[BrianR383]

Any else feel the acceleration on the Renegade is slow? I have the trailhawk, and its at the dealership currently having work done. The rental vehicle I ended up with is a 2015 chrysler 200, it has the 2.4L tigershark, the same 948TE transmission. I never really noticed how sluggish the renegade is until driving this 200, it accelerates considerably fast, like not just slightly, a very noticeable difference. The 200 also seems to be heavier from my research, so weight doesnt account for the difference.

 

[Mogg]

I only notice from a complete stop. It's not as peppy from the complete stop as my Focus was, but it's probably 50% heavier too.

Any else feel the acceleration on the Renegade is slow? I have the trailhawk, and its at the dealership currently having work done. The rental vehicle I ended up with is a 2015 chrysler 200, it has the 2.4L tigershark, the same 948TE transmission. I never really noticed how sluggish the renegade is until driving this 200, it accelerates considerably fast, like not just slightly, a very noticeable difference. The 200 also seems to be heavier from my research, so weight doesnt account for the difference.

 

[BrianR383]

I only notice from a complete stop. It's not as peppy from the complete stop as my Focus was, but it's probably 50% heavier too.

I know I am comparing a car to a small suv, but they pretty much the same powertrain and the 200 is actually heavier.

 

[Barebuttminer]

Any else feel the acceleration on the Renegade is slow? I have the trailhawk, and its at the dealership currently having work done. The rental vehicle I ended up with is a 2015 chrysler 200, it has the 2.4L tigershark, the same 948TE transmission. I never really noticed how sluggish the renegade is until driving this 200, it accelerates considerably fast, like not just slightly, a very noticeable difference. The 200 also seems to be heavier from my research, so weight doesnt account for the difference.

I'm going to step out on a limb here and suggest that the difference may be in the software that controls the engine.

 

[BrianR383]

I'm going to step out on a limb here and suggest that the difference may be in the software that controls the engine.

Yeah, that could be. I was just shocked in the difference from pretty much the same drivetrain. On the street this 200 is a lot more fun to drive, and I can actually speed up and pass people on the freeway which I have a hard time doing in the renny.

 

[bwbike]

I think my Trailhawk is quite peppy for the small 2.4L engine. And that says a lot considering my other car has 485 horsepower.

The 2.4L engine likes to be higher in the RPM band for the best power. It really comes alive around 3,000 rpm.

If you are just driving along at 1,700 rpm and stab the gas, the transmission will have to shift down several gears to get the engine in its sweet spot.

When the transmission is in "manual mode" and I'm driving 65 mph in 9th gear (~1,600 rpm) and floor it, it will take a l--o--n--g time to pick up any speed. The 2.4L has very little power at less than 2,000 rpm.

 

[raz-0]

I know I am comparing a car to a small suv, but they pretty much the same powertrain and the 200 is actually heavier.

No they aren't. The gearing is completely different. That's most of it. Frontal area and drag coefficient are also different. The intake and exhaust are also likely different which also matters.

 

[MRM331]

I find my turbo jeep to actually be pretty impressive for something with the displacement of four cans of red bull. The trick is learning how to drive it. Below 3k rpms it can't get out of its own way but gets 40 mpg. Above 3000, expecially up around 5 - 6 it starts to take off like a jet but the mpgs drop below 10.
As a frame of referance my other car is a 2200 lb Miata with 400 hp 5.4 liter Ford V8 in it. With that car it really does not matter which rpm band I keep it in; they are all pretty much equally capable of killing me.
-Jason

 

[BrianR383]

I know I am comparing a car to a small suv, but they pretty much the same powertrain and the 200 is actually heavier.

No they aren't. The gearing is completely different. That's most of it. Frontal area and drag coefficient are also different. The intake and exhaust are also likely different which also matters.

They use the same transmission, the 948TE. I think the gearing is only different when the 4wd is engaged. Maybe this is just another issue with mine, it takes me a really long time to accelerate and I maybe I am just now noticing.

 

[Hypocrite]

Not the peppiest vehicle on the road, but fine for me. I've never felt as though I was in any danger due to lack of acceleration. It may take a second or two to respond when you ask for more power, but it will deliver.

 

[kevinfourlegs]

I know I am comparing a car to a small suv.

A car and small suv are different, regardless of whether or not the powerplant is the same. It's a bit like sticking a 1,000hp marine engine in a boat and a submarine. Two different vessels with same powerplant.

 

[BrianR383]

A car and small suv are different, regardless of whether or not the powerplant is the same. It's a bit like sticking a 1,000hp marine engine in a boat and a submarine. Two different vessels with same powerplant.

I get this. But the 200 literally feels like it accelerates twice as fast as my renegade. The 200 just happens to be the rental car I received, has a similar powerplant, and actually weighs more. Obviously aerodynamics are majorly different and benefit the 200.

