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2011 Jeep Patriot West Palm Beach

See Our New 2011 Jeep Patriot Inventory in West Palm Beach, Florida

Handling of the 2011 Jeep Patriot

The suspension works well in all conditions. We gave it a good test over a 20-mile stretch of dirt road: Hard-packed, potholed, a layer of loose dust, lots of uphill and downhill curves. The Patriot was stable and confident. We drove fast, and used the brakes hard; the ABS frequently activated on the slippery dust with the all-season (not all-terrain) tires. We aimed for some of the potholes, including a 50-foot-long row of little ones. The independent suspension eagerly ate them up. Along came a washboard surface, and the Patriot stayed true. We hit an elevated cattle crossing at 30 miles per hour and tensed for an impact that never came. The Patriot did a great job in these conditions.

On paved country roads the Patriot feels light and nimble. The ride is steady over rough asphalt patches. The body feels well isolated and you can hit a bump with one wheel without your head being tossed.

2011 Jeep Patriot Design

The Jeep Patriot comes with a choice of engines. The larger 2.4-liter engine works best. It has good power, with 172 horsepower and 165 pound-feet of torque, and is responsive where it needs to be. You can be going uphill at 75 miles per hour, and it will still accelerate. The 5-speed manual gearbox is a joy to use, even with its long throws. The lever comes out of the center stack above the driver's right knee, an improvement over being on the floor near the right thigh. The 5-speed makes the Patriot feel like a Jeep. Properly used, it brings out the potential of the engine.

The Jeep Patriot is unmistakably from the Jeep garage, with its squared-off lines, seven-slot grille, and round headlights. The Patriot and its sibling, the Jeep Compass, are based on a car platform, but still deliver moderate off-road ability.

For 2011, Jeep Patriot has been significantly updated. The 2011 Patriot features fresh styling, upgraded suspension and steering, new interior materials, and a revised model lineup. The updates make the 2011 Jeep Patriot a noteworthy improvement over the 2010 model.

The four-door Patriot has plenty of room inside. There's adult-size headroom and legroom for rear-seat passengers. The 60/40-split rear seat folds flat, and a flat-folding front passenger seat is optional; with all the seats flat, you can slide an eight-foot kayak inside, for example.

Interior of the 2011 Jeep Patriot

A high seating position gives the Jeep Patriot driver a commanding view of the trail. The Patriot Sport's front seats have manual adjustment and come with cloth upholstery; the Latitude has heated cloth seats which we prefer for four seasons. The Latitude X gets leather upholstery which previously seemed to overdress the Patriot; it fits better in the revised 2011 interior but we're still adapting to Jeep and leather in the same sentence.

Interior materials have been revamped for 2011. Soft-touch panels line the top of the doors, the pockets have cleaner edges, the three-spoke steering wheel shared with the Wrangler has cruise and audio controls on it and the console is improved.

The cabin layout is functional and roomy. The dark dashboard and instrument layout is simple, and the gauges are a tidy white on black with glowing orange needles. The climate and sound system controls are easy to understand and operate. Jeep says the available UConnect Tunes system can hold up to 6700 songs, which can be ripped from a CD or USB memory stick. We thought the doors sounded kind of tinny when they were closed.

2011 Jeep Patriot Lineup

The 2011 Jeep Patriot comes with front-wheel drive or all-wheel drive and a choice of engines with manual and automatic transmissions.

Patriot Sport comes with cloth upholstery, carpeting, fog lamps, tinted glass, reclining front seats, 60/40-split folding rear seat, cruise control, smart-key engine immobilizer, and an AM/FM/CD/MP3/WMA four-speaker stereo. All-wheel drive versions also have the 2.4-liter engine and rear disc brakes. Options include front side airbags, 17-inch aluminum wheels, air conditioning, media center radio, and the Power Value package with remote keyless entry, power windows/door locks/heated mirrors. An all-weather group adds tow hooks, block heater, floor mats, daytime running lights, aluminum wheels and P215/65R17 tires.

Patriot Latitude X gets the big engine and rear disc brakes, chrome trim, climate control, leather upholstery, power driver's seat, Sirius radio and a 6CD/DVD audio system. Options include upgrades to radio with Garmin navigation, Boston-Acoustics speakers, plus the Sun & Sound, Security & Convenience, and tow packages.

Conclusion

The Jeep Patriot offers off-highway capability in a compact SUV with a capable four-cylinder engine that gets decent fuel economy. The suspension is stable and comfortable, and cargo capacity is useful because all the passenger seats can easily fold flat. The interior updates for 2011 have improved the cabin greatly.