My Review: 2015 Renegade Trailhawk
I am very sorry for being late! I had some unexpected family matter today.
What did you think of the red bezels inside but the anvil color outside? I was sort of hoping the bezels would match the body color.
So why didn't you buy it??
Well, you see, I have openly "committed" to a TH with my sales guy/friend (my friend just so happens to work at Yark LOL).
However, I want a Sierra Blue model with every option, and they cannot custom order Renegades as of now.
Plus I need to save up some money. I'll have mine in September, maybe it'll even be a MY16 with CarPlay.
How's the ride quality and road noise?
Firm but comfortable, if that makes sense. Soaks up road imperfections great and it's smooth as butter, but with just an ever so slight *touch* of firmness to remind you you're in a 4x4 that is capable.
At 70mph I was able to have a conversation with my mother in the passenger seat while whispering like a mouse.
Hows the seating width? Touching shoulders tight?
At 6' 2" (1.87 metres) and 175 pounds (79 kilograms), I had plenty of space. They're really comfy seats, the cloth ones are at least. No clue about the leather seats.
is there a toggle/manual gear select that you could force it into 9th if need be? I know some of the guys with 8 speed RAMs have to do that on the highway as they can be a bit reluctant to settle in???
It does have AutoStick capability. See the attached photo
Hmm your pics make the anvil look nicer than about 95% of the auto news pics and official ones.
One question, how were the fat a-pillars in actual use?
The A-pillars are somewhat fat (thanks to NHTSA rollover standards), but I didn't have any issues. But they aren't the issue, it's the door panels. I was freaking out the whole two hour drive about how thick the freaking door cards are! It was kinda weird!
...and now...
wghummel: My Review of the 2015 Jeep Renegade
I test drove a MY2015 Renegade Trailhawk 4x4 with Anvil exterior and Black cloth interior.
This particular Rengade was a base model Trailhawk with Passive Entry and Keyless Go (US$295), Hood Decal (US$150) and Remote Start (US$200) being the only options.
Fit and finish is great. Panels were solid, not a single squeak or rattle. Everything sounded solid. No loose bits or any business like that.
As far as exterior goes, the car at first hits you with how massive it is... for a compact. This thing is technically a compact, but it pushes that border. However, it still has all the perks of a compact. I was able to park this baby using only the backup camera (DO NOT DO THIS! You could damage your Renegade or another vehicle, this is why we have mirrors!) because of its petite size.
Interior is nice. I didn't care for the rock hard head restraints, but that may be because they are newly manufactured. Leather seats may be different, I don't know, I tested cloth. The actual supportiveness of the seat was excellent. I didn't feel a lack of support anywhere, but my lower lumbar didn't care for the seat cushion, it felt a bit hard too. I do believe there is a lumbar dial, but I couldn't be bothered to find it. YMMV. At 6' 2" (1.87 metres), I was able to sit behind myself with at least four inches of leg room. Very comfy in the back too.
Hitting the start button (with a cute "Off to New Adventures!" stamped below it) shows a cool little splash screen on the TFT display along with a gauge sweep as the smooth 2.4 Multiair four-banger purrs to a start. The engine is smooth and quiet. You cannot hear it at idle, and it doesn't rock the car. Most four bangers sound like a coffee bean grinder trying to grind a brick of limestone when you give it the beans to merge (no pun intended). This 2.4 exhibited a tiny bit of grind-y-ness, but it wasn't that bad. Plus, this engine has yet to be broken in entirely and I don't think you're supposed to hit 4800k on the tach during this period (oops).
As you throw it in drive, you notice the electric power steering. This was my first encounter with EPS. It was... different. The steering is INCREDIBLY light at stand-still to low speed. Like 1990s GM over-assisted Buick steering (I can drive my grandmother's 1996 Riviera with my pinky) light. This makes it feel like you're tossing a frisbee around the Costco parking lot, but it makes parking a cinch. However, as you press down on the throttle the electric steering loads up with weight like magic. At 70mph it was still just a *tad* touchy for my tastes, but I'm coming from a BMW M3 that requires some muscle to turn with it's under-assisted power steering.
The main thing you notice as you drive the Renegade is the city car DNA in it from its Italian brother - the Fiat 500X. This thing is ridiculously fun to toss around town! I was giggling like I just won the lottery. It has quick turn in, U-turns are a breeze. The Renegade was built for city driving and it does it dang good.
Onto I-75 then... and it wasn't much different. I was able to feel the Active Drive Low system shifting weight around a looped on ramp to keep me planted. The Renegade was easy to control and most important of all, very comfortable. I was easily able to drive a loop around all of Toledo with excellent comfort. I was never repetedly bouncing up and down like a jackhammer (as I do in our WJ Grand Cherokee) nor jarred in any fashion.
Entertainment for the trip was provided via the base system, Uconnect 5.0 and the base audio system. It sounded pretty good for a stock system, better than the base system in my 2010 Challenger. Bass was a bit lacking, you have to get it to about +4 to get a minimal amount of bass. I was able to pair my iPhone 6 Plus running iOS 8.3 beta with no issues and immediately used Spotify via Bluetooth. I saw metatag info on display, could control the music and voice commands fully functioned. I made two test phone calls on AT&T's network and was plesantly surprised by the good audio quality delivered by the Renegade. I didn't receive any complaints about microphone quality.
Some nice things I found on the Renegade was an easter egg in the fuel cap I don't think anybody noticed, a spider saying "Ciao, baby!" - likely making reference to the Renegade's connection to assembly in Italy. You also receive a FULL-SIZE spare tire and a nice kit of goodies under the carpeting, in addition to a flashlight that charges via a special dock.
The Renegade handles its own nicely. It delivered better-than-expected build quality, a very comfortable and pleasing ride, offered plenty of amenities and just screams compact versatility.
I love this car, and I am very excited to take delivery of my very own Trailhawk in Sierra Blue with every single option this autumn. I have tried to not let that skew this review, but this is my disclaimer. The only thing's I didn't care for were the wide door sills that made getting in a big step, and the capless fuel filler that makes you have to SHOVE the nozzle into the fuel filler because it's so tightly pressurized.
But this is my point-of-view, not your point-of-view.
All I have to say in short is this:
This vehicle is great. As soon as your dealer gets one, go test drive it. Spend the $10 to put a few gallons of fuel in the tank and take it for more than an around-the-block drive. Take it down some various quality roads and the freeway. Try to get a basic sense of the driving dynamics, I think you'll love it.
Media Gallery:
https://www.icloud.com/photostream/#A15GH8Mqd8tOY
Startup:
https://vimeo.com/122388880
