My New Adventure Vehicle – Jeep Renegade Trailhawk

I recently got a new vehicle, a Jeep Renegade Trailhawk in Hyper Green.  Yeah, it’s bright to look at.  Catches people’s eyes for certain.  There is a bit of a story behind how I ended up with that color and I’ll tell you about that below.  At first I wasn’t a fan of the Hyper Green, but over the past couple weeks it has grown on me.

My first vehicle was a Dodge Power Ram 50 I had way back in the early 1990s.  Since then I have only owned Fords, until now.  I’ve owned full size pickups, an Expedition, Rangers, a Sport Trak, and Escapes… I’m a Ford stock holder even!  But now I have a Jeep Renegade Trailhawk… in Hyper Green!

Why Did I Buy A Jeep Renegade Trailhawk?

Why a compact SUV and why A Jeep?  I asked myself that and get asked that often by people who know me.

It’s like this: I always wanted a Jeep and back when I was looking at getting a new vehicle there were some incredible deals on the Renegade Trailhawk.  I went from a Ford Escape to the Renagade.  The Renegade is smaller overall, just a little.  But oddly enough the driver and passenger seat are more roomy.  I’m six foot one, and I notice the little bit of extra space.

Sure, the back seats are crammed and cramped for whomever rides there – not my problem!  And to be honest the only people sitting back there might be some of the wee little kids in the family, and not that often.  The rear ‘trunk’ space is about 3/4 the size of what I had in the Escape, but for me and my outdoor adventures, which I usually do solo, it is more than enough room to toss my gear.

Smaller Sized SUV With Important Features

I almost went back to another Ford Escape but opted to take a closer look at the Jeep Renegade Trailhawk because of the 4 wheel drive system, and also because it had a little more ground clearance.

I like 4 wheel drive systems I can control; those that allow me to turn them on and off.  Many modern systems kick in when the vehicle detects slipping.  My Jeep Renegade does that too, but I can also lock it into 4 wheel drive for various terrain types as I see fit.

The ground clearance is rather important to me as well.  The forest roads around my cabin in Northwest Wisconsin have deep tire ruts, and a few times when driving them I was worried about scrapping the bottom in my Escape.  I have tested the Renegade out on those forest roads and never once felt concerned.  The Trailhawk trim package has better ground clearance than the Escape and the other lower tiered Renegade trim packages.

Lack Of Features

To be completely honest, the Trailhawk trim, which is their top trim package, lacks in features when compared to a mid level Ford Escape ES package.  I am not really all that big on fancy features.  I like to keep things simple, and what comes with the package I have suits me just fine.  The remote start is nice, as is the voice activated controls and a few other features that I had on my past couple vehicles.

When reviewing the Renegade online at various consumer sights, features are most commonly noted as lacking when compared to other small or compact sized SUVs at the top of their trim packages.

My SUVs Keep Getting Smaller

My vehicles keep getting smaller because I’ve discovered I really don’t need a big pickup or large SUV like I used to buy or lease.  Sure, I want those big vehicles, but I don’t need them.  I save money by sticking with the smaller and more efficient SUVs.

I can haul all the gear I will ever need to go camping, hiking, canoe tripping… whatever.  The gas consumption is fairly good as well (been averaging 29 mpg on the highway, 23 mpg in town).  My previous Escape with the Eco Boost Turbo engine got a little better highway mileage, but I’m really not complaining.  29 suits me fine.

My Jeep Renegade Trailhawk Needs A Hitch Receiver!

I don’t have any boats or trailers that I pull but I do need a hitch receiver on any SUV that I own.  My Jeep Renegade is no exception – It had to have a hitch receiver, preferably one that was not an aftermarket install.

The reason:  I hunt large game, most commonly the Whitetail Deer, though I have also hunted bear, antelope, mule deer, etc…

I need to be able to attach a cargo rack to the back of any SUVs I have owned for hauling harvested large game back home for processing.  A hitch receiver is essential for being able to do that as I don’t want to transport them inside my vehicle.

And because I needed a hitch receiver on my Jeep Renegade is the reason for the Hyper Green color I ended up with.  Let’s forge ahead to that story…

Jeep Renegade Trailhawk In Hyper Green!  Really?

Yes, really really.  If you are asking yourself if that is a ‘girl’ color I would say “SHUT UP!”.  Sure, hindsight being perfect in all I should have requested Colorado Red, or Anvil, or even Omaha Orange.  But being open and honest here, vehicle color really doesn’t matter to much to me, never has.

Like I said above I needed a hitch receiver on my new vehicle.  Unfortunately they are not a common piece of equipment for the small SUVs being made these days (I don’t even think the new Ford Eco Sport has that option at all), and the Renegade is no exception.  My Ford Escape lease was coming due and I needed my new Jeep to be available by the time I turned in my lease, but it had to have a hitch receiver!

The dealership I got my Jeep Renegade from searched far and wide for the particular Jeep Trailhawk package I wanted that had the hitch receiver.  They asked me what color preference I wanted and I told them anything but black or white.  As it turned out the closest Jeep Renegade Trailhawk that matched my equipment desires was in Hyper Green and was over 400 miles away, so they arranged to have it delivered since it wasn’t black or white.

Bingo-bango… the day I go to pick up my new ride I see that it was Hyper Green!  Totally my fault.  The dealer asked and I replied anything except black or white, and they sent me the window sticker of the vehicle that said it was Hyper Green before they arranged to have it transported to the dealership.

At first I was a bit crest fallen and not overly excited when I first laid eyes on it.  My salesman could tell by my face I was less than thrilled at the color – he said they could get that package in another color, but it would take a couple weeks as the hitch option was scarce at the moment.  I did consider taking them up on that offer… but…

… But then my wife saw it sitting there and was thrilled with the color.  So I accepted it as it… Hyper Green.  Happy wife happy life.

I actually get many compliments on the color wherever I go, from women mostly, but dudes as well.  The color has grown on me.  I like it.

Jeep Renegade Trailhawk & The Road To Adventure!

As I write this post I have had my Jeep Renegade for just over thirty days.  I’ve put about 1500 miles on it so far, most of those from driving around Northwester Wisconsin’s back roads and highways.  It’s been camping twice, been to two hiking trail heads, seen four Wisconsin State Parks, it’s taken me fly fishing on the Rush River, to my cabin twice, and more.

I’m planning on getting a new solo canoe in the next 4-7 months once I finish saving away money for it, and the Renegade will be rigged up for carrying that and going on adventures to the BWCA (Boundary Waters Canoe Area), Woodland Caribou Provincial Park, and of course the closer locals that I know I can enjoy in my area canoe tripping, such as the St Croix River National Scenic Riverway.

You can check out a bunch of various Jeep Renegade pictures here on Google!

TD

p.s.  Hyper Green is not a girl’s color!