[51code3]

I am a car, truck, ATV, boating lover and driving my hubby & family crazy with my usual, "researching" of a vehicle before buying! We have had large Trucks/SUVs in the past but want to downsize to the Small/midsize SUV class to be able to Tow (<3000), have good gas mileage and all around versatility.
We Love the 4x4 options with the Jeep Renegade as an added bonus!
We just test drove a Trailhawk yesterday and have lots of questions/concerns before buying. The dealer was useless as usual with our questions, so I'm looking forward to this forum to help us decide to buy a Renegade or not.
Looking forward to the challenge!
51code3

 

[Rufus]

I'm a computer/camera geek and get asked "what should I buy" a lot by people. My reply is always the same and it fits here too... "What are you going to use it for?
Many people want to buy a computer/camera for the looks, speed, etc, but the reason there are so many models, is that they are designed for different uses. Same here.

First, if towing is a priority I would NOT recommend the Renegade. The 1.4L turbo version is NOT RECOMMENDED for towing at all. Most mfgs also do not recommend towing at all with a manual tranny no matter what the engine size.
With the factory tow package the 2.4L AT Renegade is rated for 2000 lbs. This would be good for a dirt bike or two, an ATV, maybe a wave runner, etc, but I'd also consider the terrain where you live, etc.
I haven't done solid research on the Reney, but I know on my Grand Cherokee, the tow rating WITH FACTORY TOW PKG is 6200 lbs. WITHOUT the FTP, it's only 3500 lbs.
I keep reading that people want to put aftermarket hitches on the Reney, but would be worried that the tow capacity WITHOUT the FTP could be lower than the 2000 lbs. Again, not sure about this, but it would worry me if I had to tow with the Rene.
Also understand the rated load of the vehicle... If you load 4 people in it, with gear, fuel, etc, and then the tongue weight of the trailer, this must all be taken into consideration.

I'm a big fan of "safety factor"... so if I want to tow 4000 lbs, I'm looking at a vehicle that can tow 6000 lbs.

 

[Mrsig]

and enjoy the forum!