When Jeep replaced the classic, ultra-boxy Cherokee with the Liberty back for the 2002 model year, many Jeep loyalists took an instant dislike to the new vehicle's round nose and generally softer lines. Yes, the front end paid homage to the Wrangler, but there was some intentional cuteness to it you won't find in the iconic Jeep. Someone's idea for how to appeal to more women, no doubt.
The loyalists never did warm to the new look. A couple years ago Jeep sought to appease them with the new three-row Commander, easily the boxiest Jeep since the Cherokee. And for 2008 the Liberty has been totally restyled, and looks much like a less lengthy Commander.
To evaluate the new Jeep Liberty, I took a 4x4 in Limited trim for a test drive.
Styling
The new, boxier body will no doubt appeal more to Jeep traditionalists than the first-generation Jeep Liberty's did. But the classic proportions of the Cherokee have not returned with the squarer lines. From an aesthetic standpoint, the new Liberty is too tall, though it's not as bad as the Commander in this regard. It's not unattractive, it's just not a classic.
The new Liberty shares a platform with the Dodge Nitro, and at first I thought that the new Liberty was just a rebadged Nitro. But the dimensions of the two are actually much different. The Liberty is X inches taller, while the Nitro is X inches longer. The Liberty is supposed to be the off-roader of the two-no low-range is even available in the Dodge-and its shorter length should aid maneuverability on the trail.
The Limited has larger wheels than lesser trims, and they do improve the Liberty's appearance, as larger wheels tend to do. These wheels are "chrome clad," which means that they have shiny plastic covers affixed to regular alloy wheels.
Inside the Liberty's styling also resembles that of the Nitro, but a closer look will note that none of the interior panels are shared. Between the two, the Liberty's interior has a slightly more upscale, more durable appearance. That said, hard plastics are again prevalent and obviously hard plastics. Even with leather in the Limited, the Liberty's interior doesn't seem luxurious.
Accommodations
Unfortunately, the new Jeep Liberty shares many of the Nitro's ergonomic shortcomings. So the driver must get by without a decent place to rest a left foot, the front passenger must contend with a cramped footwell, and the HVAC controls have oddly been recessed so they're just out of comfortable reach. I don't remember if the front seat mounting points bulged upward in the Nitro, severely cutting into rear passengers' foot space. They do in the new Nitro. Worse, the seat hardware is exposed, threatening to scuff shoes.
Things get better from there. The higher roof of the Liberty means I didn't easily bump my head getting into the driver's seat, as I do on the Nitro. Both the front and rear seats are mounted high. This is good for driver visibility and for rear passenger thigh support. The seats themselves are moderately firm but lacking in contour. I wish more thought had gone into their shape. I do like how the fairly upright windshield permits an unusually shallow instrument panel. This enhances the connection between the driver and the vehicle, and what is going on where the rubber meets the road (or trail).
Cargo room is competitive for a compact SUV. There's a covered well in the cargo floor, suitable for muddy gear (or so the brochure suggests). With the spare now beneath the vehicle, the tailgate opens upwards rather than to the side.
On the Road
In the Dodge Nitro, you have a choice between a 210-horsepower 3.7-liter SOHC V6 and a 260-horsepower 4.0-liter DOHC V6. In the Liberty, you have no such choice: only the weaker engine is offered. The 3.7 feels fairly strong at low speeds-the gearing of the five-speed automatic helps here. But once up to highway speeds, acceleration becomes, well, deliberate. The upright, boxy body doesn't help here. I do wonder why the 4.0 isn't offered.
As with the Nitro, the Jeep Liberty's steering has a loose, even sloppy feel on-center. Around town it still manages to feel nicely balanced and even a bit agile through moderately hard turns. On the highway, though, the rear end has a lot of sway and recoil in quick lane changes, just as in the Nitro. In this vehicle, I'd avoid quick lane changes. A tighter suspension would be an even better solution.
The Jeep Liberty's ride feels smoother and more composed to me than the Nitro's did. Maybe it was just a matter of driving the two on different roads, or maybe the suspension tuning in the Jeep does a better job of absorbing impacts without feeling skittish. Noise levels are low around town, but with some wind noise at highway speeds. The engine can roar a bit gruffly when pushed.
The Dodge Nitro, with a strictly on-road mission, has no excuses for the downfalls of its chassis. The Liberty, on the other hand, was engineered to serve well off-road. The four-wheel-drive system includes a low range, and 4x4s with automatic transmission are equipped with hill descent control. So I'm willing to cut it more slack. After all, it's on-road behavior is almost car-like compared to even the latest Wrangler.
Jeep Liberty Price Comparisons and Pricing
Even a fairly loaded-up Jeep Liberty Limited lists for under $30,000. Compared to a similarly equipped Nissan Xterra, the Jeep's price is about $2,900 lower. And this is before rebates, which are likely to be higher on the Jeep.
The difference is even larger compared to the Jeep Wrangler: about $2,200 before adjusting for feature differences, but about $4,400 afterwards. But of course there's only one Wrangler.
Prices change frequently, and differences will vary based on feature level. To quickly generate these and other comparisons with the specific features you want, visit my Web site, www.truedelta.com. (It's the only site that provides true "apples-to-apples" price comparisons.)
TrueDelta's page for the Jeep Liberty:
http://www.truedelta.com/models/Liberty.php
Last Words
For strictly on-road use, there are better choices, even much better choices, than the new Jeep Liberty. But if you intend to venture off the pavement, the Liberty might provide a good mix of off-road capability, on-road manners, and classic Jeep styling.
A Note on Jeep Liberty Reliability
I cannot practically cover reliability within the context of this review. However, many people are interested in such information, so I started collecting my own data in the fall of 2005. Results are posted to my site, www.truedelta.com, with updates every three months.
Unlike other sources, TrueDelta clearly identifies what difference it will make if you buy a Liberty rather than another vehicle by providing "times in the shop" stats (with others coming in the future). You will eventually be able to specify the number of years, annual miles, and types of repairs to include in Jeep Liberty reliability comparisons.
To report results, I need reliability data on all cars--not just the Liberty--from people like you. To encourage participation, those who help provide the data will receive
free access to the site's reliability information. Non-participants will have to pay an access fee.
For the details, and to sign up, visit www.truedelta.com.
A link to this website and alphabetized links to
my other vehicle reviews can be found on my
profile page.
Some of my reviews of related vehicles:
Dodge Nitro review
2007 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited review
Kia Sorento review
Nissan Xterra review
Suzuki Grand Vitara review
Toyota 4Runner review
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