I just dropped my family off at the airport they had 7 Luggages and 2 carry ons.

And the Luggages were all max. size that the airplane would allow and with only the one seat down (so there were 2 seats left available in the back) I fit them all in. I had to do a little puzzling around, and removed the plastic covering the spare tire but it's got good amount of space back there.

It will fit golf clubs in there, may have to maneuver them around but they will fit. I got a 2010 have had it for a bout a month and I must say I am very satisfied. Only thing is I took the black and I love it, but still unsure of whether I should of got it in white or not.

Oh also I got the 4x2 for gas but in all honesty it looks like the 4x4 still has good fuel economy so if u can afford it I'd get the 4x4.

Otherwise, I'm very very very happy with my choice.

 

This is GOOD news! Thanks for the post!

We test drove the black 4x4 north edition (Canada) 5 speed. I've read the manual tranny is notchy, but I found it very smooth. Found I needed to let it rev to about 5000 rpms before shifting when going up hills. Definitely not as peppy as my V6 5 speed Suzuki Grand Vitara I currently have, but it did the job. I didn't like the view out front (windshield seemed very curved and shallow - unlike my Grand Vitara, which has a very large and upright view for driving. I think I'd just need to get used to it...

The salesguy showed us the Dodge Journey, too. Bigger - but not really by all that much - esp. considering a 3rd row of seats. I love having the 3rd row of seats option, but honestly, it would only get used a few times per year (perhaps while camping, which would reduce our cargo space considerably as a result).

Can probably do a deal for $20,000-ish CAD before taxes for either. They seem to be hurting for sales at the moment. That's good news for me! :smiley_thumbs_up:

I've seen the hitch cargo carriers, but we plan to get a hitch bike rack, so we'd really need to use a roof rack, I think. Whatever the case, I would love to hear more cargo space comments and even see some photos with golf clubs or suitcases in the rear.

Thanks again!

 

I have the same problem at times. I put a class 3 receiver on for use with an excess cargo carrier. It allows me some extra room when I need it.

 

is ok for the segment, so if u need more cargo space, you need to buy other SUV like a Liberty o the amazing 2011 grand cherokee... or a Town & Country

 

Before the Jeep I used a Chevy Tracker (still have it) and the Pat is not as deep in back, but longer, seems to hold about the same, just different.

I usually have a large dog box, cooler, 3 big rubbermaid containers, by bag, my wife's bag, both of our laptop bags and camera bags, and a bunch more. The Tracker was deeper as the spare hangs on the hatch door.

You could add a roof basket. Cabelas has some for around $150, and can usually get free shipping.

 

I'm always amazed at how much space ours has. We usually travel with three people and a dog and never had any issues with space. For vacations, when we have a ton of extra stuff, we'll break out the hitch haul.

 

I've never had a problem with space in the Pat. We have 2 big German Shepherds that fit very comfortably in the back with the seats down and there's still room to go get a ton of groceries.

We have also gone camping with both of them.

The other thing I LOVE is the front seat folds down. I always laugh to myself when I go to home depot and park with the trucks, then come out with 10, 8 foot 2x4's and I can put them easily into the pat and close the back door, meanwhile the trucks have to sick them out the back or their beds and put red flags on the back.

I've even been able to put a couple 10 foot 2x4's in the pat and close the door.

 

The big thing to keep in mind is that the Pat has a really TALL space in the rear, as opposed to being deep or wide. I had an 01 Blazer with a very DEEP cargo area, which was coincidentally quite narrow.

The opening at the back of the Pat isn't that big, but if you look at where the cieling is in relation to the frame of the rear hatch, you'll see that there's lots of vertical room.

Think tetris.

 

I'd love to hear what you can fit in the back of your Pat (when travelling or camping). Hubby thinks he can't even fit his golf clubs back there - which is true, unless he rests them on the wheel wells.

