Jeep Liberty

1121315171881

Comments

  • sasquatch_2000sasquatch_2000 Member Posts: 800
    In Worcester.

    Silver, very nice looking, nice leather interior (dealership owner showing it off), beautiful silver paint. I really liked the way the back doors both open at once. I really didn't like the lack of room in back. Very small area behind rear seats. The dog probably wouldn't like it, and it looks MUCH MUCH smaller than the Cherokee's and even SMALLER STILL than the older Cherokee/Wagoneer (Grand Cherokee? Grand Wagoneer?).

    Overall, nice, but I'm not sure of the size, off road capability, un-proven-ness, and the new engine in general.
  • paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    I was out in Ann Arbor, MI over the weekend, and got a chance to see some liberties on the road. They are SMALL, I was suprised just how small they look on the road. I'd say they are smaller than an X-terra.

    -mike
  • bobcatbobbobcatbob Member Posts: 187
    I have driven by several Jeep dealers , and all seem to have plenty of Liberty's sitting on their lots.
    I am guessing this is due to three main factors:

    1) No moon roofs will be available until July. So, the first 25,000 Liberty's will not have moon roofs, a major no-no is the world of the new SUV buyer.

    2) Pricing. Dealers could be asking sticker plus, for vehicles that don't meet buyers needs.

    3) Perhaps Jeep, like Ford with the new Explorer, over estimated the appeal of the Liberty.

    And, with the specs (160 hp, 165 LB Torque) on the new CR-V begin released last week, it looks like the small SUV market will have plenty of stiff competition this fall.
  • paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    Yep, if this truck was setup to be a more utilitarian vehicle like say the old cherokee, the moonroof could be overlooked. But in the target market of the new liberty these people want a moonroof w/o a doubt.

    -mike
  • sasquatch_2000sasquatch_2000 Member Posts: 800
    I don't think the CRV is in competition here. The liberty has a frame, 4lo, and off road capability the CRV does not.

    Price wise, maybe. Not from what I have seen so far, though.
  • sasquatch_2000sasquatch_2000 Member Posts: 800
    At a set price, you get a lot more from the liberty than the CRV. Period. The only plus to CRV is better mpg.
  • paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    And it's a honda, so the general public sheep here in this country will be led down the path that the honda is more reliable. Which it may very well be. I think that a lot of people buying the liberty will not care about the frame and 4wd lo.

    -mike
  • bblahabblaha Member Posts: 329
    Thanks for keeping the lovefest in check.

    :-)
  • paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    The one I saw was a manufacturer vehicle, so it was donned with some nice meaty tires. Made it look almost like a 4-door Wrangler. :)

    -mike
  • sasquatch_2000sasquatch_2000 Member Posts: 800
    "And it's a honda, so the general public sheep here in this country will be led down the path that the honda is more reliable. Which it may very well be."

    Which would also be MY reason to look at it.

    "I think that a lot of people buying the liberty will not care about the frame and 4wd lo."

    That would be MY reason for looking at that one and possibly buying it OVER the Honda one. Which is also the reason I am STILL considering the Sportage (and Cherokee, and XTerra; but not the Escape, CRV, or Santa Fe)
  • paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    I thought we sold you on a Trooper in one of the other forums? :)

    -mike
  • rshollandrsholland Member Posts: 19,788
    You've been surprisingly quiet here for a while. Not feeling well, or are you starting to get used to the Liberty, but won't admit it? ;-{)

    Bob
  • sasquatch_2000sasquatch_2000 Member Posts: 800
    I am looking at Troopers, too. :-)


    Still waiting for the right deal. I am also debating a Ford Ranger or F150 with the half doors. I need to build a shed and do other work around the house and haul a boat. Not sure if I want to (or can) go new or used. If Greenspan drops the interest rate again, I will refinance and build the purchase into that. My budget is probably topping out at $20,000 max, which means a used 98, 99 or 00 for some of the mentioned models, or maybe new (leftover) on a Ranger or Sportage. There is also a reputable salvage yard in Worcester (Linder's) who I would rather buy a reclaimed "totalled" car from than some new car dealers. They stand behind their work and have an excellent reputation. http://www.lindersinc.com/

  • tinoman1tinoman1 Member Posts: 42
    is that a fact now? I had heard mid june
  • rshollandrsholland Member Posts: 19,788
    sasquatch- Have you thought of getting a small utility trailer, rather than a pickup? That's what we have. I have the utility of a pickup when I need it, yet don't have the hassle of driving one year-round.

    Bob
  • sasquatch_2000sasquatch_2000 Member Posts: 800
    I am also considering a Wrangler (or Sportage or Xterra or ...) with trailer.

    I also have a boat to tow, so will have the hitch anyhow.

