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2012 Jeep Patriot

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Overview

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2012 Jeep Patriot Review

By KBB.com Editors

KBB Expert Rating: 5.1

Porsche 911 enthusiasts have their Cayenne to bear/loathe/ignore (pick one or all); Jeep loyalists have their Patriot and Compass. No one, of course, suggested love of your off-road brand would be easy. Jeep's Patriot is the perfectly appropriate corporate response to a market (quickly) realizing that while gnarly SUVs might look the business, few in the consuming public are actually doing the business. In short, the public wants the "outdoorsy" look, but is rarely venturing off-road. For those users, car-based SUVs such as the 2012 Jeep Patriot are perfect, while for the Jeep loyalist this Patriot would more appropriately be labeled "Traitor."

You'll Like This Car If...

If all-season driving means you need power to each and every wheel, the Jeep Patriot with 4WD is a viable contender in the category. With enhancements to the drivetrain in 2011, Jeep's Patriot has received the "Trail Rated" designation. Those living in Utah, however, should note that Trail Rated is not the same as "Boulder Rated." Avoid large, round objects at all costs.

You May Not Like This Car If...

If your ideal Jeep provides both off-road capability and long-lived durability, buy a Wrangler. Based on Chrysler's Caliber platform, the Patriot is far closer to its econobox roots than anything emanating from Jeep's main plant in Toledo.

KBB Expert Ratings

Overall Rating

5.1
Driving Dynamics

4.8
Comfort & Convenience

5.8
Design: Interior & Exterior

4.6
Value

5.8
Safety

7.9

How It Ranks

#3

out of 3

MPG

#3

out of 3

Horsepower

View all rankings

Consumer Rating

8.3 out of 10

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consumer ratings

What's New for 2012

Aggressively freshened in 2011, the 2012 Jeep Patriot offers four new exterior colors, along with calibration improvements to the CVT (Continuously Variable Transmission). The retuned CVT improves launch acceleration and pedal responsiveness, while reducing engine noise.

Driving the Patriot

2012 Jeep Patriot Front angle view photo

Driving Impressions The rework of the Patriot and its platform sibling, the Compass, in 2011 was significant. It wasn't, however, a clean-sheet approach, and at this point in the competitive segment a...

clean-sheet approach is what's needed. We're told one is coming, but in the interim anticipate the Patriot to provide benign handling on pavement, along with credible capability – with Freedom Drive II – off-road. Jeep loyalists won't understand four cylinders mounted transversely, nor the buzzy CVT transmission. But this one isn't for them; it's for those more timid souls wanting to be like them.

Favorite Features

Freedom Drive I (On-Road Package)
For those venturing no farther off-road than a McDonald's drive-through, but confronting seasonal climate issues (at least) seasonally, Freedom Drive I provides a full-time, active 4WD system designed to give drivers year-round assurance in virtually all types of weather. You won't, to be sure, tackle the Rubicon with Freedom Drive I, but you could tow your ATVs to its trailhead.

Freedom Drive II Off-Road Package
For those preferring the road less traveled – or no road at all – Jeep offers the optional Freedom Drive II Off-Road Package. The package is comprehensive, and includes a second-gen CVT transaxle with low range, a 19:1 crawl ratio, 17-inch all-terrain tires mounted on alloy wheels, a full-size spare and an abundance of skid plates, tow hooks and foglights.

2012 Jeep Patriot Details

2012 Jeep Patriot Dashboard, center console, gear shifter view photo

Interior

Having benefited from much-needed interior upgrades in 2011, the 2012 Patriot soldiers on with those enhancements, along with a veritable cornucopia of available technology. Some of what Jeep terms "cool" available features include a Uconnect media center with iPod interface, SiriusXM satellite radio, navigation with Sirius Travel Link and a premium audio system with nine Boston Acoustic speakers. Very cool.

Exterior

Given what they had (the aforementioned Caliber) to work with, Jeep's design team did an admirable job of combining traditional Jeep proportions with a front-wheel-drive architecture. And unlike so many of today's crossover/car-based SUVs that attempt to imitate a 4-door GT, the Patriot's upright architecture provides reasonable visibility in combination with an unabashed "spunk" factor.

Notable Equipment

Standard Equipment

Despite its very affordable starting point of under $17,000, Jeep's 2012 Patriot Sport is well equipped. Standard features include electronic stability control, electronic roll mitigation, Hill-Start Assist, ABS, audio jack, fold-flat rear seats, deep tint glass and roof side rails. Standard power is a 2.0-liter four connected to a 5-speed manual transmission.

