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The seating position is high in the Patriot, two inches higher than in the Dodge Caliber; with the upright windshield, the forward visibility inspires confidence. The Jeep Patriot Sport's standard front seats have manual adjustment and come with cloth upholstery. They're OK, but the optional material called YES Essentials, which is stain, odor and static resistant, fits this Jeep's character better. The leather upholstery in the Limited is great, but it seems to overdress the Patriot. Due to complaints that the original interior was too plasticky and cheap, Jeep has revamped the interior for 2009, giving it a new dash, a reworked instrument cluster and padding on the center console and door armrests. The new dash is black instead of tan or gray and it has nicer graining and a more attractive shape, but it is still hard plastic. The center stack trades a cheap-looking silver plastic face for matching black and adds some nice chrome trim. The cabin layout is functional and roomy. Despite the addition of some new sound insulation, the doors sound tinny when you close them. The new dashboard and instrument layout is simple, and the gauges are a tidy white on black with glowing orange needles. The climate and sound system controls are easy to understand and operate. Jeep says the available UConnect Tunes system can hold up to 6700 songs, which can be ripped from a CD or USB memory stick. The space between the seats includes a nook for change or cell phones, two fixed cupholders, and the parking brake lever. The center console is split for two levels of storage and is now padded. The door pockets are on the small side, but they can hold six CD cases; much of the space is taken up by the six- by nine-inch speakers. The door handles are easy to use. There's a nice tray over the good-sized glove compartment that's big enough for books. The Patriot is more than four inches shorter than the Honda CR-V. It has a healthy 39.4 inches of rear leg room, nearly an inch more than the Honda. The Patriot's sister, the Compass, is just as roomy. The standard rear seat is a 60/40 split. It folds flat easily. Simply flip up the seat cushion and flop down the seatback. Reclining rear seats are optional, as is a flat-folding front seat. With the rear seats folded flat, there's a spacious 54.2 cubic feet of cargo capacity. Fold down the passenger seat, and the Patriot has room for an eight-foot kayak. With all the seats in use there's 23 cubic feet in the back, comparable with any compact SUV. For 2009, the rear cargo area gets a removable carpeted floor instead of a washable, removable vinyl floor.
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