2018 Jeep Renegade

The Jeep Renegade enters the 2018 line-up without any major changes. However, the car now gets Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and a 5-inch touchscreen, a rearview camera, and Bluetooth now come standard. The Renegade is powered by a 1.4L engine that outputs 160 hp and a torque of 184 lb-ft, with a six-speed manual gearbox. The car also gets an optional 2.4L engine with a 9-speed automatic transmission, and four-wheel drive is standard on some and optional on some as well. The car gets an upscale interior with a rather comfortable front row. The features and technology on the inside are simple, and easy to use.

The Renegade, however, suffers from low safety ratings and average fuel economy ratings which are rather important characteristics in this segment. For a price of $18,750, the Renegade is quite affordable but also has major drawbacks. The 2018 Jeep Renegade faces competition from the 2018 Mazda CX-3, the 2018 Honda HR-V, and the 2018 Chevrolet Trax. The rivals are quite capable on the road, and also get better safety ratings as well.

The 2018 Jeep Renegade is available in four trim levels: Sport, Latitude, Trailhawk, and Limited. Pricing for the trims starts at $18,750 and goes up to $27,445. The Renegade is available in FWD and 4WD configurations. The Trailhawk trim is the more off-road focused variant and comes in 4WD configuration only with low-range settings. Standard features across all trims include remote locking and unlocking, power windows and locks, rearview camera, height-adjustable driver seat, 60/40 split-folding rear seat, driver information display, Bluetooth, and a 5-inch touchscreen.

There are optional packages that enhance the infotainment experience, the interior look and also include some exterior customizations. The Sport trim gets three packages: A Sport Appearance Package, Power and Air group package, and the UConnect group package. The Latitude trim gets an Altitude package. The Safety and Security Group package and the UConnect 8.4 NAV Group are available on all except the Sport trim. The Latitude and Limited trims get the Advanced Technology Package. There are also other stand-alone options as well. 

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The Sport and Latitude with their low pricing are surely attractive options, but in the real world, the Limited trim will be very useful as it comes well-equipped with all the necessary modern features and creature comforts one can desire at this price point. The Limited also gets a better 2.4L engine and a 9-speed automatic transmission that is far better than the standard 1.4L. Also, the Limited is better equipped in terms of safety features which is a relief considering the Renegade's low safety ratings.

"The Jeep Renegade doesn't possess great power or handling, but the Trailhawk excels off-road" -TheCarConnection

2018 Jeep Renegade Engine and Transmission

The 2018 Jeep Renegade comes with a Turbocharged  1.4L engine as standard which outputs 160 hp @ 5500 rpm and has a torque output of 184 lb-ft @ 2500 rpm, coupled to a 6-speed manual gearbox. There is also an optional engine that is standard on the Limited and Trailhawk trim- a Turbocharged 2.4L engine that outputs 180 hp @ 6400 rpm and 175 lb-ft @ 3900 rpm of torque. This engine is coupled with a 9-speed automatic gearbox.

The base engine feels underpowered and laggy with the AWD, but is decent enough for city use with the FWD. The six-speed manual gearbox works well as well, with easy and smooth shifts. Coming to the 2.4L engine, the engine makes the vehicle moderately quicker and also adds more character to the car. This is the engine found on the Trailhawk trim. The 9-speed automatic is clunky, with mixed noisy shift timings.

The Trax is the most expensive car in the lot, around $1,250 more than the Renegade, and has the least power output. The CX-3 has the biggest engine and makes identical figures of power and torque. The Honda HR-V has the lowest torque output. The Renegade has the maximum torque output of 184 lb-ft. The Renegade is also the most affordable car in the lot. The Trax despite having moderate torque values benefits from its peak torque kicking in as early as 1850 rpm. 

2018 Jeep Renegade Acceleration

The 2018 Jeep Renegade FWD with the 1.4L engine and 6-speed manual gearbox sprints from 0-60 mph in a time of 9.4 seconds. The quarter-mile time comes up in 17.5 seconds. The Renegade has a top speed of 110 mph. The 2.4L AWD Jeep Renegade has a 0-60 mph time of 9.1 seconds and the quarter-mile comes up in 17 seconds. The heavyweight eats into the performance. The top speed is rated at 114 mph. 

