2010 Jeep Patriot review

I get why people love their Jeeps: They're rough and tumble and go anywhere from a weekend at the beach to an extreme off-roading adventure. However, the 2010 Jeep Patriot feels cheap, sluggish and plastic-y, making it seem more like a toy Jeep than a real one (and not even a cute one like the miniature electric pink Barbie Jeep the neighbor girls have).

Upon starting the Patriot for the first time, I realized pretty quickly that this wasn't a toy electric Jeep. The rumbling engine actually made me wonder for a moment if my test Patriot had a diesel engine. Nope, no diesel, just a really loud cabin.

I was not only underwhelmed with the Patriot but actually annoyed by the continuously variable automatic transmission in it, which was part of the Freedom Drive II Off-Road Package. It felt slow to get up and running from a stop, and if I tried to coax it to go any faster it would rev loudly as if to say, "The kids'll get to school when I'm damn well ready to get them there." Sheesh! On top of stressing about getting the kids out the door on time, I hated having my car bark at me every morning.

See also:

EVIC Main Menu
To step to each main menu feature press and release the MENU button once for each step. A step from the last item in the list will cause the first item in the feature list to be displayed. The f ...

Using This Feature
By using iPod cable or external USB device to connect to USB port: • The audio device can be played on the vehicle’s sound system, providing metadata (artist, track title, album, etc.) info ...

Pinch Protect Override
If a known obstruction (ice, debris, etc.) prevents closing the sunroof, press the switch forward and hold for two seconds after the reversal occurs. This allows the sunroof to move toward the c ...