Maybe Runfer can advise ?
Collected Renegade Limited diesel from Alicante this AM, 16k Kms, so must be a recent model.
Quick blast up the AP7 motorway and a relaxed cruise at 135kph, rather faster at times.
Has a reversing camera, but no sensors on front ( or rear) and no blind spot indicators in wing mirrors. Has speed sign recognition and I’ve turned off the lane thingy that beeps when you cross lines without indicating.
Possibly different spec to UK but anything I should be aware off…front is longer than the Yaris so I’m wary of rearranging it unnecessarily. Car rental at moment ridiculously cheap…I paid €134 for 3 weeks with OK Mobility but friend has just rented a car for €47 for 2 weeks with Wiber.
Feeling ripped off !
|
They are not posh, in any way, but for some reason, they are fun. I used ours last night, mainly because it was the only car outside our house that had been driven recently enough not to be frozen over. For no describable reasons it was just nice to potter about in.
Some cars are just friendly.
|
…P.S. see if you can find the spider…
;-)
|
It is.
Adjusted mirrors and seat. Relocated to a brighter part of multi storey to check for scratches, then hooned up the motorway to my rental.
Not checked any features yet or tuned in radio, but can wait till I’m bored.
Nice comfortable cruiser, no squeaks or rattles.
Far better than many previous rental cars.
|
Posted elsewhere, but we took our Renegade to the South of France and back this summer. Fully laden and with bikes on top. Entirely painless and pleasant journey.
I’ve not driven a modern Vitara like yours but I’d imagine it is similarly useful.
My wife loves it (the wee Jeep) to the point of saying she never wants another car, and I confess I like it very much too. One of those cars that manages to be much better than the sum of its parts sort of thing.
You can sense the Italian DNA in it in a good way that is. The little 1.4 turbo petrol engine in her car is very willing to please, it handles way better than a small brick should, and the manual 6 speed transmission is slick and positive.
Did I mention that we like it?
;-)
Last edited by: Runfer D'Hills on Sat 2 Dec 23 at 22:51
|
|
Italian technology and American style. Synergy.
|
I’ll readily grant that they are a bit Marmite, and also admit that I wasn’t at all sure about them until my wife wanted and got one.
However, it is and has been a fun and trouble free car for the almost three years she’s had it.
|
Is the ‘Renegade Limited’ same model/shape or just a higher spec ?
I think the diesel is a 1.6 unit, so should be frugal, and of course diesel is far cheaper ( at the moment) here in sunny Spain.
|
They come in a number of trim levels but the main ones from the most basic upwards are Sport, Longitude, Night Eagle, Limited and Trailhawk.
It’s mainly about wheel sizes and colours, AC or climate, privacy glass, leather etc. I think I’m right in saying that most trim levels can/could be specified with varying engines, 2WD/4WD and manual or auto transmissions. Except the range topping Trailhawk which was always an automatic.
That may have changed since I last checked.
Ours is a humble Longitude, so it has cloth seats, manual AC, manual wipers and lights, 17” wheels etc but it’s just fine for what we need and want. I, perhaps counterintuitively, sort of like the no fripperies trim on that type of car.
|
The badge says it's a Jeep. It shouldn't have 'fripperies'. It should have b***** great levers hewn from cast iron to switch things on and off.
I had a company CJ7 for getting to stuff in the desert and it was virtually indestructible.
|
metallurgical pont
You can't hew cast iron
|
>> metallurgical pont
E.G. The Forth Bridge?
You can however get a Hew Lorry in a Woodhouse.
Ok, yes, well, I’ll um…
;-)
|
>>
>> Ok, yes, well, I’ll um…
>>
........get your Coat(bridge)...?
|
Never go there after dark, and in particular if the shops are shut. When the locals don’t have ready access to raw meat it can be a very dodgy place for outsiders.
;-)
|
|
Poetic license. They really should be austenitic stainless but that wouldn't convey the same image.
|
I’m certainly warming to the Renegade. As yet I haven’t had the inclination to play with settings and menu…I’ve altered the mirrors, wheel reach & rake, adjusted the drivers seat and tuned in the radio to my favourite station but that’s it.
Some minor frontal damage noted on collection, probably due to lack of parking sensors. It goes well with the diesel engine, and is far, far better on the motorway in terms of quietness and relaxed driving than my Vitara. Feels a far more solid interior, but it’s newer than my 2019 Suzuki.
I’ve two continental road trips in the planning stages for 2024, and it’s just made me think of chopping in the Vitara for a Karoq with the 1.5 engine. A few mountain days ahead so we’ll see how the Jeep is on the narrow twisties.
Last edited by: legacylad on Wed 6 Dec 23 at 03:22
|
Good to hear that you like it. As mentioned upthread, ours is definitely a keeper. I find I tend to use it more than the Merc for local pottering about, which has mildly surprised even me.
I finally got around to retiring yesterday (yippee!) and I’m pondering whether to re-appraise the mix of cars on the drive.
