Jeep Avenger long-term test
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...
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 5945 Price £39,600 Target price £38,330 Price as tested £42,125 Official range 244 miles Test range 163 miles Private price £25,606 Dealer price £28,807 Running costs (excl. depreciation) £211
25 June 2024 – Avenger: Endgame
Its name might have conjured up images of Iron Man or Captain America, but in the end, my Jeep Avenger reminded me more of James Bond. Well, more specifically Ian Fleming, the author of the Bond novels, who wrote in Goldfinger: “Once is happenstance. Twice is coincidence. The third time it’s enemy action.”
You see, during my six-month tenure with the Avenger, it was rendered undriveable on three occasions in relatively short order. And however meritorious the car may be in other areas, it was always going to take more than a marvel for it to recover from a start like that.
In fairness, it actually only went wrong of its own accord twice, both times related to electrical issues. The first time the digital instruments and infotainment system failed, requiring Jeep to recover the car and reboot it, and the second time it wouldn’t go into drive, with this put down to a software issue.
The third incident was carelessness on the part of the driver who was delivering the car back to me after the second incident – he struck a pothole and put the steering out of kilter. However, fixing that kept the car off the road for nearly a month while Jeep sourced replacement parts.
So, the question I have to ask myself here is if I were able to brush these issues aside, how highly would I rate my Avenger? Very well is the answer, although not without one or two further caveats.
It looked great, for starters – chunky, rugged and neatly proportioned. I came to admire its small size (its footprint is about the same size as a Volkswagen Polo’s). Meanwhile, my car’s optional leather seats were supremely comfortable, and it was easy to find the right driving position, aided by the seat backrest angle being adjusted by a rotary wheel rather than a nasty old ratchet.
True, there was a lot of black plastic inside, but this was of good quality and the body-coloured dashboard inserts of my well-equipped Summit-trimmed car helped liven things up.
Similarly, while there wasn’t a huge amount of space inside or in the boot (this is a small SUV, after all), I did manage to take an unwanted chair and a whole garage full of household rubble to the tip on one occasion. What’s more, there were practical touches like the useful shelf beneath the dashboard for odds and sods.
My Avenger drove well, too – not with as much gusto as one or two of its electric car rivals, but it was decently refined and easy to stop smoothly. Its steering was light and direct, it cornered with reasonable verve, and the ride never threatened to become uncomfortable.
The official range is 244 miles, which is decent by the standards of electric small SUVs, but not class-leading; for example, the Smart #1 that I ran previously had an official range of 273 miles. And it’s worth noting that the efficiency figures I was seeing on the Avenger’s trip computer indicated a range nearer 180 miles, versus 220 miles for the #1.
So, what’s my final verdict on the Avenger? Well, whether yours would suffer the electrical problems my early car did I cannot say. But our sister title, Autocar, had very similar problems with the electrics of their own early Avenger, and I have heard reports of two others suffering similarly.
On top of that, Jeep as a brand finished last in the 2023 What Car? Reliability Survey, although I should point out the Avenger itself was too new at the time to be included in that.
In conclusion, then, there’s no getting away from the fact that the hiccups I experienced have left me nervous about recommending the car to others, and that’s a pity given all of the things about it that charmed me. You could say it left me shaken and stirred.
For all the latest reviews, advice and new car deals, sign up to the What Car? newsletter here
Buy a new car with What Car?
Like the sound of the Jeep Avenger? If so, check out the latest Jeep Avenger deals available through our free New Car Deals service.
Our network of What Car? approved dealers use our Target Price discounts (the most our mystery shoppers think you should pay) as the basis for their savings.
