Adding Freedom Drive I results in 23 mpg combined (21/27) with the six-speed automatic and 24 mpg combined (22/27) with the manual.
The five-speed manual improves to 25 mpg combined (23/28).
With front-wheel drive, the 2.4-liter Patriot yields an EPA-estimated 23 mpg combined (21 city/28 highway) when paired with the six-speed automatic. With Freedom Drive II, the CVT is the only transmission in town, whereas the other 2.4-liter Patriots offer either the five-speed manual or the six-speed automatic. Also, all Patriots with all-wheel drive (Freedom Drive I) or more serious four-wheel drive (Freedom Drive II) come with the 2.4-liter engine. It's optional on front-drive Sport and Latitude trims and standard on front-drive Limited. The uplevel engine is a 2.4-liter four-cylinder rated at 172 hp and 165 lb-ft of torque. If you don't mind shifting your own gears, the manual version does slightly better at 26 mpg combined (23/30). The Patriot with the CVT also gets 24 mpg combined (22/27). There's also a CVT that comes only with the Altitude or High Altitude package.Īccording to EPA estimates, the 2.0-liter Patriot returns 24 mpg combined (22 city/27 highway) with the six-speed automatic, a disappointing result given the engine's modest output. A five-speed manual is the default transmission, with a six-speed automatic available. The base engine is a 2.0-liter four-cylinder producing 158 horsepower and 141 pound-feet of torque it's only featured in Sport and Latitude trims with front-wheel drive. The 2015 Patriot offers a variety of powertrain configurations. The Patriot isn't all bad, but by today's standards, its retirement is overdue. We're pretty fond of Jeep's new Cherokee, too. Otherwise, the urbane 2015 Ford Escape, the sporty 2015 Mazda CX-5 and the popular 2015 Toyota RAV4 are all vastly superior choices. Only if you're searching for a new crossover that will fit a very tight budget will the Patriot make sense. Stripped of its prowess off the beaten path, the Patriot trails the pack in virtually every way, lacking the performance, refinement, versatility and even safety scores to impress in this ultra-competitive segment. Otherwise, you choose between front-wheel drive and all-wheel drive, as with any other crossover. Although the Patriot trades on Jeep's "Trail Rated" toughness, it's only a legitimate off-roader with the Freedom Drive II Off-Road Group, which yields dismal fuel economy and requires the speed-sapping continuously variable automatic transmission (CVT) besides.
So it's back this year for what could be its final hurrah, floating a familiar promise of Jeep attitude and style in a tidy crossover wrapper.ĭoes it deliver? Compared to its many formidable rivals (not to mention its fresh-faced siblings), no, it does not. The Patriot has been surprisingly resilient in the twilight of its career, finding plenty of new customers over the past few years despite its age and stage. But a glance at the sales numbers tells the story. After all, the new Cherokee has supplanted the Patriot as the brand's prime-time compact crossover, and the pint-sized Renegade is waiting in the wings as a spunky, lower-priced alternative.
We were frankly a bit surprised to learn Jeep penned in the aged 2015 Patriot for production.