Female here. I wanted an SUV because we get some serious ice storms in the winter and I wanted the one vehicle that is synonymous with getting people where they want to go. I think of my Jeep as the postal carrier of the SUV world in that "Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds". I've seen more male Riot drivers on the road than female but if the ladies are looking for something more genteel I would suggest a Dodge Nitro which IMHO is something I would expect my Mom to pick.

 

Dodge Nitro more gentle?

I'm under the impression that it's based on both the 07 and 08 Jeep Liberty. And only has a 3.7L v6 or 4.0L v6 as engine options. Hardly more gentle.

However, to the OP. I bought my Patriot because it provided the best value for my dollar. It also keeps the pinch on the penny because of the good mileage it gets. At the end of the day, my wife loves me more because I have more money in pockets because I chose the Patriot over the Wrangler. Hardly a dent to my masculinity there.

 

I don't think that the male members of the forum/owners of the Pat all bought the vehicle for their DW/GF etc. I think we were looking for the best value out there that would be reliable for street and usable in some light off road situations. My ( our ) vehicle gets lots of use by the both of us, I just happen to use it for commuting.
And heck, besides not being able to pick out ties to save ourselves all us modern guys try to make joint decisions with the wife anyway.

for example read the patriot vs competitors thread for lots of insight into the purchasing decisions of many

 

Female here.

I fell in love with my best (male) friend's Cherokee 11 years ago. The Patriot is a throw-back to that awesome vehicle for me. I chose the Patriot not only for the $$ value and the awesom MPGs, but also for the styling.

The Patriot is *my* dream car - not my Hubby's. You can refer to my sig to see where his heart lies.

If I could have swung the extra $5K to outfit a new Liberty to be comparable to my Pat, I might have done that. But I also can't swallow 16mpgs on a good day.

I don't think that the Pat screams "feminine." If anything, the curvier lines of the Compass seem like they might appeal to the female audience more. And I do believe that that is exactly what Jeep was trying to do with the two models.

 

If you're still questioning it, sounds like buyers remorse.

I'm a female. My previous car was a Yellow 2005 Mustang which definitely did not lack in power. I chose the Patriot for a number of reasons: I wanted an SUV, I live near Chicago with crazy snow/ice, gas mileage, brand name, and because I get the employee discount. If I had more money and didnt care about gas, I'd have gotten the Commander. I wouldn't assume that females don't like power.

I agree with Demolaysgirl. The Patriot doesn't scream feminine to me with its boxy lines, maybe the Compass. The only thing I could consider somewhat even close to being more feminine is its size, being on the small side, but if you don't need to extra space, why pay for it. The Patriot has plenty of space for me whether I'm trucking my friends around, or throwing a bike or snowboard in back.

It seems like most of the members here are males. Since purchasing my Patriot in October 08 I've seen 2 or 3 female drivers in Pats, the rest were males.

 

I know this because my last three vehicles were genuine jeeps, not imitators and I personally liked what they said about me, including my testosterone level!

Don't fall into the self destructive trap of being defined by the perception of the vehicle you drive. :doh:

 

oh and did anyone else have the same reservations before buying their Pat

Sounds to me like you Americans, with your more rational vehicle prices have much more ability to concentrate on the unessential issues regarding them.

So no, can't really say that I felt any threat to my masculinity when buying a Patriot. Nor will I feel any threat if I manage to get a good lump of money together for an XJ to make into an off-roading rig and my girlfriend starts using that as a daily driver. Actually, come to think of it, my girlfriend shoots a bigger gun than me (Shinier, too, although I'm not sure where that falls on the macho scale - is a black gun more or less macho than a stainless steel one?) and I feel no threat to my masculinity by that, either. (She runs a 1911 Government model - full 5" barrel, while I shoot a 1911 Commander, in other words a 4.25" barrel. Both are the same caliber - .45 ACP.) Does this say more about me, or about the level of self-confidence a typical American male has..?

 

or maybe...

