2015 Jeep Renegade Sport Review

by Ben Aghajanian

“Remember fun? The Subaru Outback brings it all back.” While this is a Subaru ad, this phrase can very easily be applied to the all-new Jeep Renegade, especially when equipped as our tester was. The Renegade I drove had a 1.4L turbocharged inline four, coupled to a 6-speed manual transmission.

Jeep origins, at the core, were as Spartan, rugged, military vehicles. While Jeep has expanded upmarket in recent years with models such as the Grand Cherokee, one of the only American SUVs frequently cross-shopped with European competitors such as the X5, they really needed a “return to the roots” sort of vehicle. The Renegade is just that.

Our tester was the Sport model, the most affordable trim level, equipped with just a few options: 4×4, Power and Air group (heated side mirrors, cruise, a/c, roof rails, and the awesome My Sky™ removable roof panels. In my opinion, this is the purest version of the Renegade. There is almost no chrome (just the grille surround) to be found on this car. Black door handles, mirror trim, bumpers, and black steel wheels. Normally I’m not a fan of steel wheels, but in black, they work here. It complements the utilitarian look.

The interior was a similar story. Black cloth seats, cloth on the center console armrest, and doors as well. This was all very welcome on the hot early September days when I was driving the Jeep. The seats themselves were very comfortable. At 6’2”, I often have to move the seat around a fair bit in a typical car to find a comfortable driving position. In the Renegade, all I had to do was slide it forward or back. They were very supportive and comfortable in all the right places.

I loved the simplicity of the interior. The radio was a standard pushbutton unit with knobs to adjust everything, and the climate controls were the same, a familiar three-dial setup. The steering wheel was a nice size and had grips at 10 and 2, with redundant stereo controls and cruise on the spokes. Despite the car’s $19,995 base price ($23,775 as-tested, including destination), it didn’t feel cheap inside. The grab handle on the passenger side was grippy and felt solid.

Perhaps the most Jeep-appropriate feature in the Renegade was the 6-speed manual. A surprising number of Wranglers ship with manual transmissions, and I applaud the availability of it here. The manual was well matched to the turbocharged 4-cylinder. 1.4L is a pretty small engine, especially for an SUV and I wondered how it would perform in the Renegade. Since it puts out 160hp and, more importantly, 184lb-ft of torque, it does quite well. There is a little bit of turbo lag down low in the rev range, but above 2,000rpm or so, the Renegade moves briskly. You can even hear the blow-off valve when letting off of the throttle, which is pretty fun to do repeatedly. Even with four people on board, the turbo 4 had no issues moving the Jeep. The Renegade also rode smoothly whether loaded or unloaded.

Though I had the windows down for almost the entire week I drove the Renegade, it was quiet with the windows up, even on the highway. Other than a little wind noise (not very much), NVH levels were impressive for the car’s size and exterior profile.

The Renegade comes in some pretty wild colors, and our Sierra Blue tester was no exception. Personally, I would go with a different color, such as black, Colorado Red, or Mojave Sand. It even looks good in white. Just not Solar Yellow, please. On the Sport trim level, in addition to black, you can get Sandstorm-colored seats, if you want some lighter interior options.
Other than the manual transmission, the coolest feature had to be the My Sky™ roof. Drawing inspiration from the Wrangler’s removable roof, this version has two hard panels, one over the front seats and one over the back. You can remove just one of them, or both, via two manual locking mechanisms that are easy to use. The panels are stored in a compartment underneath the rear cargo area. I don’t think there is another vehicle on the market that offers something like this.

Since it is a B-segment SUV, one of the smallest available in the U.S., backseat room is a little bit tight with the front seats pushed back. Slide the fronts up a bit and things improve. Headroom though, in front or back, is very good—aided by the upright profile and lack of rake in the roofline. Cargo room is moderate, big enough for three or four medium-sized duffel bags. It’s more than I expected given the Renegade’s small exterior dimensions.

The Renegade is a pretty great package, and I think it will appeal to people that may not otherwise consider a Jeep: city dwellers that need tidy dimensions for street parking and narrow spaces, off-road enthusiasts that don’t want to drop the coin on a Wrangler Rubicon, and people looking for a small yet capable SUV that doesn’t guzzle gas. The Renegade can satisfy any and all of these requirements, and also managed to be a lot of fun to drive.

Full Disclosure: Jeep provided the vehicle, insurance, and one tank of gas for this review. I worked as an intern in Product Planning at Jeep during summer 2013 on the Renegade product team.

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