Anyone here own a Jeep Renegade?

[dstock]

Saw the Renegade at the auto show this week, and I have to say I was really impressed. It's way bigger inside then I expected, interior was very well done, and all around I was impressed with the overall quality of the materials.

Across the board, Jeep has really stepped it up. I sat in the new Tacoma and 4Runner and really wanted to like them but the interiors were cheap feeling at best. I was pretty shocked actually, especially since the Tacoma is fully redesigned. Even the Chevy Colorado had a nicer interior then the Toyotas and was all around better looking.

 

[dstock]

Great little jeep, I really enjoyed my Patriot.View attachment 316819

THAT is awesome!!!

 

[kojackJKU]

Dstock, Don't drive the toy either, you will hate them even more. They ride like a fence post. Before I bought my first jeep, I was looking at a taco TRD, it was like I was driving a 1980 chev 3/4 ton. zero suspension compliance.

 

[dstock]

Dstock, Don't drive the toy either, you will hate them even more. They ride like a fence post. Before I bought my first jeep, I was looking at a taco TRD, it was like I was driving a 1980 chev 3/4 ton. zero suspension compliance.

Supposedly they improved the ride on the new Tacoma, but I was so turned off by the interior that I have no interest in it anymore. I'm not in the market, love my JK, but my daughter is getting my GF's LJ so she needs a new ride, and the Renegade may just fit the bill.

 

[kojackJKU]

Yeah, I have driven them and they are awesome little rigs. We got the patriot as it has a little more interior room, price for ours was almost half of a gade that was in stock. and they took my hardly ableson on trade.

 

[RubiconGeoff]

I'm a fan of hardcore Jeeps, but I definitely like the Renegade. I just wish it had the planetary low range and rear diff lock from the Cherokee.

How well does the pseudo low range work in the real world? Jeep touts the 20:1 "crawl" ratio, but that's a pretty laughable number coming from my history of my current JK with a 73:1 crawl ratio, a Samurai with an 87:1 crawl ratio, and a Toyota with a 236:1 crawl ratio. Admittedly, the Renegade isn't intended to be a rockcrawler and its tires are a pretty small diameter, but I remember back in the day when I had a Sidekick, its biggest limiting factor off-road was its pitiful 26:1 crawl ratio; even with the automatic transmission's torque multiplication, I frequently had the throttle matted and the torque converter fully stalled and the 30" tires wouldn't turn. The gearing was especially problematic at high altitudes. The Renegade's 2.4 makes a lot more torque than the Sidekick's 1.6, but it also weighs 800lbs more.

The planetary low range and rear diff lock would be my primary reasons for choosing a Cherokee over a Renegade.

 

[kojackJKU]

The Cherokee cannot be lifted however. Just remember that. There are a couple of lifts for the renegade to get a little bigger tire under there. Same with the patriot. We looked at all three, the price/size ratio of the patriot won us over.

 

[PirateMcGee]

Bringing this back....

Has anyone drive one with the 1.4T, manual, and 4wd? Seems like with a tire swap and the facia from a trailhawk it would be a perfect dd/dirt road runner....

 

[SilicaRich]

I don't own a Renegade but personally don't have an issue with them as a Jeep owner. Just wish they weren't called 'Renegade'. Like I think Panda would have been a better model name, maybe it's just me, but every time I see one they remind of a Panda

 

[PirateMcGee]

I don't own a Renegade but personally don't have an issue with them as a Jeep owner. Just wish they weren't called 'Renegade'. Like I think Panda would have been a better model name, maybe it's just me, but every time I see one they remind of a Panda

but Panda wouldn't work with the Hipster marketing campaign......

 

[RubiconGeoff]

The Cherokee cannot be lifted however. Just remember that.

Thankfully, the Cherokee can now be lifted, so the Renegade's biggest advantage over the Cherokee has been equalized.

Back to my question above: how effective have you Renegade owners found the 20:1 "crawl" ratio to be? Fred Williams reviewed the Renegade on Black Bear Pass and ran into the same problem at high altitude on steeper climbs that limited the 26:1 crawl ratio in my Sidekick. The obstacle can be found at the 13 minute 7 second mark in this video:

[video]https://youtu.be/gthrdNtQuJQ?t=13m7s[/video]

In a situation like that obstacle, the low range gearing and rear difflock on the Cherokee would really be a benefit. And now that you can get some decent ground clearance under the Cherokee, it looks like the Cherokee is the way to go if off-road performance is your deciding factor.

 

[Zeiderman]

You really meant this riiiiiiight?

 

[BIGdaddy]

Plus they're cute. I just wanna pick it up and put it on my lap. Pet it...

Hahahahah...nice.😀

 

[Whito123]

View attachment 345722

You really meant this riiiiiiight?

That's what I thought when I read the headline. I had a '78 and a '79. Loved 'em. The '79 was a "Levi's" edition... man I'm old...

 

[kojackJKU]

I had the levi's edition cj when I was 14. it had a v8 and 31" tires. She was a woods weapon. 3 speed manual. Not as comfy as the new gade tho.