Lexus RC vs Jeep Renegade
What's the difference?

Lexus RC

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2020 price

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Jeep Renegade

$9,498 - $15,990

2016 price

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Summary

2020 Lexus RC

2016 Jeep Renegade

By Justin Hilliard

By Peter Anderson

Safety Rating

Engine Type

V6, 3.5L

Inline 4, 2.4L

Fuel Type

Premium Unleaded Petrol

Fuel Efficiency

9.4L/100km (combined)

7.5L/100km (combined)

Seating

Likes

Striking exterior design
Feels rather luxurious
Unrivalled value for money

Tonka tough
Lots of standard inclusions
Looks the part

Dislikes

Infuriating multimedia system
Token second row of seats
Not very fuel efficient

Iffy entertainment software
Naff interior
Vague steering

2020 Lexus RC Summary

If it wasn’t for this review appearing on your screen right now, would you have even remembered the Lexus RC was a thing?

At the time of writing, the RC is actually the fifth most popular model in its sports car segment. Yep, only the two-door versions of the Mercedes-Benz C-Class and E-Class, and BMW 4 Series and Z4 sell better.

So, why is the RC seemingly invisible? But more importantly, does it deserve to be? Let’s test the RC 350 F Sport to find out.

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2016 Jeep Renegade Summary

Jeep's Renegade might be late to the mini-SUV party but it comes with a pretty impressive back catalogue to suggest that this is a SUV that can cash the cheques its name can write.

The top of the range Trailhawk can write even bigger cheques than the lower models, bringing with it a range of off-road tech toys to let you really get down and dirty.

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Deep dive comparison

2020 Lexus RC 2016 Jeep Renegade

Verdict

If you’re a buyer that thinks with their head, the RC 350 F Sport is the obvious choice when compared to its direct rivals.

After all, it looks great (at least to these eyes), feels luxurious in more ways than one, and is unrivalled when considering value-for-money.

But, if you think with your heart instead, it’s clear it is isn’t on the same level dynamically and therefore doesn’t feel as sporty to drive as its name suggests.

So, don’t let its sports car classification fool you, the RC 350 F Sport is more of a grand tourer, or a comfortable cruiser, to be precise, and an underrated one at that.

Verdict

Rugged, dependable and good off-road are the most obvious qualities of the Trailhawk. It stands out from the rest of the mini-SUVs by being able to do the S and the U with plenty of vigour.

It's just a shame that its on-road manners can't match that of its big brother, the Cherokee. Unless you're planning on proper off-roading, the Trailhawk might not be quite what you're looking for.

Lexus RC vs Jeep Renegade What's the difference?

Summary

Deep dive comparison

Verdict

Verdict

Lexus RC vs Jeep Renegade
What's the difference?