[MetsFan]

I actually went to the dealership to test drive a certified pre-owned 2012 Ram 1500. I had been looking at a new(er) vehicle on and off for the last 2 to 3 years and my search had run the gamut of vehicle types both used and new that fit the price range rather than a particular vehicle type but with the consistent needs/wants of 4 doors & 4WD/AWD ... Chrysler 300, Mercedes C300, Chevy Camaro (this being the exception), Ford Fusion, Ram 1500, Chevy Silverado, Jeep Grand Cherokee, Ford Escape, and probably a few others. The most similar that I actually drove were two Honda Crosstours and an Infiniti EX. Stylewise, the Renegade beat the Crosstour, and it's significantly more roomy feeling than the Infiniti. The surround-view in the Infiniti was pretty cool though. Ultimately, I really needed to get out of my current vehicle, and the Renegade was the best bang for the buck with enough of a "cool factor."

 

[RockettRenegade]

I was looking seriously at the Subaru Outback. Mainly because it's a proven car, holds it's value and is the Japanese version of the Volvo V70, just meant to run forever. But, I wanted the top of the line Outback. The top Renegade is 10k appx cheaper than the top Outback. I have had Jeeps in the past. I have a Ford Raptor that I am keeping and I just flat out like a slightly more rugged ride. The Renegade is edgy and fun!

 

[The Drifter]

I was in the Audi A3, Subaru STI (older hatch), Mazdaspeed 3, Ford ST - I moved from a 2 door mod'd mini so I wanted 4 doors for the kiddos, still fun factor and need to get my ice hockey goalie gear in it so I needed the hatch. Then I ran into the rene - it was a perfect size, blend of everything I needed......I loved the extra space over the others. The only thing is I had to give up my manual transmission.....I do miss it, more then I thought i would.

You didnt have to give up your manual transmission, The renegade can be had in a manual transmission - with 4x4 and a turbocharged engine...

 

[The Drifter]

For me, I really need to switch to a four door vehicle. I also really wanted AWD, and I require a manual transmission. This really limited my options.

18 months ago I was mostly interested in a Subaru WRX. It would have been a natural progression from all the small sporty coupes I've always driven.

Last winter, and our apartment's lackluster snowplow service, made me want some ground clearance though. So then I started looking at crossovers. If I'm buying something like an SUV, I want it to look like one. I don't like how most other crossovers look like sporty cars with a raised suspension. If I was giving up that low-to-the-ground racer feel, I wanted something more geared toward utility. So, naturally the Renegade caught my eye! There's nothing really comparable.

Well said sir, I have a very similar viewpoint. I also require a manual trans, wanted 4x4 and 4 door with a child on the way, and didn't think that there was anything out there, I thought I was going to have to drive an autotragic transmission - until I found the Renegade. There really is nothing that is comparable. (I'm keeping my sports car too since its paid off)

 

[Renny LeBeau]

Well said sir, I have a very similar viewpoint. I also require a manual trans, wanted 4x4 and 4 door with a child on the way, and didn't think that there was anything out there, I thought I was going to have to drive an autotragic transmission - until I found the Renegade. There really is nothing that is comparable. (I'm keeping my sports car too since its paid off)

I need 4 door for the same reason! My wife is due in February...

My Cobalt SS is being traded in though. I don't consider it worth keeping. Once I have a house with a garage and less debt I'll think about getting something for the summer, like a 370Z or maybe just a convertible Mustang for tooling around. It will look like a midlife crisis, but really it will just be a return to normalcy for me.

 

[The Drifter]

I need 4 door for the same reason! My wife is due in February...

My Cobalt SS is being traded in though. I don't consider it worth keeping. Once I have a house with a garage and less debt I'll think about getting something for the summer, like a 370Z or maybe just a convertible Mustang for tooling around. It will look like a midlife crisis, but really it will just be a return to normalcy for me.

