There was also its Fiat alter ego, the resemblance is unmistakable

 

No... That's the 500L not the 500X

 

I like the simplicity of the patriot better. I actually prefer it pretty basic inside and not a big technology guy-I just use it for what I need it for-technology that is-I like the fact I can connect my phone to the aux and listen to a radio program online or gps

My dad has a chrysler 300 and that thing and he wishes it wouldnt have the computer touch screens and such.. more computer malfunctions to gowrong

how much computer programming does the renegade have? fro the looks it looks pretty simple, which i like

lots of touch screens?

whats the black box for?

without getting carried away it looks more futuristic , if I can use that word, with the way cars are looking. The patriot looks more basic and I like the riot look better

That said, who knows im open to them and certainly liked the superbowl Renegade commercial, and saw that it can take on the outdoors. I do like the fact it is a lower priced cuv/suv like the patriot that can still has an outdoors look and feel to it, and the gas milage is nice

 

without getting carried away it looks more futuristic , if I can use that word, with the way cars are looking. The patriot looks more basic and I like the riot look better

I agree, and that's why I jumped on the 2015 High Altitude. I was afraid they might not be around much longer once people see these.

That's kind of "cute" and all, but I wanted a jeep and that does indeed look like a Fiat. Esp the rear.

 

That high step over in getting in and out again.

The sill is higher than in the past for safety cage reasons, I get that but I'm in and out of my Patriot so many times in a day's work that my heel has caught it often enough that I've kicked a hole into the weatherstripping along the bottom of the door sill.

I don't want some black box deciding when to turn on my wipers...I wonder if you can over ride that?

 

Wife's Cherokee KL has automatic everything, dimming headlamps, wipers, cruise control, everything you can think of, it can all be disabled so it functions when you want it to.

Also the Uconnect stuff is in the rear view mirrors, my compass has a large part on the back of its mirror.

 

They are already on sale in Europe. I'm in the UK for 6 months and I had a test drive 2 days ago. This car is the biggest heap of **** I have ever driven. Why? Because it has the Jeep badge on it. If it had a FIAT or Renault or Citroen badge on it, it would be OK. This is not a Jeep by any stretch of the imagination. It doesn't drive like a Jeep, it doesn't feel like a Jeep, it doesn't smell like a Jeep, it doesn't sound like a Jeep and, apart from the 7 slot grill and the trapezoids (both of which look like they were an afterthought), doesn't look like a Jeep. It drives, feels, smells, sounds and looks like what it is..... a FIAT. The only surprise is that, being Italian, it hasn't got 5 reverse gears one 1 forward.

It is a European car through and through. Will it sell? It will sell great in Europe because it's the kind crap they like.

If this is the way the Italians are going to take the product, by destroying an icon and turning it into JIAT or Feep, then they lost me as a customer.

 

Definitely got a point there. I do like that they tried to integrate Jeep-ish-ness all over in this one, like with the jerry can taillights and the grille all over, but that's not all that makes a Jeep. They're supposed to be pretty dang simple, excepting of course the Grand Cherokee and maybe the Compass. I get that the market is going global, but if somebody's gonna buy a Jeep, it should be for what Jeeps are, not for what the Italians think they should be. Those Fiat people have no idea how to be American, not that that's much of a surprise. Think there's any chance they might just be trying to get revenge for WW2 by messing up Jeep?

 

Looks like the Renegade is a little taller than the Cherokar. Certainly unexpected, can't say whether I like that or not. I kinda like the interior Rogue Squadron-esque color scheme, though. Just need to get rid of the electronic crap like "selec-terrain" an it'd be much more Jeepish. Anybody else getting the idea they want the Patriot to die? Seems like these well-paid auto nerds don't like simplicity or well-executed designs. The Patriot's beginning to seem like Jeep/Fiat's version of the Chevette, don't ya think? Supposed to be a disposable ride of sorts, but 90%+ of them just won't die, many who end up losing theirs come back as repeat buyers, and many more new folks keep coming in looking for Patriots.

 

The Patriot's beginning to seem like Jeep/Fiat's version of the Chevette, don't ya think? Supposed to be a disposable ride of sorts, but 90%+ of them just won't die, many who end up losing theirs come back as repeat buyers, and many more new folks keep coming in looking for Patriots.

