Jeep Liberty

tonysracing

I've had this black Liberty for three weeks now. The first two days trying to keep it clean I was ready to drive it head on into a pole and take my losses. So I asked a friend of mine who has a 2000 Xterra in black. Here's what he does for maintenance washes.

Wash it by hand or if it's just dusty use a pressure washer and rinse for at least 3 minutes with just water.

Use The Absorber to dry it immediately (it's a synthetic chamois that comes in a tube)

Use Meguiar's Quick Detailer Mist & Wipe, it's not a paste, sprays on like water and comes off easy.

When the Meguiar's is hard to take off, it's time for a full-blown wash/polish/wax.

It takes me 1/2 hour start to finish to do the wash/dry/mist routine and it comes out perfect. It will take the extra time but my feeling about black is that yes it shows everything, but if the other colors don't is your vehicle really clean? I plan on getting the Mopar chrome wheels next spring and keeping my steel wheels for off-road and winter.

BTW-Got the windshield replaced today, good as new!

Tony

ver2us1

You might like to TELL yourself that is what the Escape owners are thinking but most that I have talked to have very unfavorable opinions about the looks of the Liberty. References have been made to "bug-eyed frogs" among other less pleasant comments!

tonysracing

There's a Jeep 101 class in Hazleton, PA on September 9. It's basically geared towards Jeepers that have never been offroad and want to learn. They will have a class followed by some guided trail rides on novice trails. It's an all day event, rain or shine. Bring your own food as well. You can get information here:

http://www.bmja.org

If anyone is thinking of going please let me know, I don't want to be the only Liberty on the trails!

Tony

soccmom1

Hi I have been following this forum since I odered my Liberty on July 26. Very informative, Thanks! I called dealer today and he said my Liberty was on HOLD as BX status and he didnt know when it would be built. Could be another month!!! Very depressing. Is that what BX means? He also said once they start building it ,it would take 2 1/2 days to finish and 2 1/2 weeks to be ready to ship. True? Any info. appreciated. Thanks, and yes I am a soccermom. LOL

snafu4

I'm at BX too. I ordered on 7-31. BX means all your paperwork is ok and the order itself has cleared their screening process. That means our orders are nothing but a slip of paper on someones desk right now. You must have ordered a Limited as I did. I've been told Limiteds are on restrictions until early Sept. The link below take you to a Dodge site that explains all the order codes used by DCX. As for the build and ship times you were told...I've been told the same. Sigh.

http://dodgeram.org/buying_info/Order_status.htm

rbork

As an FYI to all having order problems, I think it must have to do either with the particular configuration ordered, or just as likely, the dealers allocation situation. I ordered a Ltd, G package, ABS, Off Road, Tow, on Aug. 13. As of last Tues. (I haven't checked since) it's in D status. That would seem to be contrary to stories of Ltd or ABS restrictions.

snafu4

rbork: Yes, your experience would seem to contradict what I've been told about my order. The DCX info line keeps telling me that none of the options I've ordered are on restricitons, but just the Limited package itself. My dealership says allocation is not a problem with them either. Hrmmm....either someone is lying, hasn't a clue, or you've got some pull! I'm glad your order is going thru.

hotcoffee

People notice the new-kid-on the block.... all have different opinions, maybe they were checking out the car next to you, or your passenger.

The Liberty is nice looking, but really doesn't stand out as that different looking other than the headlights/tail lights.

Everything inbetween, like the windows, doors, roof, roofrack are fairly standard fare.

It has MUCH going for it- on the INSIDE. AWESOME interior, and tough composition in suspension, 4wd system, and motor for offroad. Envy is warranted by the Escape in those departments for sure.

Just my opinion, as you may have assumed.

canadatwo

Different strokes for different folks.

The Escape/Tribute have better "on-road" manners.
The Escape also on average gets 20-25mpg highway (for most people) and the Liberty struggles to get 20.

