Passed my Suzuki XL7 to Mrs.M so its still in the family.
I'm in a 4x2 Pat and it stands slightly lower than our XL7
XL7 is on 16" wheels, Pat is on 17"

To your concern: yes and no.

Looking at other Patriots as they pass by I do notice that lots of folks seem to be hunkered down in them and combined with the high belt line of the vehicle they look "small" in it, almost as if they are peering out.

So, if you are short bodied I suppose you will get that feeling.

Those with adjustable seats can raise the seat. I have manual seats and found that I needed to lift the back of it up (1.5 inches on the spacer) to feel comfortable.
No matter the recline, no matter the position on the slide I couldn't shake the feeling that my butt was low and my knees high sitting in that seat.

easy job, we just used square tubing and some flat stock, a drill, some cutting oil, a power chop saw, files, hack saw, etc., some thinking and figuring.

I also drilled and pinned the seat such that it won't slide back and forth unless you remove the pin. I trust my seat lift mod but I just don't want anyone trying to move the seat while the vehicle is in motion. Just in case.

And if I ever get hit hard and the seat moves and insurance discovers...well, I'll deal with that then. For now it is immensely more comfortable. There is a reason bus drivers and over the road truckers sit high and upright.

Use graded/rated bolts.

 

I traded in a Durango for my 2011 FD1 and I definitely sit lower. I do have the adjustable seat, but I have a long torso, I'm 6'1", and I have a sunroof, so I can't put it all of the way up. We have a '98 CR-V as well, and I sit up higher in that than I do in the Patriot, but I'm very satisfied with how far off of the ground I sit.

My company vehicle is a 2011 silverado and it obviously sits higher, but I prefer the lower ride height of the Patriot. I am also partial to almost every other aspect of the riot vs the Chevy, except for the room, I miss being able to mount a laptop desk in my personal vehicle.

 

I come from being a full sized 4WD truck onwer( Dodge Ram and Chevy Silverado 4WD's ). My last vehicle was a 2008 Dodge Ram 1500 Quad Cab 4WD. I sat up there pretty good. I come to the Patriot from vehicles like these so it is a difference in ride height...

I don't feel like I am too low or anything in the Patriot however. I am 6' 3" tall. I have a 2011 Patriot w/ a sunroof and also the adjustable seat. I have the seat cranked/lowered all the way down and it is perfect for me height wise. Plenty of head room and no vision issues.

I will say the windows on the Patriot are short. Makes it feel like the vehicle is short too. Getting in and out is great for me. Perfect height to just sort of slide in/out so I would not say it is sitting too low. I have MS and as a result I actually have a difficult time getting in and out of low riding vehicles. No trouble in the Patriot. Actually the ride height of the Patriot, based on my MS, was part of the decision on what vehicle to buy. I would not have got a Patriot if it was sitting too low.

I did have a 2008 Chevy Equinox AWD for about a year. Pretty much the same dimensions and ride height as the Patriot. As far as other SUV's/CUV's it all depends on the class as to whether or not it should be compared to the Patriot.

Dodge Durango, Chevy Tahoe, GMC Yukon, Nissan Armada, etc... are full sized SUV's and you can't really expect the Patriot to compare with them in any category. Especially ride height. So I think you need to be more specific than just saying SUV. Actually, the Patriot isn't an SUV anyway. It is really a CUV( cross over utility vehicle = built on car platform ). You have to compare the Patriot to the small SUV's and CUV's out there like the Toyota Rav4, Kia Sportage, Ford Escape, etc... When you do that it compares favorably.

 

As NH said, it is built on a car platform so don't expect a real SUV feel for it. I had '98 Grand Cherokee before and it did feel higher than Patriot. I have an adjustable front seat in the Pat so I'm not complaining. I feel very comfortable in the Patriot especially on the long trips.

 

My biggest problem was getting used to the lower height of the Patriot. It's only off by a few inches, but as time goes by I am getting used to it.

 

Dont forget the Patriot is basically a Dodge Caliber ...so its never going to sit very high !!

 

Just keep repeating 30 miles per Imperial gallon.

 

There is no such thing as Imperial Gallon anymore; I frequently get 30 mpg U.S. with our 5 speed manual.

 

My calculator has conversions on it...I use it to convert my litres to gallons, my kms to miles.
The little button says "imp gal" on it.

so, does that mean I'm getting even better mpg?
Woo Hoo.

seriously, our gallon is larger than a US gallon, no?

I mean a litre is a litre but a Canadian gallon is more fluid than a US gallon, right?

 

Ignatz is about the same size & height as the 1993 Cherokee I once owned. The Patriot feels cheaper, but has had far fewer repairs and much better fuel economy than the Cherokee. In fact I dumped the Cherokee while it was still under warranty -- being in sales I had to be on the road, not in the repair shop.

I owned a couple Oldsmobile Bravadas which felt much nicer than either the Patriot or the Cherokee, and rode much better than either, but again, the Patriot beats them in relilability and fuel economy. My last Bravada was an inch higher than the previous Bravada, but even that little inch made a difference I could feel.

That said, one of the reasons I like the Patriot is that I don't feel like I'm driving a monster truck. Several have observed that the Patriot shares its platform with the Caliber, but surprisingly, the Patriot has a much better ride than the Caliber. Maybe the extra inch or two in altitude makes a difference.

 

The Imperial Gallon is larger than the U.S. Gallon and Canadian dealers have no qualms about quoting mileage figures "MPG" in Imperial Gallons because it sounds better. In the UK they actually have Imperial Gallons at the pump.