I share your opinion of the Chevette. Those little things were just about bulletproof. My Sister had one and put 1/4 million miles on it. Hers did everything but swim and fly. For all I know it might still be on the road somewhere. (They were awful in the snow, however).

 

Drove behind one for a while last weekend - I just can't get past the "dead cartoon character" taillights. :doh:

Interior looks like it could be nice with a different color combo though.

 

Lol, I remember learning in elementary school about Hitler and Mussolini, but the Italian's part in 1941-1945 is kinda vague to me. Still though, they were on the wrong side. Yeah, I know the Cherokar and Renegade are on Fiat platforms, more or less like the Patriot. The upside is that Fiat's trying to make the Renegade into more of a Jeep, even if they're going about it the wrong way.

 

Wow...is that interior ever ugly. And PTAaron...completely agree about the tail lights. Man those are ugly too.

 

Jeez some of us are hating on other jeeps like the wrangler guys do on us:doh:

I would like to remind everyone that had jeep only catered to what some people think are real jeep qualities, they would not have survived as a company. Jeep offers vehicles for each niche of the market.

And for those hating on the Cherokee KL, I dare you to spend some time in one before you say you don't like it

I've "put up" with my wife's 2014 for a year and a half and love it, regardless of how fancy it is, it's a Jeep has a 4x4 system and well, that's what makes a jeep a jeep.

I'm not a fan of the Renegade, but it potentially will get people who may not have been considering jeeps, into the jeep family. Maybe once they own a jeep they will purchase other models.

Biggest downfall I see with the renegade is the pricing being a bit too high (at least in Canada) fact is a Renegade Trailhawk and KL Trailhawk are almost the same price when identically configured, and believe me the KL Trailhawk Is far more the real jeep.

 

Jeez some of us are hating on other jeeps like the wrangler guys do on us:doh:

I can't speak for anyone else, but for myself, I just don't like it at all. Just my opinion. Has nothing to do with it being "different" from a Wrangler or Patriot or whatever. I'm not saying I hate it being stuck up as a Wrangler or Patriot guy. I'm saying it's ugly and doesn't look like a Jeep and shouldn't be in the Jeep family. I think it makes Jeep look worse overall.

Will it get more people into a Jeep? Sure, but it is diluting the brand IMO.

 

I think its good jeep is making a variety of vehicle sizes and shapes to apply to more people. Just don't take away the looks of the wrangler, grand cherokee, and patriot and things will work out fine. As long as there is an alternative to the "ugly models" then it doesn't bother me.

 

I'm in the same boat as you on this. Maybe their plan is to introduce parents with small children to the Jeep brand with the Renegade and as their needs and kids continue to grow, they'll eventually end up in a Grand Cherokee or JKU. I personally would not get a Renegade since I have a Pat that suits me perfectly. When the time comes to upgrade, I'd get something similar in size or bigger, not smaller.

The front end on this Limited model is definitely way too low for offroad even though it has all that select terrain computer stuff. I didn't think to ask at the time, but I hope that silly box with the sensors is an option on lower trim models and just happened to be standard on the Limited. It's good to know that at least it can be turned off on the Cherokee, hopefully the same option will carry over.

One other detail I realized just now is that the Jeep "seven-slots-and-headlights logo" is stamped in a lot of places on this car, maybe trying to convince us it supposed to be a Jeep?

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9xAP0Oz2mho

Wrangler vs renegade

 

3:20 looks an awful like what an MK does on a low traction hill

Looks like a very aggressive BLD much like FDII's curious to know what mode of selec terrain he was in.

I have a video of my patriot showing the same thing

Difference Is I was going in and out of the FDII mode.

This one of my compass is a bit more accurate

Still one of my favorite videos

I still stand by my earlier prediction that the capability of the Renegade is good for what it is, but it isn't any better than FDII MK's

 

I still stand by my earlier prediction that the capability of the Renegade is good for what it is, but it isn't any better than FDII MK's

It honestly should be better than an FD2 MK but not by a whole lot. The trailhawk has better angles with about the same ground clearance. The 2.4 tigershark has way more low end torque and the 9 speed has better gearing. I have driven tons of darts with the tigershark and it just plain outperforms our 2.4 everywhere. Ours don't really start making power until 3500rpm. They really messed up by not putting the 2 speed ptu and rear diff in it though. It would have been an unstoppable small off roader had they put those in.

