Compare the2023 Kia SportageVS 2023 Jeep Renegade

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

Safety

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In the past twenty years hundreds of infants and young children have died after being left in vehicles, usually by accident. When turning the vehicle off, drivers of the Sportage are reminded to check the back seat if they opened the rear door before starting out. The Renegade doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.

The Sportage Prestige has a standard Surround View Monitor to allow the driver to see objects all around the vehicle on a screen. The Renegade only offers a rear monitor and front and rear parking sensors that beep or flash a light. That doesn’t help with obstacles to the sides.

Both the Sportage and Renegade have rear cross-traffic warning, but the Sportage with Rear Cross-Traffic Collision Warning also has Rear Cross-Traffic Collision-Avoidance Assist (automatically applies the brakes) to better prevent a collision when backing near traffic. The Renegade’s Rear Cross Path Detection doesn’t automatically brake.

The Sportage’s driver alert monitor detects an inattentive driver then sounds a warning and suggests a break. According to the NHTSA, drivers who fall asleep cause about 100,000 crashes and 1500 deaths a year. The Renegade doesn’t offer a driver alert monitor.

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

For its top level performance in IIHS driver and passenger-side small overlap frontal, moderate overlap frontal, side impact, roof strength and head restraint tests, its standard vehicle-to-vehicle front crash prevention system, its standard vehicle-to-pedestrian front crash prevention system, and its available headlight’s “Acceptable” rating, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the Sportage the rating of “Top Safety Pick” for 2022, a rating granted to only 175 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The Renegade last would have qualified as a “Top Safety Pick” in 2019.

Warranty

The Sportage comes with a full 5-year/60,000-mile basic warranty, which covers the entire truck and includes 24-hour roadside assistance. The Renegade’s 3-year/36,000-mile basic warranty expires 2 years or 24,000 miles sooner.

Kia’s powertrain warranty covers the Sportage 5 years and 40,000 miles longer than Jeep covers the Renegade. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 10 years or 100,000 miles. Coverage on the Renegade ends after only 5 years or 60,000 miles.

Reliability

A reliable vehicle saves its owner time, money and trouble. Nobody wants to be stranded or have to be without a vehicle while it’s being repaired. Consumer Reports rates the Sportage’s reliability 30 points higher than the Renegade.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Kia vehicles are better in initial quality than Jeep vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Kia fourth in initial quality, above the industry average. With 43 more problems per 100 vehicles, Jeep is ranked 23rd, below the industry average.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the statistics that show that Kia vehicles are more reliable than Jeep vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Kia first in reliability, above the industry average. With 56 more problems per 100 vehicles, Jeep is ranked 19th.

Engine

The Sportage’s 2.5 DOHC 4-cylinder produces 10 more horsepower (187 vs. 177) than the Renegade’s 1.3 turbo 4-cylinder.

Fuel Economy and Range

On the EPA test cycle the Sportage gets better mileage than the Renegade:

			MPG
Sportage
	FWD	2.5 DOHC 4-cyl.	25 city/32 hwy
	AWD	2.5 DOHC 4-cyl.	23 city/28 hwy
Renegade
	AWD	Trailhawk 1.3 turbo 4-cyl.	22 city/27 hwy

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Kia Sportage uses regular unleaded gasoline. The Renegade requires premium for maximum efficiency, which can cost on average about 82.8 cents more per gallon.

The Sportage has 1.6 gallons more fuel capacity than the Renegade (14.3 vs. 12.7 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups.

The Sportage has a standard locking fuel door with a remote release located convenient to the driver. The fuel filler door is not lockable on the Renegade. A locking fuel door helps prevent fuel theft and vandalism, such as sugar in the tank.

Brakes and Stopping

For better stopping power the Sportage’s brake rotors are larger than those on the Renegade:

	Sportage	Renegade
Front Rotors	12.8 inches	12 inches
Rear Rotors	12 inches	10.95 inches

The Sportage stops shorter than the Renegade:

	Sportage	Renegade
70 to 0 MPH	180 feet	181 feet	Car and Driver
60 to 0 MPH	128 feet	133 feet	Motor Trend

Tires and Wheels

For better traction, the Sportage has larger tires than the Renegade (235/65R17 vs. 215/60R17).

Suspension and Handling

The Sportage has standard front and rear gas-charged shocks for better control over choppy roads. The Renegade’s suspension doesn’t offer gas-charged shocks.

The Sportage has vehicle speed sensitive variable-assist power steering, for low-effort parking, better control at highway speeds and during hard cornering, and a better feel of the road. The Renegade doesn’t offer variable-assist power steering.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Sportage’s wheelbase is 7.3 inches longer than on the Renegade (108.5 inches vs. 101.2 inches).