 

Yes, well if they did kilometres per litre then I'd switch but seeing as they do that stupid litres per 100 kilometres bit which is gibberish to me, I'll stick with my Imperial miles per gallon converted from my trip odometer reading and the litres on my fuel receipt.

30.4 mpg, Imperial, combined, last tank. That is like 25.3 mpg in flimsy US gallons, eh? I also get two jelly filled doughnuts per kilometre at times.

 

Previous vehicles were two Blazers and a Cherokee. Still own a Ram 1500 4WD. The Patriot sits a little lower than the Cherokee. The seats in the Patriot sit taller so the passengers are in a more upright sitting position than a reclining position. The center of gravity is lower on The Patriot. The Patriot and Cherokee are similar in size. My Blazers were taller and more tippy.
Keep in mind that the Patriot is a crossover and not a true SUV. It has a better ride and forward visibility is good. But you won't be looking down on other vehicles.
Hope that answers your question.

 

I drove a Jimmy back in 2000 and I totaled it by flipping it 6x's so yes I agree a Jimmy(same as Blazer) is top heavy. I was young and dumb , used to drive reckless.

I don;t sit as high as in other SUVs or trucks, but it also has a lower chance of rollover too.

very good point. The one I have now the mountaineer Ive had for almost eight years and never had a rollover issue; although I drive much better than i did when i was 18, 19, and 20, as I am 30 and drive like an old man. lol not going more than 2.5 tops and generally under two and many time 1.5 rpm's

Ignatz is about the same size & height as the 1993 Cherokee I once owned. The Patriot feels cheaper, but has had far fewer repairs and much better fuel economy than the Cherokee. In fact I dumped the Cherokee while it was still under warranty -- being in sales I had to be on the road, not in the repair shop.

I owned a couple Oldsmobile Bravadas which felt much nicer than either the Patriot or the Cherokee, and rode much better than either, but again, the Patriot beats them in relilability and fuel economy. My last Bravada was an inch higher than the previous Bravada, but even that little inch made a difference I could feel.

That said, one of the reasons I like the Patriot is that I don't feel like I'm driving a monster truck. Several have observed that the Patriot shares its platform with the Caliber, but surprisingly, the Patriot has a much better ride than the Caliber. Maybe the extra inch or two in altitude makes a difference.

I thought the caliber and Patriot are the same inches off the ground? wait maybe I did read a partiot is an inch higher?

2008 Patriot:*
Not as high or as powerful as the J-10
Not as high or as powerful as the SJ Cherokee or Wagoneer
Not as high as the 1967 Jeepster, but close in other ways
Not even close to being as high as the 1983 CJ-Scrambler
Not even close to being as high as the 1960 Willys Utility wagon
Not at high as a Commander


The Mercury Mounatinner Would be most like a SJ Wagoneer, Cherokee or a Commander

*Remember, the newest Patriots are all higher than the 4x2 and FD1 Patriots produced before 2010

wow you know your cars buddy.

The day I picked it up:

nice photos mr Jeep. Remember yours sits higher. the one I might buy is under a 2011 year and I am thinking of getting a 4x2 , like Ignatz has convinced me with his posts over on the 4x2 section-thanks Ignatz, and possibly eventually raising it because I think the 2007-2010 models sit too low for my tastes. That said, I might still drive a "low" one, it depends. I think i could come up with an extra 600 $ to raise it an inch or so

I sit high enough in my Ram PU to see over the Patriot. But don't drive the truck often due to 12MPG.

haha My mountaineer gets about that gas milage.

In relation to my previous post....I like the Patriot height even though it is lower than all other Jeeps, it is still high enough to feel right.

Good to hear. are you a previous SUv owner?

Thank you for the feedback everyone and feel free to keep opinions and discussion going

 

I don;t sit as high as in other SUVs or trucks, but it also has a lower chance of rollover too.

 

Step daughters loaned Disco. sits a little higher than my old Pat.

 

2008 Patriot:*
Not as high or as powerful as the J-10
Not as high or as powerful as the SJ Cherokee or Wagoneer
Not as high as the 1967 Jeepster, but close in other ways
Not even close to being as high as the 1983 CJ-Scrambler
Not even close to being as high as the 1960 Willys Utility wagon
Not at high as a Commander


The Mercury Mounatinner Would be most like a SJ Wagoneer, Cherokee or a Commander

*Remember, the newest Patriots are all higher than the 4x2 and FD1 Patriots produced before 2010

 

The day I picked it up:

 

I had a 2000 Cherokee Sport that did not have adjustable seats. It maybe felt a little higher than the Patriot but I always felt like my head was right up against the headliner in that vehicle. My Patriot seems to have more headroom but that could be because of the adjustable seats. I don't notice that much of a difference between the two height wise. I feel plenty high enough in the Patriot and I'm 1000% more comfortable.

p.s. My Patriot has 17" wheels if that makes a difference.

 

I sit high enough in my Ram PU to see over the Patriot. But don't drive the truck often due to 12MPG.

 

Ditto!!!

 

I like the fact that the patriot does sit a bit lower then other SUV's. A lower center of gravity minimizes the potential for a vehicle to roll over. having been a passenger in a vehicle roll over, that was a key selling point for me.

 

In relation to my previous post....I like the Patriot height even though it is lower than all other Jeeps, it is still high enough to feel right.

 

I own all the vehicles I listed. So I guess that's a yes.

 

nice. Thank you for comparing my mountaineer to what you have.

 

I also drive a 2000 Chev Suburban 2500 4x4; much higher than a Pat...

However, I seem to sit higher in the Pat.