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MSRP: 
COMFORT AND QUALITY | 6 out of 10
Expert Quotes:
Ample headroom
ConsumerGuide
The front seats are well cushioned
Edmunds
Bright spots include comfortable seats
Kelley Blue Book
The Jeep Patriot provides comfortable seating, but falls short in cargo capacity, as well as fit and finish.
There's an abundance of hard plastic, but it fits the Jeep Patriot's very purposeful design and it looks like it would clean up well. Seating is well designed; front seats aren't that supportive, but due to the boxy design, there's plenty of headroom in front, plus even more head- and legroom in back for adults. Just two adults will fit comfortably in the 2008 Jeep Patriot, due to the narrower body and lack of shoulder room. According to Cars.com, "Two rows of seats [that] provide room for five occupants" are offered. ConsumerGuide observes the "Highmounted seats contribute to generous legroom," while Edmunds remarks, "those of taller stature will appreciate this SUV's voluminous headroom."
Although it has the style and proportions of larger Jeeps, the 2008 Jeep Patriot can't compare to bigger sport utilities in cargo capacity. Edmunds refers to its cargo capacity as "subpar." With its folding rear seat and folding passenger seat, the Jeep Patriot does provide cargo space at the temporary expense of passenger room. As Cars.com points out, "With the front passenger seat and rear seats folded...the Patriot can hold an 8-foot ladder."
Two areas where the 2008 Jeep Patriot falls short are the quality of materials and the assembly of the interior. Although ConsumerGuide lauds the vehicle for its easily cleaned surfaces "appropriate to Patriot's rugged pretense," they complain that "Hard, unyielding plastic dominates the décor." This sentiment is mirrored by many reviewers, TheCarConnection.com included. Edmunds takes it even further and says that the 2008 Jeep Patriot "suffers from low-grade materials" and even with optional upgrades to the interior is "ultimately defined by a sea of hard, low-quality plastic and inconsistent fit and finish." As Kelley Blue Book states, "it's among the least interesting interiors in the category."
There are some noise complaints for the Jeep Patriot that mostly center on the CVT. Edmunds remarks, "When equipped with the CVT...the lack of fixed ratios keeps the revs on a noisy boil," and Motor Trend says that with the CVT, the powerplant "sounds like a blender under heavy acceleration, especially when bouncing around an off-road course." ConsumerGuide doesn't limit the noise comment to the Jeep Patriot's CVT, noting that in their tests, "engine noise is always present and is especially intrusive during acceleration."
Conclusion
The 2008 Jeep Patriot has comfortable seating and space for passengers, but its cheap interior could use more cargo room.
Comments (1 total)
Great small SUV
By Ronald Beasley | Posted: Jul 13th 2008, 12:10:19 PM
I test drove a HYUNDAI SANTA FE, CHEVY EQUINOX, FORD ESCAPE, TOYOTA 4RUNNER AND FJ, MERCURY MARINER, MAZDA TRIBUTE and Chevy HHR. Jeep Patriot was easy to drive and the seats are comfortable. It is also fun to drive, Of all I test drove the Jeep Patriot was the best of the bunch and at good price. Don’t forget the great gas mileage, I average combo driving of 28 MPG. It is no Jeep Commander or Ford Explorer but for a small SUV it is great and better than most other small SUVs.
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