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Toyota C-HR Races Jeep Renegade, But Does Anybody Care Which Is Faster?

Crossovers are nothing more than glorified smaller minivans, For most situations, you'd be better off with a hatchback - fuel economy, cornering, and acceleration. The Toyota C-HR and Jeep Renegade are the same.
Toyota C-HR Races Jeep Renegade, But Does Anybody Care Which Is Faster? 3 photos
Photo: YouTube screenshot
Toyota C-HR Races Jeep Renegade, But Does Anybody Care Which Is Faster?Toyota C-HR Races Jeep Renegade, But Does Anybody Care Which Is Faster?
Jeep doesn't make a hatchback, so it's not like you have an alternative. But Fiat does, and nobody buys those in the States. The Toyota C-HR doesn't ride that high and is pretty efficient. So we're not sure if we'd have the Scion iM instead.

Anyway, remember how all those Regular Car Reviews videos made fun of older cars that felt gutless despite having 2.4-liter engines? Well, they're still making those.

Under the hood of the Jeep Renegade is a similar 180-hp 4-banger that you might also find in the Dodge Dart. It sends power to the AWD system through a 9-speed automatic gearbox that has been plagued with problems.

Toyota, meanwhile, chose to install a 144-hp 2.0-liter in the American version of the C-HR. And you know how they like to put CVTs in everything!

This low-key drag race admits that nobody wants to know which of these two crossovers is the fastest. You buy these for the styling, and nobody expects them to be fast. But it's fun to see the sporty-looking Toyota try to beat the boxy Jeep and fail miserably.

Speaking of which, what model do you think is the most popular? The Renegade sold 7,888 units in October and 88,097 for the year to date. The C-HR, meanwhile, managed 3,638 units last month and has only been available since April. So it seems that buyers prefer the rugged fashion statement made by the Jeep, which is one of the few models in this segment with any off-road capabilities.

For a while there, it was looking like they might make a more powerful 300-hp model with the FCA 2-liter "Hurricane" turbo, but we're not holding our breath.

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About the author: Mihnea Radu
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Mihnea's favorite cars have already been built, the so-called modern classics from the '80s and '90s. He also loves local car culture from all over the world, so don't be surprised to see him getting excited about weird Japanese imports, low-rider VWs out of Germany, replicas from Russia or LS swaps down in Florida.
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