Being the Jeep guy that I am, I was actually quite delighted to have a new Jeep Patriot in my driveway for a week. How much better is the interior? Is the powertrain still buzzy? Does it deserve that Trail Rated badge? Lets find out.

Quick, look at the above picture. Tell me, is it the first generation Jeep Patriot or the newly refreshed one? Can’t tell, can you?

The differences are barely noticeable if you don’t know what you are looking for. The main change is up front with the slightly reworked fascia. The fog lights are now integrated into the bumper, and the grille is now color-keyed. Out back the rear bumper no longer says Patriot (hooray!) and the wheels are now 17-inches in diameter.

While the design is essentially the same, the minor tweaks do wonders for the car’s overall appearance. It’s cleaner, and much easier on the eyes. I’d even go as far as to say it doesn’t look as cheap.

Inside you’ll find the same soft-touch dash panel that is making its way into many new vehicles in the Chrysler family. The door panels also feature soft touch material, and the gauges are now surrounded by chrome rings. The three-spoke steering wheel is lifted directly from the new Grand Cherokee parts bin.

The infotainment system looks the same as before, but now offers Garmin-based navigation. This is one of two navigation units offered. The other optional unit is not Garmin-based, but features voice command integration and live traffic. Sadly, the Garmin unit lacks both of these features. Ease of use is top notch though; if you’ve ever used a Garmin, you’ll feel right at home with this unit.

The first thing I noticed when I hopped into the Patriot was the seat material. If it’s leather, it feels cheap and sticky. If it’s not leather, it still feels cheap and sticky. Either way, it feels like an issue.

There is a storage bin above the glove compartment in front of the passenger seat. This storage bin is terrific. It actually may be one of the best packaging features inside the Patriot. It’s terrific for cell phones and sun glasses on a long road trip.

Overall the interior is a huge leap forward from the last-generation Patriot. The materials are better, the ergonomics are fine, and the storage is plentiful.

My tester came with the larger 2.4-liter in-line four-cylinder, good for 165-horsepower and 172 pound feet of torque. The power went to all-four wheels via a CVT transmission.

The CVT is OK. It definitely has the rubber band sensation if you wind it up, and sometimes it is slow to wind up if you slam the gas. Moving the gear selector to shift-it-yourself mode can sometime kick the process into gear (no pun intended) a little faster. But I would still prefer a traditional automatic transmission instead of this CVT unit.

The particular Patriot I had was equipped with Freedom Drive I. This system has a switch that activates the AWD Lock.

When it comes to off-roading, the Patriot can handle much more than you would ever give it credit for (when equipped with Freedom Drive II). I personally witnessed a Patriot cover the same trail that a Range Rover and Grand Cherokee drove down.

I drove the Jeep Patriot both to the MAMA Spring Rally, and up North for Memorial Day weekend. On the highway, the Patriot is as you would expect, somewhat noisy, and moves easily when driving in high winds. The laws of physics apply when driving a box down the highway North of 70 mph. With an EPA rating of 21/26, I averaged 23 mpg on one highway trip, while only managing 21 on another. Not amazing for a vehicle this small, but still well within what you would expect based on the EPA ratings.

While my Patriot tester had a sticker price of $27,800, it has a base price of $15,995. To say mine was nearly fully loaded would be a lie. At nearly $28,000, this Patriot was not the Trail Rated version with Freedom Drive II – it didn’t have the rear drop-down speakers, and it didn’t have the top trim navigation unit. Feels awfully expensive to not be fully loaded.

The Patriot isn’t the best small vehicle for running around town, and it’s not an amazing highway trip vehicle. No, the Patriot is for those who want to go light off-roading, or just want to enter the Jeep family.

Full Disclosure – The review vehicle was provided by Chrysler

As some of you know, I sold my Jeep. Funny thing is, when I put it up for sale no decision had been made on its replacement. Now that the dust has settled and my Jeep will be going to its new owners this weekend, it is time to get serious about what my next vehicle will be.

Over the past three weeks I have narrowed the choices down. Some were impractical, while some were going to just be money pits. In the end some clear winners have emerged – unfortunately they are all so different and I am having trouble deciding. Each choice has an upside and of course, like everything else, a downside. Lets get right to it.

