Six Days on the Road — LA to Detroit in Numbers - 2015 Jeep Renegade Trailhawk Long-Term Road Test

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Six Days on the Road — LA to Detroit in Numbers - 2015 Jeep Renegade Trailhawk Long-Term Road Test

The journey from Los Angeles to Detroit is a long one. So how much fuel did it take for our long-term 2015 Jeep Renegade to make the trek?

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ebeaudoin

In an effort to to make vehicles lighter, gas tank sizes seem to have shrunk over the years. For example, my 2001 Toyota Camry has an 18.5 gallon tank and I've been averaging 25.3 MPG over almost 20,000 miles tracked. I've averaged 270.1 miles per fuel-up, but my best range was 459.5 miles. I like the large tank.

The 2016 Toyota Camry has a 17.0 gallon tank, but averages much better MPG than the 2001.

vvk

My 2012 Passat S had long legs on I-95. 18+ gallon gas tank and 37 mpg combined for a pretty long drive at 75 mph in 5th gear. The 2.5 liter 5-cylinder provided outstanding fuel mileage. 600 miles was what I typically did between fill-ups.

legacygt

ebeaudoin said:

In an effort to to make vehicles lighter, gas tank sizes seem to have shrunk over the years.

There are certainly weight concerns here but it's worth noting the other trend which is that fuel economy has been increasing. Manufacturers can target a range that customers are comfortable with and shrink fuel tanks as the cars get more efficient. That being said, it seems that they got it wrong with the Renegade. The only defense is that the Renegade really isn't positioned as a long range road tripping vehicle. It's more of a city car with some off road capability. I'm actually surprised to read in this post that the Renegade made for a good road trip car (other than the range issue). It's shape and short wheelbase don't seem terribly well-suited for this task.

tlangness

I doubt it's so much about the weight - especially with a car that already weighs nearly 3,600 lbs. An additional 3-4 gallons of fuel would give the Renegade a much more respectable range, and would add less than 18-24lbs. The space for that amount of fuel is at a premium with all the packaging in modern cars. That's my standing theory.

nagant

tlangness said:

I doubt it's so much about the weight - especially with a car that already weighs nearly 3,600 lbs. An additional 3-4 gallons of fuel would give the Renegade a much more respectable range, and would add less than 18-24lbs. The space for that amount of fuel is at a premium with all the packaging in modern cars. That's my standing theory.

Probably a combination of both.

darthbimmer

It's surprising that you struggle to hit this vehicle's EPA average of 24mpg long term while you've had no trouble meeting the Ram 1500 Eco Diesel's 22mpg. From a fuel efficiency perspective this is not a compelling vehicle.

gslippy

This dog should be shot for averaging 24.7 mpg on a road trip.