The Jeep Renegade Trailhawk is Surprisingly Capable, BUT...This One Upgrade Made It Even Better!

( www.alltfl.com/) Check out our new spot to find ALL our content, from news to videos and our podcasts! In this review, Nathan and Andre take our new-to-us 2016 Jeep Renegade Trailhawk off-road after making a minor, but important upgrade (one you'll definitely want to make if you don't have it for your rig before taking it off-road!).
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#jeep #suv #review

[@shawnls1]

We have a 2016 with over 97k miles. We have taken it through Moab and the White Rim Trail without issue, and crossed the country in it several times. We love this little Jeep. Thanks for not making fun of it or bashing it unfortunately like Tommy did 😊

[@thndr_5468]

It deserves bashing imo

[@MontanaMedic13]

I owed a Renegade for several years. I used it extensively off road on difficult trails, towed a small overland trailer regularly and over 3 years and more than 100K miles never gave me a single day of trouble. They are way better than their reputation.

[@CarnutMM]

Agreed

[@selfcarefordudes]

Solid for 100k miles and still drives great. These are solid capable little vehicles. I think the online warriors create a bad rep for many different brands, except the beloved Toyota.

[@Mercipher21]

"It does basic offroading, fairly well." - Nathan. That's the kind of talk that gets my blood pumping 🤣

[@bjrn-einarnilsen687]

Hello guys. I am a Norwegian living in Brazil, and here we have this little guy with a 2.0 l diesel with 170 PS / 168 HP / 125 kW @ 3750 rpm. Maximum torque : 350 Nm / 258 lb-ft @ 1750 rpm. I have one of this, and have put on a bit bigger tires. And it's impressive how capable it is offroad with this setup. Tried the one with gasoline, and it's like night and day in favor of the diesel. Much stronger engine the diesel. Keep up your great work with this videos. Best on youtube. Cheers, Boern

[@chris1293]

I have a 2018 and it’s been great. Just wish the gas tank was a tad bigger.

[@deryaner35]

I own a 2018 Trailhawk Renegade and for me it is almost the perfect vehicle. And I have the Falken tires on it. Road mileage on a trip is between 28 and 30 and more at times. Off-road it goes everywhere I want to go and does everything I want it to. Off-road gas mileage hits a low of 16, but generally is about 20 mpg. The road you had it on does not do this vehicle justice. I’ve had it in places where the amount of clearance and the maneuverability absolutely astounded me. Don’t seem this vehicle short. It may be small in some ways but is big in others.

[@krashnpa]

Looks like a fun day at the office, especially in the snow! You guys make that compact look subcompact 😂

[@jlv3x]

I think it is actually considered a subcompact because I have a Jeep Patriot which is a compact SUV and the Renegade is definitely smaller.

[@MichaelSmith-kr9qw]

6 years of ownership and our Renegade rides and drives like the day we brought it home. Not 1 issue reliability wise, my only complaint with the Renegade are the Factory Halogen Headlamps they are abysmal, My Wife and and I were driving home and hit a Owl in the middle of the road which destroyed the passenger side headlamp assembly so I hunted for a LED Upgrade Replacement which I found a pair of JW Speaker replacements that work phenomenally well, Just like the Renegade JW Speaker has also discontinued their kit for the Renegade. The Renegade is even competent in FWD form under less extreme situations like Snow and Ice, The 2.4l is a little underpowered for the weight of the Renegade but it isn't that bad, it is a fun runabout vehicle. Wife and I were also interested in the Jeep Avenger for my Wife but Jeep has decided not to bring it to the US for some darn reason. With proper maintenance the 2.4l can be very reliable, I think a lot of the stigma lies on people who do not maintain their vehicles and drive them with every check engine light lit up, then blame the manufacturer for the problem instead of placing blame on themselves.

[@deserttrailscout]

I think people love to hate on Renegade/Compass Trailhawks without ever taking one on the trails and actually finding out how capable they are. I’ve taken my compass Trailhawk out on snowy trails, rocks, and sand dunes. Always surprised with what it can handle. The only thing is the weak engine before the Turbo and reliability anxiety lol

[@TheLhsgrad]

Jeep says they regret canceling the Cherokee. I’m sure they will regret the renegade as well. Perfect volume sellers should’ve done the 4xE to both vehicles.

[@OldThomMerton]

Renegade shares platforms with the Fiat 500L, with some better off-road capability and a Jeepish exterior and interior to hide it's innate Fiatness.

