jeep patriot?

We looked at one last year when we were looking Julie. We liked it, Chrysler did not offer good enough incentives, like Ford or GM did so that is why we did not get one. Look at the Compass too. We liked that too! It gets better mileage. I did not think the interior was too small for all my dog and it still had the 4WD that I wanted. I am also intrigued by the Dodge Journey. Don't forget Chrysler Corp is offer the $2.99 gas for life deal too. Find out and give me details. I say too good to be true.  

Do you know anyone at Chrysler who could do "friends and family" discounts? We did not, though I do now.
 

 No I don't know anyone at Chrysler anymore. Only Ford, these days. I have never liked the Jeep series because for all it's toughness, the interior was pretty skimpy and cheap. The patriot seems really roomy though.

 I'm still leaning towards the 2008 Escape. I can get the Xplan through my uncle. It has all the bells and whistles my old explorers had (which I loved)
 

 Haven't driven any of these - have you also considered the Honda Element or Subaru Forester?  I admire those who purchase American cars but their track record scares me.

Then again I usually look for a year old car that has already 'depreciated', don't know if that is an option for you but for the same price as a new lesser model you can get a year old better model.  DH is in the process of looking for a car and due I'm guessing to the economy there are some SERIOUS deals out there

Be careful with that $2.99 price guarantee.  Sometimes you have to pick that or the incentive and 8 out of 10 times the incentive is a better deal.  Also, check Chrysler's web-site, you can only use the special gas card at certain gas stations.  I looked into it out of curiosity and there were only 2 stations by me and I live in a very populated area.

Check Edmonds.com for performance ratings, etc. they are an independent rater.

kpwlee

  I admire those who purchase American cars but their track record scares me.

Ditto, in addition my husband is a certified ASE mechanic and said the Jeeps have pretty stinky transmissions. We just bought a new SUV in may and I had been looking into the patriot and commander. He adamantly told me NO, that it ranked the bottom in its class but he is a stickler I tell ya! If you do decide on the Jeep make sure you get the extended power train warranty.  Also I noticed the base model lacked some common features like AC and pwoer windows and locks.It has great value but dosnt hold its resale too well I hear. Go search for online reviews from real drivers, they sure can be helpful.

I opted for the Acura MDX and I LOVE it! It has 3rd row, more then enough room for my two 65 lbs dogs, rear back up cam, navigation, sunroof and its AWD.....granted its not a 4 wheel (making insurance cheaper) drive but I still love it and the resale value is great!

My family and I have had good luck with Chrysler vehicles as far as engines go. My dad has had two vehicles last over 13 years before he bought something new, and both ran/are still running well with their new owners.

 I currently have a Dodge Durango (which has the worst gas mileage ever but I still love it) and a Jeep Grand Cherokee. I love my Jeep. I've had no mechanical problems, but I've had random minor issues. The cables for both front windows broke. Then I've had to have the ignition cylinder replaced because it would lock, and I couldn't start the car. That's not cheap to replace either. I guess all of these things could happen to any vehicle, though.

Never driven a Patriot.  But we had a brand new Jeep Cherokee that we drove back from Texas and I hated it worse than anything I've ever driven in my life.

The steering was way way over 'light' -- you breathed on that wheel and it flopped the car all over the road.  The tiniest breeze made the vehicle horrible to control because every tiny movement of the steering wheel overcorrected everything.  It also had a HUGE console between the front seats that was entirely wasted space.  No 'storage' between your feet -- it was just wasted space and made both drive and passenger legs really cramped for such a big "suv" vehicle.  If you were 6'3" and 130 pounds it would be a pleasure to drive probably, but not built for David (who is not super tall) nor I.

Dunno what the difference is between the Patriot and Cherokee but I'd assume the steering might be similar -- you might want to drive it before you consider it strongly.

Oh, lest I forget -- it has the "go to manual" transmission for passing gear and David said it was truly sucky.  He uses it constantly on the Mini Clubman, but said it was truly horrid on the Jeep.