[Radiohead]

Hello, all.

I've always loved the looks of the Jeep Renegade and had kind of forgotten about it when I started shopping for a new car recently. I am currently away in TX for business and jumped at the opportunity to grab a Renegade Limited 4 X 4 for my rental!

Okay, I am in love with the way the Renegade looks. Yes, I know the purists absolutely hate that the Renegade is often described as "cute," but that's because it IS cute. And very cute at that. Like cute as a button. It looks like a Japanimated Jeep.

So basically, I intend to test drive a 6 speed manual 4 X 4 Latitude once I return to MA next week. I am thinking Mojave Sand or Alpine White (the Renegade looks stunning in both).

But I have some serious concerns.

The rental is brand new (about 1400 miles on the odometer), but I am already hearing some creaks and rattling...

The fuel economy has been dismal thus far and the 9 Speed Auto is TERRIBLE... over 3 tanks, I have managed 19 mpg, 20 mpg, and 17 mpg.

Factors to consider: it's been below 40 degrees everyday in TX and the engine hasn't broken in yet. STILL. Seems very low to me...

Handling is sloppy, but that's too be expected given the boxy dimensions of the car. This thing feels like a porker. The Kia Soul feels faster and much lighter on its feet... errr, tires.

And the most alarming thing! When I used the windshield washer to clean my windows, the entire cabin was flooded with the odor of washer fluid. Hit like a freight train and I had to lower all of my windows immediately... is there a block drained near the heater?! This happens every single time and can be reliably replicated... My setting is on recirculate, but I have never experienced this in any other car before.

I am looking at 2016 Ford Escape S ($6K off MSRP) and 2016 Subaru CrossTrek ($700 off MSRP). The Escape is actually really nice (feels super refined and is spacious) and Subaru dealers just aren't allowing much discounts. Oh, a 2016 Volkswagen Golf TSI was also in the mix. VW dealers are blowing out the cars... Was offered $4,500 off, but DieselGate isn't looking good for VW.

What kind of discounts can I reasonably expect for a Renegade? I'm neither a college graduate (within the last 2 years lol) nor military.

How has the reliability been?

Sorry, I have to rush to dinner, but wanted to get this out now.

Thanks, everyone!

 

[SteveZ]

Don't know what to say, except mine is running like the proverbial top. Gas mileage is at 25MPG. Handles sharp (and I'm very critical!) and feels tight. Absolutely no buyer's remourse.

 

[Redleg13fa]

I agree with what stevez says only had my TH for about a month and love it. I haven't experienced that smell with the windshield washer fluid. Gas mileage is good considering its 4wd with all the goodies minus winch. It handles nicely. I've already tested it in snowy weather as well, no issues. I live in El Paso, TX. All I can say is go with what you feel happy and comfortable with.

 

[Radiohead]

Hello!

Thank you all for the responses! I am curious, though... What is your measuring stick for handling? I don't feel any kind of confidence entering into corners or bending on ramps at high speeds... I'm measuring this against my 2013 Mazda 2, which handles like a go kart that I can take high speed turns in...

I drove from Addison to North Richardson tonight. The windshield wiper smell still invades the cabin every time I engage it. Tried it 3X to see if it was just a fluke thing, but it happened all 3 times.

I don't know... the fuel economy I am getting is extremely disappointing... my sister's 2014 Forester gets about 28-32 MPG and is a much bigger and roomier vehicle. My mom's 2012 CR-V AWD returns about 29 also. The Renegade is classified as a subcompact SUV/crossover, so it should be at the minimum competitive with larger crossovers.

One thing I noticed... the fog lamps on the Renegade are the best I've ever seen. They truly make a difference!

Anyone know what kind of discounts are reasonable?

 

[dpackerz]

As far as discount go, I get employee pricing, yet I got an internet deal cheaper from my dealer site. 29k, but I it the limited with every single option. List was over 33 I think. Found on dealer lot. They said it was a spec. but I doubt they ordered a loaded version on spec. Very happy with my purchase. Had a Jeep Liberty and Patriot. This is waaay better!

