[Mogg]

and it scored a 56. They tested a Latitude. I havent read / watched the road test yet, but here are the pros / cons they listed:

Pros:
Jeep's esteemed brand image
Lots of upscale options available
Feels solid and substantial for its class
Trailhawk version can do serious off-roading
Distinctive styling
One of the few small SUVs that still offers a manual transmission

Cons:
Annoying powertrain, with slow acceleration and excessive idle vibration
Nine-speed automatic doesn't shift smoothly
Stiff, jittery ride
Restricted view out
Uncomfortable front seats
Unimpressive fuel economy
The same money can buy a bigger, better SUV

I just leased a TraliHawk last night. I do agree the engine isn't powerful, but it's a **** sexy vehicle, I feel safe in it, and I'm very happy with the interior.

 

[Thud Nugget]

I have the 9 speed auto Latitude and I agree with all of their comments about the powertrain, fuel economy and shifting.
I find the seats rather comfortable though.

 

[hoodoo]

Many of the cons listed are more personal opinion than fact. The comment about stiff jittery ride for example - the suspension is set up that way because it is a more serious 4X4 vehicle. The comments about the seats and the view from inside I completely disagree with. Fuel economy is actually good in my opinion considering the Renegade's styling which looks more classic Jeep like and less car/station wagon like. Hard to say if you can buy a bigger SUV for the same money, maybe but you would lose options and/or fuel economy. It all comes down to what features the buyer of the Jeep Renegade is looking for as everything has tradeoffs. I really like the styling, the interior, updated electronics and 4X4 capabilities in a package that still offers decent fuel economy. The other big plus is that there is enough room for my family and I inside given that we are tall.

Last time I really believed everything I read in Consumer Reports about a vehicle, I bought a Ford Explorer. We still own it but it has had many quirks, including a problem still unsolved to this day where it sometimes will refuse to start after driving it and you have to wait 15-30 minutes until it will start. And then there was the whole tire recall thing that happened right after we bought the Explorer

 

[Rufus]

For the most part I agree with some of the cons,, but I still love the vehicle.
Our's idles very smoothly, and the tranny shifts smoothly too.
I like the front seats, and while I agree the ride is firm, I don't find it "jittery".

 

[bwbike]

I don't agree with the cons.

"Annoying powertrain, with slow acceleration and excessive idle vibration"
- Mine accelerates very well and I don't have any idle vibration

"Nine-speed automatic doesn't shift smoothly"
- Mine shifts wonderfully

"Stiff, jittery ride"
- No, it rides quite nicely for a small SUV

"Restricted view out"
- Not with properly adjusted mirrors. What do they want; all windows that looks like an AMC Pacer?

"Uncomfortable front seats"
- I love the front seats

"Unimpressive fuel economy"
- I average ~28 mpg on the highway and have achieved over 30.

"The same money can buy a bigger, better SUV"
- I don't want a bigger SUV and purchased the Renegade for its compact size.


There. :x

 

[Beep_Beep_Jeep]

I agree with the consensus here.

Consumer Reports is basically rating it poorly because they have no idea who the target audience is or what the Jeep's purpose is.

 

[mike_k]

I disagree with most of the cons but the idle vibration has been annoying me :/

 

[Spiff]

If I wanted a bigger SUV, I would have bought one. Size was a selling point of my Trailhawk, and I suspect others who went with a Renegade felt similarly.

I've also never understood how subjective qualifications like "uncomfortable seats" can be fairly listed as cons in a review article. "Uncomfortable" as compared to what, a Serta perfect sleeper? A park bench? The Renegade's seats are firm, which is presumably what one would want in a vehicle designed for off-roading. My opinion is that they're a heck of a lot more comfortable then the seats of the Wranglers I've test driven or the Patriot I owned, but ask 100 different people and you'll get 100 different answers as to what defines "comfort".

My list of cons would include lack of interior storage compartments (more objective) and a surprisingly mediocre sound system (more subjective). Other than that, I still love my Renegade--no regrets about purchasing it.


