I didn't test drive any other vehicle before buying a patriot. I joined this forum and read up on it. I also went to the auto show to look at it. The first place I went was www.fueleconomy.gov this web site lets you compare the gas mileage numbers of all vehicles. The patriot got the best gas mileage in its class so I knew I wanted one. After the test drive I was sold. So far I have put over 1000 miles on and have been very happy with it. Getting 20mpg in all stop and go city type driving. It handles great in the snow and rain and the 4 cylinder is more powerful than I expected it to be. All in all I am very happy with it and would recommend it to anyone if you are looking for a small SUV with great gas mileage and some offroad ability.

 

Requirements:
*Needed a vehicle under 20K with manual trans
*Had to fit 2 car seats (1 rear facing at the time) and a dog in the cargo area
*Had to have good/excellent gas mileage
*Had to fit 4 large males (all 6'+, 225#+) for 1 hour carpool
*Had to have excellent safety rating

Test Drove:
*Mazda5 - would work but safety of third row was questionable and third row was definitely only kid or dog friendly
*HHR - back seat not as comfortable, no 5speeds when looking so we couldn't test drive that trans
*Vue - really liked it, but they didn't give us a good trade when we were first looking (feb07) and when we went back to try again all 5speeds were gone w/ 08s only going to have autos.
*Matrix - backseat wouldn't work for carpool (very surprised since hubby's coworker has the Prius and it does work for carpool)

Everything else (besides the Pat) fell out, so waited until a manual showed up- test drove it, loved it and bought it in june 07. Still love our Patriot - our only issues so far have been with teh questionable dealers!

 

Wanted:
AWD for bad weather
Cargo capacity
Comfortable
Fuel economy that wasn't horrible

Test drove:
Ford Edge: Nice, good looking, warranty not as good as others and MPG not great
Saturn VUE: Much like the Edge, but more sporty than luxurious, and MPG even worse
Jeep Grand Cherokee: Trades sporty/luxurious for ruggedness, very powerful, but awful mileage and subpar headroom

Why I went with the Patriot:
First of all, I liked the way it drove; while it was by far the slowest of the vehicles, the mileage was far better. It also traded the luxurious interior of the Edge for a more rugged/utilitarian form (but then again, it was $5000 cheaper). The price was also right, since the Patriot was the cheapest of the vehicles I looked at- the VUE was close, but it seemed to be more of a sports car type SUV, and its curb weight of well over 4000 pounds murdered its mileage. The lifetime powertrain warranty on the Jeep was also a strong factor going for it.

Now, about 6 months and 8500 miles later, I don't regret going with the Patriot. Every now and then I wonder if maybe I shouldn't have checked out the Commander too, but the Patriot gets the job done rather well and I still find it enjoyable to drive.

 

Didn't need or want to test drive anything else. Saw the Patriot sitting on the dealership's lot and liked what I saw. Checked it out, took some photos, did some online research to learn more about the Patriot model. Scheduled a test drive of a Patriot a week later. Couldn't drive the one I liked the week before as it was now being displayed on the dealership's showroom floor. Another week later I walked into the dealership and drove my Patriot off their showroom floor. Best new vehicle I have ever bought! This vehicle meets all my needs. I can carry four golf bags and three other golfers! Great gas mileage and low cost. The number of old Jeeps still on the road speaks of the durability of the brand.

 

Never drove a thing, I only sat in a Riot for maybe 3 minutes before I got mine. I guess you could say my test drive was going home with it So far it was a good choice.

To be honest there never was another option for me. You just can't get a vehicle like a Riot from anyone else. With the balance of economy both fuel and pricing and the ability to get me to the cabin or fishing it was a no brainer.

 

Well I had been test driving a Cherokee for 8 years and I wanted to get something similiar. We did try the following two competitors:

Toyota FJ Cruiser: Liked the power and looks, but the little back doors, requirements for premium fuel and vehicle price were downers.

Hummer H3: Liked the looks and off road capability, but the engine was not up to the task for the weight of the vehicle. I guess they have since upped the horsepower of the 5 cylinder.

The Patriot price and gas mileage won me over. It spends a lot of time commuting and hauling critters out of the deer woods and fills both roles well.