 

[scans007]

I'm in MA also - have 15K on Limited (has everything but mysky). I couldn't find manual anywhere on the east coast so I went auto. I have had zero problems I average 24-27mpg depending on how I drive, I won't lie - I do a lot of highway - I expected a little better. Zero windshield washer fluid smell ever.....so that might be an anomaly

I don't see any of your concerns as major concerns at all. I'm also from the subaru world - I have owned a Forester, a Legacy and a legacy spec-b. All of which I loved. Then I went to a mini because I was communting to the city which was prob my most fun car to drive/mod but having 2 young kids and being a hockey goalie it wasn't cutting it. Which brings me to the sloppy handling - I don't see this - having mod'd and tracked most of my cars it makes me curious why you consider it sloppy. Curious indeed. Its not awesome, but it's not sloppy by any means.

Again - zero issues with mine, 15k of hard driving.

 

[Redleg13fa]

Hello!

Thank you all for the responses! I am curious, though... What is your measuring stick for handling? I don't feel any kind of confidence entering into corners or bending on ramps at high speeds... I'm measuring this against my 2013 Mazda 2, which handles like a go kart that I can take high speed turns in...

I drove from Addison to North Richardson tonight. The windshield wiper smell still invades the cabin every time I engage it. Tried it 3X to see if it was just a fluke thing, but it happened all 3 times.

I don't know... the fuel economy I am getting is extremely disappointing... my sister's 2014 Forester gets about 28-32 MPG and is a much bigger and roomier vehicle. My mom's 2012 CR-V AWD returns about 29 also. The Renegade is classified as a subcompact SUV/crossover, so it should be at the minimum competitive with larger crossovers.

One thing I noticed... the fog lamps on the Renegade are the best I've ever seen. They truly make a difference!

Anyone know what kind of discounts are reasonable?

As far as handling goes I've had no problem with cornering or any kind of ramps on freeway. You have to take into consideration that it's not gonna handle like a Mazda 2. It is a jeep and a little heavier. I have a TH and I think it handles great compared to any other jeep or 4wheel drive I've owned, except for my wifes Jeep Grand Cherokee (overland). As far as gas mileage the best I've seen on freeway right now was 25-27 mpg. But I'm hoping that changes as I break it in more. Anyways the way I see jeeps now is, jeeps were really only made for one thing and that adventure so I don't expect to get mileage like a Honda, Toyota, or any other Asian car. But I am truly happy with this little jeep. My rubicon was getting about 15-18 mpg on the freeway doing 75. So I'm extremely happy. I hope this helped a little.

 

[SteveZ]

Handling..... The last few cars this century have been a Merc C250, Fiat 500C, Volvo C30, VW New Bug, Hyundia Tucson and Land Rover Freelander. Can't stand sloppy handling. Would say the Renegade handling most resembles the Freelander, but a bit tighter like the Fiat. Would not exchange the Renegade handling-wise for any of the previous stock.

 

[GRUB]

Handling..... The last few cars this century have been a Merc C250, Fiat 500C, Volvo C30, VW New Bug, Hyundia Tucson and Land Rover Freelander. Can't stand sloppy handling. Would say the Renegade handling most resembles the Freelander, but a bit tighter like the Fiat. Would not exchange the Renegade handling-wise for any of the previous stock.

I've had a Mercedes C250 coupe, Fiat 500L, Volvo V60, VW Touareg, and a Land Rovet LR2. The reason I bought the Renegade is I like the Fiat 500L so much. The C250 had the nicest dash layout and handled slightly better. Possibly because of the rear wheel drive and it was lower to the ground.

I also had a Honda Civic SI and a Scion FRS that handling was very good.

 

[crom]

I studied the tape long and hard. I came to the conclusion there was better vehicles to buy. The Mazda cx-3 and the Honda Hr-v, and the suburu forrester...

But those 3 are the most boring-cookie-cutter-blend into the road vehicles out there...

The forrester looks like a 10 year old Kia sportage, the cx-3 and Hr-v are fantastic, I question the offroad ability.

Overall, the Renegade is bought mostly because of its looks... but fear not, its a solid purchase, it might not handle like the cx-3, but its still very good, and it might be slightly under what the Hr-v offers for mpg and bells and whistles, but its no clunker but any means...

