Compare the2022 Jeep RenegadeVS 2021 Mazda CX-3

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Transmission and Drivetrain
Brakes and Stopping
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Chassis
Passenger Space
Cargo Capacity
Towing
Servicing Ease
Ergonomics
Economic Advantages
Recommendations

Safety

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The Jeep Renegade has a standard driver’s side knee airbag mounted low on the dashboard. The knee airbag helps prevent the driver from sliding under the seatbelts or the main frontal airbag; this keeps the driver better positioned during a collision for maximum protection. A knee airbag also helps keep the legs from striking the dashboard, preventing knee and leg injuries in the case of a serious frontal collision. The CX-3 doesn’t offer knee airbags.

Over 200 people are killed each year when backed over by motor vehicles. The Renegade Limited offers optional Park Assist with Rear Stop that uses rear sensors to monitor and automatically apply the brakes to prevent a rear collision. The CX-3 doesn’t offer backup collision prevention brakes.

The Renegade Limited offers optional ParkSense to help warn the driver about vehicles, pedestrians or other obstacles behind or, optionally, in front of the vehicle. The CX-3 doesn’t offer a front parking aid.

Compared to metal, the Renegade’s plastic fuel tank can withstand harder, more intrusive impacts without leaking; this decreases the possibility of fire. The Mazda CX-3 has a metal gas tank.

Both the Renegade and the CX-3 have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, front wheel drive, height adjustable front shoulder belts, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras, rear cross-path warning, available all wheel drive and crash mitigating brakes.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does side impact tests on new vehicles. In this test, which crashes the vehicle into a flat barrier at 38.5 MPH and into a post at 20 MPH, results indicate that the Jeep Renegade is safer than the Mazda CX-3:

	Renegade	CX-3
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	161	183
Abdominal Force	161 G’s	199 G’s
Hip Force	328 lbs.	334 lbs.
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Max Damage Depth	13 inches	14 inches
Hip Force	625 lbs.	629 lbs.

New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.

Warranty

Jeep pays for scheduled maintenance on the Renegade for 3 years and unlimited miles. Jeep will pay for oil changes, lubrication and any other required maintenance (up to 3 oil changes). Mazda doesn’t pay scheduled maintenance for the CX-3.

There are over 4 times as many Jeep dealers as there are Mazda dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Renegade’s warranty.

Reliability

The engine in the Renegade has a single overhead cam for simplicity. The engine in the CX-3 has dual overhead cams, which add to the number of moving parts and the complexity of the cylinder heads.

To reliably power the ignition and other systems and to recharge the battery, the Renegade has a standard 150-amp alternator (160-amp - Renegade Auto). The CX-3’s 100-amp alternator isn’t as powerful.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2021 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Jeep vehicles are better in initial quality than Mazda vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Jeep 8th in initial quality, above the industry average. With 28 more problems per 100 vehicles, Mazda is ranked 23rd, below the industry average.

Engine

The Renegade’s 1.3 turbo 4-cylinder produces 29 more horsepower (177 vs. 148) and 64 lbs.-ft. more torque (210 vs. 146) than the CX-3’s 2.0 DOHC 4-cylinder.

Fuel Economy and Range

In heavy traffic or at stop lights the Renegade (except 2.4-liter)’s engine automatically turns off when the vehicle is stopped, saving fuel and reducing pollution. The engine is automatically restarted when the driver gets ready to move again. If the conditions warrant or the driver wishes, the system can be manually disabled at any time for the duration of a trip. The CX-3 doesn’t offer an automatic engine start/stop system.

The Renegade has a standard cap-less fueling system. The fuel filler is automatically opened when the fuel nozzle is inserted and automatically closed when it’s removed. This eliminates the need to unscrew and replace the cap and it reduces fuel evaporation, which causes pollution. The CX-3 doesn’t offer a cap-less fueling system.

Transmission and Drivetrain

A nine-speed automatic is standard on the Jeep Renegade, for better acceleration and lower engine speed on the highway. Only a six-speed automatic is available for the CX-3.

The Renegade has a true all-wheel drive system, which uses a four wheel traction control system to redirect engine power to the axle and wheel that still has traction to keep the Renegade moving if even only one wheel still has traction. The CX-3 doesn’t offer a true all-wheel drive system; it could get stuck while one or more wheels still have traction.

Brakes and Stopping

For better stopping power the Renegade’s front brake rotors are larger than those on the CX-3:

	Renegade	CX-3	CX-3 AWD
Front Rotors	12 inches	11 inches	11.6 inches

The Renegade stops much shorter than the CX-3:

	Renegade	CX-3
70 to 0 MPH	158 feet	181 feet	Car and Driver
60 to 0 MPH	130 feet	135 feet	Consumer Reports
60 to 0 MPH (Wet)	133 feet	148 feet	Consumer Reports

Tires and Wheels

For better traction, the Renegade Latitude/Limited’s optional tires are larger than the largest tires available on the CX-3 (235/45R19 vs. 215/60R16).

The Renegade Latitude/Limited’s optional tires provide better handling because they have a lower 45 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the CX-3’s 60 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Renegade Latitude/Limited offers optional 19-inch wheels. The CX-3’s largest wheels are only 16-inches.

The Renegade Trailhawk offers an optional full size spare tire so a flat doesn’t interrupt your trip. A full size spare isn’t available on the CX-3; it requires you to depend on a temporary spare, which limits mileage and speed before replacement.