I'm sorry if this comes off as negative but seriously you could fit golf clubs in almost any car. Heck, I fit a small, unassembled, kitchen table in the trunk of my old malibu (truck lid open of course). Sometimes I think people are a little too critical....i.e. "I cant fit golf clubs in an SUV/CUV" ....c'mon

The rear seats fold down in the Pat and you could just put the smaller side down if you had a rear passenger.

Have you thought of getting a Ford Excursion to haul your golf clubs?

Again, I'm not trying to be mean so please don't take it that way.

 

Haha... I think an escalade might be better...

 

I fit the following list of items in my Pat, with the seats folded down, and drove 850 miles to northern Michigan camping for 2 weeks. BTW, I got between 26-28 mpg avg.

1 10 x 10 tent
1 6 x 5 tent
3 adult sleeping bags
1 queen size air mattress
1 foam bed roll
1 Coleman stove
1 camp kitchen
1 28 qt cooler
5 pillows
1 50 qt rubbermaid tote
3 fishing poles
1 tackle box
1 avg size suitcase
2 dufflebags STUFFED with womans clothing
Extra hiking boots
1 1120 amp powerpack
chargers for 3 cellphones, a camera, and the powerpack
5 cd's
1 carton of cigaretts and a 5th of Jack

EVERYTHING fit INSIDE the Pat.
If your man can't fit his clubs in that Jeep he aint trying.

 

Thanks for your posts! The harshness worked! Let hubby read posts and he's much more optimistic about space. We're going to do our deal tomorrow once we work out whether or not we'll be trading hubby's truck. Exciting!!!!!!!!!!!

 

Glad I could help!

 

I think people tend to overestimate their need for space in vehicles- hence the literal "growth" of the SUV market segment.

The reality is, you can make do with smaller vehicles- they do- commercialy- in many other parts of the world.

My wife had wanted a "three row" vehicle- but the reality is that 90% of the time it would be just her, commuting 70 miles. Another reality is that such cavernous space comes with a guzzlin' price.

Truth is, we used to take 5-person family trips to Alabama from Ohio all the time in this type of vehicle:

and also in this type of vehicle (one we currently have- ours is a similar color):

Long story short, we're getting a Patriot.

 

there is space in a patriot, a lot of it, if you are good at tetris

check those pictures (On our way to the airport, with my son, my girlfriend, her father and myself plus all the luggages, the stroller, the car seat)

There was still some place left:

 

I think people tend to overestimate their need for space in vehicles- hence the literal "growth" of the SUV market segment.

Agreed! My wife and I used to go for weekend camping and fishing trips in an MGB rag top. You use one of those for your weekend getaways, and you learn 2 things: 1, how to pack, and 2, what you really need to take.

 

Lol that's how it is for us. Once you've gone around nthe country on a motorcycle or two, a car seems cavernous. I ran into a younger guy I know it the dealer trading in his chevy suv on a chrysler van because they had a kid. One kid... lol. We had five total. Don't get me wrong, we had two vans, ad I loved 'em, but no way would I put up with a huge suv and its attendant gas bill. Remember the summer of '98, anyone?

 

If it's just you and your husband going on on camping/road trips there is tons of space. I recently went on a float trip and took:

12'x9' Tent
1 Adult Sleeping bag
Queen Size Air Mattress
Foam Mat
54 Quart Cooler
20' Square Tarp
1 Carry-on Luggage
6 Pack of toilet Paper
Gallon of Water
Some other small camping equipment (collapsable grill, extra stakes, cooking forks, etc.)

I put the cooler and my carry-on in the back seat, everything else fit in the back under the tonneau cover except the foam mat (easily cradled between the back of the back seat and tonneau cover). If I took out the tonneau cover in the back I probably could've crammed everything in the back without it going over the back seat much.

 

loads of space for two people. We regularly sleep in the back.

Although, i can see with more than 2 it would get tight. We usually have the rear seats folded flat.