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I happen to own a Jeep Patriot and I think it is an exceptional value. I purchased the trail-rated version but since your wife will not be using it for off road, she would not need the lower gearing in this particular model.
I prefere the Patriot appearance over the Compass but this is a personal thing and your wife will have to decide which model she prefers....although I think the Patriot affords more utility due to the square rear end (vs curved on the Compass)....both are built on the same frame as the Dodge Caliber and have the same engine (2.4L 4 cyl)...if your wife drives a standard, she may prefer the available 5 speed which will give slightly better gas mileage than the automatic CVT....since you live in NJ and you do get winter weather there (I'm in Ontario, Canada), I would opt for the 4X4 version for winter safety...
Both the Patriot and Compass come in either Sport or Limited models and many safety features are standard...for much more information, you might want to check out the Jeep Patriot forum (which I am a member)...at www.jeeppatriot.com
I would have your wife test drive the one she likes and see what you think....Compasses are widely available since they started production much earlier than the Patriots.... Patriots are just coming to dealers now so there may not be that many around...
Hope this helps...
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