My dad wants a Renegade Trailhawk but I'm trying to get him into a Wrangler

[869 KPH]

It's the same car. Literally the same car.

This is hilarious. I had a friend who had a Dodge Neon for years - he was so proud the day the ditched it and traded it in for a 'Jeep'. Only problem: he bought a Jeep Patriot. Pretty sure that's just a glorified next-gen Neon. I decided to keep that to myself, lol.

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[Padre]

my mom constantly asks for my recommendations on certain things to buy. Then she goes "oh, that's too expensive." Then buys an even more expensive option. Like the last new car. She wanted an CUV to replace their RAV4. I give her options around a $40k price point, including an offer sheet for a loaded Q5 @ $42k that she says is too expensive. She gets a $50k Volvo.

I was able to steer my wife away from the Tacoma option by saying "convertible truck."

That is the other reason I steered my wife to the Renegade. Bronco sports were going for $5K over sticker. The Trailhowk Renegade was a very affordable car and it rated better in off road tests than the RAV 4 or the Subaru.

 

[DankjeeP]

Suzuki Samurai

Worst vehicle ever. I dated a girl that had one of those, and it was the worse ride ever. After about 20 miles you need a new kidney.

 

[DankjeeP]

You can't let your Pops drive this vehicle. It's not a proper way for a grown man to get around.

My wife has one and it's not too bad. Better than the CRV she had before it IMHO. But it is a blah blah nothing interesting about it boring car,

 

[dcmdon]

Worst vehicle ever. I dated a girl that had one of those, and it was the worse ride ever. After about 20 miles you need a new kidney.

I guess its funny how we can remember the Samurai differently. I pretty much only rode in one when my friends and I did Drink and Sink Sundays off roading trips. Everyone else had Jeeps. I had a Subaru wagon (complete with low range) . The Samurai was so freaking narrow it could pick its lines through just about everything. And squeeze between the closest trees. It was really great off road.

 

[jebiruph]

My daughter's Renegade has a payload capacity of 959 lbs, thats more than my Wrangler.

 

[f33d]

Do not be tricked into the renegade. Its a Rebranded USA Fiat 500.

 

[Trickster]

He wants something short and actually 4x4 so he can use it for hunting on ranch/orchards in far northern CA.

They're similar cost, almost identical in size externally, and I believe the Wrangler has better interior size. Any reason why he should look at the Renegade outside of gas mileage?

Nope. Out of close to 900 vehicles sold last year at my wife’s dealership, there were two sold.

 

[dcmdon]

Nope. Out of close to 900 vehicles sold last year at my wife’s dealership, there were two sold.

It really doesn't matter. The whole idea floated a few posts earlier that you won't be able to get parts for something because it doesn't sell in high volume is wrong.

Also, any regular car CAN be turned into a decent off road vehicle with nothing more than some suspension parts and tires. Especially if its got a short wheelbase and short front and rear overhangs.

It worked for Porsche.

 

[DailyMoparGuy]

Worst case scenario, convince him to get a Cherokee.

 

[BowlofSoup]

He wants something short and actually 4x4 so he can use it for hunting on ranch/orchards in far northern CA.

They're similar cost, almost identical in size externally, and I believe the Wrangler has better interior size. Any reason why he should look at the Renegade outside of gas mileage?

t
I would advise him to test drive both and go from there

 

[BowlofSoup]

Pushing someone to get a vehicle they don’t want will seldom end well. Many have said it. Wranglers and Gladiators are great, if you’re the kind of person that likes them. If you’re not one of those, you’ll likely hate it.

I think that's partially why I see so many used gladiators out there. People buy them not realizing what they're getting themselves into

 

[WILDHOBO]

My wife has one and it's not too bad. Better than the CRV she had before it IMHO. But it is a blah blah nothing interesting about it boring car,

Trailhawk?

 

[DankjeeP]

Trailhawk?

nope

 

[WILDHOBO]

So I some what fit this thread perfectly, I have a JT sport S, and my GF has the Renegade Trailhawk. I'll be honest in saying I wasn't a fan of the Renegade when it was first announced, but after actually sitting in one I actually like it quite a bit, even with both of us being very tall.

While they seem small on the outside, they feel cavernous on the inside, especially after being used to sitting in a JL/JT. They've got great visibility, but cargo space may cause you issues. While the power train is lack luster compared to the JL/JT, we both find it does plenty well for the Renegade. It has the turbo powerplant, and the only complaint with it is the delay from a stop. After the turbo builds pressure though, it scoots right along. While it's probably a hair overpriced for what it brings to the table, I do think it's got better off road chops than it's competition, and the funky look is appealing to both of us (I know this likely isn't a popular opinion on this forum though). Luckily she bought it early in the pandemic, and there was about $5k work of rebates on it so that helped her choose it vs some other models. We drove it a bit this winter through some snow storms and it's snow mode did well, and climbed some very steep snow covered inclines without much slippage at all.

All in all, we're both glad she got it and I also enjoy some spirited driving in it when we're about and about in town. Its great for grocery runs and small parking spaces, but I don't think I'd own it as the sole vehicle in the garage as you'll likely need more cargo space for certain daily activities.

Hope this helps.

Well said. We didn’t have the turbo as our Trailhawk was a ‘17. Ours had no lag at intersections, but likely had less total power than yours does.

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