Patriot....A suitable XJ replacement?

[RyanM]

I just checked the Jeep site. The thing is just a front wheel drive car!

it comes 4x4 tard

 

[mavinwy]

A friend got one for a on road/commuter/dirt trails driver. It seems to work fine. The CVT and low range seemed pretty darn amazing.

The question is, would it be a good Daily Driver. I'd say yes. He lives out on a dirt road, so wanted something 4 wheel drive or all wheel drive for a DD (he also has a SJ that is set up for off-roading). He wanted at least 20 MPG, and at 65 he generally gets around 28...he lives 20 miles outside of town, so 200 miles a week he saves some $$$ over his old f150 that it replaced.

It seems to be adequate in stock form as a DD/light offroader.

Jim

 

[BBeach]

That patriot (MK) and Jeep Grand Cherokee (WK) look pretty good. I talked to a jeep dealership guy at an auto show last weekend and asked him what was up with these changes geared towards fwd and 4 cylinders and he said "it's all about where the money is"....but at least the patriot with 4wd and the WK dont look too bad. Only problem most people would have with those is instead of modding a $3k XJ theyd be modding a new car with warranty, which most people dont do. Hey, maybe in a couple years they will be a NAMKA....

 

[BBeach]

And plus, I wouldnt want to wreck a brand new vehicle so it's gonna be a couple years before things get moving.

 

[1sgtnyg]

Which is available as an option.

I stand corrected on the low range. I did some reading last night and saw that.

It's in the works.

Who is developing this. I have not seen any talk of it, or any companies advertising it yet, or did I miss that also:doh:

Regearing would solve the mileage problem, and the drivetrain's pretty robust as it is. Granted, you won't be running 37's, but 31's are a realistic proposition - plenty for that vehicle.

I still dont agree with the drive train being robust. I believe it's a transaxle, and i have not seen one yet that i would call "robust"

Personally, I would vote 'yes' provided you keep within its limitations. And if you're wondering exactly what those limitations are, I would strongly recommend reading this article. While it's by no means an exact duplicate of the XJ, what they're making them do there in stock form is pretty damned impressive. I could go for one as a commuter / light wheeler, but in my case the amount of distance I'm driving doesn't equate to enough in fuel savings to make it a worthwhile proposition.

The original question was regarding a replacement for the XJ. It may blow away the cute-utes, but is just not comparable to the XJ, modified or not. As a daily driver grocery getter family vehicle with lighter off road use it is probaly fine, and would be fine for most people that dont go off road anyway.

By the way, I like your chioce in XJ's. Mine doesn't have the heated seats, though.

2000 LTD, 4.5 l, NP242, 30 front/8.25 rear, trutrac/trutrac, 4.10's, etc.

 

[motorcityxj]

A friend got one for a on road/commuter/dirt trails driver. It seems to work fine. The CVT and low range seemed pretty darn amazing.

The question is, would it be a good Daily Driver. I'd say yes. He lives out on a dirt road, so wanted something 4 wheel drive or all wheel drive for a DD (he also has a SJ that is set up for off-roading). He wanted at least 20 MPG, and at 65 he generally gets around 28...he lives 20 miles outside of town, so 200 miles a week he saves some $$$ over his old f150 that it replaced.

It seems to be adequate in stock form as a DD/light offroader.

Jim

i would be weary of being an early adopter of a CVT vehicle. Granted they have been out since the early 1990s (I remember the Suburu Justy had one) but i never known anyone with a CVT and well chrylser trannies in their cars dont have a very good reputation. Are you looking to buy or just lease? I prefer something that has some sort of track record for endurance and perforamance. A CVT would scare me untill some maker has it in a popular model that sells 50,000 units a year or more and has a reputation for longevity.

 

[Rob Mayercik]

I've been in the hunt for a 4x4 SUV or pickup to replace my gas guzzling XJ. I drive approx 120 miles a day. After reviewing the specs it looks like this will be the closest thing.

All the vehincle dimensions are within an inch or 2 of the XJ. Stock for stock all the approach/departure/breakover angles are very close. And 25/30 MPG is nice. Compared the the 14/16 I get now.

It all looks good on paper but what are some of your thoughts? Optioned out correctly and with a 3" lift with some 31's, it might be a pretty good lookin vehicle.

Are you getting rid of your XJ, or keeping it for trail duty and picking up a more efficient DD?

With a 120mi/day run, I think you're foolish if you don't look into picking up something like a civic/corolla/etc. and relegating the XJ to backup duty. Civics and Corollas in non-hybrid trim should be able to manage 36-40 on the highway, depending on driving conditions.

