Sorry for the long delay (been a busy several months). Renegade finally arrived at the dealer's just after I got back from the Outdoor Retailer Show in Salt Lake City (as a side note, Cabela's says they'll carry the Simple Shower). I wish I had had the Renegade for that 1800 mile butt numbing trip. My Cherokee, while still running and trustworthy, turned over 280K on that trip (but still managed the 80 mph speed limits with no problem).
Thoughts on the Renegade: To paraphrase Simon Pegg playing Scotty in the Star Trek reboot "
I LIKE this Jeep!" :wings: In just the past month and a half that I've owned it I've put almost 3,000 miles on it (several trips to Vancouver, BC, and one to Whistler, BC, along with lots of local driving in the Puget Sound area). For me, it's very comfortable to drive.
It's tight, and feels like you're driving a Jeep, not a Subaru or other softening type vehicle (not quite the hard ride as my Cherokee). Good turning radius, very good acceleration. I've only had it up to 80 (the speedo is marked up to 160 mph - don't think I'll be testing that any time soon), but it's a smooth ride, and quiet.
The doors feel sturdy - when you close them, it's like the old fashioned cars (not like a lightweight Honda). Cargo space is definitely a huge difference from the Cherokee (about half). Knowing this, I ordered my Renegade with the tow package (2" tubing used, not 1"). I wanted to get it with the MySky, but the esposa shot that down. Along with the tow package, I got mine with the leather seats (heated), the larger screen (has radio, media, navigation, Sirius XM, bluetooth for the phone and iPod) and a whole host of other things I have quite figured out completely yet). I even have a heated steering wheel and remote start feature (great for those cold mornings/evenings/days/nights/whatever).
Mileage is pretty good (I'm average 26 mpg, and I have to climb a small, but very steep mountain once or twice a day). Optimal cruising speed for fuel efficiency is about 40 mph, at which point I'm getting 40 mpg. Quite the change from my 17/23 for my Cherokee (mostly 17 mpg). The tank is also considerably smaller (12-13 gallons versus the Cherokee's 18 gallons), so, same distance, less $ at the pump. Of course, I can't tow as much.
As I went with the fancy package, I didn't have the option on getting a manual tranny (I would have preferred it), but the automatic tranny seems to be working fine (actually downshifts when going downhill so you don't need to ride the brakes). 4WD is both normal and Low. There are five settings in 4WD: Auto, Snow, Mud, Sand, and Rock. I've only had it in Auto 4WD so far (still awaiting snow - hope we get a lot this winter, we need it). You can definitely tell the difference between no 4WD and having the Auto 4WD on, even on the gravel mountain road I drive - lots more (better) traction.
Lights can be set manually or on automatic. I decided to switch over to automatic, and it's nice
An interesting feature are side lights up front, so when you're making a turn they light up the side in the direction of the turn. Really great for seeing what's just to the side of the turning radius.
My Renegade's color scheme is
Mojave Sand (the invoice showed the European name -
Mocha Latte), with a black roof and black trim on the hood. Inside is black (gets quite warm) with red trim (WT?)
Passenger capacity is limited to either four adults (better not be obese) or two adults and three thin/small people in the back. I hear the back seats are comfortable, but I'm not about to check that out - nobody except the esposa and I drive this bad boy.
Some things I wish were better: The passenger seat is not electric (unlike the driver side), so it's only back and forth (with the typically reclining of the backrest). It also, IMHO, sits too far down. Vertically challenged passengers (e.g., my wife) are further down the driver and can't see as much. The back seats don't lay completely flat when folded (unlike my Cherokee). The driver's armrest on the door isn't as wide the farther back it goes, so if you sit far back, you don't quite have a suitable armrest on that side.
The roof rack does not have cross bars! This means that I'll need to get aftermarket stuff just so I can use my Thule roof cargo box (bad Fiat/Chrystler/Jeep - no biscuit).
There isn't a map pocket on the door (I guess with the Nav system you don't need one, but I still like having them). There's no place to put your sunglasses. And I was really hoping that it came with a garage door opener built in (my wife's Subaru has one on the rear view mirror), but it didn't. Other than these minor cons, there's nothing I don't like about the Renegade. Again,
I LIKE this Jeep!
Of course, one of the great things about getting a Renegade is you get your very own theme song.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j7LbPdzYrrE
Sorry, unable to load the one picture of me with it now. Will try later.
