I went from an 03 dodge neon to my 09 Patriot and have never looked back. It is a great all aound vehicle with excellent gas mileage for an SUV and cargo room. As for insurance...the insurance on my Brand New Patriot is lower than the insurance on my 03 Neon by about $10 a month...I can only imagine how much lower you insurance will be compared to your Tc.

 

That sounds good, thanks for the feedback...

Does anyone else have any input? We are also wondering how much we may be able to talk to salesman down to with a brand new Patriot.

 

If you don't want a car payment, then make sure you're not upside down on your current vehicles, sell them/trade them and buy a reliable used car with cash. If that is your plan with the patriot, great

I found buying a new patriot with the lifetime drivetrain warranty was the best idea for me.

 

If you're looking for insight on the deal you might get, we need more details about the particular Pat you test drove. In general, I've found the NADA values very close to actual dealer or private retail.

And, you're going for a 4x4, so the only question is, FDI or FDII package. If you plan to take it off road, I would recommend the FDII package which comes with the skid plates, tow hooks, and other goodies. But it is only available in the automatic CV transmission, so if you want a manual, FDI is your only choice.

Where you at anyway?

 

Thanks for you opinion ilflyya, and coryconklin, your trucks look great by the way...

Dawson, Im in Upstate NY... 4x4 wasnt really first thing to come into mind when wanting the patriot, but it did happen to be included with the first/closest patriot to where i am... i would love 4x4 however i do know that it costs a bit extra... im not sure how much off roading i would do, if any, would not be too hardcore, automatic though is the way we are going to go since my girlfriend does not know how to drive manual i appreciate the feedback

 

short answer, no.

i brought my jeep brand new for a little over~$16.5k (with 8 miles on it), it had plenty of options even though it was not a limited model. my total finance was only like $13k. i had about $4k positive equity from my trade in, so i lucked out.

money is not even the issue. there are so many other cars that are better than the patriot. buy it if you want to be wasting your time and money trying to fix a lemon and dealing with water leaks.

there is no way your Tc should be so high in insurance unless its your driving record. its not really a luxury car or something that is highly sort after for stealing. you should get some quotes for insurance, shop around. i know i've had my share of problems with insurance companies. i was with one insurance company for about 2 years, a little over. i had a bad couple of months, ended up with a couple of tickets, they raised my rates to an insane level. i shopped around, got a new policy with another company, and barely paid $200 more for my 6 months rate. compared to almost $1000 more if i would have stayed with my old company. don't get pushed around. and don't get a patriot.

 

Upstate NY gets a bit of snow in the winter, eh? If this is going to be your ONLY vehicle, 4x4 will give you the capability to get places when you need to. Just something to think about... Good luck. Everyone here is full of information and opinions. For the most part, probably 90%+ are happy with their purchase. Some have had problems, but that can happen with any vehicle. Purchasing used will definitely save you some bucks, but be sure you get a Carfax, and I would recommend an extended warranty with the CVT.

 

i think you should get one, ive only had mine 2 days (second hand) i traded a renault clio for my patriot & i love it, it's only early days i know, but so far no problems, as i said i am the second owner and there has been no reports from the previous owner of any problems (leaks ect ect) so that makes me happy. It is just unfortunate that some people have had problems, but as said before by others, some cars/vans/ will have issue's, but dont let this put you off, if you can afford it, & it's the car you want then go for it.

 

Matt,
I'm not a Patriot owner yet so I can't speak from experience. But I have done a lot of research in preparation for my purchase. From reading all of your posts so far, I think the FD1 CVT2 in 4x4 would be your best choice since serious off-roading wasn't even a consideration when first looking. The 4x4 will cost more at first, but the value will be much higher as time passes and it will sell faster if it comes to that. Currently, a used Patriot 4x4 is desperately hard to find, at least in the Southeast/Mid Atlantic compared to a 4x2. Good luck.

 

I agree with poppi's post above, a FD1 CVT2 in 4x4 would probably suit your needs just fine. The CVT2 has a feature called Autostick, which is a nice option if you like to drive manual, but have a g/f or wife who can't drive stick. It allows you to select (with some limitations, can't start off in 2nd on ice, etc.) gears somewhat like a manual.

But, like with any major purchase, do you homework. Check out comparable vehicles from other manufacturers, work out your monthly payments including insurance, gas, and maintenance, etc.

Here's a site that should help a bit:
http://www.carbuyingtips.com/
(the site looks a little cheesy, but the info there is solid, helped me save $3k on my purchase alone!)

Also, EVERY vehicle has it's pro's and con's. The Patriot's from '07 to '09 have had minor issues that can typically be associated with new platforms the first few years that they roll off the assembly line. Things like leaking sunroofs and faulty hood hinges are all bugs that are being ironed out, and 'most' dealers have been very receptive to helping owners get these issues corrected. I say most, as there are always a few bad apples out there, just move onto the next dealer, it's worked for almost all of us on here.

In the end, don't let someone else influence what you buy. Research, test-drive, and negotiate for what YOU want. Because after all, it's your pocket that the money comes from, not ours!

