To get a Trail Rated Jeep Patriot, buyers need to select a four-wheel-drive Limited model and then outfit it with the Freedom-Drive II off-road package and a specific CVT featuring a low off-road gear. While tackling some terrain that was beyond the capability of any front-wheel-drive crossover, the Patriot proved quite capable. As this picture shows, suspension travel wasn’t all that impressive, but that’s a result of this rig being built for highway duty first, off-road play second. By holding the ESP button five to six seconds to deactivate, we were able to fling the Patriot through some desert washouts without worry – in low gear with 4WD Lock engaged, ESP automatically kicks back in at 35 mph to control a skid.