Ah! Congrats! I hear you on the garage - I just moved into my 1st house last year with a 2 car garage, it's a townhouse, BUT it has a two car garage, and my wife and I use it to actually store 2 cars! (instead of extra junk and stuff like most people do in the neighborhood). I keep my Nissan 350z in there and my wifes 4 door sedan. I'm teaching my wife to drive stick the correct way on the 350z, which is a tough car to learn on. But she has a willingness to learn - and she is the most timid and tame driver too, she has a respect for the road and the law. The funny thing is, Her dad didn't teach her how to drive stick on purpose and his excuse for not teaching her was "I don't want her to speed and I think she will speed if she learns stick cuz driving stick makes you want to speed.." LAME. I was like "uh, sir... do you know your daughter? I'm pretty sure she isn't a boy racer? maybe stick-shift made you want to speed when you were 16, but your daughters not like that at all sir.." LOL, I think he just didn't feel like taking the time to teach her so he came up with a lame excuse... At least now 10 years later I get to teach her the proper way to drive a manual car as most people are taught to ride on the clutch way more than they should. ha

 

[Renny LeBeau]

Ah! Congrats! I hear you on the garage - I just moved into my 1st house last year with a 2 car garage, it's a townhouse, BUT it has a two car garage, and my wife and I use it to actually store 2 cars! (instead of extra junk and stuff like most people do in the neighborhood). I keep my Nissan 350z in there and my wifes 4 door sedan. I'm teaching my wife to drive stick the correct way on the 350z, which is a tough car to learn on. But she has a willingness to learn - and she is the most timid and tame driver too, she has a respect for the road and the law. The funny thing is, Her dad didn't teach her how to drive stick on purpose and his excuse for not teaching her was "I don't want her to speed and I think she will speed if she learns stick cuz driving stick makes you want to speed.." LAME. I was like "uh, sir... do you know your daughter? I'm pretty sure she isn't a boy racer? maybe stick-shift made you want to speed when you were 16, but your daughters not like that at all sir.." LOL, I think he just didn't feel like taking the time to teach her so he came up with a lame excuse... At least now 10 years later I get to teach her the proper way to drive a manual car as most people are taught to ride on the clutch way more than they should. ha

Funny how similar our situations or tastes are. My wife, though, is not willing to learn. I keep threatening to make her at least practice in a parking lot a few times just so she has some idea how...in case of an emergency or whatever.

When I learned I had just gotten my license (on an auto), but I was still 16. My dad gave me a lesson with me in the driver seat, on a 9 mile drive home after he bought me my first car. From then I was on my own. I had a lot of fun with my first car though. It was a little 85 HP 2.3L 1989 Mustang LX hatchback. I used to call it the rallystang because of how it sounded when the exhaust rusted out...and how I drove it in the snow. I got pretty good sliding it around corners. I miss RWD but I can't imagine going back to it for my main driver. I'm actually excited to try Sand mode in the Renegade and see how it acts in the snow. If I can pop the clutch in second gear and swing the rear end out I will be beyond happy.

 

[RockettRenegade]

Throw a Stillers sticker on there and nat and you are all set!!!

The only other vehicles I considered were the Jeep Cherokee and Subaru XV Crosstrek. I wasn't a fan of the Crosstrek's interior and the Cherokee just didn't have the character like the Renegade has. Very happy with my decision to go with a Yinzer Yellow Renegade Trailhawk.

 

[The Drifter]

Funny how similar our situations or tastes are. My wife, though, is not willing to learn. I keep threatening to make her at least practice in a parking lot a few times just so she has some idea how...in case of an emergency or whatever.

When I learned I had just gotten my license (on an auto), but I was still 16. My dad gave me a lesson with me in the driver seat, on a 9 mile drive home after he bought me my first car. From then I was on my own. I had a lot of fun with my first car though. It was a little 85 HP 2.3L 1989 Mustang LX hatchback. I used to call it the rallystang because of how it sounded when the exhaust rusted out...and how I drove it in the snow. I got pretty good sliding it around corners. I miss RWD but I can't imagine going back to it for my main driver. I'm actually excited to try Sand mode in the Renegade and see how it acts in the snow. If I can pop the clutch in second gear and swing the rear end out I will be beyond happy.

Yeah I saw that official Jeep Renegade review YouTube video with those guys sliding the Renegade a bit in the snow on a course with Sand mode on. Snow mode in the snow makes it so that you cannot slide the tail out, but in sand mode you should be able to. Especially with the manual transmission.