Suspension and Handling

For superior ride and handling, the Jeep Renegade has fully independent front and rear suspensions. An independent suspension allows the wheels to follow the road at the best angle for gripping the pavement, without compromising ride comfort. The Mazda CX-3 has a rear torsion beam axle, with a semi-independent rear suspension.

The Renegade has standard front and rear stabilizer bars, which help keep the Renegade flat and controlled during cornering. The CX-3’s suspension doesn’t offer a rear stabilizer bar.

The Renegade’s drift compensation steering can automatically compensate for road conditions which would cause the vehicle to drift from side to side, helping the driver to keep the vehicle straight more easily. The CX-3 doesn’t offer drift compensation steering.

For greater off-road capability the Renegade has a 1.9 inches greater minimum ground clearance than the CX-3 (8 vs. 6.1 inches), allowing the Renegade to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged. The Renegade Trailhawk’s minimum ground clearance is 2.6 inches higher than on the CX-3 (8.7 vs. 6.1 inches).

Chassis

The front grille of the Renegade (except Trailhawk) uses electronically controlled shutters to close off airflow and reduce drag when less engine cooling is needed. This helps improve highway fuel economy. The CX-3 doesn’t offer active grille shutters.

Passenger Space

The Renegade has 12.5 cubic feet more passenger volume than the CX-3 (100.1 vs. 87.6).

The Renegade has 2.7 inches more front headroom, .8 inches more front hip room, 2.4 inches more front shoulder room, 3.3 inches more rear headroom, .1 inches more rear legroom, 2.9 inches more rear hip room and 4.7 inches more rear shoulder room than the CX-3.

Cargo Capacity

The Renegade has a larger cargo volume with its rear seat up than the CX-3 with its rear seat up (18.5 vs. 17.8 cubic feet). The Renegade has a larger cargo volume with its rear seat folded than the CX-3 with its rear seat folded (50.8 vs. 42.7 cubic feet).

A standard locking glovebox keeps your small valuables safer in the Renegade. The CX-3 doesn’t offer locking storage for small valuables.

Towing

Maximum trailer towing in the Mazda CX-3 is limited to 0 pounds. The Renegade 4x4 offers up to a 2000 lbs. towing capacity.

Standard Trailer Sway Control on the Renegade uses the Electronic Stability Control sensors to detect trailer sway, then uses individual brakes to counteract any swaying and help keep the tow vehicle and trailer steady. The CX-3 doesn’t offer electronic trailer sway control.

Servicing Ease

The Renegade has a maintenance free battery for long life without checking the battery’s water level. The CX-3 doesn’t have a maintenance free battery, so the water level in the battery’s cells must be checked often to prevent damage.

Ergonomics

The Renegade Latitude/Trailhawk/Limited has a standard remote vehicle starting system, so the vehicle can be started from inside the driver's house. This allows the driver to comfortably warm up the engine before going out to the vehicle. The climate system will also automatically heat or cool the interior. The CX-3 doesn’t offer a remote starting system.

The power windows standard on both the Renegade and the CX-3 have locks to prevent small children from operating them. When the lock on the Renegade is engaged the driver can still operate all of the windows, for instance to close one opened by a child. The CX-3 prevents the driver from operating the other windows just as it does the other passengers.

The Renegade’s front power windows open or close fully with one touch of the switches, making it more convenient at drive-up windows and toll booths, or when talking with someone outside the car. The CX-3’s passenger windows don’t open or close automatically.

The Renegade’s power window, power lock, power mirror and cruise control switches are lit from behind, making them plainly visible and easier to operate at night. The CX-3’s power window (except driver window) and power mirror switches are unlit, making them difficult to find at night and operate safely.

The Renegade’s standard outside mirrors include heating elements to clear off the mirrors for better visibility. The CX-3 doesn’t offer heated side mirrors.

The Renegade (except Sport) offers optional heated front seats, which keep the driver and front passenger extremely comfortable in the winter. Heated seats aren’t available in the CX-3.

On extremely cold winter days, the Renegade’s optional (except Sport) heated steering wheel provides comfort, allowing the driver to steer safely and comfortably before the vehicle heater warms up. The CX-3 doesn’t offer a heated steering wheel.

The Renegade’s standard dual zone air conditioning allows the driver and front passenger to choose two completely different temperatures so people with different temperature preferences won’t have to compromise. This makes both the driver and front passenger as comfortable as possible. The CX-3 doesn’t offer dual zone air conditioning.

The Renegade (except Sport) offers an optional 115-volt a/c outlet on the center console, allowing you to recharge a laptop or run small household appliances without special adapters that can break or get misplaced. The CX-3 doesn’t offer a house-current electrical outlet.

The Renegade Limited’s optional Parallel and Perpendicular Park Assist can parallel park or back into a parking spot by itself, with the driver only controlling speed with the brake pedal. The CX-3 doesn’t offer an automated parking system.

Economic Advantages

Insurance will cost less for the Renegade owner. The Car Book by Jack Gillis rates the Renegade with a number “5” insurance rate while the CX-3 is rated higher at a number “8” rate.

According to The Car Book by Jack Gillis, the Renegade is less expensive to operate than the CX-3 because typical repairs cost much less on the Renegade than the CX-3, including $234 less for fuel injection and $279 less for a power steering pump.

Recommendations

The Jeep Renegade outsold the Mazda CX-3 by over 9 to one during the 2021 model year.

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