Renegade

The Jeep Renegade is essentially the only choice for someone who wants a subcompact crossover or SUV with serious off-road capability. The Renegade Trailhawk earns the company’s Trail Rated badge thanks to protective underbody skid plates, plenty of ground clearance, and 19 inches of water-fording capability. In other words, it does everything a host of rivals look like they can do but actually can’t. That capability comes at a price, though, as the Renegade is more expensive than most of its competitors; the Trailhawk, for instance, starts at over $33,000. A turbocharged four-cylinder with just 1.3-liters of displacement propels every Renegade regardless of trim level and will never strain your neck muscles with its acceleration. It’ll get you to the mall or down the trails, though, and it does deliver reasonable fuel efficiency. That said, if you don’t frequent the muddy, rocky paths less traveled, then you might want to consider more affordable mini-SUV alternatives. And soon you'll have to: Jeep has announced that the Renegade will be phased out after the 2023 model year.