Is this car suitable for a new teen driver? and a girl?
Depends on your tastes. its safe, you sit up high, and it can haul a lot of stuff/people reasonably comfortably

What are the worst cons of this jeep?
for a smaller engine, it doesn't give as good of gas mileage other small 4cyl cars, BUT there are some good trade offs (storage, 4x4 capabilities)

Are there any upgrades you think i should definitely consider?
Depends on how you plan to use it, and what upgrades it already has when you buy it and tastes. I would look for a 2009 or newer as they made some big improvements in the interior.

Would this car have similar handling as the x5 or forerunner?
hahahaha no... a 7 year old $20k car will never handle like a $50k+ bmw, it handles like any other modern econo vehicle. Competent, but you're not gonna race it around the nurburg. Never driven a forerunner, but its MUCH bigger than the patriot. Patriot is a "right sized" vehicle in my opinion. it feels bigger (you sit up high) when you are driving in traffic, but its super easy to drive in tight parking lots.

is there anything else i should be aware of about this jeep?
There is plenty on the site about what to look for in a used patriot. The engine and transmission are pretty bullet proof, BUT any used car should be looked at by a trained mechanic as a previous owner could have abused the vehicle and done damage that you would find down the road.

I would suggest a few things. Buy as new as you can afford, and make taking it to a mechanic (on your own dime) for a full inspection before purchase part of the deal.

 

Thank you for replying. I appreciate the information and like the idea of getting a 2010 because I believe i can budget for it. I like the idea of sitting high but still not driving a huge car. I really should go test drive the car to see how it handles.

Buying it used, how many miles on the car is too much?

 

welcome !

as said above....

re: mileage.......it's a guide, but NOT everything to consider......if i had a choice between a 5 yr old jeep with 20k driven to the shops and back by a grandma, or one with 50k that was from highway use, i would take the 50k one....

DO NOT EVEN LOOK AT ONE that doesn't have a full stamped up service history

i know it sounds sexist, but take along a bloke with you, preferably that can ask straight questions (without being aggressive) .....car sales are still dominated by blokes and a lot won't give the best deal to a female


better still, 'borrow' the parents X5 for a few years !!!

 

Our patriots dont even handle as well as my 86 E30 did. They are good cars, but they are "affordable" rigs... dont even try to compare them to an x5 or forerunner lol


I will say though, These are good little cars to get around in, and the sharp edges are catchy. I would have rather been driving this when I was a teen than my old ZJ. Just remember they are built to be cheap, so they dont have any fancy gadgets, or fancy interior. You get what you pay for, and for about $8K for an 08/09 model, it's not bad at all.

 

Get a 2010. Different dash.

 

Had a 2009 - it was a nice vehicle (good price, size, snow ability, gas mileage) but I had many suspension and steering component issues (ball joints, tie rods, etc), as have many on this board. Just be aware that, at least on the earlier model years ('07-'09) these are known issues. Can't say if they have improved on later years.

 

my '08 has 86k miles and stock everything minus lowering springs and its all still fine. There are a lucky few of us lol. But of course the early models will have issues since they were the new breed of MK

 

Yea I wish I could continue to borrow the x5 haha but I really do want
My own car. An good price suv with pretty good gas mileage that I love the look of sounds nice. I don't need anything fancy and I've seen plenty of pics of the interior. Although I was originally interested in the Liberty, which I still like the look of more than patriot but the gas mileage difference gets me and the price is slightly more.
Is the aux input standard for 2009 models and up?
Also I'm pretty short and small, 5 ft 3 at best, this car wouldn't seem too big for me right?

 

My wife is the same height as you and loves our '13 Pat. She does move the seat pretty far forward but she likes everything about the Patriot a lot more than her '94 Saturn...lol

 

If you grab a pat, make sure the drivers seat has a second, bigger lever next to the recline lever. this is the seat height adjustment. It will help since you are short. as far as the radio goes, if you have the AUX input, you wont be able to play mp3 cd's, if you have the mp3 cd player, you wont have the aux input. Why they do that I will never know, It's a chrysler thing. They like to toy with the consumer... if you are looking at the liberty, make sure its the KK model (07' and up). those are actually really nice, but yes, you will get a mpg hit. Can you/do you want to drive a manual? all patriots minus the 2014 models come standard with a CVT, which has some lag and getting used to. For instance in my ZJ, if I were to pull out in busy traffic, i would wait till a car had just passed me then punch it, in my pat, I have to hit the gas as the car is right in front of me. The lag is due to Drive-By-Wire throttle, and the CVT takes a little bit to "spin up." After a month you get the hang of it no problem. I will say this though, these things have little to no power whatsoever. I wont even pass vehicle on the highway without a passing lane. There's no reason that a 2.4L should produce less than 200 HP, but it's all we have (besides the even slower 2.0 on fwd models)...