The Mazda is the quickest of the four cars. It benefits with its better weight distribution. The HR-V, the Renegade, and the Trax are close to each other in terms of 0-60 mph performance runs, at 9.3 seconds, 9.4 seconds, and 9.6 seconds respectively. The same ranking follows for the quarter-mile run as well. The Renegade's top speed is the least of all, at 110 mph. The HR-V has the highest top speed of 119 mph.

2018 Jeep Renegade Steering and Handling

Steering and handling are not the best features on a Renegade. Even so, the 2018 Jeep Renegade steers exceptionally well. The steering feel is light and nimble, which allows for agile turns with a generous amount of feedback. The quicker you turn, the more body roll is present. The suspension setup of the front strut and rear multi-link works well at absorbing bumps and undulations, and we can say ride quality is not bad.

The Renegade's handling improves with every trim. The base is just okay-ish, but the latitude trim with the 2.4L engine and AWD has better control and is sharper than the Sport trim. The Limited offers a more engaging ride quality and is satisfactory. Obviously, there are cars with better driving dynamics than the Renegade, but it's no compromise as well.

2018 Jeep Renegade Braking

The 2018 Jeep Renegade gets a 12-inch front brake rotor and an 11-inch rear brake rotor. The Jeep stops from 60-0 mph in a distance of 126 feet, which is quite impressive considering its weight of 3056 lbs. The car takes 184 feet to stop from 70-0 mph.

The Renegade comes with Active Braking, a feature that increases brake pressure if there's not enough force from the driver and this does help it brake sooner than ever. This has also given a better brake pedal feel, which is mildly firm and has a shorter distance for applying full brakes.

The Renegade gets the largest front brake rotor of 12 inches, whereas the HR-V and the CX-3 get the largest rear brake rotor at 11.1 inches. The CX-3 stops the quickest at 117 feet, thanks to its lower weight and stronger brakes. The other three cars stop in the 120-feet distance range. The Trax takes 121 feet, the HR-V takes 127 feet, and the Renegadetakes 126 feet.

2018 Jeep Renegade Off-Roading

The 2018 Jeep Renegade Trailhawk trim is meant for the off-road adventure that some enthusiasts would like to embark upon. It gets all-terrain tires, hill descent control, raised suspension for better ground clearance, 4WD with low range, tow hooks, and underbody skid-plates. Visually, it has all the appeal. In reality, even the other trims with 4WD and Jeep's Selec-Terrain system keep up with the Trailhawk in the off-road drives pretty well. It's not like the elder Jeeps, but it manages well for its size and class. The Renegade has an approach angle of 17.9 degrees, and a departure angle of 29.7 degrees which allows the car to even do 45 degree climbs without a sweat.

The 2018 Jeep Renegade FWD with the 1.4L engine returns 24 mpg in the city, 31 mpg on the highway, and 26 mpg combined. With the 4WD, there is no change in the fuel economy at all. The 2.4L FWD Jeep returns 22 mpg in the city, 30 mpg on the highway, and 25 mpg combined. The 2.4L 4WD sees a slight drop with a city mileage of 21 mpg, a highway mileage of 29 mpg, and a combined mileage rating of 24 mpg. The car has a fuel capacity of 12.7 gallons. On the standard 1.4L FWD Jeep, the range stands at just above 300 miles in the city, and 393 miles on the highway.

The Renegade is not at all fuel-efficient. The CX-3 has the best-combined mileage of 31 mpg, whereas the HR-V and the Trax have the same mileage at 28 mpg combined. In terms of range, despite getting a smaller tank, the CX-3 offers a range of 369.3 city miles and 431.8 highway miles. The Trax gets the largest fuel tank, and hence has a better range than the HR-V. It stands at 350 city miles and 462 highway miles, the most highway range among the four cars. 

"The 2018 Jeep Renegade isn't particularly spacious, and its back seat doesn't keep its spec-sheet promises." - TheCarConnection

2018 Jeep Renegade Interior Seating and Comfort

The 2018 Jeep Renegade's interiors are upscale for cars in this class, although some offer much better interiors. The Renegade's interior makes a lot of use of hard plastics, but they have a great finish to them which takes away and subpar quality traits. The soft-touch dash is a subtle touch with the robust controls that make the interior very appealing at this price point. The interior is quite roomy, and the usage of internal space has been quite good. The layout is very user-friendly, and everything is just a touch away. All in all, it's an impressive cabin.

