Jeep, arguably the first and oldest sports utility vehicle has become almost a generic term for any vehicle with the shape, style and function of a sports-ute. In fact, the term “jeeping” is a currently used verb employed to describe off-roading or driving an SUV in particularly tough conditions or environs.
But there really is only one proper use for the word “Jeep,” and that is as it pertains to any of the vehicles manufactured by the Jeep badge within the Chrysler family. In the compact segment of the military-inspired Jeep line sits the Jeep Liberty, ostensibly a replacement for the departed Jeep Cherokee, and marketed as the second-smallest Jeep in the line-up between the smaller Compass and the larger Grand Cherokee.
Assembled in Toledo, Ohio, the second-generation Jeep Liberty attracts new Jeep buyers and the company estimates that 70 percent of its owner-drivers are new to the Jeep marque.
With a classic Jeep design, the 2008 Liberty is all-new from the ground up and a true 4x4 designed for down-the-street refinement and off-road performance, thanks in part to a new independent front suspension, five-link rear suspension and rack-and-pinion steering. With its new Sky Slider™ full-length open canvas roof, the rugged Liberty provides a fun-all-the-time, go-anywhere form and functionality. The Liberty’s change-on-the-fly 4x4 with Command-Trac part-time 4WD system deftly allows the driver to maneuver from the highway to the pathway without losing a step.
With a length of 176.9 inches, overall width of 72.34 inches, height of 70.6 inches, step-in height of 19.8 and a ground clearance of 7.4 inches to the front axle, the Liberty Limited looks, feels and acts as a trail-rated 4x4 should in a purposeful-yet-attractive package.
My test vehicle, a 2008 Jeep Liberty Limited 4x4 was powered by a 3.7-liter V-6 engine that rumbles out 210hp and 235 lbs.-ft. of torque. The four-speed automatic transmission is smooth and shifts at proper points, enabling the 4222-lb. sports-ute to exhibit expected performance on the highway at speed, in stop-and-go town traffic and on those path-and-trail treks. However, while there is enough punch to extricate the vehicle from deep mud and through off-road obstacles, asphalt operation is very slow. My quickest test times on the track were zero to 60mph in 9.3 seconds, with the quarter-mile completed in a sundial-timed 17.7 seconds. The Liberty could benefit from the 4.0-liter, 260hp V-6 that its sibling, the Dodge Nitro, carries.
With the 3.7-liter under hood, the Liberty Limited is EPA rated at 15mpg in the city and 21mpg on the highway. My seven-day test proved those estimates to be close to reality as more than 400 miles of highway driving, 100 miles in town, 50 miles on the test track and about 20 miles of off-roading (the latter two venues were not included in my fuel figures) yielded a thirsty average of 18.8mpg, about a mile per gallon less than expected.
My vehicle’s Jeep Green Metallic exterior was coordinated with a Pastel Slate Gray cabin. The interior is uninspired, but for true Jeep fans there is the look and feel of the traditional Jeep with a comfortable family feel to the ride and the environment. Standard accouterments inside include air conditioning, leather-wrapped steering wheel with audio controls, leather-trim bucket seats with adjustable head rests, 6-way power driver seat with adjustable headrest, AM/FM stereo radio with CD/MP3/WMA player, 8-speaker Infinity Premium Amplified system with subwoofer, Sirius Satellite Radio, electronic vehicle information center, universal garage door opener, front passenger fold-flat seat, auto-dimming rear view mirror, sun visors with illuminated vanity mirrors, speed-sensitive power locks, map lights and auxiliary 115-volt power outlet.
During tests, road noise was a constant annoyance and while the ride is solid off-road, you feel all the bumps on-road as well.
Safety features include advanced multi-stage air bags, supplemental side curtain air bags, LATCH child safety seats, enhanced accident response system, anti-lock four-wheel disc brakes, all-speed traction control, brake assist, hill start assist, hill descent control, variable intermittent windshield wipers, rear wipers and washer, 600-amp maintenance-free battery, tire pressure monitoring system with tire pressure display, security alarm and Sentry Key theft-deterrent system.
The Liberty Limited’s base price comes in at $26,125, and the price as tested stickered out at $30,195 including several option packages. The test Liberty added the Jeep Green paint job and clear coat ($150); Tow package – Class III receiver hitch, 7-pin wiring harness, 7-to-4-pin wiring adapter, trailer sway control and heavy-duty engine cooling ($395); Skid Plate group – toe hooks, transmission skid plate shield, front suspension skid plate, fuel tank skid plate shield and transfer case skid plate shield ($225); Premium Group – manual driver-side lumbar adjustment, 2-way power passenger seat, heated front seats, memory package with memory seat, radio and mirror, automatic headlamps and remote start ($995); Selec-Trac active full-time 4WD system ($445) and Sky slide full open roof with special molding ($1200). Destination charges of $660 make up the final sticker addition.
Driving it on the highway, I wondered how many new buyers will take this trail vehicle off road and get the full use out of it.
Visit www.CarlisleEvents.com for more on the automotive hobby.
Mike Blake, former editor of KIT CAR magazine, joined Carlisle Events as senior automotive journalist in 2004. He's been a "car guy" since the 1960s and has been writing professionally for about 30 years.
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