NEVER before has Jeep had a road-friendly model for less than $30,000. The Patriot is aimed at customers who are stepping up from a small car or dropping down from a medium or large sedan, with rugged styling and relatively good on-road manners. It is very similar to sporty-styled Compass, but wears a much more traditional Jeep skin that is likely to appeal to fans of the American brand who may have never actually bought one before. Jeep has taken the lead in the compact SUV segment by offering a diesel powerplant as well as a petrol engine. With such a sharp base price, plus electronic stability control and four airbags as standard, the Patriot shapes up as a convincing alternative to traditional compact SUVs like the Honda CR-V, Nissan X-Trail, Toyota RAV4 and Mazda Tribute.