Chrysler’s coveted Jeep brand has had its share of imitators, weak offerings and quality glitches, but it remains a label respected worldwide thanks, in part, to an illustrious history and a rugged image. With more Jeep-badged vehicles on the market now than there have ever been, we decided to take a look at the revised 2009 Patriot, which was substantially upgraded just a over year after its introduction.

For 2009, Jeep snuck a brand-new interior in its boxy small SUV with the hopes that it would turn a low-rent festival of plastics into a class standout. Did it work? Read on.

What is it?
At first glance, it’s clearly the spiritual successor to the boxy Jeep Cherokee, the 1984 design credited with beginning the SUV craze. The Jeep Cherokee was a strong seller up until its 2001 demise when, as the story goes, the Daimler executives who had recently acquired (ok, “merged with”) Chrysler decided that enough was enough and axed the Cherokee. The fact that, nearly eight years on, later Cherokees still command about a third of their original retail price is evidence enough that American consumers like boxy Jeeps.

Unlike the Cherokee, however, the Patriot wasn’t conceived as an off-road star. This might seem contradictory to everything you’ve ever known about the Jeep brand, but given the low percentage of buyers who actually venture off road – let alone know what to do with a transfer case – it makes sense for Jeep to expand the brand in order to keep afloat.

Therefore, the Patriot is based on the Dodge Caliber and Jeep Compass platform, though it has been lifted up and given a more rugged suspension than its siblings.

What’s it up against?
Patriot occupies the entry-level end of the cute ‘ute spectrum, which puts it up against the Honda CR-V, four-cylinder Ford Escape, Hyundai Tucson and Subaru Forester.

Conversely, you could buy enough Jeep Cherokees on the used market to drive a different one each day of the week.

Any breakthroughs?
For 2009, the Patriot received an all-new interior that, according to Jeep, is a result of a fast-action correction of the mediocre – no, lousy – interior on the 2008 model. The Patriot also gained some sound insulation and revised suspension tuning for 2009.

Optional, though not equipped on our tester, is the Freedom Drive II group, which earns the Patriot Jeep’s coveted “Trail Ready” badge. The package includes a suspension lift, a simulated low-range and a brake-actuated locking differentials, among other off-road upgrades. We’ve driven Patriots with this setup before, though only in short spurts, but we can say that it does give the little ‘ute some borderline Jeep-like credentials.

Integrated into the tailgate is Chrysler’s unique flop-down speaker setup, an ideal picnic or tailgating companion – just watch the load on the battery.

How does it look?
At first glance, the Patriot certainly looks like the Cherokee’s eager baby brother, even though it stretches about six inches longer than the Cherokee did. The Patriot eschews trendy curves for a two-box configuration that will wear well over time, unlike its Compass cousin. Unlike the Cherokee, the Patriot gets round headlights – a Jeep tradition.

The design is cohesive and pleasing throughout, though it does sit awfully low to the ground for something featuring the historical Jeep badge. And, with the 17 inch wheels wrapped with road-oriented tires on our tester, the Patriot certainly looks destined for shopping mall parking lots, not rugged fire roads.

And on the inside?
Here’s where it gets interesting. The 2008 Patriot, if we may take a moment to reminisce, had an interior clearly created by bean counters and not designers. Though not especially unattractive in its basic design, it possessed potentially the lowest-quality combination of plastics ever offered in a production car – resulting in shiny, hard surfaces everywhere you looked or felt.

In response to customer and media complaints, Jeep did something almost unheard of in the auto industry. They took a rapid approach to addressing the shortfalls of the old sea of plastic and replaced it, just one model year later, with an interior that looks like it was destined for a luxury car but found its way to Jeep’s Illinois factory.

Out with the Playskool plastic and blob shapes and in with low-sheen materials, simpler, more organic designs, soft-touch surfaces and upscale bits of chrome-style trim. Where there was once a medley of surfaces and colors, you’ll now find materials that appear to have been chosen because they worked well together. In this world of nickel and diming to keep down costs, this transformation is nothing short of remarkable.

It’s not perfect, however, but our nitpicks are minor. Rubber headrests and a lack of a power seat option even on the top trim levels shows some evidence of past cost-cutting.

We don’t want to under-emphasize the metamorphosis Jeep’s designers and suppliers unleashed on this vehicle: This is the most-impressive high-value interior currently on the market in an inexpensive vehicle. You’ll find more flash and more features elsewhere, but the Patriot is proof positive that a simple, elegant interior made of high quality materials can be done at a low price point.

But does it go?
With 172 horsepower on tap, the Patriot isn’t exactly a rocket, but it does motor around town without struggling. CVTs aren’t our favorite transmission choices, but the one offered here might change our opinion. It takes a little getting used to the shift behavior – or lack thereof – but the CVT got far more out of the little 2.4 liter four-cylinder than we would have expected it to.

The Patriot’s engine is quiet at idle and produces a surprisingly pleasant muted growl under acceleration. On the highway, tire slap is the biggest detractor from an otherwise quiet vehicle.

The Patriot’s steering feels a little slow, but it provides reasonably good feel over bumpy terrain. There’s the sort of light kickback you’d expect to see in a designated off-roader like the Wrangler, which means that Jeep engineers did more than just slap badges on this car-based soft-roader. Our tester wasn’t equipped with the Freedom Drive II package (Jeep is really playing up the red, white and blue), so we treaded especially lightly. The road-oriented tires on our tester gave up the ghost on loose turf, meaning we had to use the tried-and-true method of liberal throttle applications to prevent from getting stuck.

Our Patriot featured a chrome lever to lock the center differential – the days of wrangling a balky transfer case lever into gear are apparently gone.

On pavement – where most Patriots will live – the little ‘ute rides softly but feels planted in corners and does a nice job of absorbing big impacts. The steering that feels a little slow off road manages to give the Patriot great maneuverability around town, where it can squeeze into tight parking spots and down narrow roads without any worries.

Why you would buy it:
You really miss your Jeep Cherokee and you want some off road ability. You’ll be amazed by the interior – we promise.

Why you wouldn’t:
You bought a 2008 Patriot and you’re still bitter about the fact that your kid’s Little Tykes red car (with the yellow roof) has a nicer interior.

Leftlane’s bottom line
Patriot isn’t perfect. But it’s a brilliant example of what can happen when an automaker puts quality and design above all else. Inside and out, it’s a good looking, upscale-feeling vehicle that, while it might not represent the Jeep of yore, is nonetheless a must-see standout in its class.

2009 Jeep Patriot Limited 4×4 base price, $23,230. As tested, $28,415.
Inferno Red paint, $225; Sun and Sound group, $1,295; Security and Convenience group, $995; Smoker’s Group, $30; CVT, $1,100; Engine block heater, $35; UConnect bluetooth/Navigation, $925; Destination, $580.

Words and photos by Andrew Ganz.

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