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Eric's Autos: Reviewing the 2012 Jeep Patriot

Eric Peters on

Order the Off-Road Package for everything you'll need to deal with almost any off-road situation: Skid plates, 17-inch all-terrain tires, tow hooks and a full-size, real-deal spare tire. That stuff plus 8.1 inches of ground clearance and the 19:1 crawl ratio in off-road 4WD Low range will get you through (and over) terrain that would break lesser machines or at least, leave them (and you) waiting for the winch.

The one functional deficit you'll discover is the Patriot's 2,000 lb. maximum tow rating. This is due to the lack of a V-6 engine more than anything else. Others in this general class that do offer V-6 engines (such as the Toyota RAV4) can pull up to 3,500 lbs.

AT THE CURB

The Patriot's squared off, traditionally boxy silhouette is a defiant snubbing of the current trend toward the ovoid. It looks like an SUV - not a "crossover." Similarly, inside - where everything is meaty and purposeful rather than delicate and fine. For instance, you can easily manipulate the large rotary knobs for the AC and heat while wearing gloves. No small buttons to tap - much less a mouse to spill your coffee all over.

The materials - dashpad, trim panels and so on - are maybe not quite as refined as what you'd find in many other crossovers, but they are apt to be more durable. The matte grey-black plastics can be easily wiped down or scrubbed off. The ambiance is purposeful and direct - as a Jeep ought to be.

Though classified as a compact, the Patriot is functionally close to mid-sized in terms of interior space. For example, the technically "compact" Patriot has an inch more front seat headroom (41 inches) than a technically "mid-sized" crossover SUV like the Lexus RX350 (39.1 inches) and - here's where it gets really interesting - 39.4 inches of rearseat legroom vs. 36.8 for the "mid-sized" Lexus. Total cargo capacity is 63.4 cubes for the "compact" Jeep - vs. 40 cubes for the "mid-sized" RX350. So, don't assume the Patriot's too small because it's listed as a compact.

While other "compact" crossovers in the Patriot's price range also offer "mid-sized" (or nearly mid-sized) interior room - including the Toyota RAV4 - they don't offer the off-road capability that the Patriot does.

THE REST

 

Since you can't get a Liberty with a diesel engine anymore, the Patriot may be the next best thing: A capable vehicle that doesn't kill you with gas bills. There's not much - if anything - else out there you can take into the woods that's still capable of giving you almost 30 MPG on the road - and better than mid-teens around town.

Buyer's note: The Patriot's stablemate, the Compass, is similar - but more luxury (and on-road) minded. This is reflected in its higher-to-start $19,295 base price. Probably there's still much overlap between these two models for Jeep's own good, however.

THE BOTTOM LINE

This vehicle is not trying to compete with the others in its class as much as it's trying to be something different for change.

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www.ericpetersautos.com or EPeters952@aol.com for comments.


 

 

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