[@DorDeKrey]

Jeep put on a masterclass on how to ruin a vehicle with the Renegade. No advertising, no support, the initial oil burning issue that took them forever to fix, and the initial transmission programming in the early years was horrible. And they've now priced them at ridiculous levels, which eliminates them as a budget vehicle. By the time the 1.3L Turbo engine was available in the 2019 model year, the transmission shifted smoothly, the turbo engine is tons of fun, and everything works great. I loved mine, and my twins each have a '20 TH at college...they've been absolutely great. Didn't want a Subie with a CVT so we ended up with 2 Rene's. They've been excellent.

[@Dr.Unsteady]

Snowing in May, I’m about to pick my first tomatoes from my garden this year in May. And Colorado isn’t even that far away from me.

[@mcnuggetapple]

I will say , that engine is super reliable. My brother has a promaster city with 185,000 miles and has never broken down a single time

[@mcnuggetapple]

Also the tuning on the 9 speed is so slow and lazy I would probably say that’s why it’s also never had any issues lmao

[@buddy1155]

I am more impressed by your brother driving 185K miles in such a car than the engine not breaking. down.

[@craigquann]

The promaster uses the 3.6L from the wrangler/caravan/Ram1500. The renegade is a completely different power train.

[@upscaleshack]

@@buddy1155 Guessing you've never driven one? I rented one for a week in Montana and Idaho and absolutely loved it. Lots of people have strong opinions about things they have no firsthand information about.

[@danwilson2560]

@@craigquann Promaster City is a different vehicle. Much smaller. It has the same 2.4 as the Renegade.

[@MontanaMedic13]

Unfortunately the aftermarket hitches absolutely destroy your departure angle. Hopefully you guys put a Mopar hitch on.

[@socialmediadelinquent5781]

I’d like to see you guys test a Active Drive II Cherokee. They have a real low range like the Trailhawk.

[@michaeldemarco9950]

I’m pretty sure they’ve test driven several Cherokee Trailhawk.

[@socialmediadelinquent5781]

@@michaeldemarco9950 yes they have but they have not yet tested an active drive II which although it has the low range as a Trailhawk has and the same suspension height, it doesn’t have the locking rear differential, or the same approach and departure angles. So it would be interesting to see how well it does with all of those differences.

[@danwilson2560]

My daughter has a 2015 Renegade AWD, 2.4 auto and we've put about 120,000 miles on it. It's been reliable and efficient. It is a great little highway car and has more head and leg room than my Gladiator and Wrangler. We just do basic maintenance and it goes and goes. It has heated seats, heated wheel, and a nice sounding stereo. The seats are very comfortable, too, and it has plenty of room in the back seat. Great little car! Oh, and it is a beast in the snow. We never take it off road, though. No need when there are built JL/JT's in the driveway. Overall, I think the Reny is a good value and a good vehicle. It certainly is underrated.

[@Lebowski5000]

Nathan. Thanks for always making me laugh. You’re a pretty great human. All the best ✌️

[@IOSARBX]

TFLnow, This is amazing! I subscribed right away!

[@eleanormassaro5195]

Nathan, you’re looking great! You have slimmed down!👍🏻👍🏻

[@20Unknown]

I bought one of these in 2016, white and brand new. It was a Baby Jeep, sure, but it was A LOT of fun! Perfect for everyday driving, light off road capability, 4x4. It was quirky and fun. The BIGGEST knock was the 9 speed transmission, but I found a bypass system that plugged into the electrical system on the floor, and you could change the gear ratio settings, and it made it MUCH more capable! Unfortunately, it hydro planed and got rear ended in 2020. That destroyed the drivetrain and caused it to be a total loss. I miss that Jeep....

[@sk8rboy509]

I just got back from Italy and Germany and these things are everywhere. Especially in Italy.

[@larshamilton40]

got my '23 Trailhawk on Falken Wildpeak Trails (225/65/17) , Daystar 1.5" lift (now have over 10" clearance) and will be getting a Rhino Rack platform w/ KC titan lightbar..i'm have no need to drive over boulders, or take on the Rubicon. it's a great day driver, and it takes me off the trails when i want, my Rene rocks! it drinks haterade... 😉 if you hate the Renegade, that's a 'you' problem.. 😂

[@dirtsailoroff-road5580]

Im a hardcore offroader and own a 2 door rubicon. I watched a guy wheel one of these and i was very surprised on how well it was doing.

[@ejesoriginal]

I really only watched this to see how the new Falken's did.