Optional Equipment

You want options? Jeep's marketing team has supplied them, most of which are obtained via bumps in trim level or package selection. The move from Sport to Latitude provides the buyer with A/C, power windows and door locks, 17-inch aluminum wheels, remote start, front heated cloth seats, body-color exterior door handles and leather-wrapped steering wheel with audio and speed controls. Opt for the upscale Limited and you'll enjoy the larger 2.4-liter four, leather seating, 4-wheel disc brakes with ABS, and Jeep's Electronic Vehicle Information Center (EVIC).

Under the Hood

Within its three trim levels reside two engine choices (2.0- and 2.4-liter fours) and three transmissions (5-speed manual and two CVT automatics). The 2.0 liter is standard on 2WD Sport and 2WD Latitude, while the 2.4 liter is fitted to 4WD Sport, 4WD Latitude and both 4x2 and 4x4 Limited. Those Patriots with the Freedom Drive II Off-Road package are equipped with the CVT2L transmission, which incorporates a low range for aggressive off-roading.

2.0-liter in-line 4
158 horsepower @ 6,400 rpm
141 lb-ft of torque @ 5,000 rpm
EPA city/highway fuel economy: 23/27 (2WD CVT2), 23/29 (2WD 5-speed manual)

2.4-liter in-line 4
172 horsepower @ 6,000 rpm
165 lb-ft of torque @ 4,400 rpm
EPA city/highway fuel economy: 23/28 (2WD 5-speed manual), 21/27 (2WD CVT2), 22/28 (4WD 5-speed manual), 21/26 (4WD CVT2), 20/23 (4WD CVT2L Off-Road package)

Pricing Notes

To the Jeep team's credit, you'll be hard pressed to spend more than $25,000 on your 2012 Jeep Patriot. Given, however, its econobox roots, you'd be hard pressed to justify anything beyond $20K. We built a mid-level Latitude with Jeep's Trail Rated capability. With a base of just over $22K we added the Freedom Drive II off-road package, which necessitates opting for the CVT2L with its own off-road capability – essentially an electronically controlled low range. The result was a window sticker – with transportation – of under $25,000, along with incentives appropriate to a car in the last phase of its production cycle. To make your best deal, be sure to check our Fair Purchase Price, which reflects real-world transaction prices being paid in your area. And when making your investment, prepare for rapid depreciation, although not as severe as its Compass stablemate, but well below that of Subaru's Forester.

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2012 Jeep Patriot Consumer Reviews

Overall Rating

8.3

Out of 10

Based on 343 Ratings for the 2007 - 2014 models.

Review this car

Value

8.8/10

Quality

8.5/10
Reliability

8.9/10

Performance

8.3/10
Comfort

8.6/10

Styling

8.7/10

The drive is amazing!

By jremt on Wednesday, July 31, 2013

I own this car - My approximate mileage is 103,037

10 9.0

overall rating 9 of 10rating details

Reviewer Ratings

Overall Rating: 9/10
Value: 8/10
Reliability: 10/10
Quality: 10/10
Performance: 8/10
Styling: 8/10
Comfort: 10/10

Likely to recommend this car? (1-10): 9

"I was accually looking for a different car when the car salesmen showed me the the Patriot. I didnt think I was going to like it, but I gave it a chance and I love it! It drive so smooth on and off roads."

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ho-hum vehicle. no real stand out in anything.

By matt on Sunday, July 28, 2013

I own this car - My approximate mileage is 12,000

10 5.0

overall rating 5 of 10rating details

Reviewer Ratings

Overall Rating: 5/10
Value: 5/10
Reliability: 5/10
Quality: 4/10
Performance: 3/10
Styling: 3/10
Comfort: 3/10

Likely to recommend this car? (1-10): 3

"usually get 26 mpg, but as high as 30mpg 80% hwy/20% city. the bad: not a fast car, not trail rated despite claims, somewhat tippy on curves, no low end torque at all, 5 speed is bad notchy and reverse gear is a bear to find, a/c always starts in floor mode despite settings, ongoing issues with seals make humidity in the interior a real problem, seating seems to be mashing flat after just 6 months use, roof structure is "tinny", manufacturer's warranty aren't worth the paper they are written on, no seat height adjustment on sport model and the dealer will not install for legal reasons, oil life monitoring doesn't work as it should cheap tires even w/ premium wheels, basic A/C is a $1000 option but foglamps are standard, negotiate your best deal before buying b/c it's value will sink like a stone. the good: can be had cheap, spiritual ancestor to those who like the 90's cherokee, upgraded interior after '10 models, the only US-made car-based SUV w/ manual trans and 4WD and one of two cars (2nd is MINI countryman $26K) available for the US, not as butt-ugly as the Compass, newer models have black plastic accents."