It's amazing how technology has progressed since 1989, How a 2.3L with 90 horsepower back then was how the manufacuturer made something that was good on gas, and now here in 2015 we have 1.4L engines with 160hp with over 30mpg... Five years ago I had a 1997 Nissan 240sx with a 2.4L that had 155hp and got about 25-28mpg, which is somewhere between that 2.3L and this 1.4L in terms of effiecency combined with power.

 

[Renny LeBeau]

Yeah I saw that official Jeep Renegade review YouTube video with those guys sliding the Renegade a bit in the snow on a course with Sand mode on. Snow mode in the snow makes it so that you cannot slide the tail out, but in sand mode you should be able to. Especially with the manual transmission.

It's amazing how technology has progressed since 1989, How a 2.3L with 90 horsepower back then was how the manufacuturer made something that was good on gas, and now here in 2015 we have 1.4L engines with 160hp with over 30mpg... Five years ago I had a 1997 Nissan 240sx with a 2.4L that had 155hp and got about 25-28mpg, which is somewhere between that 2.3L and this 1.4L in terms of effiecency combined with power.

You're definitely right about that. My 1994 Mustang 3.8L V6 had about 145 HP (but something like 220 lb-ft of torque) and I averaged around 20 mpg in mostly city driving. Not really stellar on any front for the size of the engine, except maybe the torque. Even with such low HP I could squeal the tires all through first and get a long chirp in second (on 245/45/17's). I missed the hatchback though. In the Rally I used to be able to fit my Marshall half-stack and a couple guitars. The '94 didn't have that. Of course I wasn't in a high school punk band anymore either...

 

[LilWhiteToaster]

I was going to buy a 2 door wrangler sport but decided to go with my TH.

 

[suzspots]

I had a 2005 Chevy Trailblazer and although I loved the cargo space I wanted a smaller SUV. I looked at the CRV, the RAV4 and the Kia Soul but for some reason there was something about the Renegade that caught my eye. I went out test driving the others and looking for cargo space. I have two Dalmatians and compete in various dog events (dog shows, barn hunt, agility, etc) so it was important that I have room for two crates as well as gear. The new CRV and RAV4 do not have the same cargo space as the Kia Soul and the Renegade. BUT...the Renegade just looks "cuter" and handles so much better than the Soul. LOVE my Jeep!!!

 

[kaidomac]

Subaru Forester--liked it a lot on paper but just couldn't get enthusiastic about driving it.

You know, it was the same issue for me. My wife has a '15 Forester & I call it the best utility car every built: visibility, safety, resale, best AWD system, yada yada yada. But it's pretty boring, haha!

When I started, I was all over the map...only real goals was under $30k & at least 30MPG. Looked at the Ecoboost Mustang (thinking a 4-cylinder turbo Mustang was a crime against humanity, but being sold within 5 minutes into the test-drive...but RWD in the snow, ugh, I don't need that stress in my life lol), the new Kia Sedoan minivan (it's beast, LOVED it - never thought I'd say that about a minivan, but man that V6 - just didn't love the MPG!). New Camaro was terrible for normal-sized human beings who want to be able to see out the windows & put their arms anywhere. Prius got great MPG. BRZ was surprisingly slow for 200HP. Rogue was nice but too plasticy inside. Mazdas have come a long way, $30k CX-5 was excellent, but kind of like the other Rav4/Tucson/Forester/etc. class, just kind boring to me. Gave up for awhile, then started looking again. Outback wasn't bad, just not as peppy as the Forester. Nothing at Ford interested me, Escape wasn't my cup of tea at all, the Flex is a limo, and the Edge was kinda oddly wide.

The Renegade caught my eye on the way home from work one day, it was at a car rental place - an Anvil Trailhawk. Loved the color & the higher front lip. Forgot these were even out since I had gotten a Soul last year since it wasn't out at the time. Dug into it, took a test drive, then a second, then bought one off the lot (not the Anvil TH unfortunately, but a very nice green Latitude with lots of goodies). Perfect little zip-around vehicle for me that doesn't feel that small at all!

For me, it's the perfect car: AWD/4WD so I don't have to worry about snow. Plenty roomy. Surprisingly great ride. 29MPG with AWD is excellent. Lots of bells & whistles in the model I got. Small enough to zip in & out of places easily, parking is a cinch. Great ride. Has a bit of a macho feel being a Jeep & all, which is cool. Loved my previous Kia Souls (had 2); this was basically just a 4x4 version, which was perfect for me - plus significantly better ride. Ultimately, the car simply spoke to me - it just felt like the right one. Drove it home from the dealer with no regrets!

