It's no secret that our most recent Jeep Grand Cherokee has been a rousing success, both with customers and reviewers, but garnering considerable less publicity is the 2012 Jeep Patriot, easily one of the most underrated vehicles we sell here at Van Andel & Flikkema Chrysler Jeep. That's unfortunate considering that the Patriot is really just a smaller version of the Grand Cherokee; it's got similar styling, offers a similar kind of drive, but is more fuel-efficient and less expensive. It's a mystery to us why this particular SUV isn't more popular than it is, but we hope that by the time you're done reading this, part of that mystery will be dispelled.
The Patriot is offered in three trims: the entry-level Sport, the Latitude, and the top-of-the-line Limited. The first two come equipped with very efficient 2.0-liter four-cylinder engines capable of 158 horsepower, while the Limited boasts a more powerful standard 2.4-liter engine and four-wheel drive for the kind of off-road driving Jeeps are known for. That engine runs as high as 172 horsepower and 165 lb-ft of torque, and is offered as an add-on for the Latitude trim, as well.
The Sport offers the kinds of standard features you'd expect from a base model, including cruise control, rear privacy class, roof rack side rails, a four-speaker sound system, and more. The midrange Latitude, meanwhile, adds remote ignition, fold-flat front passenger seat, and a trip computer, among other features, and the Limited gets the bigger engine, leather upholstery, an upgraded sound system, and satellite radio.
There are also a number of packaged add-ons customers can buy, too, including things like roof rack crossbars, cargo cover, sunroof, or even the addition of speakers in the tailgate. Depending on what you're looking for, the Patriot can do a little bit of everything.
As far as safety is concerned, our favorite Jeep crossover is more than respectable. It comes standard equipped with antilock brakes, stability and traction control, active front head restraints, and a number of airbags scattered throughout the cabin of the vehicles. There are also optional front-seat-side-impact airbags for all models, and those have proven to add quite a bit in regards to side-impact crash testing. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety awarded the '12 Patriot its top marks of "Good" for frontal-offset crash tests, proving that even our smaller SUV offering is plenty safe for both the drivers and the passengers of the vehicle.
In short, the 2012 Jeep Patriot is a severely underrated CUV that's every bit as good as the Grand Cherokee (and other competing crossovers) but with standout fuel efficiency and an extremely affordable sticker price. We here at Van Andel & Flikkema have several great ones on our lot right now, and we'd be happy to get you behind the wheel of one for a test drive as soon as possible. Our lot is easy to find, and the Patriot is only one of several Jeep models that serve a number of drivers' needs. This one is just among our most versatile and most affordable, which is why we recommend it so strongly.