2011 Jeep Patriot Sport - Full of Surprises

The 2011 Jeep Patriot Sport (4x2) was a blast to drive and had a surprising amount of power for being only a 4 cylinder. In fact, it seemed to have better pick up when accelerating on to the highway than the 6 cylinder Rubicon, or Explorer for that matter.

Acceleration is not the only surprise this little Jeep had in store. The interior was extremely roomy Four good size adults fit comfortably and there was still room for cargo. Further, if you flip down the back seats the cargo area nearly triples to a whopping 54 cubic feet. The surprise: the vehicle did not look that big from the outside. The Patriot appeared to be a small SUV or perhaps "a station wagon with ground clearance".

Inside and under the hood, the Patriot had the heart and soul of a Jeep.

Jeeps are known for being rugged and heavy duty. The Patriot was no exception it boasts a strong cage style frame structure, with crumple zones designed to absorb energy front and back. There are also crossbeams in all four of the side doors to protect the passengers in case of a side collision. This combined with the Electronic Stability Control, which includes traction control at any speed, electronic roll control that applies strategic braking when wheel lift is detected and quicker braking, make the Patriot one surprisingly safe and rugged vehicle.

The optional 4 cylinder 2.4L engine sits transversely and provides exceptional power to the front wheels. Surprise, the Patriot is front wheel drive. Although a trail rated four wheel drive is available. But, unless you are doing extensive off-roading the 4x2 should suffice.

All Patriots come standard with a 2.0L 4 cylinder and a 5 speed manual transmission. But the optional automatic has a surprising feature: it can be shifted manually with the "auto-stick" option.

The gauge package was clean and analog, so the driver could pay attention to the road, as opposed to what the car was trying to tell him. The radio sounded nice and there was plenty of room to put the things people always carry in their car. The center console slid back and forth for more room and there was a surprisingly deep compartment built in.

The back seat passengers were treated to plenty of leg room and cup holders that were easy to get to. Air conditioning and sound from the radio made the back seat a nice place to be.

One would not expect a base model Jeep to be reasonably priced, but it starts at around $16,000. The optional 17 inch rims, 2.4L engine, and the auto-stick transmission would cost you $21,232. A serious shopper could build a very nice Patriot for under $20,000 at Jeep.com.

All in all, this is a great little SUV and the perfect vehicle for a small family.