 

[Rick]

For me, an affordable car with a hatched back, not so tall I'd have trouble at 5'6" using the roof rack, and, most importantly, a manual transmission. With that, my choices were really narrowed down to:
-Volkswagen Golf Sportwaggen TSI
-Mazda3 Hatch 2.5
-Mazda6 Sedan
-Honda Accord
-Subaru Forester
-Subaru XV Crosstrek
-Used Subaru Outback (2013/2014)
-Mini Countryman S AWD

Volkswagen Sportwaggen Wagon
A pretty nice place to be and nicely appointed. The interior was a bit more cramped than what I was hoping, but might have dealt with it if their packaging wasn't so hampered. I could only get the manual transmission in the base trim, gas-powered wagon and I wanted more content than what the base 'S' trim offered. I could get the higher trims in a manual transmission but only with the diesel. Good thing I didn't go that route!

Mazda3 Hatch
With the 2.5, this is a fun car! Again, a bit tighter than perhaps I wanted to go. Unfortunately, the car is priced well with the 2.0, which I found too slow, and got too expensive by the time the 2.5's were available. Now, for 2016, they dropped the 2.5 Touring with a manual so the only way you can get a Mazda3 with the 2.5 and a manual is to go Grand Touring, a $25,500 compact hatch. Nope.

Mazda6 & Honda Accord
Comfortable, relatively cheap, great reliability record, low cost of ownership, and plenty big enough on the inside with easy-for-me roof rack access. Sure, they weren't a hatched back, but it made up for it in being a full-size (Accord) or mid-size (Mazda6) car with generous trunk spaces. Honestly, if the Renegade didn't exist, it may have came down between these two. With the refreshed interior of the 2016 Mazda6 using the same headunit as in the 3 now, I probably would've leaned towards the Mazda.

Subarus
Say what you want about Subaru, but not many companies are left offering an awd + manual combination. The Forester is the only vehicle in its class (as in it's the same size class as Cherokee) I believe that is. Unfortunately, after I learned the Forester was the car that is was and not the one I had hoped it would be, I decided to not got down that road. The 2.5 was noisy and underwhelming, it was loud on the inside, the suspension was set to 1980's Buick, and the interior looked super dated. Honestly, I'd probably trust the more tried-and-true, Japanese-built 2.5 over my Italian 1.4 Multiair, but eh, extended warranties! Given that the Forester was supposed to be quieter and peppier than XV Crosstrek, I didn't even bother test driving that. The Outback was neat, if a bit mom-mobile. As 2014 marked the end of an Outback manual (and 2013 marked the end of a manual in 2.5i Premium; 2014 only base model outback had a stick), there was too many other options for me to seriously pursue this.

Mini Countryman S AWD
If I had a bit more cash, I would've probably went this route quite honestly. Although the Renegade obviously has more interior room, the lower roof height when putting my 72 lb kayak atop it would've been the more beneficial scenario for me. Also, as my "off road" adventures are really just dirt roads with the occasional spots of sand, having a car with just more-than-a-sedan's worth of ground clearance would've been sufficient for me needs.

Good question....long answer....
My first choice was actually the Honda Element AWD some years back, but it was discontinued several years ago. My wife and I liked the "utility" nature in that it was designed to get dirty and hosed out, etc.

I bought an Element EX AWD manual back in 2004 and loved it! Although I've owned a number of cars between that and my Renegade, I think of the Reney as the spiritual successor to the Element. It's a shame that Honda just left it to age without any considerable improvements besides one mid-cycle refresh. The did the same with the Ridgeline and a number of their once-popular motorcycles (ST1300 stands out the most).

I was originally looking at a Subaru Outback or XV Crosstrek but hadn't gotten that serious about either one. Had a friend come over in his Patriot and that was the vehicle that I was pretty set on until I was strongly advised to look at the Renegade over the Patriot. I liked the exterior of the Patriot but the Renegade has definitely grown on me. After test driving the Renegade I was sold and placed an order.

