Introduction

2007 Jeep Patriot – First Drive: Like so many irrefutable facts we learn early in life – a glowing stove burner does bad things to skin, chunky milk doesn’t taste good – Jeeps are meant to go off road. Or so we thought. Last year, the brand unveiled the all-new Compass, a crossover that, no matter how it was equipped, wasn’t worthy of the brand’s off-road worthy Trail Rated badge. Then along came the Patriot, a boxier, more rugged looking crossover based on the same platform that, when equipped with a Freedom-Drive II off-road package, is worthy of that esteemed moniker, and thus, makes this little rig a legit Jeep. Finally, everything’s right with the world again.

Origins

According to Jeep’s estimates, the portion of the crossover market that the 2007 Patriot is entering saw sales of more than 500,000 units in 2006. Not bad, but the company expects that figure to jump to 800,000 vehicles in the coming years, and it wants a good percentage of those sales to be made at Jeep dealerships. The Patriot will share that burden with the Compass, a non-Trail Rated model that, like the Patriot, shares a platform with the Dodge Caliber. Dealers started receiving limited shipments of the 2007 Patriot in late 2006, with an increasing number hitting the lots daily.