Wow PA--I am too searching for a vehicle and narrowed it down to the Escape and Patriot. Now if you plan to spend up to 25k, the Patriot is the way to go. The ford is quite expensive.

*Do you like the fuel economy, room, capabilities, etc?- Fuel economy is much better than the Escape unless you get the hybrid one, which can go up to 28-30k. The Patriot has plenty of room, plus 60/40 split seats.

*Are the tires on the Trail-Rated model good?-The tires are much better compared to the Escape. Though, if you have the cash, you can upgrade to bigger tires. See other threads fro the best combination.

*Does Jeep make chrome door handles and side view mirror covers?-The factory Limited model does not have chrome handles or side mirrors but they sell them very inexpensive on eBay. You can also check mopar.com for more accessories for the Patriot.

*Does Jeep offer an AM/FM antenna delete option? -You can also search eBay for a shorter antenna. Or I think they do sell the flush antenna.

Overall, the Patriot is the better pick. It has much more off road capabilities than the Escape. Fuel efficient is also high with the Patriot. Though, the Limited model will not have that nice of an interior compared to the Escape. So you can insert wood trim option--which I prefer. But you will get more for your money with the Patriot.

Good Luck and don't forget to keep up posted.

 

I built the Escape and with the loaded 4 cylinder it cost $29,750. However Ford offers many rebates so I am sure if I talked with the dealer I can get the price down to $25k, but still I have my doubts on the Escapes fuel economy and capabilities even though it looks great. On the fuel economy, 28-30 MPG is possible with the CVT (Automatic) Trail-Rated 4x4? That will likely sell my parents on the Patriot, not to mention the Jeep's capabilities. Would you recommend the bigger tires for our needs? We want to maintain the best fuel economy possible while having a vehicle that can handle any snow.

For the chrome caps I was hoping this was something the dealer can do, we don't have an E-Bay account (We use Amazon). I looked on Mopar and did not see these accessories for the Patriot. If we did buy these caps would they be easy to install? On the antenna the shorter antenna will not work for us, it would still be visible and prone to damage. The flat antenna sounds nice but I would assume we would lose all AM/FM reception. BTW, while I am asking what do you think of the CVT transmission? I heard driving with a CVT is a different experience than a normal automatic.

As of now me and my parents are sold on the Patriot, however we have to sit in it, drive it, and check out the Escape before we make our final decision. Thanks for all your advice Torancis I plan on keep you guys informed.

 

Skip the FDII Off Road package. It zaps at least 10% more fuel for no on-road benefit. While it is a great value for the features it includes, as I said, there is no on-road benefit and the shorter gearing affects FE. If replacing a 15yr old Accord, a 2WD Patriot or Escape is going to drive like a dream in the snow with its traction and stability control system. FDI 4WD is quite sufficient for any on-road driving. You can search for snow stories on here, but no one with 4WD Patriot cares if it snows. In fact, some want it to snow to have fun in it.

Fuel economy is pretty close between the 4-cly Escape and FDI Patriot. 19/25 for the Escape vs. 21/24 for Patriot. People get anywhere from 16 to 35mpg depending on model and driving style. The larger issue with the Patriot is the smallish fuel tank. The low fuel light comes on after about 11.5 gallons used, so 22*11.5 gallons is only 250 miles. Escape is 16 gallons I think which gives a longer range.

The tires are not great on any model Patriot. Fine for most people but I cannot think of many vehicles that have great OEM tires outside of some premium sports cars. The regular Limited tires are probably better than the SR-As.

Chrome-painted plastic door handle covers are under $50 on Ebay. Shorty antenna is $20.

As for space, I love my Jeep. Compared to the Escape, the rear seat is larger, but cargo space smaller. Since I have larger vehicles for longer trips, this one works better for my family as a secondary vehicle and my commuter. The rear passenger space should be good for 4 adults, but you may be packing light to fit everything in the back.