[@gamersgrubs2952]

Ive seem a Renegade Trailhawk on the trails at Bantam Jeepfest last year. Same color also.

[@rickygreene8870]

I own a 2016 Jeep Renegade Trailhawk, i love it. This was an awesome review,

[@Durango280zx]

We have one with 100k since new several trips to some nice trails its been a reliable daily driver we love our renegade!

[@stevekniess3665]

Thanks guys

[@rickyaz8640]

Had one that I put 120k miles on. Went everywhere. Only the harshest conditions were a no go if you couldn’t figure out a line to take. So small you could park it anywhere. There’s a market for a small off roader

[@renegadetrailhawk_chuckie3312]

I had atturo trailblade xt tire bigger then stock. And American trail products lift. Took it from Michigan to moab beat on it and came back no problem. And also to sliver lake sand dunes that where the lack of power was a problem on sand hills. I would still buy another one, long as it was Omaha Orange lol

[@kevilleb]

You should find a subscriber that has a Fiat Panda 4x4 and compare it with the Renegade. If Tommy wants to call it a Fiat, he should compare it with the right one.

[@carreviews4725]

Have a 2019. And Andre is correct with how the look has the potential to be timeless. It’s one of the reasons I bought mine in 2019, is this looks different in a sea of SUV’s. Very reliable , great for the city during the week, then light off road on the weekend. Wish they kept the price low and did an interior upgrade as their entry level Jeep. Then they would have sold a lot more to have a need for a 2024 model.

[@ViperBitenESP]

i have over 135k on mine and it just started burning oil and fixed that with a 4.00 part and hasnt lost a drop...thing drives like the day i got it... and just git the 4 inch lift in to install as i did put the cooper discovery at road and trail tires and i love them so much better than the last bfgs it had on it... owned it 3 years biught used and still would take this cross country without batting an eye 2016 renegade anvil blue and my gf loved mone so much she just got a 2018 general lee orange latitude and loves it

[@user-ls2bw4xr2s]

In France, I rented a Jeep Renegade with a 5 speed manual and a diesel engine. It was fun to drive and easily kept up with traffic. Jeep should consider bringing the Plug In Hybrid to the US. Thanks for the video.

[@bosse641]

I like the looks of it.

[@NatesHomeTours]

I had the next size up, the Compass, with a 2.4l 5 speed manual, and a 2.5 inch lift. I went with 225/70/18 for tire size up from 215/65/18 and I was able to take mine off road and do pretty decent. It didn't have a true low range or even a 4 low button like this, but with a 5 speed I could keep it in 1st gear in 4wd and keep the speeds low. Mine was the 2010 model.

[@CarnutMM]

A reason you may have had trouble opening it is because you had the vehicle off camber. With the body flex the latch was sticking.

[@fantomtuba]

Can you do a video on when you get bigger tires than stock, how you recalibrate the odometer to show accurately?

[@TheKahnah]

I have a 2017 renegade. I must have gotten a bad build. The CV joint broke. PTU(transfer case) grenaded itself. The motor mounts went bad at 60k miles. Lastly the shift into 5th gear is rough.

[@TopHatGent]

Nope it wasn't a bad build. My 16 was bad and then my poor choice of a new 2020 Jeep gladiator turned into the worst vehicle I have ever owned. The only thing the gladiator had over the renegade was the gladiator didn't burn tons of oil while the renegade did from new.

[@off-roadingexplained8417]

Nice video. If they put a better low range in the Renegade it would be a MONSTER. One thing that people forget about the PTU based Jeeps like the Renegade (and like the Rubicon 392, actually) , is that not only can they swap power left to right via BLD , but also, the PTU lets them swap power front to back. The other thing is , since it's all wheel drive based , and I now own a part time 4wd vehicle (explorer sport Trac) and the Jeep Cherokee Trailhawk and the compass Trailhawk, I can tell you that the AWD based setup of course doesn't bind when you try to steer , and that part time 4wd center lock binding is quite significant with its impact on steering. It's a completely different feel. You CAN use first gear outside of 4wd low in the renegade and the compass Trailhawk, BUT you have to manually shift it to first. Great for when you want to pull off really hard though. You've got about 100 lbs of skid plates under that renegade , it's quite significant. And, it will shock people, but it has the best breakover angle in the whole Jeep line up just about. Right next to a 2 door Wrangler ( on 32s).

