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It's no secret that the Jeep Patriot -- along with the Compass, its comrade on the bottom rung of the Jeep lineup -- was something of a disappointment when it was launched for the 2007 model year. The cabin was full of sharp, ugly plastics; the ride was jittery and loud; and the powertrain was far from class-leading. At least, though, it looked better than the Compass and managed to earn Jeep's Trail Rated badge, at least when equipped with the so-called Freedom Drive II system.