2016 Jeep Patriot vs. Its Competition

Bengt Halvorson Senior Editor

The boxy Jeep Patriot ends up being positioned between small, quirky tall crossover-hatchbacks like the Kia Soul, Nissan Juke, or new Honda HR-V and larger compact crossovers like the Subaru Forester.

Its most direct rival though is probably the Jeep Renegade, a model that surprisingly doesn't replace the Patriot but ends up feeling nearly as spacious with a smaller overall footprint.

Part of the Renegade's advantage is in its better seating position and its far better interior appointments.

The Subaru XV Crosstrek is an interesting counterpoint to the Patriot; it's essentially a Subaru Impreza hatchback, given more ground clearance and toughness.

The Crosstrek handles better than the Patriot, but it doesn't allow the back-seat space advantages of the Patriot's boxy body.

The Subaru Forester is a size larger, and it's made great gains in refinement and interior space in its current generation.

The Mitsubishi Outlander Sport is a somewhat softer, more carlike take on the tall-hatchback idea, although it still uses a CVT and suffers from the same noise and refinement issues as the Patriot.

The Honda HR-V might be one of the best alternatives.

While it strikes out on back-seat usability, it offers good cargo space and a great ride, paired with a higher seating point and just a little more ruggedness than a normal car.

And that's all most shoppers likely want.