Actually, come to think of it, my girlfriend shoots a bigger gun than me (Shinier, too, although I'm not sure where that falls on the macho scale - is a black gun more or less macho than a stainless steel one?) and I feel no threat to my masculinity by that, either. (She runs a 1911 Government model - full 5" barrel, while I shoot a 1911 Commander, in other words a 4.25" barrel. Both are the same caliber - .45 ACP.) Does this say more about me, or about the level of self-confidence a typical American male has..?

since she carries a purse it's easier to lug the Gov. Mod.. I couldn't imagine toting that rascal around all day, even SOB carry. Stainless is OK, I prefer parkerized.

As far as the Jeep goes, it was purchased to replace the aging '98 Isuzu Rodeo (2WD) that our son inherited when he went off to college. It took a few trips out in the pasture and did OK, the Jeep may follow some day when the newness wears off. Our perception of the Patriot is that is a small, economy station wagon with more comfortable upright seating. It was never expected to live up to the rugged Jeep reputation that the CJs have (had?).

Oh, for some scary reading, look up H.R. 45 submitted to the 111th Congress of the U.S.!

 

My ladies, I'd really like to see a social group for ladies patriot drivers. It would be interesting and usefull. Oktazcat I voted for you for POTM thinking "that guy has such a nice taste" and now I realise "that guy" is a lady. Cool! Make this group!!!!

 

Great! I'm getting the answer's I pretty much expected, apart from Tony1911, who wants to talk about guns? I'm from the UK Tony not the US. Currently only bad boy gang members and the odd enthusiasts are that familiar with firearms over here because it's still very illegal to possess them. (not that that stops them)
Lets see, "UWPsocr13" Yes, you're right. I did have some buyers remorse but no longer. I did have a lot to adjust from as I mentioned earlier but like you and pretty much everyone else here, looks+price+running costs were a mitigating factor in the choice.
JoeBecker. It's an easy thing to do my friend. We're all a little bit guilty of it and the car makers know it and use it on us!
Oh and just to keep the record straight...I LOVE MY PAT! like I said, it was an fleeting innocent thought that I had and I wondered if anyone thought the same that was all.
Another one of the reasons I'm here is that like you, I like talking about it. They're still as rare as rocking horse sh*t on these roads, so if you're gonna talk and ask questions this is the place!!
Thank you!

 

It's an easy thing to do my friend. We're all a little bit guilty of it and the car makers know it and use it on us!

How else are they supposed to try and convince you that you need a "new" one every year?

When it comes to the looks between the Patriot and Compass, to me it is not one is male and one is female. As others have said the Patriot reminds me of the Cherokee (it's too bad they stopped making those) and the Compass looks more like the other little SUVs out there. I don't care for that look so I chose the Patriot which I do enjoy.

 

.......They're still as rare as rocking horse sh*t on these roads......

Hah!!!! havent heard that one before. Love it.

 

if we want to assign sex to our Jeeps... Pat more of a guy look... Compass more of a female look...
My wife has an 02 Liberty and loves the curvy lines... she hates the new Liberty.. she says it's too boxy... and she likes the Compass because it's curvy...

In the end ... I always say drive what you like and can afford... for me it's always been Mopar and I'm very happy with my Dakota ( my weekend fun and hauling vehicle ) and my Pat for a daily driver.

 

if we want to assign sex to our Jeeps... Pat more of a guy look... Compass more of a female look...
My wife has an 02 Liberty and loves the curvy lines... she hates the new Liberty.. she says it's too boxy... and she likes the Compass because it's curvy...

Huh. And I'm not a big fan of the older Liberty because of its styling. However, I do love the looks of the new Liberty. Much more "Jeepy" in my opinion.

Really, I guess that it is all in the eye of the beholder. I do much more prefer the straigher lines that Jeeps offer. (As a dirty little secret, I also like the lines of the Nissan Pathfinder and XTerra.) I even prefer the older lines of the Grand Cherokee to the newer lines.

And for the person that compared the Patriot to a station wagon...I can see that. I owned two wagons when we lived in Germany and loved them both. Yes...the Patriot does have some "wagon-like" tendancies. I love that I can fit just about anything in it without worry, but it's also not an oversized SUV. I just have no need for something so big right now.

