Jeep Patriot or Compass - how are these things?

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buddy has a fairly well optioned Caliber, so far, no issues, even after a few Saskatchewan winters.

I don't know anyone with a lot of miles on either model though, so longevity will likely be, well, Chrysler-ish.

my brother works at the plant where the compass is made and he bought one, for what a huge discount is worth.

it's not a bad little car. awd, cvt, decent mileage.

not my first choice, but a japanese cvt should be ok.

fit and finish has improved quite a bit since launch.

http://www.canadiandriver.com/2010/01/08/buyers-guide-2010-jeep-compass.htm

cvt is currently limited in it's application, but will definitely start increasing.

at the same time manufacturers are working on 7 and 8 speed automatic transmissions as well.

personally, i think a lot of these 6 speeds are poorly calibrated and tend to intrude a bit too much.

I haven't done enough research other than renting and witnessing these on the road but what is the difference between a patriot, compass, liberty or cherokee? They are all the same size vehicle (within ten percent or so) and every one I've driven felt identical.

I must be missing something but it seems an obvious case of selling a number of suvs that cannibalize each others sales?

We replaced a Jeep Cherokee with the Patriot in 4WD, have had it over a year, great car and great milege, very happy with it.

I read a rumour that some genius at Chrysler had the idea of putting fake shift points in Automatic Mode, so it wouldn't feel as 'CVT-y' (it would behave a little more like a regular auto).

Oh, and btw Mercedes is developing a 9-speed auto.

Cherokee is a true SUV with good off road capability. Liberty is less so, more of a semi-tough crossover. Patriot and Compass are both cars with crossover looks that don't belong off the beaten path.

Not me personally, but a good friend of mine is about to have her second Patriot taken back under the lemon law because they cannot make the sunroof stop leaking (again). No problems other than that AFAIK, but they're basically brand new cars, so I wouldnt expect to much to have happened yet. I definately wouldn't buy one with a sunroof.

I've got 26K miles on my 08 Calibur, and it is a fine car. Not one issue, 27mpg on average, and OK power. My ex GF has the Patriot, same drivetrain as the Calibur, and over 30K miles on it with zero issues.

The CVT is a little odd, but once used to it you find it very easy to drive, and quite accurate in it's gearing. Power is not great, but not bad. It can tow my trailer with a 650 bike on it no problem.



For $16K it has been a great car, and I have an unlimited mileage lifetime powertrain warranty on it.

Jim

It's a popular unit for our local Transitos (transit cops). I've been pulled over by one.

Yes. The Patriot I rented with the idiotic CVT transmission may be the worst vehicle to drive I have ever experienced. Ever. That includes my 73 Vega. I couldn't even judge how the rest of the vehicle was because the engine/transmission combination was so horrible. My wife flat out refused to drive it.

In the half hour it took to drive from Jax airport to the beach my wife and I were ready to set fire to the little piece of crap. It was that annoying. Every time you leave from a stop the engine furiously revs out sounding like you have the gas pedal on the mat then the equally noisy transmission goes to work.

The whole experience was beyond nerve wracking in traffic. But at least it made me appreciate our battered old 97 Cherokee Sport. We flew down to Jax again last month and my wife's only concern was that we not rent another Patriot. The little Ford Fusion we got was like driving a Lexus compared to that Patriot.

Trail rated? Define trail. :huh

My mom has a Patriot. Decent little vehicle. Avoid the sunroof. Drives well. Excellent in the snow and ice. This is the AWD/ 4WD version by the way. Interior was design by an idiot. Tough to get comfortable in it. Hard plastic wherever you want to put your elbow or knee. Over bolstered seats for what the vehicle is. Not a lot of lower back support. If you're broad shouldered you're going to be screaming for relief after an hour. Rear seats are nice and roomy but no thought was put in for where to put your arms.

Nice vehicle for around town and short trips. Hell on wheels if its going to take more then an hour and a half to get to where you want to go. Not a nice vehicle if you are a large framed person.

I have a 2wd 09 Patriot with 12k on it now. So far the only problem we have had is a leaking sunroof, appears to have been corrected but will continue to monitor. We drove both the Patriot and Compass, the compass seemed to have more of a blind spot for the wife she is 4'10".