 

We have a Mazda Tribute which has served us well,but wanted something with a little better MPGs.We live in a hilly are that gets alot of snow so 4WD is a must.The only other vehicle we test drove was a RAV4.Looked at the Nissan Rogue but too small.Bought the Jeep because for the money nothing comes close

 

I test drove and ordered a 07' Compass.... A week before it was to come I test drove a patriot, and refused shipment on the Compass and ordered my 08' patriot... didn't need to test drive anything else, came at the end of July 07' got hit the day I got it, then stopped by the cops (because I wasn't used to the tighter suspension and apparently it looked like I was drunk) 8 months later (in two days!) I still have the dent in my bumper but I LOVE this vehicle.

 

I didn't test drive anything else, but did look at Escape Hybrid and Honda Element.

Milage numbers and price drove me to the Patriot. 0%/3yr financing helped too (on one of the few 07's left over in January 08)

 

My test driver list was pretty odd, I drove basically cars which don't have anything to do with the Patriot (or any other SUVs)
- Mazda 3
- Mitsubishi Lancer
- Volkswagen Rabbit
If I didn't go with the Jeep, I probably would have gotten a Lancer, even though it also has a CVT and the sport suspension would probably destroy your rear end (your rear end, not the car's ) if I drove it on the lousy roads out here, riddled with potholes, especially after winter.

For a first vehicle, the Patriot is great because I feel good having 4 wheel drive, and it definitely came in handy this winter where any of the other vehicles I listed would have surely been stuck in a snow drift somewhere.

 

Land Rover LR2 and Hummer H3. Whatever the line, I favor the wuss vehicle.

Frankly, though, IMHO anything that you can't do with a little driving skill and a light-duty offroader is prolly better accomplished with a pair of hiking boots.

 

The reason: My 1997 Ford Escort Wagon was well, a 1997 Ford escort wagon with a ton o' miles on the original clutch and battery.

The requirements at first: A people carrier but not a van, winter driving capability (SUV-ish), inexpensive as practicable, need to be able to haul a reasonable amount of stuff (station wagon-ish)

The requirements as revised: Added fuel economy when gas hit 1.13 a litre in Toronto.

Test drove or seriously considered:

Mazda CX-7
Mazda CX-9
Saturn Vue
Saturn Outlook
GMC Acadian
Nissan Murano
Ford Freestyle
Ford Escape
Ford Edge
Acura MDX
Honda Pilot
Jeep Patriot
Subaru Outback
Hummer H3 (had to try and imagine it while sitting in an H2 - not realistic)
Pontiac Torrent
Audi Q7 (I just had to compare to an upper crust vehicle)

Short Listed to:

Mazda CX-9
Subaru Outback
Saturn Vue
Jeep Patriot
Ford Edge

Most desired: Mazda CX-9. I would be driving it today if i ws not for the price. Very good vehicle but at $55,200 - um, [cough] no.

Reason for the Patriot: Price (got it for $29K CAN$), all options except U-Connect, Trail Rated, MPG, cargo space, look, similarly equipped CX-9 would be $59K CAN$)

 

I was driving an older Cherokee that was in need of too much repair so I wanted something that was a good price, had 4X4, got good gas mileage, was a standard and was a Jeep.
So I bot my third Jeep and the price was so good that I got to load it with all the options that I wanted and am extremely happy with it.
I honestly didn't test drive or consider anything else and didn't need to.

 

Mileage was getting up on the Escape, and we were just getting bored with it. Seriously considered another Ford Escape along with the Jeep Liberty and Patriot. The Escape did us very well, and the new escape was very similar to the old. That ended up being its downfall, though, since we were bored with the other. Between the liberty and the patriot, the gas mileage and price of the patriot won over the liberty's better offroad ability and the SkySlider roof - mainly because we have a Wrangler that takes care of both the offroad ability and the open air ride.

 

On paper, the Patriot was the best vehicle for my needs. I did test drive it before I purchaced one, just to make sure there wasn't anything negative in the driving experience that would have me consider something else.

So, I did not test drive anything else before getting the Pat.

 

Most Fun

I actually drove:

Commander
Grand Cherokee
Wrangler Unlimited
Escape Hybrid
Hummer H3
Patriot

They all had their good points, but the Patriot with the 5 speed the the most fun to drive, no contest. And except for the Escape Hybrid it was the most fuel efficient. And the cheapest of the bunch. It was a no brainer for me.

 

Test drove:

Pontiac Torrent
Honda CRV
Jeep Patriot

I had to walk past the Hyundai dealership so I stopped by to look at the Hyundai Santa Fe i think it was, I just laughed at it.