Take them both for a test drive. By summer, both should be discounted a bunch. You should expect at least $5k off MSRP for a $25k MSRP Patriot right now. Escape is available with more luxury stuff, but carries a higher sticker price too. The heated side mirrors, auto climate control, reverse sensing, and SYNC.

Check out Subaru Forester too. I think right now, it offers a better value @ MSRP compared to the Patriot.

 

So you think Freedom Drive I is enough for on road driving? I ask because right now my parents other vehicle is a Honda Ridgeline, it has intelligent 4WD and even at times the snow and ice get to it. For example we have some steep hills here, on October 28th we had this big freak snow storm. A Chevy service van (Which is RWD if memory serves me correctly) went fish tailing when it took on the hill. Do you think FD I is enough to take on such situations? For my family 2WD will not work, we drove through snow with the Accord and it was a nightmare. It's either 4WD or bust. I understand the concern with the fuel tank size but fuel consumption is our primary concern, we want to be ready for the next time fuel prices go past $4.

Do you think we should upgrade the tires on the Patriot? Again the tires/4WD system need to be able to handle any kind of snow we get. I will check E-Bay for the accessories you mentioned, but I hope the dealer will buy/install the accessories. We really need to sit in both vehicles and see the room for ourselves. We only plan on carry 2 people at most in the back seat so the primary concern is legroom. The cargo space has me a bit concerned but I bet it's more than our Accord, and for the years before we had the Ridgeline we took our Accord on vacation with 3 Adults and luggage.

The test drive and interior is what remains the question mark, we will have to see both vehicles in person to determine this. I just wanted to check with you guys and see if this vehicle was worth seeing in person, it seems it is. BTW, I am not too interested in any Subaru's but that was a good suggestion. I picked the Jeep since I see so many of them on the roads here, if I had to make an estimate Jeep's make upwards of 1/3 of the vehicles on the road.

Thanks for your advice APT, I think I will print out our discussion and highlight the most important things you and other Patriot members mentioned. So I can have a discussion with the Jeep dealer.

 

Make a shortlist of suitable vehicles , then book test drives. Dont get carried away by a nice new shiney car. It took me 12 months of Caliber ownership to realise the thick windscreen pillars had a terrible blind spot that compromised my driving safety. Also driving with the front sets right back there was very little leg & knee room for rear passengers!!

 

I broke it down to two vehicles, at this point it will either be the Jeep Patriot or Ford Escape. Both have their positives and negatives. Hopefully the drivers seat can be pushed forward to the point where someone behind the drive has enough legroom. I noticed this with most cars that the person behind the drivers seat always has less legroom. I see you have the Diesel, how do you like it? I would have considered the Diesel if it was sold in the US. In fact I was shopping the Grand Cherokee Limited Diesel for my own personal use, you can get a one year old pre-owned for only $25k.

 

For anything Chrome , Google in Auto Truck Toys!! I got stuff from them Mailorder from USA to UK both for my Caliber & Patriot!! Also its easy to open up an Ebay acc. All you really need is Pay Pal!!

 

Thanks I will check it out, this is my parents purchase so I have to see if they want to open up a Pay Pal account. First I want to see what the dealer is willing to do.

Patriot-PA,
If you aren't going off-road with it at all, the FDI will give you more than you need - plus the fuel economy you're looking for. The FDI with snow tires on it for the winter, and I doubt you'll find a more capable on-road snow vehicle.

I love my FDII, but my target fuel economy was 25mpg, which I get. If I was trying to get 28-30 like you state, you'll be disappointed. The lower gear ratio keeps that from happening.

Well my parents were aiming for 25 MPG highway, but after I told them Freedom Drive I can get upwards of 28-30 MPG they became more willing to give up the Trail Rated abilities since they don't off road. They don't mind sticking with FD I but they want to make sure it can handle the snow well. I would like to avoid snow tires, because if we got stuck in a freak snow storm they would be useless since we didn't install them.

