Blind to the Value
As equipped, our test Patriot Limited 4x4's price was $29,700, and people found that hard to stomach. Dig deeper, and you find the base price for this trim is $24,550, which is a bit lower than that of the CR-V's and Tucson's higher trim levels (see them compared). The roughly $5,000 difference amounted to our Patriot's long list of options, including the automatic transmission, a moonroof and a premium stereo with unique flip-down rear speakers in the liftgate. There's also remote start, Bluetooth phone connectivity, HomeLink, an auto-dimming rearview mirror, a cargo cover, roof-rack crossbars, a readout for the tire pressure monitoring system and more. The in-dash multimedia system included a well-executed navigation system with a free year of Sirius Traffic Service. It also featured both analog and digital jacks for playing and controlling audio sources and for loading songs and photos onto the onboard hard disk drive.
It's actually a lot of features for the money, but there's such a disconnect between the price and the perception of quality that people seemed blind to the value of the added options. If this doesn't illustrate the importance of aesthetic quality, nothing will.
See also:
Rear Liftgate Mounted Tail Lamp
1. Raise the liftgate.
2. Use a fiber stick or flat blade screw driver to pry the
lower trim from the liftgate.
3. Once lower trim is loose, close the liftgate.
4. Open the flipper glass.
5. Pul ...
Rain Sensing Wipers — If Equipped
This feature senses moisture on the windshield and
automatically activates the wipers for the driver. This
feature is especially useful for road splash or overspray
from the windshield washers o ...
Driver Memory Seat — If Equipped
Once programmed, the memory buttons 1 and 2 on the
driver’s door panel can be used to recall the driver’s seat,
driver’s outside mirror, adjustable steering wheel position
(if equipped), a ...