Why is the Jeep Renegade so Popular?
You’ve had to notice the Jeep Renegade doing its quirky thing around town. These little Jeeps are popping up everywhere. It got us thinking about why the Jeep Renegade is becoming so popular and if it’s a good SUV.
Is the Jeep Renegade a good SUV?
Yes, the Jeep Renegade is a great compact option for driving around town and for going off-roading. Edmunds noted that the Jeep Renegade is fun to drive. It has an agile turning radius, making it extremely easy to drive around town. You can turn around in the Jeep Renegade and whip into any parking spot in seconds.
Some people may complain about the lackluster engine, but the 1.3-liter direct-injected turbo four-cylinder engine provides 177 horsepower and 210 lb-ft of torque. It can accelerate from 0 to 60 mph in 8.9 seconds.
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That’s plenty of power for passing people on the highway and pulling out into traffic, but sure, that’s not as fast as a sports car. But thanks to the small turning radius and agile handling, you can dominate curvy mountain roads at higher speeds. (PLEASE FOLLOW THE SPEED LIMITS AND DRIVE CAREFULLY).
The Jeep Renegade is affordable
If you want an SUV with off-roading chops for handling snow and adventures, the Jeep Renegade won’t set you back too far. The 2020 Jeep Renegade Trailhawk, with all the off-roading bells and whistles, including four-wheel drive, starts around $27k.
So, used models that hold their value can be snagged at cheaper rates. When browsing for a Used Jeep Renegade, we found a used 2018 Trailhawk for about $23k, a 2016 Trailhawk Renegade for about $18k, and more. You can get the Jeep power and off-roading abilities you want without having to pay Wrangler prices.
The off-roading features include protective skid-plates, tow hooks, driving modes from snow, mud, rock, a 20:1 crawl ratio, the ability to forge water up to 21” deep, 8.7” ground clearance, and more. It even comes with a full-size spare.
The Jeep Renegade is comfortable
Sure, the Jeep Renegade is a compact option with less cargo space than rivals. However, Edmunds shared that the Renegade has plenty of legroom. There is enough space for taller passengers to ride in the front or back seats comfortably.
The Jeep Renegade has a louder ride, due to its boxy Jeep shape, but offers a smooth ride on the pavement. The interior is also noted for having an upscale look and feel that’s very durable. It does incorporate the use of hard plastics, but it’s hard to tell that they’re there.
Plus, the features are easy to use. The Jeep Renegade has the Uconnect system that makes it easy to connect to Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, your smartwatch, and navigation services. You can also change driving modes with a twist of a dial or let the automatic 4X4 mode handle the quickly changing terrain.
Basically, the Jeep Renegade proves itself as an excellent option for daily driving and off-roading. You can get what you want from this SUV without spending an arm and a leg, and it provides more comfort and luxury than expected without compromising the classic Jeep attitude.