What do you think of the tires found on the FD I Patriot? Do you recommend we upgrade to some better all seasons? Any suggestions? Thanks again.

 

Patriot-PA,
If you aren't going off-road with it at all, the FDI will give you more than you need - plus the fuel economy you're looking for. The FDI with snow tires on it for the winter, and I doubt you'll find a more capable on-road snow vehicle.

I love my FDII, but my target fuel economy was 25mpg, which I get. If I was trying to get 28-30 like you state, you'll be disappointed. The lower gear ratio keeps that from happening.

 

The best FE I've read from a trail rated FDII owner is 25mpg. The best FDI CVT is 30mpg. Best, as in ideal driving conditions of <60mph all highway at moderate temperatures (60*F) and no AC. The EPA ratings of 20/22 and 21/24 are fairly accurate for most Patriot CVT owners (with/without off road group).

There is nothing the FDII Off Road group offers for help in the snow. Well, maybe the 1/2 inch of ground clearance. Tire tread pattern and compound make more a difference than any other aspect of a vehicle in the snow. Tire size does not affect much. I'll take Blizzaks on a sports car over all seasons on a 4WD Patriot any day. Blizzaks on the ol' Accord would kick your Ridgeline to the snow bank. I am not familiar with the Ridgeline 4WD system, but you have time to research this Patriot. The only people who got stuck in snow on here were hung up from deep snow on the under carriage. There are so many discussions on the Patriot 4WD system, auto vs,. 4x4 Lock mode, and the various ESP modes. None about getting stuck in <10" of snow.

Start an Ebay account or have a friend with an established account buy them. Really, we're talking about $25 here for chrome handles that stick on with double sided tape. Can't get any easier to install. If you don't want to mess with Ebay/Paypal, then a friend is your best option.

A shorter than stock antenna will reduce reception. Unless the vehicle has one integrated into the glass, you're out of luck. Not sure what kind of damage you are concerned with, though. 95% of vehicle on the roads have fixed mask ones. If you don't care about AM/FM, then you could unscrew the OEM antenna and use none. Sirius, CD's or portable music players are quickly replacing OTA broadcasts.

 

I think now my family is leaning towards FD I since the fuel economy is so good. I think the census here is FD I works as well as FD II in the snow and thats what we need. Now I have to see about the tires found on the FD I Patriot, what are the best all season tires made for the Patriot? We might consider upgrading the tires. The chrome handles/mirror caps seem easy enough for us to install, I will check them out right after I finish posting. The antenna we might just live with since it can't be deleted. We have garage space to store it so I doubt we need to worry about vandals anymore and we only do brushless car washing.

BTW, I see you use Zanio. Do you recommend that product?

 

-They don't want to spend much money; they already have a fairly expensive vehicle so they don't want to spend much more than $25k. I recently did a search between the Pat and the Escape (which is now pretty much an explorer by the way). The base, bare-bones model of the Escape was about the same as a "all the options I wanted" Patriot. I had been looking for a sunroof and wasn't big on caring about much else but between the two, the Escape has a much higher price for much less.

-They want a very capable vehicle; our area experiences some heavy snow storms. I was raised in Harrisburg and went to school south of Pittsburgh so I understand what PA snowstorms are like. My father's Escape handles fine but after the huge snowstorm we just had here in DC I can tell you that a 4x2 Patriot handled just as well if not better.

-Something that is roomy. They want a vehicle that they can take on vacation, capable of holding 3-4 adults and their luggage. The 09 Patriot without a sunroof will offer you a ton of room (with the sunroof you lose about 1 1/2 inches of ceiling). I have two very large brothers and both of them fit EASILY in the back seat and there is plenty of storage room behind them.

