Jeep Avenger long-term test: report 8

The Avenger is Jeep's first electric SUV, but can it tempt a new wave of buyers to consider the iconic American brand? We're living with one to find out...

Published05 June 2024

The car Jeep Avenger Summit Run by Mark Pearson, used cars editor

Why it’s here To see if the trendy Avenger can successfully forge new ground for Jeep and to see how it stacks up against its many polished electric SUV competitors

Needs to dispatch commuting, work and family life without any range anxiety issues and cope with a wide variety of everyday duties

Miles covered 5294 Price £39,600 Target price £39,017 Price as tested £42,125 Official range 244 miles Test range 163 miles

5 June 2024 – Keeping my foot on the brake

When you live with a car long time, the smallest issues can soon develop into major problems, because the same annoyance is repeated several times every day.

For example, my Jeep Avenger is well equipped, but one thing it doesn’t have is an auto hold or hill hold function, which holds the car stationary when you come to a halt without you having to keep your foot on the brake pedal.

This is a pity because such a feature can be a boon in traffic, and the lack of it means you either have to keep your foot on the brake pedal or go to all the trouble of flicking on the electronic handbrake, which risks breaking a nail. It's also helpful if you're behind a sluggish driver in a multi-storey car park and are left stationary on the ramp to the next floor while they park.

Okay, I admit, this is a first-world problem, but it isn’t the only one. You see for someone of my size and age, I’d add that getting in and out of the Avenger is a little less comfortable than it could be due to the door apertures being quite small. It’s even worse in the rear where leg room is a little limited.

On top of that, the iPad-style magnetic foldable cover for the large central cubby hole looks and feels quite chic, but when folded up completely it obscures the buttons you need to change gear. Then there’s the sound the indicators make when you engage them. The synthesised noise has been described as the type of drum rhythm an old beatbox might make. You might find it enjoyable if you’re stuck in the 1980s but, despite my hairstyle, I don’t think I am.

So far, I haven’t been stuck in the mud either. The Avenger’s ground clearance is claimed to be the best in class. Looking at its class I wouldn’t want to go off-road in any of them, and probably only would if I’d lost control of one of them on a country lane.

However, the Avenger’s short overhangs give it respectable approach and departure angles. If your off-road use is occasional, confined to muddy car parks and rutted byways and the like, it’s quite good fun. In the real world, you’ll probably be better off with its recently introduced sibling, though, the Jeep Avenger 4e, a petrol-electric hybrid car with four-wheel drive and enhanced ground clearance for more serious mudplugging.