The Sell: An entry-level off-roader that sips fuel.
The Test: Outfitted with a 1.4-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine and the six-speed manual shifter from a Fiat 500, the base-model ($19,995) was, incredibly, a fun vehicle to throw into corners on Stunt Road, which snakes 2,000 vertical feet up the Santa Monica mountains west of Los Angeles. That鈥檚 an experience we鈥檝e never had in a $20,000 Jeep on pavement.
But then no Jeep has ever looked or been engineered like the all-new, four-door Renegade. The car-based chassis is borrowed from Fiat, (this compact SUV is even made in Italy), which explains the nimble, car-like handling. The Renegade is made for Europe鈥檚 tight alpine roads鈥攁nd pricey gas. Hence its 30-plus mpg highway rating.
But Jeeps are expected to shine off-road, and despite its boxy cuteness, the $25,995 Trailhawk edition of the Renegade punches above its class. It鈥檚 outfitted with the Renegade鈥檚 2.4-liter, four-cylinder engine, a nine-speed transmission, and Jeep鈥檚 terrain-response system that lets you adjust the gearing and allocate power between the front and rear wheels for snow, mud, sand and rock-crawling.
On a dirt track in the mountains, the Trailhawk, with 8.7 inches of ground clearance, danced over boulders and sand, and easily climbed up and over steep pitches of loose dirt. In other words, it was almost as capable off-road as its older brother, the Wrangler. In fact, thanks to the Renegade鈥檚 svelte size, it can squeeze through spaces where the bigger Wrangler can鈥檛, which gives new meaning to the term 鈥渃anyon carver.鈥
What鈥檚 Missing:聽A more powerful engine option for serious rock-crawling and towing.
The Verdict: Good luck finding a 4WD SUV for less than $20,000 that seats four adults and feels at home in terrain where few other SUVs dare to venture.