Compare the2024 Subaru CrosstrekVS 2023 Jeep Renegade

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 Crosstrek 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 Crosstrek’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 Crosstrek and the Renegade have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver knee 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, rearview cameras, available blind spot warning systems and rear cross-path warning.

Side impacts caused 23% of all road fatalities in 2018, down from 29% in 2003, when the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety introduced its side barrier test. In order to continue improving vehicle safety, the IIHS has started using a more severe side impact test: 37 MPH (up from 31 MPH), with a 4180-pound barrier (up from 3300 pounds). The results of this newly developed test demonstrates that the Subaru Crosstrek is safer than the Renegade:

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 Crosstrek’s reliability 66 points higher than the Renegade.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2023 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Subaru vehicles are better in initial quality than Jeep vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Subaru above average in initial quality. With 6 more problems per 100 vehicles, Jeep is rated lower.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2024 Auto Issue reports that Subaru vehicles are more reliable than Jeep vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Subaru 20 places higher in reliability than Jeep.

The Crosstrek Sport/Limited/Wilderness’ standard 2.5 DOHC 4-cylinder produces 5 more horsepower (182 vs. 177) than the Renegade’s 1.3 turbo 4-cylinder.

As tested in Motor Trend the Subaru Crosstrek is faster than the Jeep Renegade:

The flat cylinder configuration of the boxer engine in the Crosstrek lowers its center of gravity, enhancing handling stability without compromising ground clearance. The Renegade doesn’t offer a boxer engine configuration.

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

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

The Crosstrek has 3.9 gallons more fuel capacity than the Renegade (16.6 vs. 12.7 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups.

The Crosstrek has a standard locking fuel door. 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.

In its Green Vehicle Guide, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rates the Subaru Crosstrek higher (7 out of 10) than the Jeep Renegade (6). This means the Crosstrek produces up to 1.1 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the Renegade every 15,000 miles.

The Crosstrek has a standard continuously variable transmission (CVT). With no “steps” between gears, it can keep the engine at the most efficient speed for fuel economy, or keep it at its peak horsepower indefinitely for maximum acceleration. The Renegade doesn’t offer a CVT.

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

The Crosstrek’s standard front and rear disc brakes are vented to help dissipate heat for shorter stops with less fading. The rear discs on the Renegade are solid, not vented.

The Crosstrek stops much shorter than the Renegade:

For better traction, the Crosstrek has larger tires than the Renegade (225/60R17 vs. 215/60R17).

The Crosstrek’s standard tires provide better handling because they have a lower 60 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Renegade Trailhawk’s standard 65 series tires.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Crosstrek’s wheelbase is 3.9 inches longer than on the Renegade (105.1 inches vs. 101.2 inches).

The Crosstrek Limited handles at .81 G’s, while the Renegade Latitude pulls only .74 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

The Crosstrek executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver quicker than the Renegade Trailhawk (28.2 seconds @ .58 average G’s vs. 29 seconds @ .58 average G’s).

For better maneuverability, the Crosstrek Wilderness’ turning circle is .5 feet tighter than the Renegade Trailhawk’s (34.8 feet vs. 35.3 feet).

For greater off-road capability the Crosstrek has a greater minimum ground clearance than the Renegade (8.7 vs. 8 inches), allowing the Crosstrek to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged. The Crosstrek Wilderness’ minimum ground clearance is .6 inch higher than on the Renegade Trailhawk (9.3 vs. 8.7 inches).

To almost totally eliminate engine vibration in the passenger area, the Crosstrek CVT (except Manual) has a liquid-filled front engine mount. The liquid helps further dampen engine harshness. The Renegade uses conventional solid rubber engine mounts.

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

The Crosstrek has 1.7 inches more front legroom, 2 inches more front hip room, .9 inches more front shoulder room, 1.4 inches more rear legroom, 3.3 inches more rear hip room and .2 inches more rear shoulder room than the Renegade.

The front step up height for the Crosstrek is 1.9 inches lower than the Renegade (17.5” vs. 19.4”). The Crosstrek’s rear step up height is 1.6 inches lower than the Renegade’s (18” vs. 19.6”).

The Crosstrek has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat up than the Renegade with its rear seat up (19.9 vs. 18.5 cubic feet). The Crosstrek has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat folded than the Renegade with its rear seat folded (54.7 vs. 50.8 cubic feet).

The Crosstrek’s cargo area is larger than the Renegade’s in almost every dimension:

Maximum trailer towing in the Jeep Renegade is limited to 2000 pounds. The Crosstrek offers up to a 3500 lbs. towing capacity.

The engine in the Crosstrek is mounted longitudinally (North-South), instead of sideways, as in the Renegade. This makes it easier to service and maintain, because the accessory belts are in front.

The Crosstrek’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 Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) conducts detailed tests on headlights for their range both straight ahead and in curves and to be certain they don’t exceed acceptable amounts of glare to oncoming drivers. The Crosstrek’s headlights were rated “Good” by the IIHS, while the Renegade’s headlights are rated “Acceptable” to “Poor.”

The Crosstrek 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.

The Renegade’s optional cornering lamps activate a lamp on the front corner when the turn signal is activated. The Crosstrek’s standard adaptive cornering lights turn the actual headlight unit up to several degrees, depending on steering wheel angle and vehicle speed. This lights a significant distance into corners at any speed.

The Crosstrek’s optional rear and side view mirrors have an automatic dimming feature. These mirrors can be set to automatically darken quickly when headlights shine on them, keeping following vehicles from blinding or distracting the driver. The Renegade offers an automatic rear view mirror, but its side mirrors don’t dim.

The Crosstrek Premium/Sport/Limited/Wilderness 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.

To quickly and conveniently keep personal devices charged without cables tangling and wearing out, the Subaru Crosstrek offers an optional wireless phone charging system (Qi) in the center console. The Renegade doesn’t offer wireless personal charging.

Consumer Reports® chose the Subaru Crosstrek as its “Top Pick,” the highest scoring vehicle in its category, based on reliability, safety and performance. The Jeep Renegade isn't recommended.

The Subaru Crosstrek outsold the Jeep Renegade by over six to one during 2023.