The Jeep Patriot and Compass have been largely ignored by the off-road community.
We should pay more attention.
I've been driving a loaner Patriot this week and have to say it's impressive. The suspension is flawless on the highway and dirt roads. Two-track trails are handled with aplomb, too. The 2.4 Dual VVT I4 mill and CVT transmission with locking center differential and low range mode allows the Patriot to work in the dirt. The only negative is that it gets about the same mileage as a JK Unlimited Wrangler.
The Patriot is about the same size and weight as the XJ Cherokee.