Sent from AutoGuide.com Free App

 

[jeepdude]

Motorweek has their road test of a Latitude 4X4 on youtube, said it has impressive power, ran 0-60 in 8.6, 1/4 mile 16.5. Those are pretty good numbers for a small SUV. My rig is the Sport weighing several hundred pounds lighter so I'm thinking 0-60 in 8 flat and quarter in 16 flat, not bad at all really. They did say is vibrated some at idle, but overall they liked the Renegade.

 

[Busdriver]

Wow, that is a low
score. Makes it a bit harder to brag about my latitude

 

[raz-0]

I'll give them the fuel economy. It annoys me that they like the off road suspension, but don't like the off road suspension.

Feature for feature, it is pricey by msrp, but dealers are going under invoice. Add in inevitable incentives in the near future, and it will be priced advantageously.

As forvisibility, they are out of their mind or don't count back up cameras. For passing, etc it kicks butt in the b and c class segment.

 

[briankeith]

Restricted view out is actually true - large A-Pillars I bought a manual stick because the 9-speed trans is very problematic with many failures from what I have read.

 

[aardvark]

I agree about the transmission shifting and the power. Still love my trailhawk though. The bigger/better comment is meaningless. I don't want a larger car, or else I would have bought something else to begin with.

 

[scuzy89]

I definitely agree about the shifting. It is VERY jerky under 30 mph, but after that it is very smooth.

 

[DogsRule]

With a manual, most of the cons go away.

But show me a comparable squareback CUV with a manual and I'll really considerate it. BUT THERE AINT ANY.

 

[raz-0]

Restricted view out is actually true - large A-Pillars I bought a manual stick because the 9-speed trans is very problematic with many failures from what I have read.

That may be true, but the question is what is their reference point? Did they crap all over Hyundai about it the last 4-5 years? Because they were much worse for creating a-pillar blind spots IMO.

If you set the mirrors wide as they are intended to be, the only blind spots you have are small and in close. So they only matter for parking lot maneuvers, and the back up camera fixes that.

 

[twospirits]

That may be true, but the question is what is their reference point? Did they crap all over Hyundai about it the last 4-5 years? Because they were much worse for creating a-pillar blind spots IMO.

If memory serves me right, I do believe they did complain but it was for the earlier 2001 model year thru 2007 Santa Fe and early Tucsons too. Then they had a change of heart even though there wasn't much of a change visibility wise.

I've always taken CR with a grain of salt though.

TS

 

[raz-0]

If memory serves me right, I do believe they did complain but it was for the earlier 2001 model year thru 2007 Santa Fe and early Tucsons too. Then they had a change of heart even though there wasn't much of a change visibility wise.

I've always taken CR with a grain of salt though.

TS

Really, because the bad ones were the sonata and Elantra. With the thick pillar and the rake of the windshield they were much closer to horizontal. They made for a HUGE blind spot that you couldn't eliminate by moving your he'd around, and at least for me it blocked out pretty much all the important stuff to my right at a four way stop. I dreaded getting either as rentals.

 

[twospirits]

Maybe correct for those models as well. I was going by my memory/experience with the threads in the HyundaiForum and Santa Fe forums. Although I personally didn't have a problem with the pillars since I was used to limited sight from all my vehicles. lol

TS

 

[JillR]

I took the Renegade Trail Hawk home for an overnight test ride today. Trying to decide between Cherokee Latitude and Renegade Trail Hawk with the latter costing a couple thousand less. I need vehicle good in snow - both on highway (45x2 mile commute/day) and on steep hills (live on dirt road with steep long dirt driveway). More or less I took the Renegade Trail Hawk for test ride today to eliminate it from the mix, but I was so impressed by it and so was my husband (shocking!). Similar to Ford Explorer's 4 cylinder with Ecoboost, it does not drive like a typical 4 cylinder. Consistent RPMs of 2-3K even when gunning it to pass (doing 80-ish)...thanks 9-speed!

I have 'been there-done that' with luxurious gas-gusling SUVs (cha-ching$$). I am ready for a compact SUV with a 4 cylinder (I still cannot believe I am getting a 4-banger!). I am a little nervous that it is the first of its kind model year (2015). However, with how I go through vehicles [every 4-5 years], I will give it a try. I would love to hear more positive experiences and I will definitly post my thoughts/experience after I have driven it for a while.

Personally, I love the look - reminds me of the old jeeps but it has modern conveniences.