Tony Stark Would Approve - 2015 Jeep Renegade Trailhawk Long-Term Road Test

Edmunds.comEdmunds.com Member, Administrator, Moderator Posts: 10,315
edited August 2015 in Jeep
imageTony Stark Would Approve - 2015 Jeep Renegade Trailhawk Long-Term Road Test

Attractive interior trim in the Edmunds Long-Term Renegade.

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Comments

  • ebeaudoinebeaudoin Member Posts: 509
    Looks a little cheesy in my opinion, but it's certainly unique.
  • DebunkerDebunker Member Posts: 49
    I can never figure out why manufacturers don't just make these trim pieces in actual aluminum or stainless steel or whatever. Can it really cost that much in volume? I've got plenty of that kind of material on everyday things I own such as lawnmowers, generators, toaster ovens, etc. Is it really that big a deal? In this Jeep, the vent controls appear to be nicely detailed, but then they're surrounded by this cheesy piece of plastic. I'd love for someone to explain the logic of this to me.
  • opfreakopfreak Member Posts: 106
    your shift cover looks broken.
  • agent0090agent0090 Member Posts: 26
    I think that's just a reflection in the chrome ring.

    But why, WHY!?!?? does every parking brake have to electronic now? What was wrong with the handle?
  • darexdarex Member Posts: 187
    agent0090 said:

    I think that's just a reflection in the chrome ring.

    But why, WHY!?!?? does every parking brake have to electronic now? What was wrong with the handle?

    It saves a lot of console real estate
  • jfa1177jfa1177 Member Posts: 52
    I like the accents but feel its more successful on the Bark Brown/Ski Grey/Orange interior.
    Why did you not get the MySky option? That's probably the coolest feature on the Renegade.
  • gslippygslippy Member Posts: 514
    @Debunker:
    There are several points to address your question:

    1. Plastic is much cheaper to produce than metal, even in volume. However, even the volumes the Renegade will see are not very high in comparison to other consumer goods. Cost containment would be critical for Jeep's entry-level product. That vent piece might be $0.20 in plastic, but $1.20 in metal. That difference multiplies across many parts, and includes secondary issues like mounting methodology and even protection of the parts during shipping from the supplier. Also, design revisions are easier in plastic than metal.
    2. Low cost aside, the Renegade's target audience wouldn't appreciate or want to pay for metal pieces. Metal pieces don't translate into sales. That's for Aston Martin.
    3. Plastic can be molded in far more interesting ways than metal, and with better detail.
    4. Plastic can perform much better than metal under many circumstances. For instance, a dropped cell phone won't dent the plastic shifter cover, and plastic touch points won't fry your hands like metal can.

    So, it ends up being a complex tug of war between engineering, marketing, and the accountants.
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