The Liberty though is much, much better for serious off-roading. The Escape is limited to forest service type roads. The Liberty also tows 1500 more lbs.

As far as looks, it is useless to argue that as it is totally personal choice.

Both great vehicles!

soccmom1

Thanks, Snafu. That code list was very helpful. Talked to the dealer again today and 2 other people are on hold as I am. One from July 7!! I only want a lmtd with dark windows and CD, cassette pkg and F pkg. Im not asking much! I know its hard to wait!! Thanks again,soccmom

cpintucson

I had thought about buying a Liberty until I measured the width of the cargo area and found that I can't fit my golf clubs in without folding down the back seats.

What were they thinking?

rsholland

The retractable cargo cover is mounted very low. It should, IMO, be mounted level with the bottom edge of the rear side windows, like Subaru, VW, and others do. As it now stands, you can't "hide" large items because the hidden space is very limited.

Currently it is mounted several inches below the bottom edge of the rear side windows, mainly due to the shape of the side panels which it attaches to.

Jeep should rethink this feature.

Bob

bjurick

cpintucson, I suggest you measure again. I just put 3 sets of clubs in the back of my Liberty Limited without any problem.

kdeuce

I got my Liberty Sport 3 weeks ago, and just loved
it...until today. I washed the car, by hand, and
the entire passenger side floor was soaked. Front and back. Has anyone else had this problem? Any
suggestions why this happened. The seats are dry, and the driver side is dry.

funkyjingles

I've heard a lot of discussion on using CARMAX to purchase a Liberty. I personally have not researched this method on the internet. However, I have researched "carsdirect.com" and they do seem to offer a honest deal below invoice. I have known a couple friends that have used this method and felt they got a GREAT deal without having the pressures associated with a car dealership. Because the Liberty is so new there is not as much as a discount on this vehicle than other vehicles listed on this site.

I am looking at a loaded Liberty with just about everything except sunroof, tow package, off-road group and 6 CD changer. This website quoted about $27,200 MSRP and the carsdirect price was $26,200ish. I thought that this sounded like a fair deal. Do people agree that this is a fair price or do you think I could do better at a dealership.

bagldot

Start reading around post #1198 - there are some references to water in the same spot as you report and some suggestions for fixes as well. Good Luck.

husker_fan

I live in Omaha, NE and this weekend saw my first Libertys with a factory sunroof($800). Hopefully, we will continue to see more and more.

geneseedepot

funkyjingles wrote:
"I have researched "carsdirect.com" and they do seem to offer a honest deal below invoice"

Really...I've tried pricing Liberty's many different ways and the "Carsdirect Price" always comes up exactly MSRP. What are you doing different?

stever

The Cherokee's replacement has style and substance.


Steve
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winbro

RT of 850 miles taking daughter to college

going (loaded with rooftop carrier as well & 3 people) AVG 16.2 mpg

return (empty - 2 people) AVG 20 mpg

justintx

I went to acscorp.com and purchased an invoice listing of the Liberty Lmtd. They also have a buying program that basically put the price at $449 (fees) over invoice.
I priced out a Lmtd, 4WD, 27G, Sunroof, Tow Grp, and Off-Road Grp:
$25807 Invoice and $27170 MSRP

I am now joining the suffering of waiting for an order... who knows when my Steel Blue baby will come to Papa?

lyngo13

interesting...I priced out the Limited WITH all of the options (tow, off road, sunroof) at carsdirect and got a quote of $25,960. Autobytel beat CD out with a quote of $25,291 (not by much but enough that I'm going with that dealer.

After receiving that quote, I added ABS and it went up to $26,150. Since then tho, I've decided to drop the ABS because I would most likely need to order the Liberty with that option. If I can avoid ordering, I'm going to. So tonight, I'm going to the dealer...he said he located a shale green limited with off road and sunroof (the two options I really wanted so as long as it has the 'G' pkg with taupe interior, I'll be driving home a new Jeep! YAY!

