snowy conditions.


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