2016 Jeep Renegade – Test Drive, Review, Ratings, Specs

A Small Scale SUV

Having mastered the manufacturing art of serious off-road vehicles, it would only only make sense (and sound easy enough) to downsize to something smaller, practical and affordable. The Renegade is Jeep’s first attempt to make such statement true. Certainly, it’s at a smaller scale while retaining Jeep’s secret sauce with true 4×4 capability, rugged looks and a tough chassis. A week’s worth spent with the Renegade certainly reveals its adventurous lifestyle minus a few things that are just hard to get right the first time.

Generally speaking, a car’s going to fall under one of the two spectrum of on or off-road. But that was back then, and the now is all about the best of both worlds. At least, that’s what the Jeep Renegade’s mission statement is all about. Complete with Jeep’s bread and butter 4×4 powertrain, an ultra rugged chassis and serious off-road looks, there’s no denying that there the Renegade was built tough enough to sustain any harsh terrain you throw at it.

Funked Out Looks

Jeep didn’t set a lot of strict rules on the Renegade drawing board. It’s large circular headlamps, trapezoidal wheel arches and short wheel-hang pretty much begs any on-lookers with the question of “are you serious?”. That’s not to say the Renegade is the only one found guilty of clown show looks though. The Nissan Juke, and Kia Soul seemed to have also caught on the trend of immature immature.

Interior space contains an open space of plastic, plastic, and plastic with the exception of the cotton seats and rubber mats of course. I guess it makes sense considering what the Renegade was ultimately built for. Looks and feel as well as ergonomics was a bit clumsy unfortunately. Its Selec-Trac Terrain selector is mounted way down below the center console obstructed by the gear lever with the absence of available arm rest for driving comfort. The gear lever was also awkwardly placed and was found to be easy to inadvertently shifted into Neutral from G-forces encountered from braking.

Nevertheless, its triple dial climate control knob, miniature infotainment screen and passenger side grab-handle as well as various historic stitching of the “Since 1941” along with a map drawing of Moab Utah found throughout the interior adds a nice touch to encourage Jeep owndershp pride.

No Messing Around

While its funked-out looks may fool you into thinking otherwise, make no mistake that the Renegade is indeed a serious off-road machine. Best-in-class tow capacity of 2000 lbs, full-time 4×4 system, best in class ground clearance and a dedicated Traction Management System is enough evidence to prove its authenticity.

Driving it out of the lot quickly shows the spirit of the Wrangler – solid, capable and slow controlled. There are subtle differences noticed in Jeep’s attempt to make the Renegade more road friendly though. Suspensions travel is reduced and slightly more responsive to accommodate road comfort with its transmission better tuned for picking up and maintaining speed on the highway.

Smaller scale also means a smaller engine. Choices come in either in a 1.4L V4 Turbo, or its more notary 2.4L V4 Tigershark engine. In terms of the latter choice, it’s a good one to pick out of Chrysler’s inventory bin, and its impressive fuel efficiency numbers proves that with EPA ratings of 26/37 MPG City/Highway while its 1.4L version gets 29/35. These numbers can be thanked by its aerodynamic chassis, and a 9-speed automatic gearbox.

Our 2.4L tester produces 180 hp and 175 lb-ft of torque. It’s not a lot, and its high revs upon highway merges are a giveaway. Acceleration also requires a pretty deep push in the gas pedal, but that’s always been a Jeep thing. Steering shares the same note with a somewhat sticky feel, but with good positive road feedback.

Where it Stands

Off-road vehicles are rarely on my test drive, but when I do get one, it’s clearly distinguished from the on-roaders. While the Renegade was an attempt to share the best of both worlds, I still have to say it’s a much more heavily weighed towards the off-road spectrum. But that’s a good thing. It’s small, practical and fuel efficient enough to drive in and around the city; yet tough enough to handle off-boundary terrain. Sure there are a few quirks to work out in the cockpit are and user-interface, but it is Jeep’s first attempt. Give it a few more iterations, and the Renegade just might emerge as the crown jewel of off-road enthusiasts with a single parking stall.