Anyway, I think you can probably do better on that quote since you don't have the options...have you tried more than carsdirect? You may want to go to www.carbuyingtips.com it's an excellent advice web site that has recommendations on who to check out (it's a consumer type site I think...some great reading there to on how to negotiate, etc) Good luck!

lyngo13

just remembered...try to deal with the fleet manager (supposedly they are non-commisioned and will give you the best deal) The best I could get with the Liberty is $500 OVER invoice. I haven't gotten any quotes under invoice (like to know how one poster got that!)

Also, ask for the driveout price (that includes any additional fees, tax, license, etc) Then you're comparing apples to apples. Believe me, the mysterious fees will start racking up...I'm just going with the best one of the group. So my total for the Liberty will be less than $28,921 because that was the quote I got before deleting the ABS and tow group.

justintx

I ended up going to a dealer who has an internet sales staff and talked to them about beating the deal I found elsewhere on the internet. As mentioned above, I got a quote of $449 over invoice. The local dealer said he would do it for $300 over invoice (+ TT&L). As lyngo13 said, make sure you talk to the Fleet or Internet sales division. Don't even get involved with a floor salesman, they'll just try to get you to buy what they have on the lot and you have to haggle on top of that.

gypsy116

Thank you....
Now I have to think of something else my sister can buy me for christmas.
--gypsy--

comanchowner

must vary depending on location. With a fully optioned Liberty, Carsdirect gives me a price of over 27k. (Which is too high for me, considering that the Toyota 4-runner SR5 is slightly over that, and I'd have to buy the Toyota over the Liberty.)

burnt_toast

I might be the person you mean who got $100 below invoice. Basically all I did was fax and email all the dealers in my area (MA/Southern NH), telling them I know exactly what I want, I'm willing to order to get it, and I'm buying only on price. I had numerous quotes for $100 over, one at invoice, and the one for $100 under (which was the only place I was actually negotiating face to face). If they know that you know about the holdback, it gives you some more leverage.

rbork

Checked w/ DC order status line today. I went into D1 status last Thursday w/ est. ship date of 9/10. So, 10 days from placing order to D1, and 4 weeks from order to ship if all holds well. Dealer told me when I ordered it would be about 4 weeks. Looks like they knew what they were doing. I'm guessing they had several dealer ordered cars in the pipeline, and just went in and changed a few parameters to match what I wanted. But isn't that what any dealer ought to be doing to get you your car as soon as possible?

djasonw

I just got back from my vacation house in Lake Ariel, PA. I live on Long Island during the week. I must say that I am quite impressed with this little truck. It is unbelievably tight and is comfortable driving at 75. I even took it off road for a little and was even more amazed. I have finally found a vehicle that can give me good handing around town, a comfortable freeway ride and is awesome off road. There aren't too many vehicles that can do that. Everything is NOT perfect and here are some minor complaints.

* The cruise control on the steering wheel should be illuminated. It is hard to see when driving on the back roads of NE PA.
* Window switches should be like the MB or BMW (on the center console). It's NOT ergonomic the way it was placed.
* Express up on driver's window would be nice

There really isn't much else to complain about. I'm selling my 2001 C320 in case anyone is interested!

Jason

basepro09

What is the difference between the window controls in the Liberty and the MB or BMW? I'm not sure what you mean, because I've never driven those other vehicles.

Matt

basepro09

What kind of off-roading did you do?

Matt

sasquatch_2000

Those of you owning or considering Libertys (Liberties?) should check out the forum entitled "Subaru Forester vs Hyundai Santa Fe vs Jeep Liberty vs Ford Escape/Mazda Tribute" and post your comments pro or con and questions there as well to help people compare.

winbro

totally agree on the lighting for the cruise control

basepro09

that the jeepwarehouse.com web site has come down on their prices about $300-$400 dollars. Now they are quoting at invoice plus AdFees.

