PREVIEW
The 2014 Jeep Patriot is on a simple mission:
It provides the iconic, rugged look of a traditional Jeep along with decent
off-roading ability. Jeep has also
aggressively priced the Patriot so that it's one of the least expensive
crossover SUVs on the market. That's an appealing combination, but the devil is
in the details.
It's true that
the Patriot, at least in its base Sport trim level, has a lower as-new price
than any other crossover SUV. But that Sport trim goes without a lot of
desirable standard features, such as air-conditioning, power locks and power
windows. When adding features like those back in, the Patriot's price becomes
similar to those of a much more desirable group of competitors.
In terms of
off-road capability, you aren't getting much bang for your buck with the 2014
Jeep Patriot, either. It's really only capable when it's been fitted with
extra-cost features that enhance its ability to climb over obstacles. If you
never go off-road, you might not care, but the Patriot also has some
significant issues that detract from its desirability in daily use. Cargo
capacity is the biggie, as the Patriot offers just 53.5 cubic feet with its
rear seats folded, and that's a very small number for this class. Interior
materials quality is nothing to write home about, either.
We've also
griped about the Patriot's acceleration in past years, and Jeep has addressed
this issue for 2014: Most Jeep Patriots can now be equipped with a new
six-speed automatic transmission. It's certainly an upgrade over the previous
continuously variable transmission (CVT), which is still used on Patriots
equipped with certain option packages, but it isn't exactly a giant leap
forward. Acceleration is better on Patriots with the six-speed automatic, but
this Jeep still feels slow compared with rivals. Along with that comes a noisy
cabin environment (mainly due to engine drone and tire noise) and a relatively
unrefined ride for this class.
If you're shopping for a small crossover SUV,
the 2014 Ford Escape and 2014 Kia Sportage are worth considering as alternatives to the 2014 Jeep
Patriot. Both have roomier interiors with high-quality materials, along with
better all-around performance. If light off-road ability is on your priority
list, we'd recommend the 2014 Subaru XV Crosstrek or the 2014 Jeep Cherokee, although
they are more expensive. If the Patriot's low price is the main draw for you,
the 2014 Nissan Rogue Select (the renamed old-generation version of the Rogue) doesn't
cost much more and it's a much better overall package. In the end, the Patriot
succeeds at providing basic transportation, but most buyers will find more
value in rival crossovers.
FEATURES
The 2014 Jeep
Patriot is a compact crossover SUV that seats five people. It is available in
Sport, Latitude and Limited trim levels.
The base Sport
level is sparsely equipped with standard 16-inch steel wheels, roof rails,
foglights, cruise control, cloth upholstery, a tilt-only steering wheel, a
60/40-split-folding rear seat and a four-speaker sound system with a CD player
and an auxiliary audio jack. The optional Power Value Group adds full power
accessories, heated mirrors, keyless entry and additional body-color exterior
pieces. The Altitude Edition package adds 17-inch alloy wheels, a body-color
rear bumper and roof rails. Air-conditioning and 17-inch wheels are also
available as stand-alone options for the Sport.
The Latitude
gets the above features as standard, plus a leather-wrapped steering wheel, a
height-adjustable driver seat, heated front seats, a fold-flat front passenger
seat and steering-wheel audio controls. For the Latitude, the available High
Altitude Edition package adds leather upholstery, a six-way power driver seat
(plus manual lumbar adjustment) and a sunroof.
The Limited
includes the High Altitude's equipment (minus the sunroof) and adds automatic
climate control, rear disc brakes (versus rear drum brakes), upgraded exterior
trim and a six-CD changer and a trip computer.
The Latitude
and Limited are eligible for several option packages. The Sun and Sound Group
adds a sunroof and a nine-speaker Boston Acoustics sound system (with two
drop-down liftgate speakers) and satellite radio. The Security and Cargo
Convenience Group adds adjustable roof rail crossbars, remote ignition, a tire
pressure monitor display, a cargo cover, Bluetooth, a USB audio jack and an
auto-dimming rearview mirror. A 6.5-inch touchscreen audio interface that
includes digital music storage is also available, and on Limited models, it can
be equipped with a navigation system as well.
All-wheel-drive
models, regardless of trim, can be equipped with the Freedom-Drive II Off-Road
Group. This includes an enhanced four-wheel-drive system, all-terrain tires, a
full-size spare tire, hill descent control, tow hooks, skid plates and, on the
Sport, a height-adjustable driver seat.
INTERIOR
At first
glance, the Jeep Patriot's interior looks nice enough, if a little utilitarian.
On closer examination, however, the quality is disappointing due to extensive
use of cheap, hard plastics. The base Sport's lack of standard power
accessories and air-conditioning makes it feel especially bare-bones. On the
other hand, the front seats are pretty comfortable, with soft, grippy seat
cloth in the Latitude and adequate support on longer drives. The rear seats
recline, but legroom is tight in the Patriot's backseat.
Large,
easy-to-read gauges and user-friendly controls are at least in keeping with
Jeep's off-road heritage, though the available touchscreen electronics
interface is antiquated, as it lags behind competitors' systems in both ease of
use and smartphone-integration features. There are a couple of clever features
such as the cargo area lamp that pops out to become a rechargeable LED flashlight
and the optional Boston Acoustics speakers that flip down from the raised
liftgate to provide tunes for your next tailgate party.
You'd better
not plan to bring a lot to that party, though. With just 23 cubic feet of space
behind the 60/40-split rear seats and 53.5 cubic feet with both sections folded
down, there's less cargo capacity than in most other small crossover SUVs. The
Escape offers 68.1 cubic feet of capacity, while the Honda CR-V has more than
70 cubic feet of cargo volume.
UNDER THE HOOD
When equipped
with front-wheel drive, the 2014 Jeep Patriot Sport and Latitude come standard
with a 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine that produces 158 horsepower and 141
pound-feet of torque. Three transmissions are offered. A five-speed manual is
standard while a CVT and a six-speed automatic are optional. The optional
Altitude and High Altitude packages require that you select the available CVT.
The EPA's
estimated fuel economy with front-wheel drive and the six-speed automatic is 24
mpg combined (21 city/28 highway), which is disappointing given the 2.0-liter
engine's lack of power. The CVT is nearly the same with an EPA-estimated 24 mpg
combined (22/27) but the manual version does slightly better with a rating of
26 mpg combined (23/30).
Optional on
the front-drive Sport and Latitude is a 2.4-liter four-cylinder that produces
172 hp and 165 lb-ft of torque. This engine is standard on all-wheel-drive
models (which Jeep calls four-wheel drive) and all Patriot Limited
models. As with the smaller engine, you can choose between the five-speed
manual, a six-speed automatic and a CVT. The optional Freedom-Drive II Group
provides a more serious four-wheel-drive system with low-range gearing and hill
descent control; It also requires you to select the CVT.
EPA-estimated
fuel economy with the 2.4-liter engine, front-wheel drive and the automatic is
24 mpg combined (21 city/28 highway). With the five-speed manual it's an
estimated 25 mpg combined (23/28). When you add AWD to the equation, the
Patriot is rated at 23 combined (21/27) with the six-speed automatic, 25 mpg
combined (23/28) with the manual and a rather dismal 21 combined (20/23) with
the CVT.
In Autoexpress performance testing, an AWD Jeep Patriot with the six-speed automatic
transmission went from zero to 60 mph in 9.4 seconds, average for the class.
However, a Patriot with the Freedom-Drive II 4WD system and the CVT needed a
lengthy 10.3 seconds to reach 60 mph, a very slow time for a small crossover
SUV.
Read Full Review
