2020 Jeep Renegade vs 2019 Acura RDX

The 2019 Acura RDX showcased a bold new exterior design, drawing inspiration from its larger sibling, the Acura MDX. The front end featured angular headlights flanking a broad, assertive grille, a significant improvement from the previous "shield" or "beak" grille. The RDX's more upright layout and rear end promised additional cabin space, while the A-Spec trim added dark accents reminiscent of the Porsche Macan. Inside, the RDX boasted soft-touch surfaces, unique stitching, and brushed aluminum accents, although the latter could be blinding in direct sunlight. The redesigned center console featured Acura’s unique shifter design and the new True Touchpad infotainment system.

The 2020 Jeep Renegade retained the signature Jeep design elements, including round headlights, a 7-slot grille, and trapezoidal wheel arches. The Renegade's purposeful yet expressive design was evident across its primary trim levels: Sport, Latitude, Limited, and Trailhawk. The High Altitude trim, which we tested, featured extra-cost paint, dark gray 19-inch wheels, and a dual-pane panoramic glass roof. Despite its luxurious touches, the Renegade's interior was dominated by hard plastic, giving it an inexpensive feel. The all-black cabin color scheme further contributed to this impression, despite the fancy details.

The 2019 Acura RDX was powered by a turbocharged 2.0-liter inline 4-cylinder engine, producing 272 horsepower and 280 pound-feet of torque. This engine was paired with a new 10-speed automatic transmission, available in both front-wheel drive and Acura's "Super-Handling All-Wheel Drive" (SH-AWD). SH-AWD could divert 70% of the torque to the rear wheels, with 100% of that torque going to either rear wheel independently. The Integrated Dynamics System (IDS) allowed drivers to toggle between Comfort, Snow, Sport, and Sport+ drive modes, adjusting throttle response, shift mapping, steering feel, and traction control. The RDX's fuel economy was 22 mpg city, 28 highway, and 24 combined for the front-wheel drive version, and 21/27/23 for the AWD version.

The 2020 Jeep Renegade offered two engine options: a 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine with 180 horsepower and 175 lb-ft of torque, and a turbocharged 1.3-liter four-cylinder engine with 177 horsepower and 210 lb-ft of torque. We tested the turbocharged engine, which was paired with a nine-speed automatic transmission. The Renegade's Active Drive AWD system disconnected the driveline to the rear wheels to save fuel and activated when the front wheels slipped. The turbocharged engine provided peak torque at 1,750 rpm, but turbo lag and a transmission calibrated for fuel economy resulted in a lack of responsiveness. The Renegade's fuel economy was 23.6 mpg, below the EPA estimate of 26 mpg, and its 12.7-gallon fuel tank limited its range to about 250 miles.

The 2019 Acura RDX offered 29.5 cubic feet of cargo space with the rear seats up, increasing by 3 cubic feet from the previous year. With the 60/40 split-fold rear seats down, cargo capacity was 58.9 cubic feet. The RDX's interior was spacious and comfortable, with ample head- and legroom in both the front and second rows. The floating center stack design provided additional storage space, and the center console featured a cupholder tray with a brushed metal cover. All four doors had room for multiple water bottles, and the rear seat included a center armrest with cupholders.

The 2020 Jeep Renegade's boxy exterior design resulted in a spacious-feeling interior, especially with the panoramic glass roof. The eight-way power-adjustable driver's seat made it easy to get comfortable, but the front passenger seat lacked height adjustment. Rear seat space was cramped, but padded front seatback trim and good foot room made it acceptable for shorter trips. The Renegade's interior storage spots were limited, and cargo volume was 18.5 cubic feet behind the back seat and 50.8 cubic feet with the rear seat folded down.

The 2019 Acura RDX came standard with the True Touchpad infotainment system, featuring a high-definition screen with sharp icons. However, the system had a steep learning curve, requiring multiple steps to perform simple tasks like changing the radio station. Apple CarPlay integration was seamless, but navigating within CarPlay required moving the highlighted icon around the screen. The system was a significant improvement over the previous two-screen setup but still had room for refinement.

The 2020 Jeep Renegade featured the Uconnect infotainment system with an 8.4-inch touchscreen display. Despite its age, Uconnect remained user-friendly, with volume and tuning knobs and logically arranged menu buttons. The system included Bluetooth, Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, Amazon Alexa integration, and a Wi-Fi hotspot. The new Kenwood premium audio system provided good sound quality. The Renegade also offered a comprehensive driver information center and a parking assist system for both parallel and perpendicular spaces.

The 2019 Acura RDX came standard with a reversing camera, tire pressure monitoring system, traction control, and a full array of front and side impact airbags. The AcuraWatch suite included forward-collision warning, forward-collision avoidance, lane-departure warning, road-departure warning, and lane-keeping assist. The Technology Package added front and rear parking sensors and blind-spot monitoring with rear cross-traffic alert. The Advance trim included a head-up warning system.

The 2020 Jeep Renegade's Advanced Tech Group included adaptive cruise control, full-speed forward collision warning with automatic emergency braking, lane departure warning, lane-keeping assistance, and automatic high-beam headlights. The Safety and Security Group added blind-spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic warning. The Renegade earned a 4-star overall rating from the NHTSA, with a 3-star rating for rear-seat side-impact protection. The IIHS gave the Renegade commendable scores in most tests, but it did not retain its Top Safety Pick rating from 2019.