Jeep's low-cost Patriot is no speed demon

Click to Enlarge Browse Aspen Times Photos The 2007 Jeep Patriot is aimed at a largely male audience. It has a 2.4-liter, 172-horsepower engine and the machine is well-equipped, inexpensive and Jeep stylish. Special to the Daily

BY ANDY STONEHOUSE
special to the daily
July 20, 2007

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Just before Chrysler's recent corporate disentangling from the behemoth that is Mercedes-Benz - a match that never seemed particularly made in heaven, all things considered - the folks at Chrysler's Jeep division went a little nutty and green-lighted more new models then ever, almost simultaneously.

The result has been a flurry of seven Jeep-branded vehicles that are alternately painfully rugged (the new, totally decent, and completely "Trail Rated" Wrangler and Wrangler Unlimited), fiendishly fast (the wonderfully inconceivable SRT8 Grand Cherokee) or ... oddly pedestrian.

The new Jeep Patriot falls into the latter category, a curious little vehicle that looks like a chopped '80s- and '90s-era Cherokee, is sized like an overgrown Liberty and drives like the anemic new Jeep Compass (at least on the pavement). The Patriot and the Compass share their basic architecture with the Dodge Caliber.

Jeep's own marketing material suggests that the boxy Patriot is aimed at a largely male audience, at economy-minded professionals who earn an average income of $65,000 (it really gets that specific) and to those who want an off-road capable vehicle that's not quite as stoic and chunky as an actual Wrangler.

The resulting machine is indeed well-equipped, terrifically inexpensive and entirely Jeep-styled. Order one completely stripped-down and in two-wheel-drive (great for Texans and Californians) and you can walk out the door at just under $15,000.

My tester, the 4x4 Sport model, came about as well loaded as they make them and still was only $23,010, complete with attractive 17-inch alloy wheels, a punchy 453-watt nine-speaker Boston Acoustics sound system (including the goofy fold-down tailgating speakers), stain-resistant seating ... and an utter lack of takeoff power. Disturbingly so, actually.

OK ... I admit this is a harsh statement, especially when my other recent automotive experiences have included overpowered vehicles whose entire navigation systems cost as much as the Patriot. Under the hood, the Patriot features a 2.4-liter, 172-horsepower four-cylinder engine with variable valve timing that's probably more than adequate for off-road excursions. It certainly produced a bit of yank when called into highway duty but fell short during my urban motoring.

And I don't think it's even the moderately fuel-efficient engine's fault. My tester came with Jeep's second-generation continuously variable transmission and I am now a confirmed disbeliever in the CVT.

The concept is that CVT technology will save about 8 percent more fuel than a standard four-speed automatic transmission. The reality is that when you need any more power than a rolling start - say an out-of-control gas truck is barreling down Loveland Pass and you need to get out of the way - pressing on the accelerator produces a wimpy surge of power.

You need to literally floor the gas pedal and rev the Patriot's engine up to about 6,000 rpm (at which point it is buzzing like it's going to explode) for the CVT to catch up and give you a get-out-of-the-way fast boost.

I admire the notion of seamless acceleration that the CVT is supposed to impart to your motoring experience (Nissan seems to have it mastered, for instance), but in the Patriot's application, all I can say is ... get the five-speed.

The Patriot's no-go experience was a definite downer, as the rest of the vehicle was genuinely attractive and adaptable for an inexpensive little rock-crawler. It's got all of the Jeep character, including the classic upright bar grille and totally round Liberty-styled headlamps, plus towing hooks and squared-off bumpers.

You get wheel wells deep enough for impressive off-road articulation, a roof rack and chunky side mirrors, all looking mas macho.

The interior is a testament to the modern plastics industry, both good and bad - a very long, deep dash, steel plate-styled rubber floormats and a cargo bay cover, and comfortable, stain-resistant, plastic-backed seating with anti-whiplash head restraints. There's even a full-sized spare, heated front seats and Freedom Drive II, which includes a low range for the 4x4 for light off-road use. Nine inches of clearance and decent approach and departure angles mean it really can perform on the trails, should it be called into duty.

Yet, it still has a certain lack of speedy forward movement. Which I tend to consider important for your modern motoring experience, you dig? Curious indeed.