Reader Review of the Week: 2011 Jeep Patriot

“ubgood” from Chicago just bought a new 2011 Jeep Patriot with some exterior/interior modifications, and the model just went on sale over the past few weeks. To see if the updates are good enough compared with a Chevrolet Equinox, continue reading below, then write your own review here.

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“When reviewing my 2011 Patriot, I factored in the price point. It is a couple thousand less than Chevy Equinox, which was the only other vehicle I considered.

“The performance is a little sluggish but is not a deal breaker for normal driving. If you have a heavy foot, this is not the car for you, but none of the other four-cylinder crossovers are, either. The trade-off is better-than-average fuel economy for its class.

“The ride and handling are good, with a tight turning radius. Mine came with heated seats, which work well. The seats are comfortable, and headroom is good. I read that Jeep greatly improved interior materials for 2011, and I like the interior. The Equinox had a nicer interior but at a price difference. A little thing the Patriot includes is a footrest for the driver to rest their left foot on. I can see where this will be nice on a long drive.

“The radio is nice and includes a hard drive that can hold 6,700 songs digitally, so you dont have to carry your CDs with you. You load them into the hard drive, and the actual CDs stay safe in the house. Of course, you still can play an actual CD if you want.

“The climate controls are simple to use. The heater is excellant and gives heat quickly. Have not used the A/C yet.

“One thing I miss from my old GM car was auto-on headlights, which my Patriot does not have. It took a couple of days to get used to turning the lights off and on manually. No big deal now. There is a chime if you try to exit the car with the lights on, and and even if you still forget, the lights will turn off after a few minutes.”