virgivaughn: Freedom Ain’t Free: Jeep Introduces Patriot Freedom Edition to Celebrate Members of Armed Forces

2013 Jeep Patriot Freedom Edition

Who says Jeeps couldn’t possibly become any more ’Murican? Well, no one—America does whatever the hell it wants! Jeeps can get even more flag-waving, and this 2013 Patriot Freedom edition did. The special-edition Patriot proudly celebrates the members of the armed forces, and it joins the recently introduced Wrangler Freedom Edition, which carries a similar theme.

Now, we admit the Patriot isn’t the burliest or toughest in Jeep’s stable, which also includes the Wrangler, the Liberty, and the Grand Cherokee, but it registers a higher butchness score than the knobby-kneed Compass. And in Freedom guise, it actually looks pretty cool. The baddest Patriot begins life as a mid-level Latitude model, to which Jeep adds Mineral Gray–painted 17-inch wheels, a sunroof, Security and Cargo convenience group (roof rails, vehicle info center, alarm), and the All-Weather Capability group (daytime running lights, engine-block heater, floor mats, all-terrain tires, and tow hooks; four-wheel-drive models only).

2013 Jeep Patriot Freedom Edition

The exterior gets a star graphic on the hood and each rear quarter panel, as well as an Oscar Mike (military-speak for “on the move”) badge on each front door. Inside, the Patriot Freedom edition features dark gray cloth seats with vinyl-trimmed bolsters and star logos on the front seats’ backrests. Any colors outside of red, white, or blue just wouldn’t do on anything with “Freedom” in its name; so appropriately, the special Patriot is only available in the three hues of our flag. Buyers can spec their Freedom edition with either front- or four-wheel-drive.

Besides being an attractive and, er, patriotic Patriot, the Freedom edition also literally supports our troops: For each one sold, Jeep will donate $250 to military charities. Better still, Jeep is charging just $22,440 for the front-drive Patriot Freedom edition; that’s not a whole lot more than a similarly equipped, less-free/more oppressive/semi-patriotic regular Patriot Latitude.

2013 Jeep Patriot Freedom Edition