Jeep Wrangler Renegade Retro Review by Motorweek
Jeep’s cornerstone vehicle has come a long way from the YJ to the just-released JL.
In 1992, the Renegade was the top-of-the-line Wrangler. Its body-color wide flares and square headlights set it far apart from the war-era Jeeps of the past. Under the Renegade’s hood is the stout 4.0 liter straight six, which is still a Jeep owner favorite. Mated to a three-speed automatic transmission, zero to 60 takes over 12 seconds.
By today’s standards, a fully-loaded Renegade is a spartan machine. The suspension is leaf springs all around with solid axles. There are disc brakes up front and drums in the rear. You probably won’t be surprised to hear that the Renegade didn’t have ABS.
In this review, MotorWeek’s look at the ’92 Wrangler Renegade makes us remember the great times we had back then. A cassette player was standard at the time, but it was far from the high-quality audio options available today. The slide and lever-operated climate control system is another feature we’re happy to keep in the past.
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But while the modern Wrangler may be an improvement in comfort, refinement, and safety, the Renegade has style for days. You can picture yourself with a group of friends rocking florescent color clothing heading to the beach or the mountains. You can almost see Zack Morris driving this beast with Kelly Kapowski in an episode of Saved By The Bell.
It may be 25 years old now, but this rugged little Renegade is still cool. In classic Jeep fashion, it’s also still very capable on a trail and would be a fun addition to any garage. So, this video has us searching our local classifieds for a cool little retro project of our own. What do you think of the Renegade’s polarizing style? Let us know in the comments.
