As a car-based yet offroad-capable model, the Patriot, Jeep's newest SUV, is exactly what the brand and its buyers need, for three reasons. One: It's long overdue, because the heavy-duty Liberty and Wrangler weren't built to challenge light, unibody compacts, which got their start 10 years ago. Two: Its gas mileage estimates are impressively high, and that's an important characteristic for a company that only builds SUVs. Three: It's attractive enough to buyers — in more ways than one — to cast a long if somewhat boxy shadow over the Jeep Compass, a newer model that has found no fans among our staff, and few among people we've shown it to.

• Exterior & Styling
• Drivetrain Choices
• Patriot Engines
• In the Cabin
• Safety
• Towing
• Testing the Trail Rating
• Patriot in the Market