I am trying to determine if mine accelerates slower than it should, I've had a ton of problems with mine and this may be another. My girlfriend actually hates driving my renegade because of how sluggish it is, and she drives a ford focus which isnt fast by any means.

 

[fmunk]

Why do people keep talking about the engine? The obvious difference is gearing. The issue is the transmission and transmission calibration. Both vehicle's transmissions are calibrated differently (different shift mapping). And it's a learning transmission, supposedly. Those experiencing sluggish shifts may indeed have issues with the software itself, or that their driving habit has taught their transmissions to behave a certain way (until it is taught differently).

I'm not 100% sure this will work, but it may be worth trying, disconnect the battery for a few seconds to clear all stored data then reconnect and try to drive differently for a week and see if it shifts differently by the end of the week.

Also, IIRC, in the TH, first gear is normally not used (unless in AWD low crawl). Under normal circumstances it starts off in 2nd.

 

[renefan]

I have the 6 speed 1.4 turbo. At first I was not impressed with the acceleration, but after learning the quirks of the small engine I started really enjoying it. I don't know about the 2.4, but the turbo version has a few tricks to make it accelerate quickly. I find that off the line the renny sucks in less you want to burn your clutch and rub the clutch at 3500rpm from a standstill. To save the clutch I start off easy and run the engine up to 4000rpm in 1st, then shift as quick as possible to 2nd to keep boost levels high. You will feel a difference if you can shift quick to the next gear after the engine was running at about 4000rpm because the turbo is still spinning fast enough to produce useful boost.

 

[Rufus]

Yes, it's the software and our desire for MPGs. The programing short shifts so the engine is usually lugging under normal driving conditions. When you do decide to give it the gas it takes time for the computer to figure out what gear it needs to be in and start the process of moving.
My V6 GC is the same way normally, but there are two things I can do to pep things up...
1) Take the "Econo-mode" off. This makes the shifting more normal and eliminates much of the hesitation.
Great for when you need to beep-bop around town.
2) Click the tranny into "Sports" mode. This makes the tranny shift like a race car and you feel like you just found 100hp. Great for passing, merging onto Interstates, or anytime you simply need to get up and go.

I wish the TH had at least an "Econo Mode" button to turn off.

 

[logan5]

I wonder if this would help improve responsiveness?
http://madnessautoworks.com/index.php?route=product/product&path=1_2&car=JR&product_id=608
There's one for the 1.4L and the 2.4L

 

[travis4567]

I'm loving the 1.4 with the six speed manual. Starts out slow in first but get it up to 3000 RPM and shift to second and floor it and it really takes off.

 

[Rufus]

While I wish my TH had a bit more "poop", I'm happy with it considering what it is.
If you find you're sadly missing out on power and want to scoot around town, then maybe you bought the wrong vehicle.
There aren't many 4 cylinder 4x4's around so this is a unique little fellow. There are motorcycles out there with larger engines and less capability...that cost as much.
We all want our precious MPGs, but at the same time we want power.. While you certainly can do some cool things to arrive at a bit of both, this isn't a MX5. It's a 4x4 SUV.
This means it has an extensive drivetrain (power drain) and more weight. It's simple physics that the Reney will never be a sports car, nor should it be.

Now, if anyone at Jackson Racing is listening, a really nice supercharger kit for the 2.4 would be cool....

 

[syzygy]

There are smart phone apps you could use to check if the acceleration is worse than it should be.

 

[Lackadazikal]

Why do people keep talking about the engine? The obvious difference is gearing. The issue is the transmission and transmission calibration. Both vehicle's transmissions are calibrated differently (different shift mapping).

There was an interesting article posted in a different thread about this.

Here's part of that ...and a link to the whole thing:

Downshifts are where the 9HP truly feels different. Because of the design, if you’re in 8th gear and want to pass, the transmission will often need to drop 4 or 5 gears to get to a suitable ratio. (Remember that 4th gear is the first ratio going back down the scale that is lower than 1:1.) To do this the transmission has to accomplish the harder task of engaging two dog clutches. To do this the transmission doesn’t use cone synchros like a manual (too bulky) it uses software. Engaging dog clutches requires a longer and yet more severe reduction in torque than the disengagement because the transmission has to align the clutch and then engage it. In most automatics when you floor the car you get an instant feeling of acceleration that improves as the transmission downshifts. Although there would be moments of power reduction (depending on the programming) during this time, the engine is always providing some force forward. The 9HP’s software on the other hand responds by cutting power initially, then diving as far down the gear-ladder as it can, engaging the dog clutches and then reinstating your throttle command. The result is a somewhat odd delay between the pedal on the floor and the car taking off like a bat out of ****.

http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/20...-transmission-puts-dog-clutches-on-the-leash/