My ex-wife insisted that she had to have a Forester. (I won't drive a foreign car) It was replaced by a Jeep 2 years later when the wheel bearings went out and we were never happier. Patriot cargo space is really quite good. I think the Forester might have been a little taller, floor to roof, but I have fit an amazing amount of stuff in my Patriot. Most recently a 13500peak/8000 watt portable generator! I can't comment on the Nissan other than to say, it isn't and American car and therefore it would not benefit our economy to purchase it. My unbiased opinion would be to buy the Jeep.....

 

Next year, the Rogue will be built in Tennessee.

 

I wish I had some photos, but I load mine up all the time, in fact my rear seats have only been upright once in 3 years.

Last weekend I had 3 huge rubbermaid containers, a large dog box, a big soft bag, a cooler, several handguns, a camera bag, laptop bag, a 7 gallon water bottle, 2 plastic boxes with tire chains, and a few smaller items.

 

You get a lot of car for the money going with the Patriot. Cargo space is great. But my father drives Subaru's (Impreza and just got a Outback) and I must admit is a step forward in terms on quality and power compare to the Patriot. I like the Jeep look better. But Subaru drives real great.

I think the Rogue is more a city/suburbs small SUV and I don't have much to say about it. I also believe the 4wd model gets pretty expensive compare to a Patriot.

 

Once again, I doubt those other vehicles would make it up my driveway this time of year.

 

One thing I like about my little Jeep is the rear seat space. It is a trade vs. cargo space behind the rear seat. Since I have a minivan and crew cab pickup, a don't care about the cargo space as much.

 

You walk into a Jeep forum and expect an unbiased opinion?

I was pretty-well sure i was going to get a Forester when it came time to get a new(er) car. They have history as being very capable vehicles, they can hold a lot of stuff, and in the NW at least, they're relatively inexpensive used.

I test-drove a Forester, but didn't even need to put it in gear to realize that i HATED it. I can't tell you why exactly. Let's chalk it up to the X factor - it just didn't feel right, even just sitting in it.

It felt cheap and plasticky. One could argue that the Partiot feels cheap and plasticky, and it very much IS. The Forester, however, tried hard to seem like it was NOT cheap. The Patriot flaunts its cheapness; hell, ask anyone here - a utilitarian, easy-to-clean interior is one of the most-loved aspects of our Patriots. Cheap is cheap is cheap, but Subaru wants to pretend that cheap and luxe can coexist. Ehhhh, no.

Once on the road, it felt like i was piloting a pig down the street - it feels heavy. It wallows down the street, seemingly faster than its actually going (though, to be fair, that may be because i was used to driving a Blazer, which sits higher). The full-time AWD was subtle, but noticable, even in straight-line driving. That's not bad, per se, but a much different feeling than the Blazer's Auto-4WD (which only kicks in when required). I also feel that the full-time AWD added to the heavy-feeling of the car, especially in corners. I'm sure the well-worn model i drove was probably in need of some new shocks, but it didn't leave me with a great impression. I didn't find the driving to be confidence-inspiring at all.

And while i didn't know this ahead of time, i was surprised by the difference in price. Remember how i said that used Subarus are inexpensive here in the NW? Well, a 4- or 5-year-newer Patriot cost me less than the "inexpensive" (and don't forget cheap!) Forester.

The Patriot felt right. The price was right. It was a two-wheel drive, but i fancy myself as an excellent driver, so i wasn't too concerned. I snapped up the Jeep without hesitation. I actually wished for a little bit that I liked the Forester more, since i'd banked so much on it being "the one". But that feeling was gone & long forgotten on the drive home that night in my Patriot.


As to the Rogue, I can't say. They're too new for anyone to really have an opinion, i think, unless they've driven one. If you try one out, come back and let us know what you think.

 

You walk into a Jeep forum and expect an unbiased opinion?

It felt cheap and plasticky.

And while i didn't know this ahead of time, i was surprised by the difference in price..

The Subaru felt cheep and plasticky !!??!! jeez, at least you can get climate control rather than a fan control and the arm rests have some cover on them !

Seriously though, the new Subaru diesel has better fuel efficiency, is lower and better on motorways and feels better finished. It also (used to have) a low box which the UK Jeeps don't.

The Jeep however is more fun to drive, looks great, (probably) grips better, and IS cheaper. The petrol Subaru also loses A FORTUNE in depreciation.

I have had two Forresters and am now chuffed to bits with my Patriot.
(apart from the suspension arms, air bag lights, random alarm, lack of low box, lack of climate control etc)

 

Thanks guys, I expect somewhat biased opinions and I posted on their forums as well. I also have a 97 wrangler to play with and love jeeps also. I would love a 4 door wrangler but price and gas are keeping me from that. Definitely leaning towards the patriot, espcially if I can find a 5speed. Keep your opinions coming

 

People who own the 5 speeds really seem to enjoy them! My ex-wife has a compass now with the CVT. It is interesting to drive. I liked it, but I much prefer my 5 speed. Generally, real lead foots do not like the CVT, economy minded drivers do.