-The last and hardest to find, something that is very fuel efficient. Most of the vehicles I researched that can handle snow were not fuel efficient. From what I've been reading on here is that as the Pat goes up in miles (Mine currently just went over 300 miles...only got it a week ago) it gets better in fuel economy. My first tank of gas rendered 25mpg in DC metro traffic and only cost me $21 at the pump. If I can get at least this or better as we go I'll forever be happy with it. I'm not sure of what the Escape gets but the Hybrid makes no economic sense. While I understand the reasons behind Hybrid from a ecological standpoint, economically you have to have the vehicle for about six years until you see a return on investment. What I mean is most times you are paying several thousands more for the Hybrid, and only saving moderately at the pump (obviously not with the pryus and such, but with the SUV hybrids).

This may not be the best explination, but I do believe that the Patriot is the best choice. I just got exactly what I wanted for under 18K instead of the Escape for about 23K. In these tough economic times 5K is worth it!





ITS A JEEP THING....YOU WOULDN'T UNDERSTAND

 

This may not be the best explination, but I do believe that the Patriot is the best choice. I just got exactly what I wanted for under 18K instead of the Escape for about 23K. In these tough economic times 5K is worth it!

I just priced the Escape Limited 4x4/4 cylinder and the Jeep Patriot Limited 4x4, both were fully loaded with most of the major options and the price difference was $1750. The Patriot costing $26,500 and the Escape costing $28,250. Note this is the price of the Patriot without Trail-Rated abilities and both vehicles have rebates on them. IMO I think both vehicles are reasonably priced, remember the Escape offers more standard equipment on the Limited.

No matter what we buy it will be a 4x4, again my family feels FD I is enough for us if we pick the Patriot. It's just a question if either vehicle needs upgraded tires. I am glad to hear that the rear seat is roomy, how do you feel about the legroom? Thats my primary concern. I wouldn't buy a Hybrid, like you said the pay back period is too long. However the Escape Limited with 4WD/4 cylinder gets about 25 MPG highway. My concern is real world fuel economy though, I plan on asking Escape owners how they feel.

Thanks for your input Matt.

 

We bought a Patriot rather than a Ford. Even though Chrysler's financial situation is a little more worriesome than Ford's, I am glad we did. FDI is awesome in the snow.

 

Yes that is one of my concerns but I have faith Chrysler will pull through. They have the former president of Toyota's North American operations running the company, and Fiat seems interested in investing them. Worse case scenario a company like International will likely buy Jeep, at least thats the rumor.

JMO

hey hey! i'm from PA as well ;-)

where in PA do you guys live? i live in the philly suburbs at the moment but i am moving to north jersey. i will be living in a town that's 45 mins from Stroudsburg/Delaware Water Gap on RT 80 East

Hey Jgg, we live about 130 miles north of Philly and I live about 25 miles Northeast of Stroudsburg. The Delware Water Gap is very close to our home. The biggest town near to us is Hawley.

 

The FDII trail-rated SR-A's aren't horrible but they leave a lot to be desired. If fuel economy is priority I would suggest sticking with the FDI. If you live in snow country as I do (Keweenaw Peninsula in the U.P. of Michigan 250 inches of snow to date), don't get a non-4x4. Regular on road driving I am sure the FDI would be enough where I live. However I do appreciate the extra inch of ground clearance the FDII affords. Ask yourself if you need to go off road or feel you might need what the FDII affords. If snow is the major capability you want and still want good mpgs, consider a FDI and some good snow tires for winter as a good solution.

The SR-A's are not so great on ice or in snow, but they are at least what you would expect from an $80 tire.

The interior volume for luggage is quite good, but by adding a roof basket or roof box you can easily double the cargo you can carry.:smiley_thumbs_up:
I will leave the chrome and antenna questions for others. I am also a fan of Jeep Green. It looks good on the patriot.

Good Luck.

 

Hey Upkev, I am going to show my parents what you guys said about FD I. They would prefer to get all the additional fuel economy thats possible without sacrificing capabilities. We considered snow tires but if we get an unexpected snow storm while we are away from home they would be useless. Whats the best all season tires for the Patriot? Something that can handle snow really well. 2WD has always been out of the question since the beginning of this search, too many bad experiences.