I also saw an ad in the local paper this weekend for a 2wd Lib for $18,888. I called to see what it had, and all he could tell me in the time I was willing to let him, was that it was the 27b package. He wasn't sure if there were any other options. But still, that's the first one I've seen advertised for under $20k.

Matt

rvbroker

I know in some of the past posts to this board, that some of us could not find the 7 pin to 4 pin adapter that was to be included with the tow package. Well....I found mine yesterday under the rear seat on the driver's side. Strange. Wheel lock was in the console.

djasonw

On the MB and BMW the four window switches are placed on the horizontal plane of the center console. This is much easier than where they are placed now.

As far as off-roading.... I took a trail that was meant for ATV's down to the lake (Lake Wallenpaupack in PA). It was NOT a challenging ride but it did have some rocks, exposed tree roots and lots of ruts. The slope was not greater than 6% but it was so cool to see the Jeep take it like it was NOTHING. Then when driving home at night with some friends in the car we were in 2 WD mode and I faced the car into a field that had about twenty deer just hanging out. I went down into somewhat of a ditch (about 1 foot deep). When I tried to back up, all I heard was the tire spinning. At first panic set in, then I realized I was NOT in a sedan. I pulled it up one noch into P/T mode and it popped out like nothing.

So far I am quite impressed!!

lyngo

You must be the one I'm thinking of...tonight I'm going to give a deposit on the one I talked about earlier..turns out the one that is en route has everything I want so YAY It's just a matter of days till it comes in. Now is the time to negotiate. How do you handle the holdback issue? Just say, I know about it and would like a deduction? As you can tell, I'm new at this haggling stuff and was fairly happy with my quote till I read your post. How do I get this dealer to drop the price further. I've already told him I'm happy with the quote even tho, there are mysterious charges (the ad ones for example)

wedgeguy

That's really funny that you found your adapter under the driver's side back seat. I looked everywhere BUT there and couldn't find mine, so my dealer ordered one for me. After I read your note I went out and checked under the back seat and, sure enough, there it was! Good find!!!

mellis

FYI for anyone shopping I got a Sport 4X4 pretty loaded for $200 over invoice plus tax. No doc fees, ad fees, etc. Only extra was $24 for title fee.

This was in Maine and was for a vehicle off the lot (it was exactly what I wanted down to the color). My trade was exactly what I expected so there was no underallowance on the trade and show the Libery at $200 over - that was the real price.

lyngo

so I guess I'll just flat out ask that he drop the ad, doc and holdback fees?!? So far I've done great as far as negotiating but I'm sure if I do it right, I can get him to go down further. sheesh, I can't stand dealing with car salesmen tho the guy I am dealing with seems like a straight up kind of guy.

cheryl3038

Gee, I'm soooo glad I didn't have to deal with all that price negotiation stuff!! As for my order placed on 7/31 I still have a build date of third week of September. I'm trying to be patient, but it's hard. Any suggestions on how I can help pass the time better? :-)

mellis

Don't think you'll get the holdback dropped. And the ad fee may be regional, I don't know.

My salesperson I've known for years and was no problem at all.

funkyjingles

To answer geneseedepot's question. About a month ago, carsdirect.com had no difference in price than the MSRP. Now for a Limited Liberty with just about everything except off-road package, sunroof, tow package & 6-CD changer they are quoting me a rate of about $1000 under MSRP. I live in Colorado and since they have you enter your zip code, that might have something to do with the difference in pricing.

However, after reading other responses, it sounds like you can even get this cheaper than what carsdirect is offering. I do know a couple people that really liked the way they were treated with carsdirect. I'll probably research some of the other sites but if I don't feel everything is on the up and up, I'll probably go with carsdirect because of recommendations from friends and information on the internet.