For better handling and stability, the average track (width between the wheels) on the Sportage is 3.1 inches wider in the front and 3.4 inches wider in the rear than the track on the Renegade.

The Sportage X-Pro Prestige handles at .84 G’s, while the Renegade Latitude pulls only .74 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

The Sportage X-Pro executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver 1.1 seconds quicker than the Renegade Trailhawk (27.9 seconds @ .58 average G’s vs. 29 seconds @ .58 average G’s).

For greater off-road capability the Sportage has a greater minimum ground clearance than the Renegade (8.3 vs. 8 inches), allowing the Sportage to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged.

Chassis

For excellent aerodynamics, the Sportage has standard flush composite headlights. The Renegade has recessed headlights that spoil its aerodynamic shape and create extra drag.

Passenger Space

The Sportage has .2 inches more front legroom, 1.7 inches more front hip room, 1.8 inches more front shoulder room, 6.2 inches more rear legroom, 1.5 inches more rear hip room and .5 inches more rear shoulder room than the Renegade.

For enhanced passenger comfort on long trips the Sportage’s rear seats recline. The Renegade’s rear seats don’t recline.

Cargo Capacity

The Sportage has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat up than the Renegade with its rear seat up (39.6 vs. 18.5 cubic feet). The Sportage has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat folded than the Renegade with its rear seat folded (74.1 vs. 50.8 cubic feet).

To make loading and unloading groceries and cargo easier when your hands are full, the Sportage’s power liftgate can be opened just by waiting momentarily behind the back bumper, leaving your hands completely free. The Sportage’s power liftgate can also be opened or closed by pressing a button. The Renegade doesn’t offer a power or hands-free opening liftgate.

Towing

The Sportage’s standard towing capacity is much higher than the Renegade’s (2500 vs. 2000 pounds).

Ergonomics

When two different drivers share the Sportage SX/Prestige/X-Pro, the memory seats and mirrors make it convenient for both. Each setting activates different, customized memories for the driver’s seat position and outside mirror angle. The Renegade doesn’t offer a memory system.

The Sportage SX/Prestige/X-Pro’s standard Easy Access Function glides the driver’s seat back when the door is unlocked or the ignition is switched off, making it easier for the driver to get in and out. The Renegade doesn’t offer an easy entry system.

On a hot day the Sportage’s driver can lower all the windows from a distance using the keyless remote. The driver of the Renegade can only operate the windows from inside the vehicle, with the ignition on.

Heated windshield washer nozzles are optional on the Sportage (except LX/EX/X-Line) to prevent washer fluid and nozzles from freezing and help continue to keep the windshield clear in sub-freezing temperatures. The Renegade doesn’t offer heated windshield washer nozzles.

The Sportage’s LED headlights produce a whiter, brighter light (up to 3x) using five times less power than the Renegade’s standard halogen headlights. LED lights also light instantly and last over twenty times longer than halogen.

The Sportage has a standard automatic headlight on/off feature. When the ignition is on, the headlights automatically turn on at dusk and off after dawn. The Renegade only offers an automatic headlight on/off feature as an extra cost option.

When the Sportage SX/Prestige/X-Pro is put in reverse, both rearview mirrors tilt from their original position. This gives the driver a better view of the curb during parallel parking maneuvers. Shifting out of reverse puts the mirrors into their original positions. The Renegade’s mirrors don’t automatically adjust for backing.

Standard air-conditioned seats in the Sportage Prestige keep the driver and front passenger comfortable and take the sting out of hot seats in Summer. The Renegade doesn’t offer air-conditioned seats.

The Sportage has a standard center folding armrest for the rear passengers. A center armrest helps make rear passengers more comfortable and it can provide a boundary between children. The Renegade doesn’t offer a rear seat center armrest.

Both the Sportage and the Renegade offer rear vents. For greater rear passenger comfort, the Sportage has standard rear air conditioning vents to keep rear occupants cool in summer or warm in winter. The Renegade doesn’t offer rear air conditioning vents, only heat vents.

To quickly and conveniently keep personal devices charged without cables tangling and wearing out, the Kia Sportage EX/SX/Prestige/X-Line/X-Pro has a standard wireless phone charging system (Qi) in the center console. The Renegade doesn’t offer wireless personal charging.

Model Availability

The Sportage is available in both front-wheel drive and four-wheel drive configurations. The Renegade doesn’t offer a two-wheel drive configuration.

Economic Advantages

Insurance will cost less for the Sportage owner. The Complete Car Cost Guide estimates that insurance for the Sportage will cost $520 less than the Renegade over a five-year period.

Recommendations

Consumer Reports® recommends the Kia Sportage, based on reliability, safety and performance. The Jeep Renegade isn't recommended.

The Kia Sportage outsold the Jeep Renegade by almost five to one during 2022.