Current Contenders:

Jeep Grand Cherokee- Finalist

Yes, I am considering replacing my Jeep Grand Cherokee with another Grand Cherokee, though I would be going for a 2008 or newer with lower miles. The 2005 to 2007 models had some pretty low rent interiors. From 2007 to 2008 a diesel was available as an engine option. Not many were made and they are rare when looking for one used. Sadly, after doing the math the better mileage you get with the diesel fuel doesn’t add up with the difference in the price of gasoline. You merely break even. If I go the Grand Cherokee route I won’t lose any of the capabilities I am used to when it comes to cargo hauling, towing, and winter driving. I am already used to the craptacular gas mileage so there will be no real shock at the pump. In the end if I go with a Grand Cherokee I know what to expect, and I will someday hand it over to my fiancée Karen when it comes time for her to get another vehicle.

Dodge Charger SRT8- Finalist

I know what you are thinking, “um Joel, isn’t that a huge gas guzzler with a big 6.1-Liter HEMI V-8?” If that is what you were thinking, then yes you are correct. But know this, when I had the Charger SRT8 last spring for a week, I averaged similar gas mileage in the city as my Jeep, and slightly better on the highway. That means I won’t really have sticker shock at the pump, and I am already used to the frequency of filling up. The SRT8 is fun, loud, and comfortable. It is also quite large, which is nice if you are hauling around, say a child. If I go this route I would probably be looking for a 2008 or newer since they had a slight refresh on the interior in 2008 that ditched some of the low rent plastics. Sadly, gas prices are going to continue to rise, and I have to question if I will at some point get frustrated in the future with the SRT8 if I end up choosing it.

Subaru WRX Hatchback- Finalist

Notice this is a completely different direction from the two above choices? Quick run down of why this is a top pick. The Subaru WRX is fun, fast, handles well, has awesome all-wheel drive, and the hatchback has quite a bit of space. It would be terrific in the snow, get amazing gas mileage compared to my other choices, and still be a livable daily driver. This option does have me wondering how I will feel about it in four to five years…..will my love fade? Another question that comes to mind is if I will get tired of driving this with all the highway driving I do. It is not exactly a grand tourer and in reality has a lower rent compact car interior.

Mazdaspeed3- Barely A Finalist

Like the Subaru, we have another hot hatchback with similar gas mileage and cargo hauling capacity. The main difference comes in to the drivetrain. This is a front-wheel drive torque steering beast. This will not be as good in the snow as the WRX – it’s a plain fact. That doesn’t mean I still don’t want one.

Subaru Legacy GT Spec. B- Barely A Finalist

Hard to find is a good way to describe this option. They were originally a special edition model in 2006. For 2007 they became a regular production model, but they are still considered somewhat rare, and definitely special. In 2008 they lost the MOMO steering wheel and became a full fledged production model. I would be going for the 2007 if I had the option. It only came with a near-black exterior and a black and blue leather/alcantara interior. It had the WRX engine and WRX STI six-speed transmission. The problem is that these  hold their value.  As a used car , that doesn’t help its case against some of the other models, specifically a new WRX hatchback. The interior space, and trunk space, is within a few tenths of an inch as the current generation Impreza, which is what the WRX is based off of. Just not sure on this one. I keep going back and forth as to if it is a finalist. I love it’s rarity, but that makes it difficult to find.

Dodge Magnum SRT8- Barely A Finalist

Read the above paragraph regarding the Charger SRT8. All the same pros and cons, only with a ton of added functionality in the rear. The rarity of this model also makes it very cool.

Eliminated Contenders:

Challenger SRT8 -

Lord I want one of these. If I wasn’t getting married and probably going to have a kid before I get my next car, we wouldn’t be having this discussion. I would be buying one of these. But the reality is, I am getting married, and probably will have a kid before getting my next car. From what I am told by pretty much everyone, rear facing child safety seats are no fun. They are even less fun in a two-door.

Ford F-150 Raptor-

I have absolutely no reason to need one of these. In fact, it is probably the opposite of what I need. Still want one. Wont be getting one.

2001 Audi S8- This falls into the troubled money pit category. The transmission will go and I’ll have a nice bill to pay.

2000 BMW M5- Another money pit. The rear main seal will go, or a myriad of other components and I will have a rather large repair bill.

Jaguar XJR or S-Type R

The Jaguar XJR is a total sleeper. Made from aluminum it is fairly light for its size and with the right driver can be a ton of fun. The S-Type R for some reason always appealed to me. Both of these somewhat scare me for reliability. At least with the XJR I would never have to worry about it rusting.