Roof Basket/Box is out of the question also, my father hates them. He is worried something will fall off, someone will steal from it while the vehicle is parked, and he is worried it would affect the aerodynamics to the point it would lower fuel economy. Thanks for answering UpKev.

 

Hey PA. I too am from PA, NEPA to be exact and just got my jeep green patriot.... Where are you looking?

 

hey hey! i'm from PA as well ;-)

where in PA do you guys live? i live in the philly suburbs at the moment but i am moving to north jersey. i will be living in a town that's 45 mins from Stroudsburg/Delaware Water Gap on RT 80 East

 

hello all, i'm a newbie too...and I actually test drove both the Escape 4x2 4cylinder and Patriot 4x2 2.4 last month. eventhough the Escape was at least 5k more, the driving experience was more positive on the Patriot; my wife noticed it too. so we ended up getting the patriot ( rocky mountain edition )...still waiting. =(

 

Whats your opinion of the CVT transmission?

yeah, that's one of the 3 colors i am considering. silver, black, or jeep green. i personally wouldn't go with the Sandstone color b/c it reminds me too much of a "Pebble Beach" type of model. that's just me though. if i had to rank everything in order, i would as follows:

1) black
2) silver
3) jeep green

what about interior? dark slate or the beige color?

We already owned black and silver cars, we want a different color this time. We are leaning for the beige color, we have to see it in person though before we can decide. They want a Sandstone/Beige. My personal favorite is Jeep Green though.

 

Hi PA, it`s a wise thing to get some theoretical info before you go to a dealer. Since you narrowed down your choice to the Jeep Patriot or Ford Escape, I think both cars will serve you and your parents well in any regular on road winter driving conditions. I`m not sure if the Escape has some kind of electronic central diff. lock though, so check that out, but the 4x4 Patriot does, which means it will get you out of many difficult situations on and off road much better than a vehicle without it. If you`re concerned about FE - any bigger, heavier or wider than standard tires will knock it down and also for deep snow, narrower tires are recommended more than wider ones. But aside from all those technical specs, I think a very important thing for you is to LIKE the car and feel COMFORTABLE in it. So go for a test drive in both cars, take your time, try out everything and on different kinds of roads (incl. some light off/roading) and don`t get rushed or pushed by the sales person. I always ask them to please "shut up" if they come with me on a test drive, because they tend to talk too much and distract me from concentrating on the drive, trying out all the features and soaking in feelings and impressions. Try to drive both cars on the same day if possible so that the comparison is more authentic and fresh. And beside any rational reasons or prejudices that you may have, listen to you HEART! What good will a slightly better or worse MPG, cargo volume, traction or whatever be to you, if you`ll hate the car everytime you look at it or sit in it. Try the cars out and FEEL the force that they`ll radiate on you

 

Hey B George, thanks for responding. I always like to talk to owners of products I am interested in, I always found professional reviews to be a bit detached and biased. At least here I can a relatively unbiased review of the Patriot. Our Ridgeline has a locking differential and we used it a lot during the winter so that is an important feature. I assumed since the Escape has intelligent 4WD (Like our Ridgeline) it would also have a locking differential. Thats something I have to be on the look out for, thanks for bringing that up.

I have to research tires for the Patriot, I still don't know what I should go with. In the past I heard narrow tires are better for the snow but I wouldn't know whats the best set to get. Something that can work in all seasons, something that will give me great traction, and something that will not ruin my fuel economy.