Thanks to all on this site for helping this car buying experience be the most informed one that I have ever made.

bjurick

THANK YOU!!!!! Mine was also under the driver's side back seat. I was planning on calling the dealer tomorrow and complain that I didn't get mine. I did not get my cargo net. The dealer told me they were on back order. Anyone else heard this?

pgorges

I have read some articles that say the Liberty is a little weak in the acceleration department. What do you owners think? I live in Colorado and want to drive in the left lane up to the campgrounds and ski resorts.
Living in this State, I would have many opportunities to take the Liberty off road. That is why I am looking at it over an Escape or Xterra. I think they got a little too cute with the styling, but it still looks pretty good. I think I might wait for the 5-speed to come out next year. Do you think I could get a Green 4WD Limited off a dealer lot with no other options for $22,400 or am I dreaming. I don't really think the vehicle is worth much more than that.

wedgeguy

Congratulations on finding your hitch adapter. What cargo net are you referring to? I didn't think the Liberty came with one. I have the 6 disk changer so they stuck a net on the inside of the tail gate, which is pretty much useless. I think if you don't have the changer, there is a small net in front of that opening. I even asked the dealer if there was an accessory cargo net I could buy, but they said no, so I went over to Nissan and bought the cargo net made for the Xterra and it works pretty well using the four tie downs in the back of the Liberty. The Nissan part number is 999C1-KL000. It doesn't come with clips to fit in the tiedowns, so I just bought two small bungee cords with appropriate hooks on the ends and cut them off and used them in the four corners of the cargo net. The net is adjustable, so you put whatever you want to hold down under the net and then pull the cinch cord and the net tightens around the cargo.

winbro

I had a long wait from 5/1/01 until 8/7/01 for my liberty. I passed the time revisiting the jeep website, being part of all the forum's like this, thinking of all the ways I will enjoy this new SUV, and of course, calling the 800# 2-3 times a week. I also had others who ordered around the same time like tonysracing to BS with about our orders.
be patient it's worth the wait.

jrs7

OK I have been reading this column for 4 weeks after ordering a shale green Liberty Sport with ABS, tinted glass, cd player etc. I called the 800 number last week and was told the car would be delayed 4 weeks in production. The car arrived unexpectedly yest afternoon at the dealership. Apparently the dealer ordered the vehicle late July. I called in the next day to add on the larger tires. The dealer did this but reordered and did not cancel the original order by mistake. So car #1 arrived yesterday, car #2 which was ordered 24 hours later is in production never never land. I believe this story since the sticker from DC had my name on it. In any case here are my thoughts on this vehicle for those thinking of buying it:
I traded in a 99 cherokee--this car is a vast improvement in a different class. I also test drove escape, honda crv etc. They are cars--this really is a different kind of vehicle of much more solid feel and drive.

The fit and finish is absolutely perfect, European in quality, the dash clearly has Mercedes influence
Probably the best American fit and finish I have seen in my 25 years driving.

Excellent drive, stiff steering (european), great turning radius takes bumps very smoothly--a pleasure on the road for a heavy suv

Engine has plenty of pep and is quiet compared to that beautiful old straight 6. I'm not sure what the complaints are about

But:2 minor complaints that are irritants (I hope DC personnel are reading this): the buttons for windows in center console go against instincts and are a pain--move them out of there next year!

Glove box is tiny--I wrestled in the manual and a few tiny things and then had to jam it closed, give me a break, after all the thought that went into this vehicle

All in all though this vehicle gets an A+ --perhaps American auto manufacturing and design isn't dead (with a little help from the Germans)

sc10

Does the Liberty have air ducts in the back seat. When the dealer showed us the car, he told us that the center console had air ducts in the bottom, but when we test drove the car, it didn't seem to work.

roamer14

Just placed my order last night for a Flame red
limited, with 27g quick order, sunroof, abs,tow group, heated seats, taupe leather with Dark gray
interior. We have test driven about 5 of these and have been looking at them since late May. I think we got a pretty good price from our local dealer, The MSRP was 27,500 and we got it for
26,000. A couple of questions - Hubby insists we get another lock for the spare, what are the options. Also anyone know a good site for after market items like tire cover, bug shield and mud guards.