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Great Car

By Gabriel (FL) on Friday, July 26, 2013

I own this car - My approximate mileage is 72,000

10 8.0

overall rating 8 of 10rating details

Reviewer Ratings

Overall Rating: 8/10
Value: 10/10
Reliability: 10/10
Quality: 8/10
Performance: 7/10
Styling: 8/10
Comfort: 9/10

Pros: "small yet comfortable, good ride. you feel safe in"

Cons: "small gas tank, slow acceleration"

Likely to recommend this car? (1-10): 10

"Jeep really nailed it with the Patriot. A small SUV with a sedan feel but yet reliable in rough conditions like you will expect a JEEP. I love my Patriot, I've owned one since they came out in 2007 and I plan on keeping it forever. I moved from PR and brought it with me!"

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Great value for the price of car

By dc & ly (AZ) on Sunday, July 14, 2013

I own this car - My approximate mileage is 1,000

10 9.0

overall rating 9 of 10rating details

Reviewer Ratings

Overall Rating: 9/10
Value: 10/10
Reliability: 9/10
Quality: 9/10
Performance: 9/10
Styling: 9/10
Comfort: 9/10

Likely to recommend this car? (1-10): 9

"We bought our 2014 Jeep Patriot the end of June and we love the car. We drove 6 or 7 new vehicles at the Jeep/Chrysler dealership and we fell in love with the Patriot; it gets great gas mileage 32mpg so far city/hwy combined, it handles like the old wagoneers of the past and is very comfortable and roomy inside and is fun to drive. The 2.0L engine with the 6 speed automatic has plenty of power to climb the mountains around us in AZ and cruizes down freeway with ease. We got the Winter Chill color and dark charcoal interior. We have no regrets of buying this car, extremely happy with it. If you haven't driven one and you like the simplicity of Jeep then I recommend it to you."

2 people out of 2 found this review helpful

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too many blind spots

By donald snavely (VA) on Sunday, July 14, 2013

I own this car - My approximate mileage is 98,000

10 1.0

overall rating 1 of 10rating details

Reviewer Ratings

Overall Rating: 1/10
Value: 4/10
Reliability: 6/10
Quality: 4/10
Performance: 1/10
Styling: Not Rated
Comfort: Not Rated

Pros: "found out i gave to much for it, it was just aride"

Cons: "no ash tray"

Likely to recommend this car? (1-10): 1

"way windshield is in, causes too many blind spots, hard to see to right sharp curves at night, also to the left, headreast on back seats is hard to see out the rear, seats sats to low, cannot rest arm on door with window open,due to blind spot on left of windshield, caused me to hit a light post concrete bottom, and i hope the insurance will total it out, and NO i will not buy another patriot!!!!!!!"

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Can't wait to trade this in...

By JustMeBrandyD on Saturday, July 06, 2013

I own this car - My approximate mileage is 9,111

10 5.0

overall rating 5 of 10rating details

Reviewer Ratings

Overall Rating: 5/10
Value: 6/10
Reliability: 5/10
Quality: 5/10
Performance: 5/10
Styling: 6/10
Comfort: 6/10

Pros: "Inexpensive SUV w/ 4WD"

Cons: "Engine hesitation. Chrysler cut corners."

Likely to recommend this car? (1-10): 1

"We purchased our Patriot on Independence Day last year (7/4/2012).. We had an issue with water leaking info the rear cargo area for 11 of the 12 months that we've owned it. Corporate just repaired/ corrected the water issue last month, on the fifth attempt to correct/ fix the problem. (Corporate was also not a pleasant experience for the record. The mid-Atlantic CSR who contacted my husband and I with regard o the repairs was rude and degrading on the phone. He did not care about the potential health problems that I was experiencing as a result of a vehicle that had been leaking for several month (asthma & allergy concerns with a mold/ mildew trigger). And at one point during the conversation even said,"I wouldn't buy your car back if you we're my sister." Fortunately, the service manager that we dealt with after that point was much more pleasant to deal with.) Approximately 5 months after purchase (3,000 miles), the vehicle stalled at a stop sign in the neighborhood (stop #2). It was taken in for service, and after a 3 hour diagnostic I was sent on my way without a resolution or diagnosis. The dealer just told me to let it warm up for longer. Six months later we received a recall notice for the fuel line connecter, which will cause your car to stall unexpectedly if you have less than a half of tank of gas, possibly causing an accident. Wait it gets better, Chrysler would love to fix this problem, but (surprise surprise) the part to correct this dangerous situation hasn't been manufactured yet, and they don't know when it will be available. (It's been more than a month and its still not fixed.) Yesterday, we received yet another recall notice with regard to seatbelt auto-locking mechanism as well as airbag deployment (i.e., they won't function when you need them to). In short, I've always wanted a Jeep and was really excited when I finally owned one. Now a year later, I can't wait until the nightmare is over."

3 people out of 4 found this review helpful

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