In years past the Editor of Jp would grab a press-fleet Viper or an SRT Challenger or something sexy and exciting to take to Las Vegas for the week-long SEMA show. Me, I took a Jeep Patriot.

But before you jump all up in my face for wussing out, I'm testing a theory about fuel-efficient vehicles in general with special attention to the Jeep brand. And yeah, the Patriot is pretty limp-wristed when you stack it up against a hairy-chested Pentastar-powered JK or a Hemi Grand Cherokee.

But unlike any Civic or Mazda econobox, I was still able to pull the little "4WD" lever in the Patriot and take an off-road detour on my way to Vegas for a little target practice deep in the middle of the desert. Try that with a low-slung, front-wheel-drive car.