[@GoldRaven-oe4by]

The biggest problem really is the engine and transmission which is very unfortunate. If this thing had a 2.5 with no turbo with at least 190hp/185lbft and a 8 speed auto i would actually have one right now

[@pierremark7611]

I just bought my 2021 Renegade last year and I've never towed with it yet. I'd love to see you guys do an Ike gauntlet with it. My only issue is my FCW (Forward Collision Warning) keeps coming on. ♿

[@daviddaigle7463]

You guys have snow mid may?! It was 100 in tucson 😢 yesterday

[@Reaper1008]

I have a 2023 Jeep Renegade, Latitude with the Upland Edition. Mine is same color.. has the 8.7 inch lift, the shields under. Mine has a 1.3 turbo motor.. making 177hp and 210 tq. On streets.. mine will start in 1st gear.

[@twinturboranch454]

They have a 1 speed “transfer case” that outputs to the rear driveshaft. I’ve seen many of these at the trails when I lived in the PNW. It’s weakness is the lack of clearance, lack of suspension articulation, and lack of transfer case with LowRange (2speed). It’s trash.

[@JarmelSingsKaraoke]

☕☕☕ Happy Monday

[@Lordraven29]

They also offered it with a Diesel and manual in the European market.

[@Catman1798]

I have a 2015 trailhawk with the 2.4 L engine. Why did they stop putting that engine into the renegades? The only ones I seen recently are the turbos. I would have bought another renegade but now they are discontinued. I like it. Doing pretty good. It’s gonna have to be my last car because new cars are just too expensive. So the renegade better last lol. TFL already did videos of this Jeep back then when it came out btw. It’s very capable.

[@djkenny1202]

Can’t believe they paid over $6000-7000 for this thing 😝

[@crackshotscreenprinting]

yes, the renegade is so cool and looks so good that Ford decided to make their bronco look like it.

[@user-qt7fs4qw7i]

The 1.3 turbo is a peppy little engine with good torque

[@dimitrisnaoum2717]

PLEASE try a wk grand cherokee with qd2!!

[@RedHawkStudios]

why not the bronco sport badlands? (no, i'm not a ford fan due to most dealers overcharging)

[@richfarfugnuven6308]

Did you guys sell the Wrangler AEV?

[@abrahamdz1471]

I drove one last week and man I couldn’t stand the vibration of the engine idling

[@lunra]

I love the Renegade content. I have a 2017 Trailhawk I bought last year from the original owner with the mysky roof option. I installed 225/65/17 Wildpeak AT Trail tires so not as aggressive of a tire but they've been great on multiple road trips and offroad adventures.

[@dcwaku]

I have a 2017 Deserthawk Trailhawk and I've never had any issues with it. Jeep made a mistake killing this and the Cherokee, and then asking outrageous prices for all of their vehicles. Can you say "mis-management" boys and girls?

[@whatsitlike6392]

It looks to me like the yellow Jeep had some front end damage at some point. The hood gaps and the gap between the fender and the bumper on the passenger side are not consistant.

[@MDillonEV]

Please do Ike it! It was your Ike Gauntlet videos that led me to TFL years ago and still my favorite part of your channel.

[@KPHVAC]

It's totally different but I think the Honda Passport Trail Sport is a better crossover that can handle some off-roading.

[@RoguePlanetStudio]

Someome take the guts of a awf 2016 rav4 and put it in this thing, good looks and dependable

[@turdferguson2839]

I'll never forget Batman driving this thing in Batman vs Superman, just hilarious.

[@tommyistommy]

The 2.4 and 9 speed are bad news...the 1.4t is a lot better and available with manual. These things are definitely underrated, they are a pretty unique size and have more room than the footprint suggests. Id love to find a manual with the my sky roof system one day when they are cheaper For what its worth, those falkens look great yet always struggle for traction compared to all other all terrains on the market. Especially in snow, they are 1/4 depth siped and after 5k miles turn into slicks

[@minxlabrada]

They did a good job of making it look cool. Kind of a modern version of Jessie Pinkman's Tercel, biiiiiitch. BTW, I know my 23' Ridgeline HPD is faster and just more wonderful and many areas. But, I envy the under-armor and approach angle of this cool used car. Suppose I need to buy a plasma CNC table and start making Ridgeline armor.

[@Pauliepsi]

What's another compact SUV for $13-14 thousand dollars, that's this capable? For under $15,000 what are your options?

[@josephina24]

I had a 2016 Jeep cherokee with the tigershark engine. At ~60-70k miles the headgasket blew, and shortly after began overheating AGAIN and needed the thermostat replaced... Then I learned about the class action lawsuit concerning that powertrain and promptly got rod of that vehicle. Would never recommend that powertrain to anybody, ever.