However the Patriot is a deceptive little bugger. It sits there looking so unassuming. Yet underneath that "small SUV" exterior sits an off-road machine that tends to make you feel like you're inside a vehicle much larger than it really is. It's just more capable than it looks. And I like that...alot.

I really don't feel like I could have gotten so much, and would be so happy, with anything else.

 

Thanks DemolaysGirl for adding what I forgot. I love that the Pat looks so much like the good old Cherokee. I love that it looks like a cracker box on wheels.

 

Guns! Guns! Guns!

Let us get back on topic here, shall we?

No more of this snide passive aggressive 'neutered country' crap either.

Moderator please intervene.

 

In my line of work, construction/civil engineering, the Patriot does get some negative attention, just because of its size. Everyone on a job site has a Ford/Chevy/Dodge truck, lifted, big tires, etc.

I get the looks and some teasing from them when I show up with my Patriot.

That all ends though when the job sites get muddy or snowy and their trucks get stuck while the Pat drives around without problem! Then they understand.

 

Oh i hear ya. My father-in-law and his sons all drive Ford and Dodge trucks and when they saw my jeep, they all asked if I was sure it can handle the snow we get. I said, "here (handed my keys over) and try it." There was about 15cm of fresh snow in Hamilton, Ontario. They came back and were pretty impressed. They said the 4x4 and the compact size made it so easy to get around.

Then one day on my way home from work, we just had about 20-25cm of snow and no plows yet and I was stopped at a light with a Porsche Cayenne on my left and a Subaru Forrester to my right. Light turned green and I kept with them. I looked at the Porsche, the business guy with his cell phone clutched to his ear gave me the thumbs up. The Suby guy at the next light rolled down his window and said, "I didn't expect you to keep up! That Jeep is deceiving. What is that Jeep called?"

 

Another lady owner...

Before anyone takes this thread the wrong way, it's a purely innocent thought that ran through my head a week or so into my ownership of my Pat.QUOTE]

....And a very proud one at that!
I chose my Patriot for many reasons..the looks, style, and that fact that it ticked all the boxes set out by my husband when i told him 'I'm gettting a Jeep!'
Before really seeing a Patriot I was swayed by the Dodge Nitro!! As the Grand Cherokee (also on my list) was out of my price range.. But once i saw the Pat there was no turning back!
Cheap road tax, good MPG, powerfull, very nice looking, tinted windows and soooo much more......
and i love the fact that can go up a steep hill in 6th doing 90mph and still have plenty of power under my foot should i need it!
And i have 2 football mad boys so need something to cope with that and their muddy boots!

I've only seen 2 other pats (both silver) round here and i know one of them is the local Jeep garage salesmans car... but I was pleased to see a woman driving one when I went to Reading... funny she even gave me a beep and flashed her lights at me, so she must've thought the same!! Bless,
so totally with you on the 'rare as rockinghorse S**^' Quote and i think thats makes them extra spesh cos they still turn heads cos they're not that common!

had a great comment on it the other day some lads were stood outside a shop and i could hear them... 'thats lick man' (which i was told is a good thing) they were saying.. 'man what a car!' Then as i walked past - being boys- they then gave me the eye and whistled as i walked off... any way... when i walked across the car park to get in my car i heard 'OH MY GOD!!! IT's HER CAR!!!!!' haha did make me laugh!

I must confess I'm a bit of a 'boy' when it comes to cars (thats what comes of being close to my dad and having 2 older brothers) and I would happily sit and talk cars and football all day long! Haha but i'm a very girlie girl at the same time!

Although saying that my friend brought me a pink chrome tax disk holder to put in my car and not even I could bring my self to 'girlie' up my beast! Its just not right!

I'd agree that the Compass would appeal to most women, but the women who love and appreciate cars for the amazing things they are and not just a tool for the 'school run' cars will opt for the Pat....

Shame this original post got a little 'distracted' from the point mind you....
(and I'm not talking about me waffling on about Gods knows what... sorry i just love my car.. can't you tell)

 

I love my pat!! I never thought of it as masculine vs feminine. I had wanted an suv for about four years but when I actually started looking, I thought I might end up with a car but when I got in it for the first time, that was it! I knew I had to have it!