The five-seater Renegade will tell you two stories in the front and back. In the front, the car is seating is very roomy, and tall people will have no headroom problems thanks to the tall roofline. The front seats also have ample legroom, adjustability, with decent seat cushioning and support. The rear is a letdown- cramped legroom and flat seats do not really give the joy of a long drive. Ingress and egress through the square doors is not a problem. The doors open nearly 90-degrees wide, and the right height allows for an easy step up or step down. Visibility all around the cubic Renegade is excellent, with a broad windshield and wide windows.

The CX-3 has the least interior volume of all four cars. The Renegade has the most headroom in the front row, while the most front legroom is on the CX-3. The Renegade again boasts of a tall second-row headroom but has cramped legroom. The HR-V's one-inch longer wheelbase has helped with opening up more space in the rear for legroom. All four cars have similar shoulder room. Some interior features on the Renegade are:

• 60/40 split-folding rear seat
• Height-adjustable driver seat
• Cruise control
• Ambient LED lighting
• Leather-wrapped steering wheel
• Leather upholstery

2018 Jeep Renegade Infotainment

The 2018 Jeep Renegade uses a 5-inch touchscreen on the base Sport trim. Higher trims get a 7-inch touchscreen as standard with Jeep's Uconnect infotainment system. It is super easy to use, and one of the most user-friendly interfaces in the market. Navigating through the menu is a piece of cake, and touch responses are good as well.

Standard infotainment features include a driver information display, USB port, AM/FM stereo, Bluetooth, a six-speaker sound system, and a 5-inch touchscreen. An 8.4-inch touchscreen and HD Radio are also available. Some other infotainment features are:

• Satellite radio
• Android Auto
• Apple CarPlay
• Additional USB port (opt)115-volt household-style power outlet
• Beats Nine-speaker premium audio system
• Navigation

2018 Jeep Renegade Cargo Space

The 2018 Jeep Renegade offers a standard cargo capacity of 18.5 cu-ft, which increases to 50.8 cu-ft with the seats folded. The standard cargo is not a lot by segment standards, and other cars offer more.

The cargo space is reduced even more with a full-size spare. However, even the front passenger seat folds down, which is a good option to load longer items. Loading height is not too tall on the Renegade as well.

 The HR-V has the most standard space at 24.3 cu-ft. The Chevrolet Trax offers a similar cargo capacity as the Renegade at 15.7 cu-ft, whereas the CX-3's tiny 12.4 cu-ft cargo hold is not very useful. Coming to maximum cargo space, it's the most on the HR-V again, but there's not much difference between the three cars except the CX-3 which has a lesser maximum cargo capacity of 44.5 cu-ft.

"Just shy of cute, the ruggedly appealing 2018 Jeep Renegade bristles with heritage flouishes." -TheCarConnection

2018 Jeep Renegade Styling and Dimensions

The 2018 Jeep Renegade is unlike most Jeep cars we usually see, but there's nothing too different from the usual Jeep design and styling. The Renegade has a very boxy, squared-off profile, which will tend to grow on you. The car's front, like other Jeeps. features a rectangular grille with seven slots in it. The round headlamps and the blacked-out broad rectangular bumper creates a symmetric geometrical design.

From the side, the square design language of the Renegade is much prominent, with the square wheel arches and sharp straight lines across the side. The rear looks very neat, with well-designed taillights and a flat profile. The taillights feature an X-shape in them which has been derived from the World War II jerry cans.

The Renegade looks very rugged. With the Trailhawk trim, the blacked-out wheels, and the red tow hooks look stunning. The skid plates and the unique exterior trim helps to differentiate the Trailhawk trim from other Renegades. The Jeep Renegade weighs 3056 lbs, and has a length of 166 inches. The Renegade is 74 inches wide and has a height of 66.5 inches. The car sits 6.7 inches away from the ground and has a wheelbase of 101.2 inches.