 

Hello from Vancouver Canada! Were more than happy with our 09 patriot, we picked it up for $25.700 .. RME 4x4 fully loaded beside leather seats. We also had the dealer switch tires from the touring to the off roads on 17's and had them add wind deflectors for the windows and hood. It also has the Boston acoustics sound system, DVD, power windows, sunroof, locks, & alarm system, door trim. So far we are more than happy with the new Jeep.

 

Hi from Montreal, QC.
I own a 2008 Jeep Patriot FD1 CVT2 4x4, the monthly payment is 350 cad for 84 months with North Edition package, sun and sound package, etc. I allways recomend a new car if you to buy one, you can find a very good deal at new cars now because the 2010 model will be available, and for 2009 they offer good discounts. Maybe a demo car.

 

Ask anyone. I can get long winded on my posts. Since you are new, I'll give you the short version.

Yes. it's worth it. Why? You test drove it. You tell me!

 

Its one of the most comfortable, capable,general pupose vehicles I have ever owned. The build quality & safety are good & so far has proved 100% reliable.

 

I moved from a 02 Dodge Dakota R/T to the 'Riot and I love it. Mine is a the Freedom Drive I CVT Sport and averaging 22mpg is a whole lot better then 12mpg. It was awesome in the little bit of slick snow we had last year. It's comfy on long rides and without the sunroof option, I don't have any water leaks (but then I never, ever get anything with a sunroof because eventually, they all leak). The only issue I've been having is the rattle/thump somewhere in my front suspension. I'm dropping it at the dealers again this week so hopefully they'll finally find and fix the issue.

I'd say try to buy new if you can still get the lifetime warranty! I think a fairly base model 4x4 FDI would run in the same range, and you can always shop this board to pick up some of the upgrade goodies later (like the 17" alloy wheels, or go for the Wrangler Moab rims and bigger 15" tires).

 

Absolutely worth it, we bought ours for my wife and I seem to always taking her vehicle when I go anywhere when she isn't driving it. I like how small it is, compared to my truck, easy to get around with. We've been on several road trips with ours and find it very comfortable and exciting to drive.
I've never had a vehicle where people will come up to you to ask what it is or just to tell you, "Hey nice ride!"
Last weekend I was at a gas station and there was a couple next to me getting gas with a Red Patriot. When the guy was done filling up and got back into the car I could see the woman pointing at ours with a smile on her face.
So post some pics when you buy!

 

had mine for a year and love it...i ive in wisconsin and have the FDI cvt2 4x4 and it goes through wisconsin winters with ease

 

I like this site and all of the responses I got just over a weekend, its very much appreciated...
I did see something on the site about the sunroof leaking, however Todde702 I also agree, they will all leak eventually Im sure. My Scion tC has not yet, but I also usually have it under its cover.
The FDI CVT will probably be out choice. I dont know what package that is, on their site they only show Sport D, Sport E package, Rocky Mountain and Limited. Could anyone maybe just lead me through the differences in those i think i should be set

 

This link may be helpful... :smiley_thumbs_up:

http://www.jeep.com/hostc/vsmc/vehicleSpecModels.do?modelYearCode=CUJ200905

 

I just turned 36000 miles on my 08 Patriot. I am currently on a 2800 mile trip to Washington DC with the Patriot. That is 36000 flawless, trouble free miles. We have both a Patriot and a Compass, they are both great comfortable, reliable cars.

However, I think the dealer is way strong on the price. We paid under 18K for a well featured 07 Compass Sport E, new, with only 250 test drive miles on it, in January of 08.

 

All of your guys feedback was great and much appreciated. We talked to some dealers and one in particular so we are going to wait until after xmas hopefully before the new year to pick up our new patriot... thanks again and when we get it i will have some pictures up. if anyone can think of anything missed let me know have a good one all

 

If you are going to wait.....you can usually get a good deal on the previous model year when the new model year comes out. CFC queered the numbers this year, but buying a new, left over 07 in January of 08 saved us a TON of money and got us a car with lots of great features at a low price.

 

Well my girlfriend and I are set on getting a Patriot. Probably sometime before the new year but after xmas. However with this new news on Jeep getting rid of the Patriot, Compass and Commander would it be a smart buy anymore?

 

There is no official news by anymeans that the Patriot is going bye, bye, just speculation. Even if they ditch the patriot you still have plenty of time. Many of us have a lifetime warranty on the powertrain so rest assured replacement parts will be around for a while unless Jeep completely goes under which is doubtful. Chrysler might but Jeep will survive.

I have an 02 neon and the patriot is mammothh vehicle compared to the neon.

If you two are sharing a vehicle and one of you has to pick up the other one in some of the nasty weather you get in upstate new york, you will appreciate the full time 4x4.

 

Yeah, that was one of the main reasons we decided to go with the 4x4. During the speculation of the patriot being dropped however questions came up on whether or not their lifetime warranty would still stay and for how long on newly bought models

 

2010's don't have a lifetime warranty.

plus, in this day in age with the government intervention in major corporations (ones that were bailed out), i am almost for certain that the warranty would be upheld if Chrysler went belly-up

 

pro's:good fuel economy, tons of room, and head room(shaq could drive this car), it looks cool, best 4x4 value out there imo, **** the yankees just won....sorry thats a con.
con's:its discontinued, underpowered for highway driving, cvt can't tow a set of truck nuts.