2015 Jeep Renegade Five-Point Inspection

3. Surprisingly Good On-Road

Another version of the Renegade I was able to sample was the on-road orientated Limited trim. This comes full of modern conveniences and a surprisingly supple driving experience. Since most crossovers are car based, they usually have good road manners, but the Renegade is meant to handle moderate off-road duties as well so I was expecting that would hurt the on road driving experience. I was wrong.

The steering is nicely weighted and quick to return on center. The 2.4-liter engine provides decent power for the its size and weight with performance close to that of the Nissan Juke. The ZF nine-speed automatic transmission works well with naturally aspirated four-cylinder engine and lacks some of the hunting and hesitation I’ve experience when it’s paired to a V6. Handling for the short and tall crossover is as good as any other subcompact crossover currently on sale.