 

I considered a 5-speed because I was getting the FWD and wanted the extra control of a manual tranny in the snow. The auto-stick feature is just about equal to the manual for driving on snow-covered roads -- there are subtle differences but overall I like the CVT - indeed, I think I prefer it now. And the FWD is fantastic in the snow. If the snow is so deep a FWD Patriot can't handle it, I'd complain to the DOT.

Wifey's Wrangler is a 5-speed and I wanted to have one automatic in the stable just in case there was a situation where one of us couldn't drive a manual. I remember having an operation on my clutch foot in hs and not being able to drive my beloved Ford Falcon. Grievous situation for a 17 yr old! . . . and it would be a problem now.

jepstr67 is right on about lead-footed vs economy minded drivers. I always get high 20s to low 30s MPG. On those rare occasions when I drive it hard, the surging is annoying.

 

For me, the manual transmissions makes the relatively poor performance of the little Jeep fun at times. Gotta wind it out to do so, but generally rewarding. No regrets choosing that. I've driven plenty of auto sticks. For me, not even close to the same. For many people, it is. Only you will know for yourself.

 

Try driving both. I get good gas mileage with the 5MT, per my sig, but part of that is that I am willing to take a lilttle more time to get there and don't run it as hard. I wonder what my experience with the auto stick CVT would have been over the 40K miles I've put on mine, but parallel tests with the same driver and driving pattern ain't happening.

One thing about the 5MT, I don't have to learn how to tickle the CVT to get the powertrain computer to give me the performance I want in terms of transmission gear management. And this dog is old to be learning new tricks. But, as dixiedawg mentioned, if I hurt one of my legs, I might be singing a different tune. As in why didn't I get the auto-stick CVT?

I suspect the Outback that Plumonium says has more power than the Patriot has the six cylinder or turbocharged engine. When I lookied at Foresters/Outbacks when I was looking at Patriots three years ago, the six cylinder Outback came only with an automatic and a big hole in the roof, and in dark exterior colors. I only drive white cars here in south Texas. So that was it for the Outback. The 2008 Foresters didn't have traction control, and if I wanted the limited slip rear differential, I had to accept colors and other stuff I wanted not to have. So I just couldn't get there with a Forester.

Plus, the Jeep is mostly built in the US. I'd buy another Patriot today if I had the same purchase specs of max gas mileage with my desired level of utility and off pavement traction. I might even get the 2WD and CVT. My 1987 2WD four door Cherokee with no limited slip handled the poorly maintained, rocky, sometimes muddy road I regularly drive. Would I have preferred limited slip or 4WD? Yes. But it would have cost me more and I never got around to trying to find a salvage axle with limited slip.

I understand your desire for 4WD or AWD in MN. I would prefer AWD so that my wife wouldn't have to be aware of and fiddle with 4X4 controls. But, that is for me and my wife.

 

I agree with nth256 that AWD Subarus can have a 'heavy' steering feeling. I recommend driving a Forester and really getting a feeling for how it drives. I think highly of Subarus.

I agree with Plumonium regarding the Rogue. I see it as a street SUV without real off road capability. I think it looks real good though for what it is.

One car that I considered along with the Patriot was the Ford Escape Hybrid. The Escape and Patriot both look rugged to me and got good gas mileage.

The Patriot is going to be a lot cheaper then the other two.

To answer you original question, I do think space should be a concern of yours. Probably my biggest complaint about the patriot is the lack of rear cargo space. I don't have kids or dogs and I fill the jeep for a weekend camping trip. Kids and dogs are in my future and i'm not sure the patriot could acomidate my needs without a roof rack.
My recomendation is to compare cargo space in the three vehicles and factor in those capacities into your decision.

I considered subaru's initially, but eliminated them because the patriot got better gas mileage and was a lot cheaper.

Overall, I am very happy with the Patriot. In hindsight, there is still not a better car on the market for me in my price range.

 

Soemthing to consider for your camping trips is a lightweight utility trrailer. There are plenty of them that weigh 250-300 pounds.

 

My father gets the same gas mileage with his 2010 Subaru's than me. No it is not the 3.0l but the 2.5 inline. It produce the same hp than the patriot but WAY more torque. He would climb hill in 5th speed I would in 3rd. Forget about the numbers, drive one. The Impreza is remarkably agile on the road. It misses ground clearance but get very good traction. The new Outback platform (shares it with Legacy) is great. A bit stiff and heavier but still good drivability. I believe the Forester to be in-between. I have good respect for Subaru's in general. Still like my Patriot better.

