The 2016 Jeep Renegade Limited.

Back in August, the Phoenix bureau wrote a very positive review of the 2016 Jeep Renegade Sport, the base model of the small Jeep.  Now, we up here at TireKicker World Headquarters in Northern California have had a turn...but ours was a very different Renegade.

2016 Jeep Renegade Limited.

Move from the Jeep Renegade Sport to the Limited, and pretty much everything changes except for the body.  The powertain grows from a 1.4-liter turbo with a six-speed automatic to a 2.4-liter Tigershark four with a nine-speed automatic.  You gain 20 horsepower (180 versus 160) and give up very little in terms of fuel economy (21 city/29 highway says the EPA, versus  the 24/31 for the smaller engine).

A jump in base price from $19,995 for the four-wheel drive version of the Renegade Sport to $26,995 for the Renegade Limited 4x4 brings with it all kinds of standard equipment beyond the more powerful engine and more advanced transmission that justifies the extra seven grand. For your hard-earned money you get a backup camera, remote start and keyless entry, an upgraded six-speaker audio system, dual-zone climate control, a heated steering wheel (leather wrapped, as is the shift knob), heated exterior mirrors, power seats, 18-inch aluminum wheels and fog lamps.

2016 Jeep Renegade Limited  center stack.

As nice as all that is, Jeep will happily help you load your Renegade Limited further.  Our tester had passive entry for $125, the Safety and Security group (a tonneau cover, security alarm and blind spot/cross-path detection) for $645, an upgraded HD Radio audio system with navigation for $1,245 and the MySky power retractable roof with removable panels for $1,495.

With $995 destination charge, that puts the Renegade at $31,500, which is on the low-ish side for well-equipped small SUVs.  And the big surprise at the wheel of the Renegade is how well put-together and how capable it feels.  We haven't always been able to say that about modern-day small Jeeps.  So make that two thumbs up from TireKicker for the Jeep Renegade...one from the Phoenix Bureau, one from World Headquarters in Northern California.