1999 Mercedes-Benz E55- Man I’ve wanted one of these forever. Again, the money pit scenario.

There are some wild cards thrown into the mix such as a used Audi S4 Avant, Infiniti G37x, or BMW 335i. Though for the most part these vehicles seem to fall out of my price range, and so they have for the most part fallen off my radar for now.

For those that do not know exactly how I use a vehicle in my daily life, here’s a quick break down of my driving habits. Most of my summer driving is on the highway back and forth to my cabin. This is where I question how in love I will be with the WRX long term. During the week I do not actually drive much other than errands in the evening. Of course we do get some hairy winters here, so some (most) of these choices will be getting snow tires. And of course, we head to Iowa to visit my future in-laws quite often. So I would say most of my weekends are highway miles, and in town I maybe average 200 miles a week running around.

At the end of the day I have absolutely no clue what I want. As you can see above, I am completely all over the place. I was once told don’t buy something unless you are sure it is the right thing. I feel that is actually pretty good advice, which is why there isn’t a new vehicle in my driveway right now.

As I’m sure some vehicle has been left off the possible candidate list, please do leave your thoughts and suggestions in the comments below.

Everyone wants a Federmobile. The reason? It’s simple, I’m so ridiculously anal retentive about my vehicles. I fix crap that any normal person in their right mind wouldn’t even notice, none the less actually pay to fix.

So what happened? Well the short story is a friend from Michigan bought my Jeep. I am somewhat relieved to know it is going to a good home. I will be meeting them in Chicago sometime in the next few weeks to deliver the Jeep.

So what’s next for me? Frankly I have no clue. Karen (my fiancée) and I are in deep discussion about what will replace my vehicle. Over fifty percent of the vehicles I want just aren’t in the budget. Quite a few of the vehicles just aren’t approved by Karen due to the fact that she thinks I shouldn’t get a car (note actual car not SUV) that gets 13 mpg in the city. Of the vehicles that fit the budget, and I want, dear Karen feels about ninety percent of them are “ugly.” Girl thinks a vehicle like the WRX is ugly….

More to come on this topic as I try to figure out what will be the next Federmobile. Until then, if you see my Jeep wandering the streets of Michigan please do say hi for me. Or better yet, snap a picture and send it to me.

Anyone that knows me, knows how ridiculously anal I am about this thing. When it was purchased, I had new headlights installed, and immediately covered them in a clear shield. Along with the headlights, I also had a new windshield installed. At the time I didn’t own a carpet extractor, so I had the carpets professionally cleaned. Immediately Husky Liners were put in all four floor wells, and in the rear end. All four wheels were replaced with alloys from a Grand Cherokee Limited.

The oil has been changed every 4,000-5,000 miles with Mobile1 full synthetic. The exterior and interior has been detailed once to twice a year and the tires were rotated every 6,000 miles.

I have every receipt for everything done to this Jeep since I bought it with 68,000 miles. The tires are Michelin LTX M+S with more than 2/3 tread remaining. The rear differential was rebuilt at 150,000 miles. Both differentials, transfer case, transmission, and all other fluids were flushed every 30,000 miles, and I always used synthetic fluids. The brakes are slotted in the front with ceramic pads, while the rear rotors are slotted and drilled. All four shocks were replaced recently.

I also installed new HIDs for the low beams within the last few months. The HIDs are running off of a wiring harness connected to the battery. The high beams are Sylvania Silverstar Ultras.

It has an aftermarket cold air intake on it with a K&N filter. I cleaned and recharged the K&N filter yesterday.

The Jeep was just detailed (clayed and waxed) yesterday along with an oil change.

It currently has 172,xxx miles. It has maybe 3 door dings….literally the only thing it needs right now is two new hood struts.

You could say I am emotionally attached to this vehicle. There is no question that it is the best condition 1999 Grand Cherokee on the market, and possibly the best condition used Grand Cherokee of its generation. So spread the word.

[YouTube via Arthur Vogel, Willow Automotive]

The goal when I had the Jeep Wrangler Rubicon Unlimited was to take it off-roading. Unfortunately I do not exactly live by mountains. I was asked not to take it to the one place in Minnesota that is a true off-road park, mainly because it is known as the place you take to destroy your vehicle. I decided to take it through a muddy field that a friend of a friend’s dad owns.

