The Renegade is like a gateway drug for Jeep buyers.Once you experience how it drivesand its off-road abilities, you’ll see why other, burlierJeep models are so popular.
The Takeaway
The Good:ճis a solid,budget-minded 4×4withthe soul of aJeep. The rear seat and cargo space are larger than you’llfind in a much bigger SUVcosting twice as much. The nine-speed transmission is geared for fuel economy—on the highway, it delivers 30 miles per gallon.
The Bad:In our tests, the combination of the 2.4-liter engine, the nine-speed transmission, and Colorado’s high altitude left the Renegade lacking in oomph. Drop the vehicle into four-wheel drive and it slows down even more. In dense city traffic, fuel economy drops into the low 20s. Inside, a USB port and atouchscreenradio interface with Bluetooth connectivity and backup camera bring the Renegade’selectronics into this decade, but we were surprised to find no heated front seats, a feature we felt should be standard.
The Verdict:Thanks to its four-wheel-driveprowess and respectable highway mileage, we think this is a great car for city dwellers who like to play in the mountains. It’s not a bad commuter, but it will also get you up to the ski hill in teninches of snow or through sloppy mud on the way to your camping spot. It falls short on the long-haul drives—a comfortable road-tripper it isnot.
Specs
ʰ:$23,295;$26,980 as tested
EԲԱ:2.4-liter inline four-cylinder
ٰٰ:Nine-speed automatic, 4WD
EPA Fuel Economy:24 mpg combined; 21 mpg city/29 mpg highway
The Engine
The 2.4-liter engine pumps out 180 horsepower, which would be plenty in an econobox sedan or hatchback, but it turns thebricklike Renegade, tricked out with the additional weight of the four-wheel-drive drivetrain,into a slowbut steadyvehicle. On a 70 mphsprint up I-70 into the mountains, the engine had to drop into fourthgear and rev up to 4,500 RPMs just to keep up with traffic. That said, the smallishengine and nine-speed transmission turntheJeep into a mileage champ: on an 80-mile round-trip into the mountains and back on freeways and highways, we notched 30 miles per gallon.
What the Renegade lacks in interstate mojo, it more than makes up for when the road turns to hell and you have to—or want to—slow down. Its lack of power means less chance of spinning out the wheels in sand, snow, mud,and muck. To further help you with those adventures, Jeep outfitted the Renegade with a terrain-mode dial underneath the radio that optimizes the four-wheel-drive system for snow, sand, or mud. It’s an advanced feature that distinguishes the Renegade from other economy-minded, pint-sizeSUVs like the Nissan Juke and Mazda CX-3.
The Ride
If you had to place the Renegade between thelegendary off-road monsterWrangler and the luxurious,air-suspended ride of the Grand Cherokee, we’d say it falls closer to the Wrangler,with a relatively harsh ride that inspires confidence when you’re off-roading.
On our test, we switched into “snow” mode and blasted over snow-packed roads with noproblem. The four-wheel-drive system held its grip better than we expected, even doing donuts on an icy turnout. Off-road, the Renegade’s small size allows it to go where few new four-wheel-drive rigs can go these days. It’s actually smaller than the iconic Wrangler.
There are sweeter driving rigs than the Renegade and SUVs that get better gas mileage, but therereally isn’t one that can tackle off-road this well and at this price.
Cargo
Inside, high ceilings (even in the second row) make the Renegadefeellike it has more room than it does.People six feet and taller will love it.Cargo capacity tops out around 50 cubicfeet with the rear seats down, which is competitive with other vehicles in its class.
One issue: alot of that cargo room is vertical, not horizontal. That’s ideal for hauling dogs and houseplantsbut makes throwing bikes and skis in back more difficult than it would be in, say, a Subaru Outback. We did love the hidden tray underneath the floor of the rear cargo area that was perfect for stowing muddy ski boots so they didn’t muck up everything else.
Buying Advice
The Renegade Latitude 4×4 falls into the same one-quiver category as the Subaru Outback,thanks to respectablegas mileage and off-road performance. It’s not as zippy as the Outback, and the gas mileage isn’t quite as good, but it rides more like a Jeep than a sedan, which some people will appreciate. And it has more comprehensive four-wheel-drive options, which come into play when you’re deep in the muck.