The good news for fans and potential owners of the 2013 Jeep Patriot is that this compact SUV, the least expensive one available in the U.S., no longer competes with a fellow Jeep product, the Liberty, which ended production as of the 2012 model year. However, the Patriot still faces serious competition in the compact SUV segment from such entries as the Chevrolet Equinox, Ford Escape, Honda CR-V and Toyota RAV4.

As such, one would hope that engineers would have made some significant upgrades to the Patriot for the new model year. Unfortunately, despite receiving only minor tweaks the past two years, the only thing changed for 2013 is that the continuously variable transmission (CVT) has been recalibrated.

The 2013 Jeep Patriot is available for purchase in six trims: three front-wheel-drive trims—Sports, Latitude and Limited—and three matching all-wheel-drive (AWD) trims. The Sport trims and the Latitude can be purchased from the factory with a 2.0-liter 16-valve DOHC inline 4-cylinder dual VVT engine mated to a 5-speed manual transmission. The Latitude AWD, Limited and Limited AWD come with a 2.4-liter 16-valve DOHC inline-4 dual VVT engine paired with a continuously variable transmission (CVT) – the AWD trims’ CVT has an off-road crawl ratio. All trims can be upgraded to the CVT.

The 2.0-liter engine is rated at 158 hp and 141 lb-ft of torque, while the 2.4-liter engine is capable of 172 hp and 165 lb-ft of torque. All 2013 Jeep Patriot trims run on regular gasoline. The EPA estimates that the Sport trims are capable of up to 23 mpg city/30 highway, and the Latitude and Limited trims can achieve between 20 and 23 mpg city and between 23 and 28 highway.

Standard features available on all 2013 Jeep Patriot Sport trims include air conditioning bypass, cruise control, tilt steering wheel, premium cloth seating surfaces, 4-speaker sound system with AM/FM radio with in-dash CD/MP3 player, rear window defroster, roof rack side rails and 16-inch styled steel wheels. The Sport trims can be upgraded to include such features as air conditioning, power windows, power locks, keyless entry and heated folding exterior mirrors. Buyers selecting the Latitude trims will find as standard features air conditioning, a leather-wrapped steering wheel and gear shift knob, heated front seats and 17-inch aluminum alloy wheels. Upgrading to the Limited trims adds automatic climate control, AM/FM radio with a 6-CD/DVD in-dash changer, leather-trimmed seating surfaces and a power-6-way driver’s seat.

For safety, the 2013 Jeep Patriot features advanced multistage front airbags and supplemental side-curtain front and rear airbags on all trims, as well as front disc and rear drum brakes with antilock and brake assist, electronic stability control, electronic roll mitigation, fog lights and a tire pressure monitoring system. A theft-deterrent system is also standard.

Like most vehicles with the Jeep badge, the 2013 Patriot is built for off-roading, especially when configured with AWD. Owners remark how easily the Patriot switches from pavement to gravel and then back again. Power-wise, the 2.0-liter engine has some owners wishing for more, but overall, consumer reviews are favorable.

For weekend play, the 2013 Jeep Patriot does admirably well. While not the top choice for grocery getting or everyday driving, the price of the Jeep Patriot does make a reasonable choice for the budget conscious looking to add an SUV or AWD vehicle to their driveway.