I'm doing 100-120 per day myself, and when the time came a few years ago to retire my XJ from DD to backup/wheeler, I chose a VW TDI (see sig).

I'm getting 45-46mpg with an auto (a manual would have put me well into the 50-60mpg range) - on my Jetta's 14.5-gallon tank, "vented" to 16.5 gallons (because diesels don't have evap. emissions systems, I can add fuel all the way to the very lip of the filler neck), that equates to an average range of 650-660 miles per tank, filling shortly before the low fuel light comes on. That means one trip to the pumps per week to sustain the daily commute.

 

[BBeach]

Rob, what speeds do you typically travel at to get those mph, do you notice it dive say at 70-75mph? And do you have a lead foot? Ive always been fond of the little VW TDi, I'm more into the golf and jetta than the passat or beetle.

 

[BeJay1981]

It would have been a replacement. I have an 01 that I bought used but am still making payments on. So unfortuanetly I cant keep it for a weekend toy. Also a commuter car wouldnt work as I work for a construction company as a superintendent so I am always using 4x4 in our sandy FL jobsites.

I went out and test drove it and I just wasnt impressed. Huge blind spots and it really feels like you sit far away from the dash and low in it. Im 6'3 and had over 8 inches of head clearance. And my legs rested against the console which would get annoying. The CVT was kinda cool but it was a little "clunky." I was happy to get back in my cherokee.

 

[motorcityxj]

It would have been a replacement. I have an 01 that I bought used but am still making payments on. So unfortuanetly I cant keep it for a weekend toy. Also a commuter car wouldnt work as I work for a construction company as a superintendent so I am always using 4x4 in our sandy FL jobsites.

I went out and test drove it and I just wasnt impressed. Huge blind spots and it really feels like you sit far away from the dash and low in it. Im 6'3 and had over 8 inches of head clearance. And my legs rested against the console which would get annoying. The CVT was kinda cool but it was a little "clunky." I was happy to get back in my cherokee.

suzuki sounds like the deal for you. SAMI SAMI SAMI. That way you can keep the XJ for years, buy a $3,000 sammi get great mileage and still have 4 wheel drive for work. If the sammi is two small (I am 6'4 250 and i fit fine, back seat folks are screwed though lol) get a 2 door sidekick. The side kick being a good ride good mileage, better engines, better tops, more amenities and finding a cheap low/no rust one should be hella easy. Put some nice 30's on it and call it a day. In 5-6 years it starts getting rough looking, you got a second wheeling rig ! whooo hooo

Doooo it :yelclap:

 

[Rob Mayercik]

Rob, what speeds do you typically travel at to get those mph, do you notice it dive say at 70-75mph? And do you have a lead foot? Ive always been fond of the little VW TDi, I'm more into the golf and jetta than the passat or beetle.

I try to stay between 65-70 indicated (on an A4-platform jetta/golf/NB, the speedo is calibrated to read about 3-4mph higher than actual; the odo is spot-on). Everything I have read suggests that the aerodynamics cause a mpg drop-off after 70mph, and my experience seems to confirm that.

I don't lead-foot it or hotrod it too much, but it's good for the engine to wind it out from time to time. I try to do that when I'm getting onto the highway generally. There's a reason the TDIClub guys say to "drive it almost like you stole it" - it's good for them!

BeJay: Is your '01 stock? If so, you should be more in the 17-18 range if everything's working to spec and you're not trying to break any landspeed records. Have you ever had the fuel injectors cleaned (an actual cleaning, not the stuff you pour into the tank)?

Also, you mentioned spending a lot of time on construction sites - sandy terrain is a lot of work for a car, and if it's always dusty you may want to try putting in a new air filter - I appear to have recovered up about 2mpg by doing plugs,wires, cap, rotor (I know yours is distributorless) and air filter. I'm getting about 18 on the highway right now, even with 2" of lift, 30x9.50 rubber, and the added weight of factory skids, hitch, and rock rails with stock gears, so if you're stock or close to it, I'd tend to think something might not be completely right if you're only pulling 14-16.

