2015 Jeep Patriot Sport

The Patriot is Jeep's compact SUV, a boxy, affordable choice that shares its bones with the Compass and competes with the Escape and RAV4. It handles better than its boxy looks suggest, though the base engine feels sluggish when you need to merge onto a highway. Road noise is noticeable at highway speeds, but the ride is composed and the seats are comfortable for long trips. With the rear seats folded, the Patriot swallows long items like eight-foot boards, and its boxy shape makes loading easy. The Sport is the no-frills Patriot, with manual locks and windows, but this one adds four-wheel drive for traction in snow and mud. Its 2.4L I4 makes 172 horsepower and pairs with a five-speed manual and four-wheel drive, which is fine for around-town driving but feels underpowered on steep grades.