 

[Schwankster]

I've got a Latitude 4x4 in Mojave Sand with the 6-speed, and I LOVE it! The manual is really fun to drive with the little turbo motor, and the automatic 4-wheel drive makes driving in wet conditions a totally different experience - TRACTION!! There has been some discussion about the windshield washer smell, and the general conclusion is it must be what they put in the bottle from the factory. You shouldn't have the smell after you run through the first bottle of fluid. I average right around 23mpg with combo driving in the city, but I am heavy on the gas pedal because it is really fun to run through the gears from a standing start.

Regarding discounts - in my area (Central Texas) the dealers are discounting the Sport models over $2K, plus rebates. It gets a little tougher to get discounts on the other models. I was able to get $3500 off on my Latitude 4x4 after a few weeks of negotiation and the end of a quarter approaching (end of September). The dealer discount was $2000, plus $1000 in Jeep incentives and a $500 rebate because I use USAA bank. I was out the door at $22650 including TTL and misc fees. I had a hard time finding the configuration I wanted, as there weren't many Latitude 4x4 with the 6-speed in the colors I wanted within 500 miles of me. I got lucky that one of the only ones was right in my town, but I searched all over Texas. Use the jeep.com website to find who has the Renegade you want.

 

[Radiohead]

Everyone,

Thank you ALL of your replies. And thank you for being reasonable people. I was labeled a troll and aggressively attacked on a VW discussion forum because I walked away from $4,500 off of a base four door Golf (which, by the way, has a stunning, upscale, near-Audi levels interior). If I wanted to be crazy and go for the Golf, I bet I could get $5,000-$5,500 depending on VW's proposed diesel fix, which is NOT looking great...

The CX-3 is a vehicle you could legitimately call sexy, but the back seats are USELESS and so is the trunk. I love going camping, so that's out for me.

HR-V is hideous. The vampire fang tail lights? Why, Honda?! And I haven't seen a 6 speed manual listed anywhere near me since the car went on sale...

Forester is again, hideous, but to me almost the perfect vehicle. Gobs of room, cargo space, outward visibility, fuel efficient, and the 6 speed manual I drove was very nice. Reliability + awesome resale value. But you pay for it upfront because there's very little discounts to be had. Subaru incentives were the lowest of any automaker in 2015. Bought their stock a little more than a year ago and it has more than doubled!

I've readjusted my expectations for handling. I shouldn't compare the Renegade to my bantamweight Mazda2 with sublime shifter and short throws. LOL! Bought it for 12K brand new and has provided me with 40K miles of pure driving pleasure, bulletproof reliability, and awesome fuel economy (aggressive, cold winter driving returns no less than 35 mpg). I could potentially face a situation where I find myself not willing to part with the 2 (I'm about 1K from owning it outright).

I'm all about the base models because I'm just weird (steelies over alloy all day everyday!) and kind of cheap. So my ideal Renegade is a 4X4 Mojave Beige 6 Speed Sport w/ a back up camera. I like the black mirrors and the naked roof (no roof rails).

To the gentleman in Boston, I work in Waltham, so if you ever see a Mazda 2 carving up Storrow in the morning, that's me.

 

[kbagrows]

Radiohead - sounds like you'd love my setup. Wife drives the Forester, I drive the Renegade, and we switch all the time. Best of both worlds!

 

[Radiohead]

Radiohead - sounds like you'd love my setup. Wife drives the Forester, I drive the Renegade, and we switch all the time. Best of both worlds!

LOL! Nice! Is her Forester a 6 speed manual? Is it the beautiful Jasmine Green?

 

[kbagrows]

Regrettably, no. We couldn't find a manual anywhere close. Instead, got the CVT. We've been really happy with it- I think it has an undeserved poor reputation. We love the clutch and acceleration of our Renegade!

 

[Oldav8tor]

Approaching 2000 miles on my '16 Trailhawk - Mileage has been steadily improving. Last tank was 26.6 - average around 25 - never less than 24. I would describe myself as a "smooth" driver. I suspect someone who drives aggressively or in a lot of city traffic will see less.
The windshield washer smell is due to the fact that they were filled with european standard fluid which contains a lot more alcohol - when you spray it the smell gets sucked in the fresh air intake. I suggest that when you refill with the stuff available in the US your problem will disappear. In the meantime - turn your heater off for a few moments when you spray your windshield if that is a problem. The fluid dissipates rapidly.