I too like the straight lines for a vehicle vs the rounded edges, the boxier the better! (as a kid my father always had huge square cares, cordoba, new yorker, crown victoria)I've never been a fan of these cars you can barely see out the back windshield, I'm short so I think I have more trouble with those things than my bf. And most cars have such tiny trunks and I can't see over the front end of the car or back to park. There are a few blindspots in the pat but nothing that didn't take me long to get used to.

I don't think I could ever buy a car after owning a pat. We do a few trips each year down to Grand Forks/Fargo and it was such a pain before wondering, can I fit this in the jetta, or not buying something because we were out of room. And after driving to Vegas this past fall, even my bf said he might have to make his next vehicle a pat! He also said it suits me and never once said I was more manly because I drove a jeep!!

I talk about my jeep all the time, it's never my car, or my truck, just simply 'the jeep'. My friend even went to the same salesman and bought an '09 last month because I won't stop going on about it. I sold a jeep! :banana:

 

As a very athletic, rugged lady, I LOVE my patriot. It's no frills, and the only option I had put on it was AC. I must admit I never looked at one until I was kind of forced to. After my 4x4 Grand was stolen, I couldn't afford another pricey Jeep. USAA gave me enough to still be able to replace with another jeep( If I had MY way about it, I would go but a Wrangler Unlimited, X model w/ the soft top and get a bikini top to go with it....but my Pat is reliable, (unfortunately also ungodly slow even w/ the 2.4 but the 5 speed really helps). I've taken her off road numerous times and been pleasantly surprised. I've also done some aesthetic and performance mods to make it more rugged, and fit my personality more. I always look to see who's driving one as I pass, and I see about an equal number of males and females in them. (They just don't make it look as good as I do! HAHA I'm totally playing around there). It's economical, and in this kind of market, it's hard to go wrong with. As my husband always tells me, relax- it's a great daily driver. And it is!

 

"Southern" Lady owner

I am a proud "Southern" Lady owner of a Jeep Patriot. Actually gave up my "Mommy Warwagon" for it, although I originally wanted a Commander, just couldn't afford the gas. I love my Patriot, my husband on the other hand hates it. I washed my Patriot this weekend in our 80 degree weather and fell in love all over again. Gotta love that Brilliant Black!

 

I am with sway. I see lots of Patriots now and it is definitely a 50/50 mix of men and women. I now see more Pats than Compassesssessss by the way.

 

My wife picked out our Pat, and does the majority of driving. She began complaining about the lack of control in our Lincoln LS especially driving in our dangerous traffic filled college town. Then a few months later……

A feller flew through a 4-Way luckily only wiping out the front end, but totaling the LS. After what seemed to a forever car search she had a salesman bring our Jeep Patriot around for me to test drive. *we drive 6 miles @ day of gravel roads

This is what she loved about the Pat. 1) FWD feels she has excellent control of vehicle 2) Great vision both driving and passenger 3) Rear seats fold down making it essentially a two seater 4) Simplicity of operation 5) exterior styling 6) comfort 7) gas mileage

 

Previous vehicles here were: a 2006 Ford F250 Crew Cab w/ Power Stroke diesel and tow package; a 1990 K model Jimmy; a 1983 K model Blazer 6.2L diesel; 1987 International DT 466 bobtail; 1995 International DT 466 bobtail; a 1968 International single axle semi tractor; and a few smaller "cars". I bought my Pat because here in Durango we get snow in the winter and we have trails to explore all summer long, besides the fact that it gets me to and from work quite well and puts a smile on my face! Oh yeah, I no longer need the big "mosheens"!!:doh:
Hubby wanted a JK, which he got, and with the experience I have in fixing vehicles when they break - the lifetime drivetrain warranty was VERY appealing. Couldn't stomach the "soccer mom" look of the Compass, and the Patriot just looked so much like a worthy member of the Jeep family that I decided not to live without it. 25+ mpg is icing on the cake. :banana:
Love my Pat, it's a Jeep worthy of the name, and I think anyone can be proud to own one - male OR female!