2008 Jeep Patriot - Automobile Magazine
At first glance, the Patriot looks like it's about six years late to its own party, because it's such a faithful evolution of Jeep's Cherokee. Like the Compass, the Patriot gets a 2. 4-liter four that generates 165 lb-ft of torque at a high 4400 rpm. More baffling is the optional 2. 0-liter four--CVTOnly--whose only claim to fame is that it's slightly more fuel efficient, according to the EPA, than the CVT-equipped 2. 4-liter. The Patriot competes with the Toyota RAV4, the Honda CR-V, and the Hyundai Santa Fe. In this company, the Jeep looks far more like a tough-guy off-roader than its curvaceous urbanite rivals. Jeep claims that the Patriot is the most capable compact SUV in its class when it comes to mud. Specify the Freedom Drive II off-road package and you get four-wheel drive (a front-wheel-drive Patriot is available), a CVT with a low ratio, heavy-duty engine cooling, skid plates, tow hooks, and a form of hill descent control. It's not Rubicon-ready, but the Patriot is actually pretty good off-road, which is all it needs to be. Source: www.automobilemag.com