In my view the Renegade handles very well for it's class of vehicle. Compared to other 4WD / AWD vehicles I've owned I would rank it #1 .

If you have reservations about the Renegade, you'll have to make your own decision. Every vehicle is a collection of compromises and you'll have to decide whether you'll be happy with one or not. Most of us on this forum have made our choice and the vast majority are very happy with it. Good luck with whatever you choose to buy.

 

[scans007]

To the gentleman in Boston, I work in Waltham, so if you ever see a Mazda 2 carving up Storrow in the morning, that's me.

Crazy small world - I worked in that area for about 10-15 years of my career!!!!! If you ever see "Scans" plates - you know who it is =) I'm in the seaport now...

And my forester was STi'd out far from stock - but man it was so fun, nothing could keep up with 490tq/450 whip - I loved it, it was the year before they wrecked the design

 

[hoodoo]

Everyone,

Thank you ALL of your replies. And thank you for being reasonable people. I was labeled a troll and aggressively attacked on a VW discussion forum because I walked away from $4,500 off of a base four door Golf (which, by the way, has a stunning, upscale, near-Audi levels interior). If I wanted to be crazy and go for the Golf, I bet I could get $5,000-$5,500 depending on VW's proposed diesel fix, which is NOT looking great...

The CX-3 is a vehicle you could legitimately call sexy, but the back seats are USELESS and so is the trunk. I love going camping, so that's out for me.

HR-V is hideous. The vampire fang tail lights? Why, Honda?! And I haven't seen a 6 speed manual listed anywhere near me since the car went on sale...

Forester is again, hideous, but to me almost the perfect vehicle. Gobs of room, cargo space, outward visibility, fuel efficient, and the 6 speed manual I drove was very nice. Reliability + awesome resale value. But you pay for it upfront because there's very little discounts to be had. Subaru incentives were the lowest of any automaker in 2015. Bought their stock a little more than a year ago and it has more than doubled!

I've readjusted my expectations for handling. I shouldn't compare the Renegade to my bantamweight Mazda2 with sublime shifter and short throws. LOL! Bought it for 12K brand new and has provided me with 40K miles of pure driving pleasure, bulletproof reliability, and awesome fuel economy (aggressive, cold winter driving returns no less than 35 mpg). I could potentially face a situation where I find myself not willing to part with the 2 (I'm about 1K from owning it outright).

I'm all about the base models because I'm just weird (steelies over alloy all day everyday!) and kind of cheap. So my ideal Renegade is a 4X4 Mojave Beige 6 Speed Sport w/ a back up camera. I like the black mirrors and the naked roof (no roof rails).

To the gentleman in Boston, I work in Waltham, so if you ever see a Mazda 2 carving up Storrow in the morning, that's me.

I have the Latitude 4X4 with 6 speed manual and MySky Powered roof. I just wanted to mention that fuel economy has been good considering I live on a mountain so any trip to town or beyond involves a long 9 mile climb back up when I return home. We average 26 MPG and still seeing this in winter with daily ice and snow plus studded snow tires.

The shifter on the manual Renegade is very nice, smooth and quick! The engine is not big, but the turbo gives plenty of power when shifted correctly .

 

[GSO_Kyle]

I have a manual trans Lattitude and get 28mpg in the city and 31 on the highway with 87 octane. It all depends on how you drive it. No creaks or rattles (no MySky) with just over 10k miles. Washer fluid is only an issue with the factory fill. Once you change it the smell will not be there. Get a 2016 not the 2015. I came from a BMW sedan and the Renegade is not as sure footed but very acceptable for a CUV. Maybe your not used to being so high off the ground and so much body lean. Handles as good as the CX-5. Also the Kia Soul manual is not available with 4wd.

 

[royalblue]

We purchased a 4WD Latitude a few months ago. The vehicle has been terrific and we are really enjoying it in the snow. We were considering a Jeep Cherokee initially but after driving the Renegade we knew that was the one to get. What we like most about the vehicle is the size. It is small on the outside but big on the inside and is perfect for us.