Honda HR-V vs Jeep Renegade

The 2021 Jeep Renegade, introduced in 2015 and refreshed in 2019, continued to carry over its rugged design inspired by the iconic Wrangler SUV. It featured a boxy profile, circular headlights, and an upright seven-slat grille. Inside, the Renegade boasted a modern, functional cabin with an upright center stack, offering trims like Sport, Jeepster, Latitude, Upland, 80th Anniversary, Islander, Limited, and Trailhawk. Each trim provided a variety of features, from push-button start and dual-zone climate control in the Sport to leather upholstery and heated front seats in the Limited.

The 2021 Honda HR-V contrasted sharply with Honda’s larger SUVs, offering a softer, friendlier appearance. It featured distinctive design elements like upper and lower window lines converging near the taillights. Most trims came with 17-inch alloy wheels, while the Sport model had matte-black 18-inch wheels and blacked-out trim. Inside, the HR-V had a plain but functional interior with good material quality. Higher trims like the EX and EX-L included push-button start, automatic climate control, a moonroof, and heated front seats, with the EX-L adding leather upholstery.

The 2021 Jeep Renegade offered two engine options: a 2.4-liter four-cylinder producing 180 horsepower and 175 pound-feet of torque, and a turbocharged 1.3-liter four-cylinder with 177 horsepower and 210 pound-feet of torque. Both engines were paired with a nine-speed automatic transmission, available in FWD or 4WD. While neither engine was particularly spirited, the turbocharged option provided better torque and refinement. The Renegade had a solid ride quality, was maneuverable in tight spaces, and featured a terrain management system with various drive modes, making the Trailhawk trim particularly capable off-road.

The 2021 Honda HR-V came with a sole 1.8-liter four-cylinder engine producing 141 horsepower and 127 pound-feet of torque, paired with a CVT. While AWD was available, FWD was standard. The HR-V’s powertrain was underpowered for highway driving, and the CVT was ineffective. However, the HR-V’s chassis made up for its engine, offering a rewarding driving experience on twisty roads and decent ride quality. Its AWD system was suitable for slippery roads but not for rougher terrains, and it wasn’t rated for towing.

The 2021 Jeep Renegade provided 50.8 cubic feet of cargo space with the rear seats folded and 18.5 cubic feet with the seats in use. Its tall, boxy design offered plenty of headroom in both rows, with great front-seat legroom and adequate rear-seat space for adults. The Renegade featured helpful storage solutions, including small cubbies and trays, and the front passenger seat could fold completely forward for added space.

The 2021 Honda HR-V excelled in cargo space, thanks to the “Magic Seat” 60/40 split-folding rear bench seat. It offered 58.8 cubic feet of cargo space with the rear seats down (57.6 for AWD models) and 24.3 cubic feet with the seats up (23.2 cubic feet with AWD). The HR-V led the segment in rear-seat legroom, though front-seat legroom and headroom were average. While it lacked clever interior storage solutions, the HR-V had sensibly-designed controls, including large knobs for climate control and an audio volume knob, with a standard tilt-and-telescopic steering wheel for easy driving position adjustments.

The 2021 Jeep Renegade came standard with a 7-inch touchscreen, with an optional 8.4-inch screen on mid-tier trims and standard on higher trims. Both screens ran the intuitive Uconnect infotainment system, featuring a logical menu layout, easy-to-read graphics, and a helpful dock for major functions. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto were standard, and a Kenwood premium audio system was available.

The 2021 Honda HR-V’s base LX trim had standard Bluetooth, a 5-inch display screen, and a four-speaker audio system. The Sport trim and higher included a 7-inch touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity, while the EX and EX-L added SiriusXM satellite radio. The infotainment system was plain but functional, with two USB ports located conveniently ahead of the shifter. However, the 7-inch touchscreen was somewhat small, and competitors offered Apple CarPlay and Android Auto as standard across all trims.

For 2021, the Jeep Renegade made previously optional safety features standard, including automatic emergency braking, forward collision warning, lane-departure warning, lane-keep assist, blind-spot monitoring, and rear cross-path detection, except for the Trailhawk trim. Adaptive cruise control, automatic high beams, and front and rear parking sensors were optional. Despite these features, the Renegade received a four-star rating from the NHTSA.

The 2021 Honda HR-V received top “Good” scores in all IIHS crash tests and a “Superior” rating for its optional front-crash prevention tech, but had “Marginal” and “Poor” headlight ratings and an “Acceptable” rating for LATCH ease of use. The NHTSA awarded the HR-V a five-star overall safety rating. Honda Sensing safety features were available only on the EX and EX-L trims, including forward-collision warning, lane-departure warning, automatic emergency braking, and more. The rearview camera was upgraded with dynamic gridlines on higher trims.