 

as far as the radio goes, if you have the AUX input, you wont be able to play mp3 cd's, if you have the mp3 cd player, you wont have the aux input. Why they do that I will never know, It's a chrysler thing. They like to toy with the consumer...

My OEM stereo had both and both worked.


Sent from my Nexus 7

 

TJN, you're right, I was confusing the single disc mp3 with the multi-disc... I even have an RES sitting right here lol

 

There's a 2014 one for sale by a Fresno, CA dealer for $12,000. See the Fresno Bee for the ad in the auto section. Probably is the stripped down model--but a NEW car...

 

Welcome neighbor! If I were you, I'd look to buy out of state as CA prices are inflated. This dealer in ID is hard to beat if those prices are legit.

http://www.dennisdillonchryslerjeep...ependencies=model:make,city:province,city:state&suppressAllConditions=compliant

 

Is this car suitable for a new teen driver? and a girl?
Absolutely. I think its a pretty sensible vehicle all around. I don't know if cargo capacity matters to you, but in terms of practicality, the Patriot is a good choice. You'll never have to worry about getting stuck in snow.

What are the worst cons of this jeep?
Some of the early years are known to have leaks, particularly those with sunroofs. Mine is an '08 and doesn't leak, but it is a frequent complaint. Some (not mine) have had premature front end problems. Taking Harold's advice above, bring a guy with you who isn't afraid to examine the tires for uneven wear, and shake the wheels for tightness, even get under it. There is a slang term for vehicle shopping called "tire kicking" and that's because kicking the tires can give a clue as to the soundness of the front end --tie rods, bearings and ball joints. Guys will do that.

Are there any upgrades you think i should definitely consider?
Can't say. I tend to drive 'em as I buy 'em.

Would this car have similar handling as the x5 or forerunner?
I'm not familiar with the X5, but I've driven Forerunners. They share some handling characteristics being about the same size and shape. The Patriot is more car-like. Whether the interior is larger or not I don't know, but in terms for front seat space, the Patriot feels wider.

is there anything else i should be aware of about this jeep?
You'll probably be elated with the fuel economy!

I'm rather impressed that a young female driver is interested in anything besides a Honda Civic! :smiley_thumbs_up:

 

Thank you all so much for the replies and information. Especially actually cars for sale! I have looked outside of CA to purchase a pat. I don't believe I would mind the little power the pat has, I don't need it. I'm excited to continue saving for my own jeep! I definitely will be purchasing it used, and under $10,000 ideally. I'd like to not wait years to purchase

 

I hope you find the perfect Pat that suits your needs. It's a great first major buy. This is my first "newer" car (coming from an 86 BMW) and I'm pretty pleased overall. If you are trying to stay under 10k then shoot for an 08/09 with around 60-80k miles. Also see if you can get a service history on it, and watch out for leaky sun roofs. The 2007's tend to have more issues since they were the first of the Patriots.

 

Remember when you are financing it that you are the buyer and if you dont like the deal then leave. If you tell them I can afford a $200 a month payment they will change the interest rate or the cars buying price. If you can go to a bank and get pre approved for the loan so that you have more power over them. Always remember that they are not you friend and they are there to get your money. If you say 200 a month they will come back and say can you do 280. They will usually never gets you 2 your 200 payments or what you want to pay. If you leave them you number they will always call you back when you walk out with a better deal. When they call you back have your friend say are we going to look at that jeep at so and so dealer and make shor he can here you on the phone. You may like that jeep but just like any thing else there are always better deals down the street. Im shor you been shoping before and bought something and the next week you wished you never bought it cuz you found something better and its at a better price.

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