I've heard good things, it's priced right. Let me know if you get one and how you like it.

 

Hated it. We test drove one for a weekend andI had the chance to take er' off road for a little bit. Handled very bad and seemed to have no power. But it did get around 23 mpg on average. I suggest the Liberty or in your case the Cherokee. Very off road capable and not to bad on the petrol.

 

I suggest the Liberty or in your case the Cherokee. Very off road capable and not to bad on the petrol.

I agree, I own a 94 Jeep Grand Cherokee V8 5.2 Liters that has a towing package on it. I love it. Handles very well and can take the off road no problem. The towing package isn't "great' but it suits my needs. Jeep is known for being the wall climber, but my Jeep gets terrible gas mileage. 12 MPG in the city, 18-20 MPG on the freeway. The tank can hold up to 21 gallons, but I only fill it up to 16 and can get about 200 Miles city, 400+ freeway. If you buy used, look in the 94 range. I bought mine just about a year ago with only 72000 miles on it for a 94 (seems to be the best year for jeeps, do a Google search and you'll find those reviews).

Hope this helps.

 

My Dodge Nitro does pretty good. Not a real heavy duty off road, but does okay, considering the street tires I have on it,
Same engine (3.7) as the Liberty, I believe.

 

Same engine (3.7) as the Liberty, I believe.

Yup, but the cool thing about the Dodge is you can opt for the V8.

 

Does the Patriot even have a low range 4wd? I am a big Jeep fan but don't really pay much attention to their new type of vehicles like the Compass and Patriot. I have a 07 four door Wrangler Unlimited and that is a good size for people and gear, it has a serious transfer case with solid axles and gets about 17 mpg city and 21 highway.

If I had to choose between the Patriot and the Liberty/Cherokee I would go with the Liberty. You don't seem to need a super off road vehicle so the Liberty would be fine. Or you could go with the four door Wrangler possibly for around the same money. Get it with the hardtop if you don't want to mess with the maintenance of the soft top.

 

We had a liberty and I hated I it. We bought it new and within in the first year in had been in the shop 30 something times. Here in Georgia we have whats called the "Lemon Law". Basicly, if you take a new vehicle back to the dealership for the same problem three times or more they have to refund all the money you have spent on it.
We had three plus visits on the driveline, electrial system, and something else.

What a POS! To be fair though is did surprisingly well off road and had a respectable low range. It would turn on a dime and seemed to have torque to spare. At highway speeds however the vehicle would "float" and the handling characteriscts were shot to hell.

 

sounds like ya got a P.O.S. KJ. Hope you were refunded your $

 

Bought a patriot back in '07 when they first came out. Got it for a commuter to work and back, needless to say got that piece of junk now. With a lot of camping gear in the rear it great on the gas mileage. But that was also straight freeway driving to go camping. Little to no power at all. But the one thing i do love about it, easy to get unburried out of the mud compaired to my 2500 HD cummins. Wish I invested my money in another truck or supplies.

 

I have a Patriot- got it in '07 too. Mine is trail-rated and I've noticed that the current year models aren't.

I bought it while we were living in North Yorkshire. I worked with many different construction companies on various terrains and my little Patriot handled itself well on moors, marshy fields and sticky Yorkshire mud. It isn't as rugged as my husband's '06 Wrangler or my co-workers Land Rovers, but I never got stuck!

THe big appeal to the Patriot for me is it gets decent gas mileage for a small SUV, can comfortably fit my family and all the junk that twin toddlers seem to need.

 

love my jeep wrangler. Handles well bought it used. Does have alot of stuff done to it. every time I work on it I find something new. God help it when I start my modifications on it.

 

The patriot has not been a good seller for Chrysler in the united states mostly because it is a jackass of all trades and a master of none. It is probably the least capable 4x4 jeep makes. The tradeoff is a less than optimal highway ride. It is more fuel efficient than a full size suv, but less fuel efficient than a Subaru. In the end it depends what "reasonable off road mobility" means to you.

 

Go with the old 60's model Land Rover Diesel 4cyl! I helped Restore one back in highschool in shop class. It was a cool ride.

 

Since you're there in England, what about something like the Land Rover Freelander? I think those would be comparable, but parts and service might be better for the LR.

Just a thought.

Oh yeah.. Multiple Jeep owner here, but I would take a LR anyday