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New Jeep Patriot cuts a wide driving swath

1.9K views 3 replies 4 participants last post by  BigDuke6  
#1 ·
Do you remember the Cherokee?

Jeep certainly hopes you do, and in a fond way. It's a big reason why this DaimlerChrysler division has added the Patriot to its ever-expanding range of sport-utility vehicles.

It's similar-looking to the Cherokee, intentionally so, but cuts a wider swath, from easy-going boulevard cruiser to rugged, range-rumbling off-roader. It joins the entry-level Compass and completely madeover Wrangler as Jeep's new-for-2007 entries. The Patriot/Compass duo is heavily based on the Dodge Caliber wagon and shares many of the same mechanical components.

For the Patriot, however, it's all about emulating the Cherokee, a squarish model that was created four years before Jeep was acquired from the American Motors in 1987. The Cherokee left in 2001, but legions of devoted fans still long for the old warhorse and its straightforward and boxy styling as well as its on- and off-trail capabilities.

Read entire article HERE
 
#2 ·
did you see what the article said, going back to the "trail rated[ness]" thread ...

"the Patriot, or at least one of its models, is "Trail Rated," referring to California's Rubicon Trail, an off-road torture-test route strung through the Sierra Nevada mountain range. Make it here and the Trail Rated stamp is yours. "
 
#3 · (Edited)
I think that them implying the successfully traversing the Rubicon Trail is a must for the Trail Rated (R) badge is misleading--just like them stating the Compass is the FIRST Jeep that wasn't designed for off road use.

I wish these editors and reporters would do their homework. As I stated to the editor in an email I sent him, how can they accurately report what is happening in Iraq or Afganistan if they can't do their homework and give accurate information on Jeep? It's like they pick up information off the internet and then just reword it and state it as the truth.

Sometimes I wonder how these reporters passed English 101 in college.

Update: On Jeep.com, they ARE claiming that the Patriot has earned the TR badge because it CAN traverse the Rubicon Trail WITHOUT any modifications. Maybe I'm skeptical, but I find it hard to believe many stock vehicles are able to conquer the Rubicon. However, it is there in black and white when you click on the Patriot picture in the History section of Jeep.