    I am undecided on Wrangler because the boat is 1300 lb, maybe the max for the short wheelbase Wrangler. (I like Wrangler over the others because of its off road ability, plus it is a convertible!) If I didn't care about the Wrangler, I'd probably lean heavily toward a Liberty with trailer.
  • sasquatch_2000sasquatch_2000 Member Posts: 800
    ...ya can't get a Liberty for under $20,000.
  • bobcatbobbobcatbob Member Posts: 187
    Oh, I think the CR-V and the Liberty ARE competition for each other. Most (70% plus) buyers of the Liberty won't give two weeble wobbles about 4 Low or torsional rigidity or axle ratios, or anything else related to off-roading for that matter. They'll care about child car seat capabilities, a Moonroof, a great stereo and how many bags they can toss in the back for those rugged vacations to Six Flags.
  • rshollandrsholland Member Posts: 19,788
    can tow 2000 lb. if I'm not mistaken. Not sure about the 2.5 engine model.

    Bob
  • bblahabblaha Member Posts: 329
    No, not getting used to them. I actually haven't had a chance (or desire) to see one yet (hasn't been a priority - finishing school has been). I've periodically driven past my localest dealer but haven't seen any yet (he's rather small - his dealership I mean).

    I must say I "love" how the discussion is mostly about moonroofs...
  • rshollandrsholland Member Posts: 19,788
    Well at least I'm glad to see you're getting used to something regarding the new Liberty.

    I think until you drive one, many of us here will probably regard your sarcastic comments as pretty much "sour grapes."

    Bob
  • rshollandrsholland Member Posts: 19,788
    The audience of Liberty critics is getting smaller every day, now that people have had a chance to look at, and drive the vehicle.

    Are you afraid you might actually "like" the vehicle, IFS and all, after a test drive?

    Bob
  • bblahabblaha Member Posts: 329
    Smaller? The number of critics here at Edmunds never was very big. If you go to any Jeep enthusiast site, you won't find fewer critics.

    I'm not sure how driving one will change my criticism - I never said I wouldn't like driving one. I've said its not up to the offroad standards set by other Jeeps. Will a dealer let me ramp a Liberty?

    If anything, the latest photos I've seen show a less than flattering view of the Liberty's wheel travel capabilities.

    No. Jeep has lost me as a customer. Unless they put a solid axle on it, I won't buy a new Jeep. There isn't any reason to.
  • bblahabblaha Member Posts: 329
    Has anyone looked underneath the Liberty to see what's hanging onto the front differential?

    Apparently its a vibrational dampener...
  • paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    With the sea of better built, better engineered, IFS, what is the draw of a Liberty? They probably will sell, but not in the droves they think they will sell. Afterall, why not get a Rodeo, or X-terra which has better quality, for less $?

    -mike
  • sasquatch_2000sasquatch_2000 Member Posts: 800
    Yeah, but ARE they better built, for less money?

    Plus, don't forget the image thing. (that grill and those headlights work wonders).

    Mostly, I think more people are looking for a frame and 4low than many of you think. I know I am.
  • paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    The X-terra and Rodeo I'd bet are built better, just as rugged, and both have a frame and low-gears. And since they are Japanese likely will last longer, IMHO. You are right though, that grille and headlight combo will work wonders for the marketing.

    -mike
  • rshollandrsholland Member Posts: 19,788
    Bblaha-
    The comments posted here on Edmunds are probably fairly typical of those looking at this vehicle. So they're quite valid. I know there have been a number of recent postings (besides mine) over at "Mike's Totally Free Jeep News" that have been very positive since the vehicle hit the streets. Before that, most posts were very critical of the vehicle.

    Frankly, I could care less if you drive it or not. However, as long as you don't have any first hand experience with the vehicle, and remain an arm-chair quarterback, your comments will ring hollow for a lot of folks. It's real easy to sit back and be critical. If, however, you get up close and personal (and not just look at photos), maybe you just might learn something new—and positive.

    Mike-
    I'm not at all convinced that an Xterra or Rodeo are better built, or less expensive. As far as low ranges are concerned, the low range in a Jeep (any Jeep) is much lower (2.72:1) than that of either the the Xterra or Rodeo.

    Bob
  • rshollandrsholland Member Posts: 19,788
    Okay guys, here it comes:

    I'm willing to bet, that before this year is out, that the Liberty will either win outright, or do extremely well, in any and all comparison magazine tests. That includes those from the 4x4 community.

    I think it is going to surprise a lot of non-believers as to just how good an off-road vehicle it actually is.

    (I think I hear incoming...)