THE 2.4 with CVT is not a speed demon and does take some getting used to. It does have more engine breaking than any other automatic I have owned, it starts to noticeable slow as soon as you lift the foot off the accelerator.

Ken

I purchased my Jeep Patriot Sport (front wheel drive only) in 2007 when they first came out. I didn't get too many of the fancy frilly things... no GPS or upgraded stereo, no moon-roof, etc. Basic stereo has an mp3 player jack which I use 90% of the time. I did get the towing package and have the 2.4 liter 4-banger with CVT tranny.




I now have about 65,000 miles on it, and overall love it. I've taken it into some pretty sketchy areas... places a 2wd should not be going, and never had a problem. I HAVE heard that those with the moon-roofs have had bad leaking issue, so I'd stay away from those. The YES stain/stink resistant fabric seats are FANTASTIC. Decent amount of room. The back seats are a bit stiff feeling but are comfortable. Back seats AND the passenger seat fold down flat. For a mtn bike race in bad weather (see above photo) I tossed my full-size inflatable mattress in the back and slept in it comfortably, though I'm only 5'9".

THe CVT tranny does take some time to get used to it. By the nature of the CVT, it revvs higher initially with a gradual increase in speed. Those who complain are used to conventional auto-trans. However, I can easily chirp the tires from a stop even with the CVT. If you need to stomp on it for passing, it does have a "passing gear". Overall you just need to get used to driving it with the slight hesitation as momentum catches up with the rpms.

I routinely get 26-27mpg in town and 30 highway. However, heavy footing it and/or having anything on the roof (like my bikes) sees the highway mileage drop to 24mpg or so. Those that get the 4x4 and trail-rated options get much lower mileage.

My ONLY problem I've had, which began at about 24,000 miles was an intermittent but determined "check engine light" that the dealership had a hard time finding. My local dealership was fantastic and even though it took them up until about the 55,000 mile mark to find the issue, they did ALL of the work as if it were under warranty (which it wasn't... I purchased it 6 months before Jeep implemented the lifetime warranty, etc). They:
- Cleaned Throttle Body (a couple times)
- Replaced Camshaft and Crank position sensors
- Replaced CPU (main computer controls)
- Numerous software updates
- Finally, the Intake and Exhaust Solenoids (the fix!)

But we've put another 10K on the Pat since and the light hasn't come on once.

Fit and finish of the interior is my least favorite... seems too hard and cheap/plastic-y. The only other annoyance is that said cheap interior has developed a number of rattles, almost from day one. But I figure... it's a Jeep... who cares.

Stock rims on the sport are ugly as sin, and the tires ride a little rough... but I've never been uncomfortable on long trips. Still have the stock tires on it now and they're just now getting to the wear marks. Only the 2007 model had 4-wheel disc brakes. In 2008 they went back to drums in the rear.

We need to do the 60k mile checkup, and from what I've heard it is an expensive one because that is when they change the CVT tranny fluid and flush the tranny, etc. It can't be drained/refilled like a normal transmission. Think it's in the $800 range for the whole service.

I had a Calibur for a week as a rent car. Perhaps the loudest car I've ever driven on the highway. And anemic as far as get up and go, but was comfortable enough and would probably be fine as an around town car - expecially at the prices quoted in this thread.

Yes. They are absolutely horrible to drive. I hope you guys saying CVTs will take over are wrong -- god that thing was annoying as hell. If you don't mind owning a car that can't go 'round corners worth two shits, sounds like it's dying every time you try to accelerate, has horribly calibrated steering brakes and transmission characteristics, you will be fine...

My fiance has an '08 Compass. No problems so far, but she only has 10k miles on it. I've driven it a few times and it really does nothing wrong.

It's just so damned ugly. But then again, I drive a Honda Element so I may not be a good judge of that kinda thing.

If you are not looking for a cheap car to handle like a sports sedan, accelerate like a WRX, and ride like a Caddy, you will not be disappointed. For the price, there are few cars on the market that fit this nitch.

As for the people who say it is the worst car on earth, I suspect they have standards most would find a "bit high" for the price range.

Jim