Patriot vs Liberty (KJ) Size Comparo

This one surprised me a bit. The Liberty has a distinct height advantage (about 5 inches!) but not so much in length or wheelbase. I'm going to say the next gen Liberty will be closer in size to its platform mate, the Dodge Nitro in order to make room for the Patriot.

Edit: Note that the "hump" on the Liberty is in fact the roof rack. The actual roof height is in front of the "hump"

 

Patriot vs. Grand Cherokee (WK) Size Comparison

As expected, the Grand Cherokee dwarfs the Patriot in just about every dimension. Sitting higher, longer and with a cowl that sits a good few inches above the Patriot's...drivers of both should expect two VERY different vehicles. Cargo room is also a premium.

 

Wow, that is awesome, great post my friend!

 

Great work! It appears that the Patriot has alot more passenger room than the Cherokee due to the positioning of the engine. Give it one inch lift (FreedomII?) and the height and ground clearance will match up exactly.

 

Great Job! That looks great. I have been wondering how they stacked up next to each other.

One thing I noticed first off on all was the ground clearance and the angles (approach, break-over, and departure). Than the overall comparisons.

I think this one has some good potential off road. With the extra inch from the Freedom II package, it will have better angles over those of the Liberty, too.

The engine compartment is considerable smaller than that of the Cherokee... means more interior space. If you slide the interior volumes so the top of the windshields line up.. it looks like it will have nearly the same interior space of the Grand Cherokee.

 

Nice work!!! Any chance of a comparison to a Subaru Forrester or any other vehichle the Patriot is in direct competition with?

 

Hi everybody!

New to the board, but had to comment about how excited I am to see the Patriot come in so close in size to the old XJ. I miss the original Cherokees greatly and I really hope the Pat can live up to its Jeep heritage.

Considering it's based off the Caliber, anyone have any ideas if/how a mild lift can be accomplished for the Patriot? With FDII, that should really be all it needs unless you're into the hard-core stuff.

 

Hi everybody!

New to the board, but had to comment about how excited I am to see the Patriot come in so close in size to the old XJ. I miss the original Cherokees greatly and I really hope the Pat can live up to its Jeep heritage.

Considering it's based off the Caliber, anyone have any ideas if/how a mild lift can be accomplished for the Patriot? With FDII, that should really be all it needs unless you're into the hard-core stuff.

I would imagine the lift would be similar to how lifts were done with the KJ (withexception to the IRS). I installed a 2.5" Daystar lift in my old KJ. Involved removing the struts and adding spacers for the IFS and pucks in the rear (which was a SRA).

 

I'd imagine that a lift on a Patriot might be a little more involved than a Liberty, but similar. One should note that it took several years before off road lift kit manufacturers got their products out for the Liberty, so it might be awhile before the Patriot gets taller. The KJ is limited to 2.5" of lift due to the design of the suspension - past 2.5" and everything on the front end doesn't work.

Unless you're going to be replacing every suspension component, lifts usually just put unneeded stress on independent suspensions because they're getting smacked around at angles they weren't designed for. Still, if the FDII is lifting it one inch, it's possible that a "budget boost" might fit the Patriot - that is, poly coil spacers that lift up the coil springs front and rear. If that's all it takes, then you might be able to get one or two more inches. I'm not sure we'll be stuffing much larger tires than stock under the fenders, though. Just my two cents.

 

In terms of larger tires, can someone help me out with what exactly is being referred too. I read 17.5" wheels, 16' wheels...then 31.5" tires.....what the hell is what? Also, why wouldn't larger tires fit on the Patriot? Is it because there isn't enough room for them, ie they'll be rubbing against the car body? Also, is there are difference in tire thickness, and what is more desirable for off-roading?

 

Wheels are the rims. The inside diameter of the tire, in other words. The rim may be 16". When you hear tire size, that's the outsize diameter of the tires. Although, the actual measurement of the tire size tends to be different from tire manufacturer to tire manufacturer. The width of the tire is usually included in the tire's size.

Yes, the problem would be that there may not be enough room under the fenders to fit the tires - too big and they'll rub when the wheels are turned and possibly against rub against the fender flare and inside fender well if the suspension is flexed. Rubbing tires are not a pleasant experience.

 

...Also, is there are difference in tire thickness, and what is more desirable for off-roading?

O.D. = Outer Diameter. When someone refers to runnning 33's this is what they mean. They have tires that are 33"s in diameter.

Z = Rim Diameter. When they say they are running 22's, more than likely they mean the rims are 22"s in diameter.

X = Tire Width

Y = Tire Section Height.

What works best for off-roading depends on the type of off-roading you plan on doing. In general, I believe taller and wider is the way to go. This is wher your vehicle will set the limits. You can only go so wide before you will rub on thwne the wheel is turned and/or when the shocks are under compression. You can only go so tall before you will rub for under the same conditions.