 

[Darky]

suzuki sounds like the deal for you. SAMI SAMI SAMI. That way you can keep the XJ for years, buy a $3,000 sammi get great mileage and still have 4 wheel drive for work. If the sammi is two small (I am 6'4 250 and i fit fine, back seat folks are screwed though lol) get a 2 door sidekick. The side kick being a good ride good mileage, better engines, better tops, more amenities and finding a cheap low/no rust one should be hella easy. Put some nice 30's on it and call it a day. In 5-6 years it starts getting rough looking, you got a second wheeling rig ! whooo hooo

Doooo it :yelclap:

I had a 94 Tracker and loved it. I drove the snot outta mine and still got at least 26 mpg. I burned out the clutch (4 people learned to drive stick) I blew up the tranny (forgot to change the bearing when we did the clutch), the exhaust snapped at the muffler (dragged it over some rocks), and a spark plug wire went bad (one of only 2 things to go wrong not due to {ab}use), and the EGR valve went bad (at 100,xxx miles)

 

[red_01_xj]

its too bad they didnt put the same interior as the dodge nitro into it...they used the same one as the compass...the dash feels very big and far away...the intro has the in your face windshield like the classic jeeps, also as far as a dd it would be great...or even as casm descirbed with 30-31's i would definatly buy one but as a trail only rig... i dont think so

 

[MountainRhino]

It's decent, but if I'm gonna suffer for IFS, it's gonna be a WK.

THATS LIKE A HOT CHICK THAT DOES DIRTY THINGS........I LIKEY!!!!!!!!

 

[artsifrtsi]

A CVT would scare me untill some maker has it in a popular model that sells 50,000 units a year or more and has a reputation for longevity.

You mean like Ford and Honda.... they have both been putting them into cars fer a couple/few now... Ford Freelander... Honda Civic Hybrid....

The main issue that Subbie had with them was that they were a higher maintinance item, and they used poor belts in them. They needed better filtering than the stock filter would offer, or needed fluid changes at every 10k. I have a couple friends with them and they are great little reliable cars.

Now, as far as the Patriot, I am trying to get my parents into one. They want/need something that does great mileage wise, but can also hit the offroad. They do not do really rough or tough trails, so a rock-crawler is not needed or wanted. The most offroad that they see is like a weekend at the lake, a bit of rugged dirt or light muddy roads, and the occasional trek out to the lava-flows... everthing that the Patriot can handle. Most of what my mom will do with it is out to the grocery store, and up to their ranch in the mountains.

 

[motorcityxj]

You mean like Ford and Honda.... they have both been putting them into cars fer a couple/few now... Ford Freelander... Honda Civic Hybrid....

The main issue that Subbie had with them was that they were a higher maintinance item, and they used poor belts in them. They needed better filtering than the stock filter would offer, or needed fluid changes at every 10k. I have a couple friends with them and they are great little reliable cars.

Now, as far as the Patriot, I am trying to get my parents into one. They want/need something that does great mileage wise, but can also hit the offroad. They do not do really rough or tough trails, so a rock-crawler is not needed or wanted. The most offroad that they see is like a weekend at the lake, a bit of rugged dirt or light muddy roads, and the occasional trek out to the lava-flows... everthing that the Patriot can handle. Most of what my mom will do with it is out to the grocery store, and up to their ranch in the mountains.

well audi has had one for a few years now also. Its not the theroy i am scared of. Its a fine concept. its the execution and design by bean counters cutting costs, not enginers. I have no doubt a stout bullet proof CVT can be mass produced, but the bean counters these days are ruining allot of fine cars. I just wouldnt be eager to be among the first on the CVT bandwagon untill a proven bullet proof design is out there. Or lease. But leasing really doesnt fit my life style, the vehicles i like, and the miles i drive. So i buy long term. CVT have no reputation for longevity thus far.

 

[HeavyMetal]

It's decent, but if I'm gonna suffer for IFS, it's gonna be a WK.

totally crazy coincidence. i was in milford, CT today, and i saw a WK, first thing it reminded me of was when i had saw these pics the other day. Its the same guy. gators sticker on the back and all. ill tell ya what it looks nice.

small world, whered you find those pics?

 

[tigerpaw]

Buy a WJ. I never thought I'd say this but I have spent an hour today looking at the Jeep place.The Patriot is much better than the Compass, but they are both "Caliber" based. I don't care for the engine, a Hyundai/Mitsu developed engine or the CVT either.I looked at base Wranglers in 2 door and 4 door both with hardtops (650 I think extra and they are nice). I would have said I would never say it but they aren't too bad at all. And they have a base one pretty well equipped for selling price about 18 with 6 spd /21 for 4dr.That's cheaper on one case and about the same as the Patriot sport 4wd they had.CVT and 2.4 Hyundai engine, maybe in a Caliber but not a Patriot.The 4dr Wrangler is pretty much the XJ size with the hardtop.The v-6 seems ok too.You will need real rock bumpers though LOL.

 

[red_01_xj]

The 4dr Wrangler is pretty much the XJ size with the hardtop.The v-6 seems ok too.You will need real rock bumpers though LOL.

At the AutoShow they were trying to sell the Wrangler off as the replacement for the Cherokee

 

[kevin s]

I am waiting for the new Libby!!!