After driving the Forester, I couldn't get into it really. I didn't even bother with the XV as its 2.0 and 5spd was even more underwhelming and louder than the 2.5/6spd in Forester, despite the weight advantage of XV. Aside from the lackluster engine, the outside noise was too present on the interior, the interior layout lacked refinement (everything looked 2-3 generations older than what everyone else was doing), and the suspension was very wallowy. Even with the 2015 coming out with the awesome sunroof for the 2.5i Premium (it was available in 2014 but ONLY with the CVT), it wasn't enough to entice me.

Looked at Mini Countrymans with 6-speed manual, but they're expensive to buy, and maintain. And I couldn't stand the giant Flava-Flav clock in the center of the dash.

Seen the Honda HR-V and it could be had with a manual, but dumped that idea as soon as I noticed the anemic engine with <130ft/lbs of torque.

Test drove a Mazda CX-5 fwd with manual trans. I liked it. Power was ok, had more trunk space than the Renegade.

My employee discount with Chrysler and the torque of the 1.4T tipped the scale towards Jeep.

All of these vehicles had mpg's over 30 for highway.

I too fancy the Countryman but felt it was a bit too pricey for me to get in. I'd rather take a new Renegade than a used Countryman. I neither gave the HR-V or Mazda CX-3 a look due to the lack of a manual. I'm surprised you said the power was okay in the CX-5 manual, quite honestly. The ONLY way you can get a manual CX-5 is with the 2.0 (instead of the 2.5) and FWD. I drove a Mazda3 with the 2.0 and a manual and felt it was a dog.

For me, I really need to switch to a four door vehicle. I also really wanted AWD, and I require a manual transmission. This really limited my options.

18 months ago I was mostly interested in a Subaru WRX. It would have been a natural progression from all the small sporty coupes I've always driven.

Last winter, and our apartment's lackluster snowplow service, made me want some ground clearance though. So then I started looking at crossovers. If I'm buying something like an SUV, I want it to look like one. I don't like how most other crossovers look like sporty cars with a raised suspension. If I was giving up that low-to-the-ground racer feel, I wanted something more geared toward utility. So, naturally the Renegade caught my eye! There's nothing really comparable.

Completely agree. The 500X and Countryman sort of come close; the former for obvious reasons and the latter which also comes in an AWD+Turbo+Manual configuration. Nonetheless, it's the Jeep that has that combination while pivoting more towards the traditional SUV side of things both in interior and exterior dimensions.

I was looking seriously at the Subaru Outback. ]!

I thought about a 2013-2014, but I was unimpressed with the engine and the trick roof rack was actually a hindrance to me as I already owned an aftermarket rack from Thule that I wanted to transfer over.

 

[Renny LeBeau]

Completely agree. The 500X and Countryman sort of come close; the former for obvious reasons and the latter which also comes in an AWD+Turbo+Manual configuration. Nonetheless, it's the Jeep that has that combination while pivoting more towards the traditional SUV side of things both in interior and exterior dimensions.

I briefly looked at the Mini All4 JCW, but it was just too expensive to consider, so I didn't bother really researching it.

 

[Triple-S]

Cross trek after research was the only other vehicle considered. Really rated well against the renny. Rated better in a lot of categories and was the more sensible choice. But I couldn't pass on Bumble Bee.

 

[Niles Hughes]

Juke, The wife has one and it's an excellent little car. The interior is just a little too low end and the Jeep is just more me.

 

[wyliec]

Since my gf gets the Dodge/Chrysler/Jeep discount, I also considered another Charger (6 cylinder AWD), and the Chrysler 200S (6 cylinder and AWD).

Long story short, I had 5 months on my Charger lease, and the Dodge dealer wouldn't deal. The Chrysler/Jeep dealer did, and the rest is history.

 

[zipthelipp]

I was considering the Honda HRV which probably would have been the smart choice reliability wise however I did not like the touch screen controls and the interior styling. I liked the Renegade styling and I really like the interior. Plus I wanted a vehicle with decent off road capabilities.

 

[sciond]

FCA is buying my Cherokee back , I was nervous about another one. I have to pay full MSRP for the new vehicle so I looked around to see where the value was. Anvil was discontinued for the Cherokee TH and I wanted the color again so I ordered a Renegade TH in Anvil Hopefully I will have better luck with this vehicle