When off-roading on any hard surface or where you need to air the tire down, having a bigger tire section height (Y) gives you more room for bounce when under lower pressure without damaging your rims. See how in the image above the 70 series tire with the same OD as a 40 series tire would have more cushion between the tread and the rim - which means you would need a smaller rim. The breaks and lines will limit how small you can go with your rims. I wouldn't go any smaller than stock rim size.

Wider tires eat horsepower to turn. Narrow tires tend to dig in more on soft surfaces like mud and snow, where wider tires 'float' over the surface. So it is a balancing act between your 4x4s clearances, engine, and the type of wheeling you want to do.

 

Here's a good example of why you probably don't want to run with a 40 series set of wheels...

Go with at least a 60 series if not 70 series tires.

 

pdxbubba and xjmatt,

Thanks guys. I love learning about this stuff, and its a hell of a lot better to ask questions and receive answers than trying to get your answers out of magazines.

Thanks again.

 

Cherokee vs. Patriot...pic comparison

Here are two very similar shots to put things in more perspective. When you look at the two, it becomes so apparent how unnecessary the additional overhang is on the Patriot.

 

Here are two very similar shots to put things in more perspective. When you look at the two, it becomes so apparent how unnecessary the additional overhang is on the Patriot.

Of these 2 the old Cherokee looks like a cleaner design. A little lighter on it's feet. I like the bigger windows and the longer overhang behind the rear wheels. The Patriot being so near the ground with those massive bumpers gives it a real bulky wallowing look.

 

U mean the overhang of the front bumper? Just chop off the bottom of it like I did to my ZJ

 

Does it look okay? Obviously it isn't going to match up with the rest of the vehicle...but does it look ragged? How did you do it? How much did it cost?

 

See the pics here:
http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/sirfu....dir=3fa0re2&.src=ph&store=&prodid=&.done=http://photos.yahoo.com/ph//my_photos

It cost me nothing but time to do. Just took out a hacksaw and started to cut. The only tough thing was getting the sides of it straight. You can see some plastic burrs, but I don't have a sander, so I'll fix that later. Honestly, if I didn't tell you that I cut off the bottom, you probably wouldn't have noticed

 

You're right....it looks pretty nice that way. I was worried that if you trim the front bumper, it would look silly against the low hanging side doors on the Patriot....but if it looks similar to the way your cherokee turned out it would be well worth it.

 

What about a drawing for the Compass and Patriot?

 

How will the patriot compare to the ford escape? I read somewhere they will be similar size but the patriot looks a little shorter and narrower

 

Patriot rollover rating - 4 stars
Escape rollover rating - 3 stars

 

Patriot:
Height - 64.4
Width - 69.1
Length - 173.6
Clearance - 9
Approach/Ramp/Departure - 29/23/33

Escape:
Height - 69.1 w/roof rack
Width - 70.1
Length - 174.9
Clearance - 8.2
Approach/Ramp/Departure - 20.8/20.8/28.1

 

Patriot/Compass

Hi-

I just sat in a Compass.

How does everyone expect the interior "feeling" of the Patriot to compare to that of the Compass? Will the Patriot feel higher up? Will it have better visibility?

Having seen the Compass up close, I'm not a big fan. I see why some people would like it...but it's not for me.

And of course, any news on the Patriot release date!?!

Thanks.

 

Compass vs. Patriot Interior

The interiors are pretty much the same. They have the same driver 'chair height' (hip to heel vertical measurement) which is about 1" higher than the Caliber (platform sibling) and I believe the interior trim is much the same. Hip room, shoulder room, leg room are all essentially the same.

 

I do kinda figure the Patriot will be about the same inside as the Compass, and also similar in size to a Subaru Forrester, but with better exterior looks and a bit better offroad capability.

 

I parked our 1998 Forester next to a Patriot Limited on the dealer's lot today.
The Patriot is about 3/4 inch longer and at least two inches taller with at least an inch more ground clearance
Wheelbase is very close to the same, Patriot's wheels are bigger.
Passenger room is a lot better on the Patriot, front and back, every dimension hips, shoulders, leg, head.
Entry is easier on the Patriot, Forester has taller greenhouse and much better visibility, especially to the rear.
Rear cargo room is better in the Forester, rear compartment is substantially longer and lower than in the Patriot.
You feel like you are sitting about a foot higher up in the Patriot, the windshield glass, while very vertical in both, is a lot farther away from the driver in the Patriot.
Patriot is much more substantial looking. Forester looks like a toy car next to it. Forester has better roof rails, full length with flat cargo bars. Interior fit, finish, and materials are better on the Forester. Patriot is less expensive and looks it inside, but not outside.

We drove the forester for 8 years, we drove the Jeep one day. It is already obvious the jeep will be vastly superior to the subaru offroad.

 

At least when the Patriot shows up at my local dealer I can compare to the Subaru's, as their lot is right across the street.