I've always liked the jeep Cherokee and Grand Cherokee over the years. But I was actually leaning towards a CRV. The only reason I tried the Pontiac was because I called them up to give me a ride to their dealership, which is around a bunch of other ones, hehe. I was not impressed with the CRV and I fell in love with the Patriot. I read some reviews on it, although didn't find this site till after I already bought it, and decided to pick one up, got it in a few days from another Jeep dealership. My old car had broken and this kinda put a rush on things.

Now, 5 months and 10 000kms later, no regrets! Well, I wish I would have gotten the sport racks instead of the factory ones but Oh well.

 

I was replacing my Dodge Dakota Club (2-door extended) Cab, V6, 2WD because I needed a more family friendly vehicle (but still another pickup or SUV) and while I was at it better mileage would be a plus:

1. Did not like the look of the redesigned Dakota and Ram too big and thirsty.
2. Thought about a Nissan Frontier or Toyota Tacoma because I liked the look of both. Both models the crew cab (4-door) was not at all roomy enough in the backseat (Dakota has all of the other midsize beat in this respect), the fuel mileage was the same as what I was unloading, and the price of pickup trucks is ridiculous. Didn't consider any other pickups because full-size too big and/or beaten with ugly stick.
3. Nissan Pathfinder. Nice vehicle but too pricey, poor gas mileage, hard to find one not loaded with all options, 2wd is RWD.
4. Honda Pilot (no other Honda SUV or any clones made the list due to ugly/common exterior). A friend had one. Ride was nice, one of the few 3rd row seats that was actually comfortable for an adult due to well designed 2nd row with sliding positions like a front seat. OK gas mileage, FWD (did not want a 4WD) was a plus because I was tired of RWD. Price was the killer. New was way too expensive and too many people think that just because it is a Honda it should not depreciate (asking same price for 5 year old 60,000 miles not fully loaded EX as a new loaded LX).
5. GMC Acadia and Ford Edge. Really nice, really expensive. Out before they were even in.
6. Jeep Patriot. Looks caught my attention because I have always liked the original Cherokee. The proportions are so good that unless it is next to other vehicles you would swear that it is big. CVT was a big thing for me, I like the lack of shift points. Great mileage for a rolling brick (definitely not going to win any aerodynamic prizes). The back does curve down ever so slightly but not as horribly rounded off in the back as the CRV and all its copies (why get an "SUV" if you can't put rectangular cargo in the back). Folding rear and folding front passenger seat all me to maintain some "truckness" for my trips to my favorite store: Lowes. Space: I can get 4 well fed adults in it, I can get a carseat in comfortably, there is a deciving amount of legroom (front and back) due to the pickup truck seat height (legs out and down instead of up and out like a car), great headroom, good visibility... etc etc etc. $$$$ not a lot of green!

 

Thank You All-For Your Thoughts

I like the looks of the Patriot a lot.

My current "4cly4x4" is a 2.8 litre Chev Colorado. I get 17 MPG on a good day. I really want to do better when retired.

I may regret losing a pickup trucks bed-but then my hauling days are over.

 

I like the looks of the Patriot a lot.

My current "4cly4x4" is a 2.8 litre Chev Colorado. I get 17 MPG on a good day. I really want to do better when retired.

I may regret losing a pickup trucks bed-but then my hauling days are over.

Man, I wish I was retiring with a new Jeep in my future.

 

Test drove the Nissan Rogue/Qashqai and looked at 4x4 VW Rabbit/Golf, Toyota Rav4 and Honda CRV. The two latter were significantly more expensive. It was sort of hard to choose between the Nissan and the Jeep. The Patriot won the game thanks to its size, fuel economy, styling, price and delivery time (today I'd still be waiting for the Nissan). I got a good deal at the Chrysler dealership, so I went for it. Although there are quite a few things that I don't like about the Patriot, I'm convinced that I made the right decision. I just love its classic and well-proportioned looks, versatility, fuel consumption, and exclusivity (there are very few Pats here).

4cyl4x4 if you wait until next year you won't regret it. Chrysler has announced a re-design of the Patriot's interior, which seems to be its weakest feature in magazine reviews.

