Exterior & Styling

The Patriot's styling breaks no ground. Its triumph is that it looks like a Jeep. That might seem minor, but even today this vehicle class carries a cute-ute stigma, and one of the Compass' problems is that it doesn't look like a Jeep — at least not in any of the ways one might want it to. As the photos show, there's a passing resemblance between the two because they and the Dodge Caliber share the same platform, and all are assembled at the same Illinois plant.

One could argue that the squared-off Patriot most resembles Jeep's flagship, the Commander, but it more strongly honors old-school Cherokees and Grand Cherokees.

The two trim levels are Sport and Limited, with few visible differences. The Limited adds a metal-look cover to the front and rear bumpers, and upgrades the Sport's respectable 16-inch steel wheels to 17-inch alloys. The Patriot Sport has standard black roof rails, but the cross-members are optional. The Limited has aluminum rails and cross-bars as standard equipment.

    See also:

    Towing Requirements – Trailer Lights And Wiring
    Whenever you pull a trailer, regardless of the trailer size, stop lights and turn signals on the trailer are required for motoring safety. The Trailer Tow Package will include a four–pin wiring h ...

    Bluetooth Streaming Audio (BTSA)
    Music can be streamed from your cellular phone to the Uconnect™ phone system. Controlling BTSA Using Radio Buttons To get into the BTSA mode, press either “AUX” button on the radio or press th ...

    Seat Belts
    Inspect the belt system periodically, checking for cuts, frays, and loose parts. Damaged parts must be replaced immediately. Do not disassemble or modify the system. Front seat belt assemblies mu ...