You are right about liking the car. When we lived in New York my father bought an Accord. We got something that was small and fuel efficient because auto insurance was very expensive in New York, if you bought a 6 cylinder engine they would charge you a ridiculous fee. However we paid for it in the future. Back then I was only 8 years old the back seat had enough leg room but when I grew up the back seat became very uncomfortable for me. The car also had a very limited payload, when we loaded the car up with people and luggage the car became a slug. So these things run through my mind. My father is set on the Patriot but he is a value based person, whenever I mention the Escape he gets upset that is cost $2k more than the Patriot. So I hope the price and fuel economy doesn't get to him again, at the end of the day I would prefer we like the vehicle we buy.

 

I'd be surprised if your family finds major faults with the OEM tires, but the Michelin Hydroedge is hard to beat in 225/60R17.

Zaino is fine. There are pros and cons to it, along with every other wax/sealant. I headed a group buy some 8 years ago or so and stocked up. If I were to buy more Zaino today, I'd get the Z-AIO and Z-CS. It doesn't get much easier than that for long lasting protection. Otherwise, I am very happy with my relatively inexpensive S100 paint cleaner and paste wax. $25 for the pair, use once a quarter. How a vehicle looks is more about the proper process and techniques, not as much the specific products. With so many good products on the market, I've favored ones that are quick and easy to use vs. longest protection. Anyway....

 

We just want something that can get through snow, if the OEM tires work well in the snow we will keep them. I have to search the forums and see what people think of the tires. About the Zanio we wanted a product that can give us a long lasting shine, and protect the vehicle at the same time. It seems like the wax we use last maybe a month and then it fades. Thanks for the advice APT.

 

Hi PA, regarding the tires, I would never go with any kind of all seasons - they`re not particularly good in any season. I appreciate you concern about the tires, because some people don`t care and put anything on their ride, not realizing that the few square inches of rubber are the only means which connect their 2 ton vehicle to the road and sometimes, in a critical situation, may be literally a matter of life and death. So saving or compromising on tires is a hazard with your safety.
My Pat came with summer Continentals, I don`t remember the exact type right now but I did check them out on the internet for reviews and tests to find out that they are one of the best around, so I was happy. Before winter I searched the internet again for quality winter tires. There are loads of e-shops so it was easy - I put the manufacturer`s specified tire size for the Patriot (215/60/R17) and out popped a list of available tires and manufactures. But in that size the choice wasn`t so big - only 3 or 4 types. Then I went to reviews and test pages again to learn how each one scored and finaly decided on Dunlops SP Winter Sport 3M - these had very good results in all respects and were on sale at one of the e-shops so I ordered them right away. My experience with them during this winter is excelent :smiley_thumbs_up:

 

Good advice, thanks B George. These "Dunlops SP Winter Sport 3M" I guess are just snow tires. I don't know about all seasons, we went through some bad snow with the all season tires on our Ridgeline, it never got stuck even though it did skid on a few occasions. I am so concerned with the Patriot tires because this vehicle cost about $10k less than our Ridgeline, I just worry Jeep might of cut corners with the tires.

So the next winter will be the judge of the base tires. Still I will search the internet with the data you gave me to get an idea, thanks again George.

 

The best all season tires are better than any snow tire on dry and wet roads, basically, any road condition when the temperature is higher than freezing. You aren't going to change tires every other day from snows to summer or snows to all-seasons. Can I ask what aspect of tires has been insufficient in the Ridgeline for example? I don't know what model they have, but it is some kind of Michelin tire. While Michelin makes generally above average tires for most of the models, there are even better all-season tires available that make more sense for most people from a cost/benefit ratio.

All season are not 3-season. 3-season = Summer tire.

Anyway, whatever new vehicle you(r parents) purchase, drive with the OEM tires for at least the first winter. If you/they find faults with them, then upgrade to better all-seasons.

You can see how the Goodyear Wrangler SR-A (Off Road and Wheel/tire group) compares to its competition. Likewise, the Firestone Affinity 215/60R17. For kicks, take a look at my OEM 18" Firestone GTAs. While we've only had something like 60" of snow this year, my crappy tires still makes it through 10" of unplowed streets.