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ROAD TRIP! - 2015 Jeep Renegade Trailhawk Long-Term Road Test

Edmunds.comEdmunds.com Member, Administrator, Moderator Posts: 10,315
edited January 2016 in Jeep
imageROAD TRIP! - 2015 Jeep Renegade Trailhawk Long-Term Road Test

We're tired of the city and so is our 2015 Jeep Renegade Trailhawk. It's time for a road trip.

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  • daryleasondaryleason Member Posts: 501
    Considering the Renegade is really a Fiat Panda that's been in production for a while in Europe, wouldn't the place where it belongs is parked outside of a Coffee Shop in some place like Milan? I think it's cool that y'all are actually road-tripping it though. Based on the size of the vehicle, I have a feeling it'll feel smaller by the time the respective drivers get to their final destinations.
  • carguydarylcarguydaryl Member Posts: 27
    Good! It needs some miles to see if its possible to get its fuel economy up!
  • throwbackthrowback Member Posts: 445
    Love these trips! interesting choice also, as I wonder how well these mini SUVs do on long trips.
  • steverstever Guest Posts: 52,454
    Custer State Park near Rushmore is a real gem. Might want to rent some snowshoes when you get there....
  • daryleasondaryleason Member Posts: 501
    stever said:

    Custer State Park near Rushmore is a real gem. Might want to rent some snowshoes when you get there....

    I'd suggest in that area, they may want to rent a Wrangler if they're going to get off the beaten path...or an F-150/Silverado/Ram...I have serious doubts about that Renegade's ability to tackle anything more serious than a speedbump off road.
  • longtimelurkerlongtimelurker Member Posts: 455
    Offroad, with its super-low ratios in the first couple of gears, I think it will do fine. It's on-road that I would not want to be driving it. No power and look at that aerodynamic package...hope you like white noise, guy.

    I do like the way you're doing it...in the area of the country you are headed, at this time of year, you are going to be able to play it by ear - take each day's activities and each night's lodging arrangements as they come...the only mandate is you end up in Detroit on Day X.

    Set your nav options on "no toll roads" and "no divided highways" and kick back. No better way...I envy you.
  • john_in_tcjohn_in_tc Member Posts: 28
    Start the trip by driving north through the Upper Peninsula of Michigan along the south shore of Lake Superior. You will get a chance to test its traction in snow. Be sure to leave your penny loafers at home and pack some real winter boots.
  • steverstever Guest Posts: 52,454
    edited January 2016
    lol, I'm in my second winter away from "da lake". And I've done the run from the Porkies to Rushmore, but not in the dead of winter. So nice not owning a snow shovel or a scoop anymore. Mine was an original Kaufman out of Ironwood WI. ;)
  • nagantnagant Member Posts: 176
    Last weekend my wife and I drove a Renegade Limited FWD and we liked it til we pulled out of the parking lot. I know I am used to a lot more low end TQ with are current car (Turbo 2.4) but holy crap it was a dog. Putting around town it was quiet enough but in pure Tigershark form when you do step on it to merge on the freeway the moaning and buzzing starts. Buzzing, moaning, shifting drove us crazy. What was really strange was to see that the Compass and Patriot have 2016 models....WTF? All these models and not one decent 4cyl to be seen.
  • daryleasondaryleason Member Posts: 501
    Wow...if ANYONE says a PT Cruiser is better than any other vehicle...you KNOW that the other vehicle has some serious issues. That's like an NFL player getting ripped by the Al Bundy-wannabe who played second string football in high school and then never setting foot on the field again. I didn't realize the Renegade was really that bad.
  • nagantnagant Member Posts: 176
    daryleason said:

    Wow...if ANYONE says a PT Cruiser is better than any other vehicle...you KNOW that the other vehicle has some serious issues. That's like an NFL player getting ripped by the Al Bundy-wannabe who played second string football in high school and then never setting foot on the field again. I didn't realize the Renegade was really that bad.


    I am not sure which model you had but you sure have a rod on against PTs. I remember you said how "cramped" they are, when that is complete BS. The last two years they really took a lot of the cool features and sound insulation out of them when Cerberus bought Chrysler and was squeezing every penny out of them but up until then, they were extremely popular. There is a reason they sold over 1.1 million of them......the looked unique, had a ton of room in them because of how high they sat, they could haul a ton of stuff because of the folding/removable back seats, were fast and fun with the Turbo engines. Our 07 Limited Turbo has the first gen UConnect, leather, 385W Boston stereo, heated seats, sunroof etc. It has been reliable and versatile (I have hauled a 8 ft gun cabinet with the hatch closed) and a pretty much perfect car for two empty nesters with 6ft sons that fit in the back with room to spare. Since we live at the base of the Sierras we like how it performs when going to Tahoe and Reno when all of the NA cars and trucks are wheezing along. Since we like small wagons we wanted to really like the Renegade but the Tigershark is just horrible. PTs are starting to get old but every time we think about getting rid of it we cant find something we like better. One HUGE plus is that one can see out of a PT while most other cars are just horrible to see out of. The Renegade is not too bad in that respect but when the interior is black it seems pretty small inside.

    In other words, you are talking out of your [non-permissible content removed].
  • daryleasondaryleason Member Posts: 501
    edited January 2016
    @Nagant : I had a 2006 PT Cruiser Touring. Since you've read my previous posts, I have absolutely no love for it. There's a reason why the PT Cruiser is listed on just about EVERY "worse car ever" list. They sold over a million of them? So what? A good chunk of them probably went straight to rental fleets. The Yugo (like Edmunds has) has a production number of around 800,000. I don't think that total production really means "Oh, it's a great car." Actually, I think I'd rather have the Yugo over a PT Cruiser. But either way, perhaps the Turbo really transforms that little trashcan into something impressive.

    Now...again, I'd like to point out, that other than asking something to the effect of whether you had stock in FCA or was just internet trolling due to one of your responses to a previous post of mine, I actually haven't actually accused you or insulted you. I'm talking out of my "non-permissible content removed"? I've been very specific about why I can't stand that some-what rolling testament to great marketing and bad engineering. You, at least with this last post, have clearly stated why you think the PT Cruiser is so wonderful. I, being an adult (albeit not an empty-nester), can acknowledge that different people feel differently about vehicles than I do. I agree that's why there's more than one style and option on a vehicle. I can, amazingly enough, disagree with them, but not be affronted.

    However, I still think a car has to be pretty bad if someone considers a PT Cruiser a better option.

    [non-permissible content removed]

    Have a nice evening.
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