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Jeep Patriot 2.0 CRD Limited manual Road Test Report

2.0 CRD Limited manual

The Jeep Patriot was launched in the Summer of 2007, at the same time as the similar Jeep Compass. Both models come with the same choice of engines, although the more rugged-looking Patriot costs a £2k less and apparently appeals more to men, while the softer Compass is aimed more at women. I should like the Patriot, then…

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Performance

Although only a two litre, the Patriot isn’t a huge car and its CRD engine makes a useful 138bhp. Net result is that it makes light work of motorways and cruises along effortlessly in top (6th) gear. If you find yourself in a sudden rush while headed uphill then you’ll need to change down a gear or two, but for most of the time a thumping 229lb/ft of torque makes the going pretty easy. Also impressive is how smooth and quiet this turbodiesel is – a far cry from diesels of old. Claimed performance figures are 0-62mph in 11 secs and 117mph flat-out.

Ride & Handling

Looking at the Patriot’s chunky, unmistakeably Jeep styling, you might expect a harsh ride with stiff suspension that’s tuned more for off-roading in Arizona, but not a bit of it. The Patriot is a genuine 4x4 and can venture off-road, but on road it rides surprisingly smoothly, effortlessly soaking up both the ripples on the motorway and the speed bumps and potholes in town. It handles and steers more like a family saloon than a 4x4 too, with accurate steering and minimal body-roll in corners.

Build Quality & Reliability

This bit’s always difficult to judge when you’ve only driven an immaculately prepared, brand new press test car, but nothing on the Patriot broke, squeaked, rattled, came loose or corroded while it was in my care. Additionally, the paint was lustrous and everything felt well put together. Only small criticism concerns the dash, floor console and front armrests plastic, which is hard, unyielding and cheap looking. I’m not saying that it’s likely to break, it just doesn’t look too terrific.

Safety & Security

As you would expect, the Patriot has ABS, but it also has Off-road ABS. With this, wheel sensors detect when you’re off-road and the anti-lock braking is tailored for improved braking on loose surfaces where normal ABS can actually hamper braking. There’s ESP too, which consists of Hydraulic Brake Assist, Traction Control and Electronic Roll Mitigation, as well as sophisticated brake-lock differentials. Inside there are two, multi-stage front airbags and side curtain airbags, while security features include keyless entry, an alarm and immobiliser, speed sensitive door locking and a locking fuel cap.

Space & Practicality

There’s certainly no shortage of pockets, cup holders and assorted oddments stowage bins in the Patriot. If you’re not careful, you could forget where you’ve put your front door keys. Another useful feature is the front passenger seat-back which conveniently folds flat to accommodate long loads, eg. an 8ft ladder, or provide a flat table area for the driver when parked, and another neat little touch is an LED torch that clips into the headliner above the rear loadspace, Due to a high floor (with a full-sized spare wheel underneath), the loadspace itself isn’t huge; 436 litres minimum, extending to 1,277 litres with the split/fold seatbacks folded flat.

Ownership & Value

We already established that the 2.0 CRD is a sweet engine, and it’s not thirsty either. After one trip I was surprised to see that the fuel gauge needle had barely moved, and with a combined figure of 42.2mpg and an impressive 51.4mpg on the extra urban cycle, that’s not surprising. Group 11 insurance and 180g/km of CO2 are also both pretty reasonable. The thinking behind the Patriot is that it should be affordable enough to tempt new buyers into a Jeep for the first time. Based on my experience, and the number of Patriots I’ve seen out and about, I reckon Jeep is very much on the right track.

Submitted: 10/10/2008 10:08:12

4x4s

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