I’m slightly tempted to buy a second Renegade but this time with a diesel engine for our longer holiday runs to France and regular (two or three times weekly) biking trips over to North Wales.
If only it wasn’t a bit weird having two such similar cars outside!
The Merc is great, and I can’t fault it, but maybe I just feel like putting that in the cupboard of things I used to do and having a change.
Her’s is black so perhaps I should get a red one. No one will notice then will they?
;-)
I think you’ll find it handles way better than you think it should when you try it in the mountains.
|
"I finally got around to retiring yesterday"
Congrats on that, have a long & happy one!
|
>> I finally got around to retiring yesterday (yippee!) ............
>> The Merc is great, and I can’t fault it, but maybe I just feel like
>> putting that in the cupboard of things I used to do and having a change.
Retiring on a Tuesday? How strange. Still, if that's what you wanted, as Derek Trotter would have said - it's bonnet la douche innit?
I had three Mercedes E Class estates in a row 2002, 2008 and 2019. The first two I loved, the last one drove me mad. It would send me emails to say that the car was unlocked - it wasn't. After a couple of days on the drive I would get an email to say that the battery "was in a critical state of charge". The tyres were different sizes front and rear. I could go on.
I bought a T*y*t* Y*r*s hybrid, so that's two we've now got. Very pleased with it. It's just so sensible.
|
I wonder what the plural of Yaris is? Anyway, that’s encouraging.
Yes, an odd day to stop I suppose, but my work was sort of project based (some, including occasionally me, would argue it wasn’t really work at all) and I had just completed one of them on Monday. I could have stayed and begun another one but that would have required some effort and input from me until March next year and CBA syndrome kicked in.
Someone else can have a go at that!
|
|
Runfer…sincerely hope you have a long and healthy retirement. Enjoy.
|
>> If only it wasn’t a bit weird having two such similar cars outside!
Not at all. If your needs are covered what's the issue?
The idea of having a family size car and a wee runabout doesn't compute for me. I don't think a 'city car', in so far as they're still available, is actually much cheaper to run and insure that something like your wife's Jeep. Our 2 door diesel 205 back in the day cost pretty much exactly the same as the BX it shared the drive with. Give or take 150cc they were identical in the engine department.
We had two Berlingos for a while, then a Berlingo and a Roomster.
Other than towing the caravan the current Fabia can cover any duty the 'lingo might take except for towing the caravan. It's been out to the Western Isles twice and Normandy last summer on that basis. If we visit kids in NE Wales or Liverpool we go in the Fabia.
At one time this swapping around was to save racking up all the miles on one but as I'm by far the main driver now and I prefer the Fabia it's just choice.
Welcome to retirement by the way.
Is this 100% no more work or are you planning on doing stuff to pay for holidays and the bikes under X+1?
Last edited by: Bromptonaut on Wed 6 Dec 23 at 16:38
|
For now, I’m planning on making no plans at all. Well, none that require paid labour anyway!
That may change of course, but we’re both ready to go and play for a while.
|
Currently recommend northern C Blanca. Great mountain biking & walking in the Marina Alta. Good weather…only 15C today in the mountains, warmer in the sun. People still swimming in the sea yesterday…it was flat calm.
Two of us on a recce walk today..only 9.5 miles in the mountains and 1850’ ascent, didn’t see a soul until we returned to Castell de Castells. One old chap on the lower flanks beating olive branches, fabulous views of a distant sea , and two 40+ herds of Arrui ( Barbery sheep) dancing across mountain sides. Magical..5.5 hours, of which 2 were just sat chatting and gazing at stupendous scenery.
Great playground.
|
Your wife has retired too?
Sounds like a plan.
|
>I finally got around to retiring yesterday (yippee!) and I’m pondering
>whether to re-appraise the mix of cars on the drive.
You could buy something a bit less hairdressery than a Feep to potter around in.
www.sovereigncarsales.co.uk/Replicas_gridpos10.aspx
|
|
Tempting, but might be tricky getting two mountain bikes, a tent and luggage in it. Although a friend has for many years managed to persuade his wife to drive her car to all their overseas holiday destinations while he rides his motorbike to the same places. Dunno how he gets away with it but he does.
|
>> Although a friend has for many years managed to persuade his wife to drive her
>> car to all their overseas holiday destinations while he rides his motorbike to the same
>> places.
I'd rather have her job than his....
But I'm no fan of motorbikes..
|
>> Tempting, but might be tricky getting two mountain bikes, a tent and luggage in it.
>>
....and you'd probably need space for one of these to achieve the seated position:
tinyurl.com/WestfieldAccessory
|
Speak for yourself!
;-)))
|
And diapers in this slightly more powerful example:
www.sovereigncarsales.co.uk/Replicas_Gridpos25.aspx
|
That’d get me to the garden centre pretty quickly!
|
...I think you'd need to add one of these, though:
tinyurl.com/WestfieldDisclaimer
|
Jeep All Models - Jeep Renegade Limited - Runfer D'Hills