 

"This much is official. At Fiat-Chrysler's "five-year plan briefing" they flipped through a slide that revealed the Wrangler redesign was slated for the 2017 model year. Relatedly, they pointed out that 2016 will be their 75th anniversary and mark the introduction of another "C-Segment" SUV to replace the Compass and Patriot."

I'm sure glad we bought a new 2015 Patriot.

Looking at the pictures of the Renegade it seems that only the Trailhawk model has the needed approach angle the others are too low.

 

I think I will stray away from the Feep Renegade

 

I like the Trailhawk version, a lot. Were I single and 20 years younger, living and working in the city, I might very well have one, all while unabashedly retaining my man card.

 

Obviously the limited trim is going to have all the bells and whistles. A base model renegade will be identically equipped to a base model patriot. Hell, you can get a renegade with no A/C or cruise control.

 

You do realize that the WK (and to a lesser extent our MK) has a lot of mercedes DNA in it, right? Pretty much the entire electrical architecture is mercedes. Do you want to know how much the TIPM and instrument cluster cost in your WK? Both probably approach $800 each. Why? Because mercedes. I dissected a faulty TIPM before. It's literally a $30 circuit board with metal bars to power the fuses. Probably $80 in parts. Because it's mercedes though, it's stupid expensive.

 

It isn't about the parts and where they came from. In any case, all electronics in modern European cars are made in China. By the way, you can get a TIPM for a WK for $160 and an ECU for $500

 

A lot of us seem to be throwing rocks from CVT Dodge Caliber house's...

 

Lol. So true. But Rosso will be all over anyone who doesn't like the CVT.

 

Hrm, I seem to be getting predictable, lol.

 

The Caliber and I think Avenger had a AWD system with a non 4WD locking feature. The AWDs are great snow trackers but not good in all terrain mode.

 

The engine and transmission may make the renegade more capable but the styling in my opinion is horrible. I bought my patriot because of the resemblance to the Cherokee, and my desire to always own one of them(late 80-early 90 models). I could never see myself driving one for more than a test drive just to give it a fair chance.

I saw all the little jeep grilles placed in the renegade and that was my thought too. Just trying to make a European style seem more like a jeep.

One of my friends wants a renegade, I'm trying to convince her to atleast wait until the second year. Since every new to production vehicle has a few bugs to work out in the first few years.

 

Agreed! Also GC can be very important especially in rocky environments. I don't think the Renegade would be half bad if the rear end wasn't so ugly. Also the controls are so squinty and useless(Ford and many other companies are doing this too...)

 

I stopped by the dealership today in Hopes to see a renagade, but they still have not received any.

 

I have read some stories about the 9 speed ZF automatic in the KL portion of the other Jeep forums and wonder how many problems really occur and if they are getting the bugs out.

 

Haven't had an issue with my wife's KL and the transmission. Had an issue with the transfer case, but that has been fixed. There has been some updates to the shift logic of the transmission which has been a good improvement (it wasn't that bad to begin with).

All vehicles have bugs, people like to complain about the MK suspension, and there are some bad eggs in terms of transmissions on the KL, happens with every make of vehicle.

 

Don't you have a video of the 4wd not working either? What was the issue with that? I still don't know why they didn't keep the ability to lock it in full time... I suppose it's not that different from our auto mode but sometimes you need every bit of control you can get to get over an obstacle. I've seen videos on YouTube of the Cherokees rock climbing and you can see even with the rear locker on there isn't always a 50/50 split... C'mon Jeep what are you thinking?

 

People need to keep in mind that the Renegade is not a model they built for the US market. They are offering it here, but all the public statements I've read indicate they don't expect it to be a big seller. If it did what Compass did last year (i.e. about 50k) I think they would consider it a success.

Renegade is all about the foreign markets where larger SUVs just aren't going to sell as well but smaller sub compacts do pretty well. It's a cash-in on the Jeep name, of course, but that's to be expected from a global car company.