The videos turned out more then boring. Though one hilarious gem of a clip did come through entertaining enough to post. When I entered the field, it was decided that we should test the Jeep to see how well it would do in two wheel drive. Then once stuck, I would move to four wheel drive, then if I continued to have issues, put it in four low and lock the differentials. I ended up in four low but never needed to lock the differentials. Once in four low, I never ended up getting stuck again. This video is a clip from the first part in two wheel drive. It took less then two minutes to get stuck in two wheel drive. I hope you enjoy. Oh and Ross, now you have nothing on me about this Jeep thing.

Mazda Shinari Concept

I had hoped to get this post out last week, but for those that followed my adventures at the LA Auto Show, I was running on four hours of sleep and many cans of Monster Energy drinks. Hence why this post is coming to you a little bit late.

The LA Auto Show is the kick off to the auto show season. Some say it sets the tone for the following auto shows. This year held a ton of promise as the auto industry gets back on to its feet and companies start churning out new product.

Infiniti Essence Concept

Highlights of the show ranged from Mazda Shinari concept car to new Ford Focus sedan and hatchback. Heck I was even excited to see the new Nissan Quest minivan. Yes, you read that correctly. I was excited to see  a new minivan. Hey, in my defense, the teaser shots they leaked out were quite compelling, and I was not let down. The new Quest is quite stunning in my opinion. It was a pleasant surprise to see the Infiniti Essence concept that made its debut a while back. The car is as stunning now as it was when it made its debut.

I was also looking forward to finally seeing the new Dodge Charger in person. Sitting in the new Charger and feeling the materials, I was pleasantly surprised. While not all is fixed, this is a huge leap in the right direction. I look forward to getting to spend more time with that vehicle along with the rest of the revamped Dodge, Chrysler and Jeep line-up.

2011 Dodge Charger

2011 Toyota Corolla

The bad ranged from the “refreshed” Toyota Corolla to the “OMG they built that thing,” Nissan Murano CrossCabriolet. The Toyota Corolla is more of a shock and awe. The fact that you can now only get it with a four speed automatic or five speed manual blows my mind. Let me repeat that, four speed automatic. You know, like from the 90′s and early 2000′s. This calls for a “lets party like it’s 1999″ statement. Just shameful. Oh and they dropped the more powerful of the two engines. I’d be remiss if I forgot to mention the fact that you can no longer get leather on any Corolla.

2011 Nissan Murano CrossCabriolet

Moving along the bad portion of our trip down LA Auto Show lane we reach the “OMG they built that thing” section. We have heard rumors for years about a convertible Nissan Murano. Many outlets have comissioned drawings based upon insider knowledge. Well the time has finally come and Nissan took the sheet off the duckling. Is it ugly? Well, based on the gasp from the crowd, I am not entirely sure. I think the gasp from the crowd was a combination of, again, “OMG they built that thing,” and also a sticker shock when the price was announced at $46,390. I’m sorry, did you just have a slight heart attack? Because I am pretty sure the press at the Nissan press conference did as well. It was made slightly better when I learned later from a PR rep that the price is for the one trim model, which is a LE trim. This will come fully loaded with pretty much no options. Still, that is a pretty penny for this odd duckling.

Overall I would say the tone for the show was upbeat. The industry is clearly fighting to make its way back. Without question a nice foothold has been given, with sales up and profits finally being made, things are looking a little brighter. Here’s looking forward to seeing what is unveiled in Detroit in January.

This past weekend the Jeep Rocks and Road Tour visited Minneapolis. The tour is supposed to let people experience the capabilities of Jeep’s legendary vehicles. There is both on-road and off-road demonstrations provided, along with other fun-filled activities.

The tour in Minneapolis took over and transformed a vacant parking lot across from the Mall of America. The end result? A mud pit. Well it wasn’t a mud pit on Friday and Saturday. However, when I arrived on Sunday morning it was, due to rainfall Saturday night.

Though that did not make the event any less fun. The first thing I took part in was the Jeep Owner’s Playground. This was a course set up exclusively for current Jeep owners. If you brought your own Jeep you could take it through this course. The course had everything from a few high banked sand hills and rock trail, to a large hill with three humps to climb.

