The 2011 Jeep Patriot has undergone some changes for the 2011 model year. These include changes to the interior trim, a slight redesigned dashboard, and new programming in the gearbox that Jeep says smoothes out the gear changes. There has also been a change in the vinyl boot floor covering that was easily scratched. The Patriot is based on the same platform as the Mitsubishi Outlander, so it has the same 2.4-liter four cylinder engine and CVT gearbox as the Outlander.

The gearbox is smooth in both automatic and manual modes, but shares the same unfortunate characteristic of most CVT gearboxes when in automatic mode; when revved hard the car sounds as if the clutch is slipping. The 2011 Jeep Patriot is much more a Crossover Utility Vehicle than a Sports Utility Vehicle, so tackling extreme trails may be a bit out of its league. The Patriot has low ground clearance and no low ratio transfer gearbox. It is intended for urban transport, but it can still traverse off-road. Inside, the designers have given the interior a strong, safe feeling, as if it were an armored car.

The compromise with this sort of styling is that outside view is extremely restricted, making it difficult to reverse the vehicle into tight spaces. All the switches are big and chunky, although the indicator arm feels fragile and clicks into place reluctantly. The styling of the Patriot is polarizing. It leaves you either loving it or hating it. The interior feels good, but the outside may appear overdone. It looks like an off-roader, but is in reality a family car. The pictures seen are of the 2010 model year of the Jeep Patriot.