With the four cars placed side by side, differences between the four are hard to spot. The Renegade is the heaviest car in the lot. The Trax and the CX-3 are the lightest cars, with a curb weight of 2805 lbs and 2809 lbs respectively. The HR-V has the most length at 169 inches. The Trax and the HR-V get the most width, at 69.9 inches and 69.8 inches. The Trax is the tallest car in these four as well. It also has the tightest wheelbase at 100.6 inches. The longest wheelbase is on the HR-V, at 102.8 inches which has given the HR-V class-leading rear space and cargo capacity. Some exterior features on the Renegade are:

• Alloy wheels
• Roof rails
• Automatic headlamps
• Foglights
• Skid plates
• Power-adjustable outside mirrors

The 2018 Jeep Renegade got rated 'Good' by the IIHS in most tests but received 'Acceptable' in the small-overlap front-impact test. The NHTSA gave the Renegade an overall rating of 4-stars, The 4WD versions are rated at 3 stars in the rollover test. Standard safety features on the Renegade include airbags, traction control, stability control, a rearview camera, and ABS. Either the optional Safety and Security Group or the Advanced Technology group is a must. These add more advanced safety features on the Renegade making it a safer car to be in. Some other safety features are:

• Tire Pressure Monitoring System
• Blindspot Monitoring system
• Rear cross-traffic alert
• Rear parking sensors
• Lane departure warning and mitigation
• Forward collision warning with automatic emergency braking

2018 Jeep Renegade vs 2018 Honda HR-V

The 2018 Honda HR-V is a well-packed all-rounder compact SUV. The Honda HR-V has a decent engine, which is very refined and smooth. It is, however, a slow car and does not excite with its performance like some other compact SUVs. The Honda HR-V handles very well, much better than the Renegade, and also has better fuel economy ratings and a better range. The HR-V's interiors are more practical and loaded with tons of features. It has tons of cargo space and offers comfortable seating. The Honda HR-V also has more seat adjustability options.

The Honda HR-V, like the Renegade, gets mediocre safety scores, but the Renegade has more safety features on offer. The HR-V has a better reliability rating than the Renegade, and also the HR-V's ride quality is much more composed than the Renegade. The Renegade has better off-road capabilities and is also the more affordable car of the two.

2018 Jeep Renegade vs 2018 Mazda CX-3

The 2018 Mazda CX-3 is a great choice against the Renegade. It has a powerful engine, quicker performance, and has the better driving dynamics of the two. The Renegade can't match the CX-3 fuel economy and also its longer range. The interior of the CX-3 is also better than the Renegade's with a much nicer finish and the material quality is better overall. The CX-3 however has a tighter interior space, and the rear row is slightly better than the Renegade's.

The Renegade also offers more cargo capacity than the CX-3. The CX-3 has slightly better safety ratings and has more standard safety features. The CX-3's performance limits itself to the road, and that is where the Renegade shines. The Renegade is much more affordable than the CX-3 as well. Coming to reliability, the  CX-3 is the more reliable car out of the two.

The 2018 Jeep Renegade has attractive costs and a ton of fun with its off-road capabilities. However, the Renegade does not offer the kind of performance expected from a car of this class and the clunky gearbox does not help with the driving experience. Despite having better quality interiors and a well-finished layout, the Renegade lacks the features and creature comforts the competition offers. The low safety ratings are a major concern, but the available safety features (advanced driver assistance features) do work well, and are a must. As an affordable compact SUV from Jeep, with fun driving and a decent interior, the Renegade is worth having a look at before making a decision.

Also Read:

• Check out the 2022 Jeep Compass: a bigger Jeep alternative to the Renegade!
• The 2022 Subaru Crosstrek - a comfortable and practical compact SUV

2018 Jeep Renegade FAQs

How much does the 2018 Jeep Renegade cost?

The 2018 Renegade starts at a price of $18,750.

Is the 2018 Jeep Renegade a reliable SUV?

The Jeep Renegade has below-average reliability ratings making it one of the less reliable compact SUVs.

How long will the 2018 Renegade run for before major repairs?

A time period of close to 10 years - after which the Renegade might require some big repairs.

How many miles will the 2018 Renegade last?

Expect around 150,000 miles from the Renegade with proper maintenance and care.

Is the Renegade a fuel-efficient car?

The 2018 Renegade is not a fuel-efficient car with an under-par city/highway mileage of 24 mpg/ 31 mpg.