I was the first to hit the Owners Playground for the day. After about four runs, the large hill started to get too slick and the sides started to let me slide just a bit too much. The issue was all the rain from the night before. The entire course was becoming a sloppy mess. For safety, they shut down the large hill not long after my fourth run.

They also had plenty to do for non-Jeep owners. The main attraction was clearly the ability to drive the current line up of Jeeps on the main off-road course. Unfortunately the course had become so slick due to the rain that consumers were not allowed to drive.

Instead you were taken on the course with a professional driver. I was told a consumer did go first thing in the morning and walked away with eyes wide open. I took that to mean: “we could’ve had a problem, but we had the right staff on hand.”  I was glad to see safety was the first priority.

I went for a ride in the Jeep Wrangler Rubicon Unlimited (Unlimited means four door). Naturally, the course was nothing this Jeep couldn’t handle – it took each obstacle in stride. Though the large 20 foot mountain was closed due to being too slick, I was told the Jeeps could make it up the mountain just fine. However, due to being so slick they might come down with more speed then they felt was safe.

Next up I visited the on-road course. This time I chose the new 2011 Grand Cherokee Laredo for the drive. The new Grand Cherokee handled the washboard section much better then my current 1999 Grand Cherokee would have, mainly due to the new suspension. The vehicle also had a decent turning radius. The steering was on center, though maybe too light? I would need more seat time to give that statement without a question mark.

For the kids Jeep had both a climbing wall and Jeep branded Power Wheels mini vehicles. This set up satisfied the different age groups. No matter what, families had something to do for the kids. Also on hand was a Jeep Wrangler Islander edition. The task was to see who could unlatch and take down the soft top the fastest. The last station/task was essentially a balancing act, literally.

They had a Jeep Compass on a wooden platform that was set on a log. The goal was to balance the Compass on the platform so either side of the platform was not touching the ground. I was informed only a few people have achieved the task, and it really is almost luck. I tried for over ten minutes, only to get severely frustrated. I failed, though for the record, I came close. Finally I gave up, but only because another person wanted a try.

Of course, other things were on hand to look at. The new 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee Overland was in a tent to sit in and play with. A very old Jeep Willys (?) was on hand, though no touching was allowed. Also on site were quite a few modified Jeep Wranglers, one with a regular 5.7 liter HEMI and another with a 6.7 liter HEMI. Both were quite beastly.

Overall the Jeep Road and Rock Tour was a very entertaining way to spend my Sunday morning. Even with some drizzling rain and the course turned to a mud pit, it was a blast.

Everyone there seemed to be enjoying themselves, even the staff! You can tell many of the staff are true enthusiasts themselves. That really does add to the experience and energy level. Until the Jeep Rocks and Road Tour rolls through town again, drive safe and clean the mud off your undercarriage.

Photography- Alex Bellus

When SUV’s first came onto the market, they were little more then short trucks with four doors.  They have since evolved, but many people in the general public see current CUV’S and traditional SUV’s as the same.  A CUV isn’t like a normal SUV in many ways – starting with the fact that they aren’t body on frame vehicles.  They are unibody and essentially based off car platforms.  They aren’t designed for the same capabilities as a traditional SUV.  The aforementioned baby boomer from earlier was shocked to learn that her CR-V is based off a car.

CUV’s still have all-wheel drive, but most do not have off-road capabilities or even a low range like a traditional four-wheel drive. However, there are some that have locking differentials for deeper snow and sticky situations.  Interestingly enough, many CUV’s are more capable then most consumers will ever need.  With all that said, towing capacities are much lower then that of a typical SUV.  The current Ford Explorer is a typical SUV, being body on frame.  That will all be changing though with the new version that is set to go on sale at the end of this year/beginning of next year.  The next generation Explorer went more mainstream, being unibody.  This trend is continuing to expand among other SUV’s, including the next-generation Jeep Grand Cherokee (though the Grand Cherokee has always been unibody).  The 2011 Grand Cherokee will also be unibody, though it will still retain hard core off -road capabilities in certain trim levels.

What this all boils down to is perception.  People seem to want an “SUV”, but they do not want the many things associated with them.  That list includes, but isn’t limited to, poor gas mileage, rough ride, sloppy handling and many other things.  There are things people still want though – like increased ride height and the idea of off road capabilities.  So what does this mean?  It means that people want some characteristics of the SUV and not others – and that poses a challenge to marketers.

Source- Dodge