2021 Jeep Renegade vs 2021 Chevrolet Traverse

The 2021 Chevrolet Traverse was a nod to the past, with its design relying heavily on styling details to distinguish between trim levels. Its exterior was a classic SUV look, featuring a tall roof, chunky wheel arches, and a prominent grille, which appealed to buyers seeking a clean and handsome design. While it didn't quite match the personality of the Ford Explorer or the streamlined appearance of the Mazda CX-9, the Traverse's restrained styling allowed for cosmetic elements to shine across different trims. The RS model sported blacked-out trim, while the High Country model featured chrome accents. The Traverse shared its platform with the Buick Enclave, GMC Acadia, and Cadillac XT6, but it aimed for a more accessible feel compared to its premium siblings. Inside, the Traverse maintained a restrained style, with the optional Dual SkyScape sunroof as a standout feature. The materials in the RS model were decent, though not entirely justifying its $50,000 price tag.

The 2021 Jeep Renegade, introduced in 2015, drew inspiration from the iconic Wrangler SUV, featuring a boxy profile, circular headlights, and a seven-slat grille. The 2019 refresh carried over to 2021, with some previously optional features becoming standard. Inside, the Renegade offered a modern and functional cabin design, with an upright center stack reminiscent of the Wrangler. It came in various trims, including Sport, Jeepster, Latitude, Upland, 80th Anniversary, Islander, Limited, and Trailhawk, each offering unique features. The Sport trim included push-button start and a 7-inch touchscreen, while the Jeepster added keyless entry and remote start. The Upland trim catered to adventure enthusiasts with skid plates and 4WD, while the Limited trim offered luxury features like leather upholstery and heated seats. The Trailhawk trim focused on off-road capability with skid plates, tow hooks, and a lifted suspension.

The 2021 Chevrolet Traverse was equipped with a single engine option: a 3.6-liter V6 producing 310 horsepower and 266 pound-feet of torque. Although the V6 didn't feel as powerful as its specs suggested, it provided sufficient power for highway merging and overtaking. The nine-speed automatic transmission generally performed well, though it occasionally delivered rough shifts. The Traverse excelled in highway road manners, offering a quiet cabin and a comfortable ride. However, it lacked agility on twisty roads, partly due to its AWD system, which required manual activation and could send torque to individual wheels. Despite this, the Traverse offered off-road and tow/haul drive modes, with a towing capacity of 5,000 pounds.

The 2021 Jeep Renegade came with two engine options: a 2.4-liter four-cylinder with 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. While neither engine was particularly spirited, the turbocharged option provided more torque and refinement. The nine-speed automatic transmission sometimes struggled with smooth shifts. The Renegade offered a solid ride quality, with composed suspension over rough surfaces. Its short wheelbase made it maneuverable in tight spaces, ideal for city driving. The Renegade featured a terrain management system with various drive modes, and the Trailhawk trim excelled off-road with its 8.7 inches of ground clearance and off-road suspension.

The 2021 Chevrolet Traverse offered seating for seven or eight, with above-average headroom and legroom in all three rows. Heated front seats were standard on the RS trim, with ventilated front seats and heated rear seats available on higher trims. The Traverse excelled in cargo space, providing 23.0 cubic feet with all seats in place, 57.8 cubic feet with the third row stowed, and 98.2 cubic feet with all rear seats folded. A power liftgate was optional on the LT Cloth trim and standard on higher trims, with a gesture-activated liftgate available on the Premier and High Country models. Despite its size, the Traverse was limited in interior storage options, typical of midsize crossovers.

The 2021 Jeep Renegade offered 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 provided ample headroom in both rows, with great legroom in the front seats. The rear seats, while not as spacious, were still suitable for adults. The Renegade featured various storage solutions, including small cubbies and trays, and the front passenger seat could fold forward for added space.

The 2021 Chevrolet Traverse came with a standard 7-inch touchscreen infotainment system, featuring Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. An 8-inch touchscreen, navigation, 4G-LTE WiFi hotspot, and a Bose 10-speaker audio system were available on higher trims. The 8-inch screen was user-friendly, with large icons and retained analog controls for audio and climate. The Traverse also offered a rearview camera mirror and an optional HD surround-view camera system. Each row had two USB ports as standard, with wireless phone charging available on the Premier and High Country models.

The 2021 Jeep Renegade featured a standard 7-inch touchscreen, with an optional 8.4-inch screen on mid-tier trims and standard on higher trims. Both screens ran the Uconnect infotainment system, known for its intuitive layout and easy-to-read graphics. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto were standard on both screens, and a Kenwood premium audio system was available.

The 2021 Chevrolet Traverse received top "Good" scores in all IIHS crash tests and a "Superior" rating for front-crash prevention. However, it received "Acceptable" and "Poor" headlight ratings and an "Acceptable" rating for LATCH ease of use. The NHTSA awarded it a five-star overall safety rating, with four stars in frontal and rollover crash tests. The Traverse offered fewer standard driver-assist features than competitors, with many options available only on higher 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. Adaptive cruise control, automatic high beams, and parking sensors were optional. Despite these features, the NHTSA gave the Renegade a four-star crash test rating. Parallel parking assist was also available.