Compare the2023 Kia Sportage PHEVVS 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
Ergonomics
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 PHEV 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 PHEV X-Line 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 PHEV and Renegade have rear cross-traffic warning, but the Sportage PHEV 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 PHEV’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 PHEV 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, all wheel drive, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, lane departure warning systems, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras and rear cross-path warning.

The Kia Sportage PHEV weighs 679 to 891 pounds more than the Jeep Renegade. The NHTSA advises that heavier vehicles are much safer in collisions than their significantly lighter counterparts.

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 PHEV the rating of “Top Safety Pick” for 2022, a rating granted to only 177 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The Renegade last would have qualified as a “Top Safety Pick” in 2019.

Warranty

The Sportage PHEV 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 PHEV 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 PHEV’s reliability 20 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 PHEV’s 1.6 turbo 4-cylinder hybrid produces 84 more horsepower (261 vs. 177) and 48 lbs.-ft. more torque (258 vs. 210) than the Renegade’s 1.3 turbo 4-cylinder.

Fuel Economy and Range

The Sportage PHEV can travel with zero emissions for 34 miles. The Renegade can’t move without running its internal combustion engine.

Regenerative brakes improve the Sportage PHEV’s fuel efficiency by converting inertia back into energy instead of wasting it. The Renegade doesn’t offer a regenerative braking system.

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Kia Sportage PHEV 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 PHEV has a standard locking fuel door which locks and unlocks with the power locks 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 PHEV’s brake rotors are larger than those on the Renegade:

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

The Sportage PHEV stops much shorter than the Renegade:

	Sportage PHEV	Renegade
70 to 0 MPH	167 feet	181 feet	Car and Driver

Tires and Wheels

For better traction, the Sportage PHEV has larger tires than the Renegade (235/55R19 vs. 215/60R17).

The Sportage PHEV’s tires provide better handling because they have a lower 55 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Renegade Trailhawk’s standard 65 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Sportage PHEV has standard 19-inch wheels. Smaller 17-inch wheels are standard on the Renegade.

Suspension and Handling

The Sportage PHEV 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 PHEV 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 PHEV’s wheelbase is 7.3 inches longer than on the Renegade (108.5 inches vs. 101.2 inches).

For better handling and stability, the track (width between the wheels) on the Sportage PHEV is 3 inches wider in the front and 3.3 inches wider in the rear than on the Renegade.

The Sportage PHEV X-Line 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.

Chassis

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

Passenger Space

The Sportage PHEV has .2 inches more front legroom, 1.7 inches more front hip room, 1.6 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 PHEV’s rear seats recline. The Renegade’s rear seats don’t recline.

Cargo Capacity

The Sportage PHEV has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat up than the Renegade with its rear seat up (34.5 vs. 18.5 cubic feet). The Sportage PHEV has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat folded than the Renegade with its rear seat folded (65.4 vs. 50.8 cubic feet).

To make loading and unloading groceries and cargo easier when your hands are full, the Sportage PHEV’s power liftgate can be opened just by waiting momentarily behind the back bumper, leaving your hands completely free. The Sportage PHEV’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.

Ergonomics

When two different drivers share the Sportage PHEV X-Line Prestige, 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 PHEV X-Line Prestige’s standard easy entry system 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 PHEV’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 standard on the Sportage PHEV X-Line Prestige 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 PHEV’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 PHEV 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 PHEV X-Line Prestige 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 PHEV X-Line 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 PHEV 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 PHEV and the Renegade offer rear vents. For greater rear passenger comfort, the Sportage PHEV 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 PHEV has a standard wireless phone charging system (Qi) in the center console. The Renegade doesn’t offer wireless personal charging.

The Sportage PHEV X-Line Prestige’s Smart Parking Assist can parallel park or back into a parking spot by itself, starting, stopping and changing direction automatically. Remote Smart Parking Assist will park and retrieve your car remotely: press a button and watch it park itself. This is ideal for tight locations. The Renegade Limited’s automatic parking system requires operating the brakes and transmission to safely park and it doesn’t offer remote control parking.

Recommendations

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