 

... No it is not the 3.0l but the 2.5 inline...

Not trying to be a lawyer here, but the Subaru doesn't use "inline" engine, in any configuration. They're all boxers, 4- or 6-cylinder.

 

test drove a forester with a diesel engine (they have them in europe) and i can't even compare it with my 2.0 crd diesel pat.
it's just a station wagon,feels heavy ,you have less space and you don't get the feeling of safety you get in the pat (the roof of the pat going farther to the front and the windscreen being farther away definitely gives you more breathing room)
not to mention ground clearance,but i won't insist on that as my pat is lifted.
the cost on the road is much higher,so is the buying price,but maybe quality-wise subaru is better than chrysler.
overall,i wouldn't trade

 

We do not have any kids, but probably will while we own the vehicle, so that is a consideration. I like the Patriot, but am concerned about the cargo space behind the seat.

Don't be concerned, there is plenty of cargo space. The rear seat is in my opinion more of a problem if you need to haul lots of people - cramming three adults in there, they'd better be real close personal friends. But with small children, that's less of a worry. And what you lose in rear seat room you make up in cargo space room.

The Patriot being more of a short and boxy shape, instead of a lower and more elongated station wagon shape, a lot of the cargo space is in vertical direction. This appears to be a problem to some people. But if you've mastered the ancient art of putting things on top of other things, I wouldn't worry. When you pile your stuff up in there, the Patriot can swallow a surprising amount of gear!

 

I worked for Toyota in Japan in 1972. All of the engineers who could afford their own cars bought Subarus.

 

There is a reason why you are posting on this forum... Its because you are destined to own a PAT and not those two other vehicles! epper:

 

My wife is disabled and I play in bands on the weekends. Also, we have 21 year old twins that are in college (meaning we no longer have kids, lol). We just traded a Chevy HHR for a 2011 Patriot 2WD. So far, I'm really happy with the purchase. We keep the back seats down 95% of the time. I can haul all of my music gear to the gig no issues. That includes a 1/2 stack (for those of you familiar) amp, a couple of guitars, mic stand, guitar stands, gig bags, and can also get the wife's walker in to boot.

My only complaint with the Patriot is it's a little short on power compared to my old HHR. I think that's mainly to the CVT II tranny. That thing really zaps the life out of the engine. That said, it's really not an issue most of the time as I didn't buy it to race. I knew after the test drive what I was getting power wise.

I bought it because it's the hands down best *value* in its class, AFAIC.

p.s. The Rogue is nice and also has a CVT type tranny. We test drove one in 07 when we ended up getting the HHR. My issue with the 08 Rogue was the cargo space and the seats not laying down flat. The Pat's seats don't go completely flat like the HHR, but they're close enough. The Rogue's was not. The amount of cargo room *appeared* to be much less as well.

 

I own a 2011 Patriot that I just bought and love it so far. Very smooth comfortable ride, love the way it handles in the snow and it looks awesome. A lot of Jeep for the money really. I drove maybe 8 vehicles during my decision-making, including a Suburu Forester. I liked the acceleration of the 2011 Forester, but that was about it. The interior seemed cheap (fabric looked like it would rip easily) compared to the Patriot IMO. The passenger seat sits very low. I had to sit in it while the dealer drove it off the lot and it was low for me, so it was even lower for my girlfriend. Sure it would have been my car, but I want her to be comfortable as well. The stock stereo sounded terrible to me, Patriot's stock has a much better sound. Just my 2 cents. Good luck in your decision.

 

My son-in-law is driving my old 97' Subaru Outback and my daughter is driving the 2004 Subaru Outback that we paid for. They are good cars, very reliable and long lived. My 90' Subaru Legacy 5 speed sedan ended up belonging to a local garage that races it in a special class of stock cars, and it still wins lots of times! So, I think Subaru's are good cars, but I absolutely LOVE my Patriot. There is just something about it that makes me smile, and I consider it the swiss army knife of SUV's. My Jeep dealership is the best you can find, Mullin Motors of Southold,NY, so that is a factor. I don't think either the Forester or the Patriot will be a bad choice, try getting a test drive of each and then make your choice.

 

Not to mention the new 2011 Pats are MUCH better. Especially the interior.
Ya gotta go with the Jeep.

 

Can you turn off the traction control on the Forester?
I really didn't look at anything but the Patriot because
I own a Jeep TJ also. " YES IT'S A JEEP THING"

 

If you're looking for space, I'd get a diesel Golf Wagon. That's what we were looking at before getting the Patriot, but local dealers didn't have them in stock and we had to move. It has considerably more interior space than a Patriot.

The Forester is nice, and we looked at it, but way, way more expensive here in Canada. If you can get it for a reasonable price, I'd go with that over the Patriot.