[@poppa_da_corn]

All they had to do was give it a better engine like they did the Compass. Make it better and bring it back Jeep!

[@scupking]

Jeep needs to bring back an updated XJ Cherokee. It would be a great vehicle to go against the Bronco sport.

[@TopHatGent]

I had a 2016. It burned lots of oil and no dealership could put it on the lift correctly and were always crushing the pinch welds. It also had two bad tailights, bubbling paint on the inside of the door seams and what else., oh yes one day my driver door lock failed and I could not keep it shut. I would not recommend this fiat panda to anyone. I forgot the stock falken tires it came with were dry-rotting within the first year. There is a reason sales fell off and they killed it.

[@jonascampelo871]

Thats snow?

[@luissousa6]

This one is much nicer than the Avenger

[@mikeruffo6462]

I know someone who had a Renagade. It burnt up......literally! Caught fire and burnt up in a parking lot.

[@jamesbaird1342]

You can not change the oil. The hood does not open.

[@BarcelonaBlitzer]

Life must be difficult?

[@poppyneese1811]

I drove a rental Dodge Dart with that same engine and thought it was a very nice comfortable small car, I thought it would be a hit for Dodge, it wasn’t 😏

[@giggitty08]

I can’t wait to get rid of my 2021 renegade

[@scotteramsey]

Snow in May!?! Time to move

[@H2OFlymamaluigi]

For the cost of that Jeep I’ll buy a used 4.0 wrangler YJ or Cherokee XJ and beef the hell out of it

[@PatrickRich]

The renegade was the right styling for the wrong chassis. This is what the Cherokee should have looked like.

[@viperggg]

Dacia duster (Renault duster ) Is better suv 4wd!

[@taylorstout2067]

It’s weird you can still build them right now

[@CarnutMM]

This vehicle will be missed and I believe will go up in value over time.

[@husshardan3511]

8.7 inches ground clearance is 0.7 more than the new Toyota LandCruiser.

[@billricheter5678]

I do see a lot of high mileage renegades in colorado. Maybe they are under rated. Hate the way they look though

[@ViperBitenESP]

Youre forgetting rock mode lol.. and it is a real low mode

[@LukeEdward]

Would’ve been nice if you could have used some kind of vehicle lift to show us the underside. You know, if TFLStudios had access to something like that. 🤔 🤔

[@craigquann]

The average buyer cannot be bothered to check their own oil... do you think they care about what the underside looks like?

[@jayhiggins5239]

They did that in a previous video

[@MikeWolff1]

I always hated when people say but oh it's a Fiat not a Jeep. I would say Jeep made a Fiat into a Jeep just like Dodge turned a Mercedes into a Charger/Challenger/300C which are all great cars!!!! I hope we get the Jeep Avenger like in Europe with AWD!!

[@roguedogx]

I am torn about the renegade. On one hand i like the idea of a small capable offeoader. On the other hand there's so much wrong with the car. I feel this way about a lot of fca products.

[@TopHatGent]

I suffered so you won't. Do not do it, both of my jeeps gave me nothing but trouble and heartache. I won't touch another Jeep as long as fiat is involved. The first was a 2016 renegade trail hawk, the second was a 2020 gladiator.

[@WW-wf8tu]

TFL sold off their Jeep JK?? For this??

[@henryjones6957]

When the Renegade is a Fiat, than the XJ is a Renault

[@miket8909]

As capable offroad as my scion XB

[@jamieeisenhower1560]

For real they quit making this Jeep

[@jacobfoster9185]

I kinda like these but they are NOT a real jeep or off reader. It's a decent city/suburbs 2-5 inches of snow cross-over. A bit of mud...an inch or so

[@joeb2588]

Fiat Panda.

[@Gonzo1968]

There is a reason it went away. Enough said..

[@kolejnipolscykrakersi]

It is like modern Suzuki Jimny. Except beeing a Fiat, it does not only rust like Suzuki, it also brakes down like Fiat ;) Idea is great.

[@Paulydude2000]

"KLIM" rhymes with SLIME

[@Eightball2516]

No plug in hybrid just make it a hybrid why should you have to plug it in that is a pain just like Evs always having to plug them in just make it simple why is it they get all the good stuff over seas they have them in diesels and turbos we get all the junk here in the U.S

[@2CANSAM1970]

There not bad vehicles just bad bad blind spots. If your a lazy driver you could cause damage to a person cause you cut them off.