[scooterCT]

I've driven the Renegade and I liked it. I've owned a few other SUVs and CUVs. I'm one of the few people left on the planet who's actually driven a genuine WWII era Jeep (I was Army recon a long, long time ago). I'm still trying to figure out the Renegade, and I've come to the conclusion the Renegade has a split personality.

The competition doesn't have any personality confusion. They're pavement and suburbia cars that can be driven in the snow or down a bumpy dirt road with confidence. You generally ain't gonna take them on an unimproved backwoods logging trail. They're metro-sexual. They have smooth, European looks. You can park them in front of the opera and not feel out-of-place.

The Renegade ain't metro-sexual. It screams working-class, NASCAR, and "I drink beer and am proud of it". It's a brawler with some polish. It has real off-road cred.

BUT, and here's where the split personality comes in. The Renegade still has a foot in that metro-sexual world - it has really quite good behavior on the road. It has relatively decent fuel economy for a big cube of steel. It has a nice interior. It's a vehicle you can park in front of the opera, while thumbing your nose at everyone and walking into the show wearing cowboy boots and a string tie.

So I posit that the Renegade has a split personality. It's almost a Wrangler sometimes. It's almost a CRV other times. I'm wondering if it'll end up in therapy?

 

[thornleyjacob]

It is a wonderful vehicle - so far (have owned the Trailhawk for a week now).

I do agree with your assessment that it is meeting two markets; but it is doing it very well. Honestly, the Jeep Wrangler is the only one in the current lineup that doesn't "suffer" from this cross breeding.

I actually got the Jeep Renegade Trailhawk for my wife; I drive an 84 Subaru Brat and go fishing, hunting, offroading a lot... so I wanted something close to a mini-cooper but with all (or most) of the capabilities of the Wrangler so she could come rescue me if needed - so glad we waited for the Renegade to hit the lots.

When it comes to price/performance; you really cannot beat its value.

 

[aardvark]

I think the split personality is what drew me to it. I like my european cars and interiors, want decent mileage, don't want a huge car, but do want something that can do both city and off road. I live in the city but often go camping, but I also cart musical gear around for my bands and stuff. There are very few cars that fit that bill, if any really other than the Renegade. It fits a neat niche.

 

[fmunk]

I've driven the Renegade and I liked it. I've owned a few other SUVs and CUVs. I'm one of the few people left on the planet who's actually driven a genuine WWII era Jeep (I was Army recon a long, long time ago). I'm still trying to figure out the Renegade, and I've come to the conclusion the Renegade has a split personality.

The competition doesn't have any personality confusion. They're pavement and suburbia cars that can be driven in the snow or down a bumpy dirt road with confidence. You generally ain't gonna take them on an unimproved backwoods logging trail. They're metro-sexual. They have smooth, European looks. You can park them in front of the opera and not feel out-of-place.

The Renegade ain't metro-sexual. It screams working-class, NASCAR, and "I drink beer and am proud of it". It's a brawler with some polish. It has real off-road cred.

BUT, and here's where the split personality comes in. The Renegade still has a foot in that metro-sexual world - it has really quite good behavior on the road. It has relatively decent fuel economy for a big cube of steel. It has a nice interior. It's a vehicle you can park in front of the opera, while thumbing your nose at everyone and walking into the show wearing cowboy boots and a string tie.

So I posit that the Renegade has a split personality. It's almost a Wrangler sometimes. It's almost a CRV other times. I'm wondering if it'll end up in therapy?

Your assumptions are only true if you are talking about the Trailhawk edition specifically.

Otherwise, I would say the other trims fit into an area where the competition doesn't address: that is the Renegade is a CUV that doesn't fit the stereotypical rounded, bulbous shape of the other entry-level CUVs. It offers buyers in this segment an alternative. Something different. Something that fits their non-conformist identity. And for this I applaud Jeep for daring to be different; instead of what automakers tend to do—take the easy route and follow everyone else.

There will be people who recognize and associate with this spirit (hence the name Renegade)... who will look to the junior Jeep as a possible purchase.

It is the non-TH trims that Jeep is counting on selling the most, not the Trailhawk. The TH was specifically created for those with the means to purchase "the ultimate Renegade", and (more importantly) for those who have history with the Jeep brand and would not purchase anything from Jeep that does not live up to the go-anywhere name (Patriot/Compass).

If Jeep wasn't the go-anywhere brand that we've come to know, the TH edition would never exist. Same reason you wouldn't expect a brand like KIA to offer a hard-core off-roader.