Disappointment in the 2011 Patriot snow performance

srtdodge05 · 02-22-2011, 02:00 PM

The Patriot is one of the worst snow performance vehicle's ive ever drove. Being FWD it should handle well in snow but this thing sucks. The stock firestone tires were real bad in the snow so i upgraded them fast. I got the pirelli P4 tire's as the best upgrade i could find. When driving in the snow they are great and stick to the road like glue. Then taking off at a light or moving from a dead stop to go the patriot wont move for nothing.

We had about 10in of snow the other day and i made it out of the driveway and about one house over and was stuck. Took 3 people to get me out and back into the driveway. I tried with ESP and without and didnt notice a difference. The front tires just spun and couldnt go anywhere. I dont know if it's just for the 2011's or what but soon as i hit snow my patriot just stop's dead and wont move.

Sad part is my mom has a kia soul and that thing made it through the 10in of snow we had with no problem. The tires on it are like the firestone and it went like a tank. Even my cousin's FWD escape took the snow with no problem. I with i could take the patriot back and get something else.

**Gramps** · 02-22-2011, 02:32 PM

Sorry to hear that you had problems. I was thinking as I was reading, was it snow or ice? I hate ice but the Kia and Escape made it.

srtdodge05 · 02-22-2011, 03:36 PM

It was just snow where i got stuck and just had tire spin. If i stop at a light with 2-3in of wet snow and try to go my tires just spin and it takes me almost a full light to get moving through. I dont understand why it acting this way. My wifes neon drives just fine in the snow and its sad i have to leave the jeep at home and drive that.

armystrong68w · 02-22-2011, 04:16 PM

My '08 4wd 5spd manual with stock tires with 40k on them does just fine as long as i dont get high centered on a snow bank

!!! Are you sure its not driver error

just joshing you

... But what are the specs? Still 2.4 l I4 with 180hp?

troys96xj · 02-22-2011, 04:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by armystrong68w

My '08 4wd 5spd manual with stock tires with 40k on them does just fine as long as i dont get high centered on a snow bank

!!! Are you sure its not driver error

just joshing you

... But what are the specs? Still 2.4 l I4 with 180hp?

I have an 07 and it does great in snow. They never had 180hp, it is 172hp for the 2.4.
It will beat my ZJ and XJ any day in the white stuff. Mine is 4wd though.

srtdodge05 · 02-22-2011, 05:03 PM

FWD with the 2.4L 172hp. I dont think it could be a driver error, i mean i drive all cars the same way and for some reason the patriot just wont take it. Only thing i havent tried it to use the autostick and leave it in first to see if it will go any better. If im on pavement and hit a street with a lot of snow i can go right through it no problem.

armystrong68w · 02-22-2011, 05:09 PM

yeah 172hp, my bad i just threw out a number that came to me. Hmm what could be so different with the '11s that makes them so bad in snow?

tjkj2002 · 02-22-2011, 05:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by srtdodge05

The Patriot is one of the worst snow performance vehicle's ive ever drove. Being FWD it should handle well in snow but this thing sucks. The stock firestone tires were real bad in the snow so i upgraded them fast. I got the pirelli P4 tire's as the best upgrade i could find. When driving in the snow they are great and stick to the road like glue. Then taking off at a light or moving from a dead stop to go the patriot wont move for nothing.

We had about 10in of snow the other day and i made it out of the driveway and about one house over and was stuck. Took 3 people to get me out and back into the driveway. I tried with ESP and without and didnt notice a difference. The front tires just spun and couldnt go anywhere. I dont know if it's just for the 2011's or what but soon as i hit snow my patriot just stop's dead and wont move.

Sad part is my mom has a kia soul and that thing made it through the 10in of snow we had with no problem. The tires on it are like the firestone and it went like a tank. Even my cousin's FWD escape took the snow with no problem. I with i could take the patriot back and get something else.

You need better tires,those P4's are pretty bad tires for any surface.Try a good AT tire like the Destination AT or LE and you will be amazed at the difference over a highway tire.

Oh and AWD helps.

miketmx · 02-23-2011, 06:34 AM

It sounds to me like something is wrong with the TCS and you should take it to the dealer to find out what is going on. Our Patriot is absolutely awesome in snow, way better than our Cherokee. ESP On in the normal state should get you moving unless the snow is real deep and then it would act like a governor on the throttle and your engine would not rev up. ESP set to Partial Off would still have all the features of TCS (Traction Control) with your ABS brakes working on the tire without traction but it would NOT kill the throttle so you could get out of deep snow with more wheel spin on the tire with traction.

tjsahara00 · 02-23-2011, 10:22 AM

did you put in 4 wheel drive???

Urr · 02-23-2011, 12:49 PM

So lets look at the facts:

Quote:

Originally Posted by srtdodge05

....Being FWD ... Took 3 people to get me out ... The front tires just spun ... i could take the patriot back and get something else.

As I understand it's 2WD (FWD) Patriot? I.e. it actually has 1WD as there's no differencial lock (as 4x4 FDI is really a 2WD and FDII is 3WD

).

If it took 3 people to get it out, so it was well stuck. Highcentered maybe? Or the one spinning wheel had digged itself an icey hole and spun in there.
If vehicle is bad and gets easyly stuck, it takes just one person to push it moving again...

If the tires just spun, the vehicle is high-centered and/or these are crappy tires.

My conclusion is: get good tires. Studded, if it is allowed. (Its cheaper solution than getting a new vehicle, also

)

w4rh4wk · 02-23-2011, 01:17 PM

I've only got stuck once with my 4x4 compass but there was a good reason for it .........25" of SNOW!

tjsahara00 · 02-24-2011, 02:35 AM

With you living up in Dearborn MI and get that kind snow what didn't you buy a 4x4 Patriot?

**Rubes** · 02-24-2011, 06:08 PM

We bought a '10 FWD Patriot and my experience with a little snow is yeah, it's not so great. Guess what? It's a FWD car! I have the Wrangler SR-A's which came with it. But it doesn't bog down like what you stated. I have to admit that I didn't take it out during the 2-day blizzardpalooza we had in the Chicago area on Feb 1st...I took out our 4WD Liberty...it performed great on 14 inches of snow in the supermarket parking lots! (I installed the Firestone Wilderness LE's on the Liberty a couple months back and they are GREAT!)

ram2 · 02-24-2011, 07:47 PM

Get some Blizzack snow tires.