the T/C Renegade was the first flinter that I bought, many years ago. After looking at a bunch of much nicer- looking rifles since, I am still a huge fan of these little guns: they're inexpensive, they're reliable, they're pretty darned accurate, they're very utilitarian, they're easy to work on, and they've provided a 'gateway gun' for a boatload of folks who would otherwise have missed out on the fun of muzzle loader shooting.
as far as the "hawken- oid" appearance, well, I guess it's sort of like driving a VW 'Bug' or an old Volvo - it's ugly, but it gets you there.
if you want a lot of bling, or if you want a lot of HC/PC, or if you want to impress all the folks at the range with the 'coolness' of your gun, then obviously the T/C rifles aren't for you. but if you want to launch some lead, they're a very good way to go.
you'll still be shooting this gun long after you've forgotten exactly what you paid for it. (I think I paid about $75 or $100 for mine, but that was back in '82 or '83 -- when I still had all my hair)