    Bob
  • paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    I never disputed that it will perform. But it is still going to carry the stigma of poor reliability that american vehicles carry. Also it isn't going to be distinguished from the rest of the field at all. What can the liberty boast that the rest of the field doesn't already have besides the power up liftgate? Think of all the competition in the market segment, the distinguishing factor was that the cherokee and GC had solid axles. I just see the liberty as another mid-to-small suv in a cluttered field.

    -mike
  • tinoman1tinoman1 Member Posts: 42
    my salesman just got back from liberty training school near las vegas. he said they had actual vehicles from the competition there including the xterra, rav-4, escape and one other I forget which. the instructors actually showed that the liberty can do things that the competition cannot (off-road stuff) by running through trails set up (mini rubicon). this jeep will hold it's own.

    but I view the difference in this jeep to the older ones like a pentium 1 Vs a pentium 3. there may be a slight decrease in off road performance but still acceptable by most standards. only the real hard core off roaders will notice.

    DC has hit it's target with the liberty. they
    pi--off a few and satisfy thousands. I can tell you that after visiting 5 different dealers in my area and one in the buffalo NY area, they are licking their chops with the prospect of bringing in customers that would never have considered a jeep in the past - myself included.

    after test drive & full inspection of the liberty, my only complaints so far are the window controls & the smaller than I expected space behind the back seat.
  • sasquatch_2000sasquatch_2000 Member Posts: 800
    I already stated I thought the big disappointment was the small space behind the rear seat.

    The only things this vehicle has over the others is its off road ability (even if not as good as the Cherokee, it is better than the remaining competition), and full frame for towing.

    The only thing which would make me consider buying it would be if it is less than $20,000 and reliable. Those last two are yet to be seen. I suspect it will be more reliable than its predecessor, the Cherokee. This will help draw some in and keep others in JEEPs.

    Now, if only they made the Wrangler with maybe 6-8" longer wheelbase....

    (I really like the convertible...saw a Range Rover "something" wagon down the Cape Mem. Day weekend and thought it was pretty neat.)
  • rshollandrsholland Member Posts: 19,788
    The Liberty, like the Cherokee and Grand Cherokee, does not have a full-frame (or separate frame, if you will). It has a small frame that is welded to a a unit body, like its predecessors. In effect, a much more robust unit body, but a unit body none the less.

    Bob
  • rshollandrsholland Member Posts: 19,788
    Mike, your right about that. Unfortunately it takes time to change people's perceptions. Even if the Liberty is as trouble-free as its Japanese competition, it will take years for that "trouble-prone" Jeep image to change.

    Bob
  • sasquatch_2000sasquatch_2000 Member Posts: 800
    It does NOT have the full frame?

    I guess I take one check out of the plus column and put it into the minus column. A two point loss for Liberty.
  • rshollandrsholland Member Posts: 19,788
    Early sales are hot. Check this link out (BTW, this is from a hard-core Jeeper's site).

    Bob

    http://www.onetomany.com/jeepnews/indexnoflash.htm
  • rshollandrsholland Member Posts: 19,788
    The Liberty has the same type of unit body that the Cherokee and Grand Cherokee have. It's never been an issue for those models. If anything, it's been a plus. It has the strength of a full frame unit, yet is much lighter.

    Only the Wrangler has a full-frame chassis.

    Bob
  • eeeleeel Member Posts: 57
    just saw a complete road test on autoweek on speedvision for the liberty - it passed the rubican trail with flying colors - so for all who think it's lost it's true off-road ability - i'm afraid you're sadly mistaken - it's better than ever
  • blujeepblujeep Member Posts: 44
    Thanks for that link! But I tried to register & it won't let me. I get an error message. Do you know what their email address is? I'd like to email them & tell them about my problem.
    Thanks.
  • rshollandrsholland Member Posts: 19,788
    jeepnews@onetomany.com

    Bob
  • blujeepblujeep Member Posts: 44
    I appreciate it! :-)
  • bblahabblaha Member Posts: 329
    I'm sorry if you feel my criticism rings hollow. I would ask you to ignore my posts from now on.

    I have very little desire to check out the Liberty. Its just another run-of-the-mill cute ute out there.

