Results of 5,000 Miles of Research\u2026<\/p>\n
So I took the plunge and demo\u2019d a Jeep Renegade. I drove it off the lot with less than 10 miles to the engine and didn\u2019t return it until the speedometer his 5,000. My previous experience in the small SUV category was ownership of a 2001 Honda CRV \u2013 ten plus years and that car was still a favorite. I had a few tears the day we sold that CRV so needless to say, as I set off to research this Renegade I might have been slightly biased. Here is what I found.<\/p>\n
You know the feeling. You are stuck in stop-and-go traffic on your way home from a long day. On the seat next to you is your best friend. Ok, maybe not really, but your cell phone is your connection to your best friend \u2013 and every other 6.5 billion people on this globe. As I keep punching the radio control button to try and find a station that might hold my interest for more than 10 seconds \u2013 I hear the familiar call \u2013 the all too friendly vibration of my Samsung Galaxy calling my name. Who hasn\u2019t been tempted?<\/p>\n
Before driving the Jeep Renegade I\u2019d often succumb to temptation and pickup that phone for a quick text all the while my conscience is telling me this is just a bad idea. NO MORE! With the Renegade\u2019s all new UConnect, all I have to do is call out my favorite name and the system takes over for me. The melodic technical voice asks me who I want to text (or call \u2013 but who does that anymore) and I can simply dictate to my heart\u2019s desire. 30 minute backup and I have proudly completed 123 text messages to and from all my closest friends. Thanks Uconnect for increasing the addiction.<\/p>\n
I live in Ohio. Not exactly off-roading kind of country right? Except for miles of endless orange barrels and pot holes, who needs the Jeep Renegade\u2019s off-roading capability? With my previous Honda CRV I enjoyed the knowledge of knowing just how deep every pothole was as I felt the impact going down I-75 almost on a daily basis. My chiropractor also enjoyed the bi-weekly adjustments that only happen to those in state like Ohio where our potholes mirror the size of small craters. I also enjoyed that feeling that you were going to any minute topple over as I drove the not-so-treacherous curves in Hocking Hills Ohio.<\/p>\n
All of these feeling went away while driving the Jeep Renegade. No feeling of potential coming doom while driving around Ohio\u2019s rolling hills. No more notice of deep impact when running through the ever-present potholes. Best yet \u2013 my Tourette\u2019s syndrome while on the road seems to have significantly improved.<\/p>\n
You know the type. Those friends who pack three jumbo size duffel bags for a weekend away. They always are also the ones who aren\u2019t going to drive so you have to find a way to stuff their things into one of the cars and inevitably someone in the back seat is going to be crunched against the corner for two hours while you drive to the lake.<\/p>\n
Now that I am driving the\u00a0Jeep\u00a0Renegade, I am the one who is taking the overflow. After packing in the tent, the full-size cooler, the air mattress, a chairs for around the fire, an over-sized flashlight, a few bags of groceries, and my ONE duffel bag, I am the one who has the flexibility to take that additional jumbo size duffel and still comfortably sit 3 people for the ride. Autotrader had it right when they said \u201c Keeping the rear seats up yields 18.5 cu ft. of rear cargo space, which is more than a sedan\u2019s trunk. That expands to 50.8 cu ft. with the rear seats folded down\u2026\u201d It\u2019s a small SUV so don\u2019t expect to pack what you could in a 8 ft truck bed, but for me, and a few extra duffle bags, this holds more than enough. Lucky me.<\/p>\n
Who doesn\u2019t enjoy a triple white chocolate mocha from time to time. Ok, maybe I\u2019m addicted, but during my regular stops to the local Kroger gas station, it was all too easy to jump inside for another cup of Joe. However at $4.95 a cup (I add an extra shot of expresso for those Starbucks fanatics that are adding up the price) my budget couldn\u2019t afford more than a few trips a week.<\/p>\n
However, with the Jeep Renegade priced at an average of $1,000 less than comparable models, I have justified an additional 202.02 triple white chocolate mochas this year!<\/p>\n
So maybe I am just demoing this vehicle for review, but that still justifies the cost savings and additional cups of Starbucks, right?<\/p>\n