 

Test Drove:
Commander
Wrangler Unlimited
Patriot
Nissan Xterra
Chevy Tahoe
Dodge Avenger
Dodge Caliber

The two Dodges were too small for my needs. Initially I had my eyes set on the Commander, but the price knocked it out of the question. I narrowed it down to the Patriot, the Wrangler Unlimited, and the Xterra. The last 2 were much closer in price range and while I'm still a big fan of both of them, the Patriot's gas mileage won me over in the end. Oh and the fact that it's a Jeep helped too

 

Before I bought my Compass sight unseen 200 miles away, I test drove a different Compass. To me, the main reason for purchasing was financial. I've been interested in the Compass/Patriot since they were released, or earlier. All the paper numbers/specs looked good. With my 6'4 frame, I have a hard time finding vehicles that fit either A) adults behind me or b) car seats for my 2 kids (3y & 4mo). My pickup was great with the main penalty being costs. Fuel and replacement/maintainence things, as it's got 53k miles now and will need some service soon if I continue to drive it daily. Along came these MK's and steady $3+/gal fuel. Oh, and crazy incentives on 2007 models. While it is still a net add to the cash flow, the fuel savings may make up for most of that.

Otherwise, I've been researching:
Escape 5-speed
Escape Hybrid
Scion xB

Not much else gets 25mpg with this kind of space inside and features (and AWD, although I would have done without it) for under $16k.

I prefer the Patriot, but price/availiblity was better for Compass. There were no 2007 Patriot 5-speeds within 200 mile radius. 2008 models are at least $2500 more for same equipment. So, I could pick higher trim/features/AWD over 1 year newer and the Patriot body style. I bought I got the 5-speed, so I really don't care about resale.

 

Considered:

Škoda Superb
Nissan Qashqai
Volkswagen Tiguan
Volkswagen Passat
Mitsubishi Outlander
Jeep Patriot

So I was confused- big family car or 4X4 SUV.

Finally decided - better visibility, better road (every road) handling is important thing to me and my family.

So-
Nissan Qashqai 2,0diesel
+ loved the looks, good equipment list (aut. climate control etc.), price
- smaller cargo room, a bit noisy engine (diesel), 6 months to wait, dealers did their work- I just don't find the word for that
Volkswagen Tiguan 2,0diesel
+ loved everything but seats (uncomfortable), really good aftermarket price
- price (diesel costs ca. 5000 EUR, 7700 USD more than Patriot)
Mitsubishi Outlander 2,0diesel
didnt like it at all
Jeep Patriot 2,0diesel
Just love the looks- tough and ... sweet (first headlamps- for my wife, everything is harmonic. I do not complain about interior, everything what's in and out is really well designed to achieve a perfect result.
I loved the engine. Tried 2,4 and 2,0d. Liked both but I'm for manual and diesel- if it is SUV.
Loved the price- maybe Nissan Qashqai would be in same price range, but Pat is really masculine car. I'm not interested about these fancy roundish lines what most of modern cars have.
MPG is fantastic!

Buying a car is an emotional moment. You like it or don't- and that's it!
Let's hope that Pat will run miles and years without problems.

PS. I will get my Pat this Friday.

 

I test drove several vehicles and researched like crazy:

Hummer 2 - going over the obstacle course was cool, didn't like the thicker steering wheel, was a gas hog (but it is a tank), but rode cool and had cool features - still seemed like overkill for my needs and was pricey - wasn't a Jeep

Toyota FJ Cruiser - didn't like having to open the back door backwards to get stuff in and out of the back seat - but drove ok - was overpriced in my opinion - wasn't a Jeep

Suzuki Grand Vitara - was ok, but not great gas mileage and too much carpet interior to worry about keeping clean - was not 'rugged' enough - wasn't a Jeep

Mazda Tribute - was ok but interior felt 'cheap' - wasn't a Jeep

Mercury Mariner - they were having some deal on them and I was talked into it - but they are not really 'me' - wasn't a Jeep

Kia Sportage - they even talked me into taking this home overnight and I took it right back the next morning LOL - was less expensive and good on gas mileage and had a few cool features like the radio/controls are angled to the driver but depreciation on Kia was horrible - wasn't a Jeep

and throughout the whole process: Patriot - drove stick shift and automatic - then drove different automatics at many lots around town LOL - all the salesmen knew us

I looked at many SUVs - but didn't test drive all of them...I just was crazy about the Patriot for many reasons, especially the best gas mileage of any SUV I looked at - and it was a JEEP!!

I was looking for an SUV that looked cool, I could take dogs/kids/whatever around in without worrying about carpet, was rugged (read: could leave muddy as I hate washing vehicles LOL), and was good on gas for an SUV.

 

Pontiac Vibe AWD (used of coarse)
New Tucson 4x4
Honda CRV

I just liked the jeep much better and I got a pretty good deal. The other companies really didn't have any incentives at all. At Jeep I got employee discount (even though I'm not) cash back, great trade in value ect... The Tucson would have been 2nd choice, but it was quite a bit more pricey than I wanted to pay.