    Nothing special about it at all.
  • basepro09basepro09 Member Posts: 91
    and it was great. I got there and it felt like I was kid in a candy store. The funny thing was that I knew more about the Liberty than anyone there. I was actually telling the salesman (my friend) stuff that he didn't even know was there or why it was there. Okay, now for the details: The first thing I did was get in the drivers seat and put it into the right position. Then I got in the backseat to see if I was crowded. Getting in the back seat was no problem, neither was getting out. There was enough room for three average teenagers in the back, but it would probably be a little uncomfortable for three adults. ONe other thing that I think Motor Trend mentioned was the seat track was a little under your foot when you sat down but no big inconvenience. Then I went back into the front seat. Well the one thing I didn't like was the length of the seat. I think it needed to cover the bottom of your legs a little more. Don't get me wrong, the hip room was fine, just the distance from the rear to the front of the seat was short. The window controls were kinda different being on the armrest, but it's just something to get used to. Everything on the instrument panel and dash were in good positions and very clean looking. Stereo system was great, I think this one was the upgraded version with the Infinity speakers. Alright now for the drive: The steering is very responsive and really easy to turn. The tilt steering was nice. You also get a really commanding view of the road and you see everything. The ride was very smooth and very comfortable. The acceleration kicked butt, you couldn't even feel the shifting. Brakes worked good, and didn't really notice it diving that much. The four wheel drive was easy to engage as long as you follow the pattern on the stick. Don't worry it's not some weird pattern, you just have to go back and right to put it into all-time four wheel drive. Then when I got back I checked out the back end and the rear seat fold down. Well, the rear seats folded down with ease, no effort what so ever. They get pretty close to folding down flat but not all the way. The rear flipper glass opened up pretty fast when unlocked but slows down. Let's just say you wouldn't want your face too close when you opened it. You can do it all with one hand though. I really like the grocery bag hooks, I know when I go to the store and put the groceries in the trunk they fall out everywhere, nice little touch. The whole vehicle sits pretty high and man those tires are large and nice, even the 215's look pretty big. The aluminum wheels need to be clean or it hurts the image. But the steel wheels look a lot nicer. You know I didn't really notice the antenna untill the end of the overall check. So it doesn't really bother me that much. I know none of the pictures have an antenna on the vehicle, so it was kind of a surprise. The Liberty was very tall, much taller than the Cherokee and sitting in a Cherokee is not in comparison with the Liberty. Much more room in the Liberty. Just like everyone assumed, dealer mark up was $3000.00 over sticker on every Liberty they had. But they had already sold two. None of them had sunroofs, duh, and none of them had ABS, but they said they could get it and it was available. Not the sunroof though. Overall the Liberty is a winner for me and I will be buying one at the beginning of next year when all my bills are paid off. This is going to be a great SUV for my new family. Hope this wasn't to drawn out or boring. If you have any questions about something I didn't mention, feel free to ask.

    Matt
  • bobcatbobbobcatbob Member Posts: 187
    $3000 over sticker is SICKENING! And the fact that they have sold several is even more so. So, a $26,000+ Liberty without a Moonroof, ABS, SIAB's, etc... want to meet/chat with the person who truly feels that this vehicle is worth this kind of money, expecially in a comparatively stripped down version....

    I wonder if Best Buy will begin charging more for new CD releases, or charge more for the hottest TV not he market.... Or, how about charging 2x more for Apples as they are the best selling fruit during the summer? ...
  • cb70cb70 Member Posts: 226
    Why then do they have to nearly give them away with a 10 120k warranty? They have been one of the worst made suv's around for the last few years. Pass the pipe around please, if you have that good enough quality stuff to make you think the Rodeo is even ok.
  • paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    CR says they have an excellent rating, I personally drove my '97 for 120K miles in 2.5years w/o visiting a dealership for anything at all. The only problem on the '98s was a vibration in the tires, which was/is remedied by a high speed balancing. They need to give them away because they are not one of the big 3 manufacturers. By the way CR who rates the Isuzus excellent as far as repairs, HATES Isuzu on all accounts due to their smearing of the Isuzu name with their false test results of rollovers.

    -mike
  • tinoman1tinoman1 Member Posts: 42
    WOW - I can see paying close to sticker but certainly not over - find a dealer who wont rip you off like that or wait til next yr.

    for an extra 3k, you can actually move up in class to something bigger & better.
  • bblahabblaha Member Posts: 329
    Have did you follow the lawsuit in that very closely? ANy idea where it is now?

    The last I recall, a jury found CR guilty of knowingly printing false information (or something to that effect), but because they didn't award any damage amounts to Isuzu, both parties came out claiming victory. I'm wondering if either party appealed and anything new has developed.
  • paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    That is the last I heard that since there was no money awarded, they both claimed victory. If I were the judge, I'd have ruled to make them re-test the vehicle. They haven't re-tested since '96, go figure.

    -mike
  • rshollandrsholland Member Posts: 19,788
    They ring hollow as long as you continue to Monday morning quarterback. It's one thing to comment from first-hand experience with the Liberty. Quite another, if you just remain a spectator.

    Bob
Sign In or Register to comment.

Your Privacy

By accessing this website, you acknowledge that Edmunds and its third party business partners may use cookies, pixels, and similar technologies to collect information about you and your interactions with the website as described in our Privacy Statement, and you agree that your use of the website is subject to our Visitor Agreement.