People on northern New Jersey had a terrible morning commute thanks to a rolled over Jeep Liberty on RT 280. The car looked like it rolled over many times and was sitting upright. I don't know why people still buy this not a good looking Jeep over Escape or Santa Fe.
We buy the Jeep Liberty because we love the vehicle. You may not find it attractive, but I know I do. I also like the way it drives, handles and turns heads on the freeway.
I would own a Jeep before I'd ever drive a Hyundai or a Ford, the two vehicles you mentioned.
But, it is a matter of personal preference.
Perhaps you should stick with the Ford and Hyundai message boards. It appears your interests rest with those two makes.
Was on the road in Dallas and saw a red Liberty with a totalled front end, harsh. I think ABS should be standard like on the JGC which i own. Until that time and when the quirks get worked out im waiting on a purchase of a Liberty..
What's the difference if it's standard or not? From what I've read, the offroad types prefer trucks without ABS as it wreaks havoc offroad. If you want them, buy them. "Standard" doesn't mean free, if you want ABS, you're paying for them one way or the other.
What cracks me up is that people are looking at this vehicle as one of those car turned SUV. It's not. It's a truck, bottom line. Yes, it rides high, as most trucks do. Yes, they don't get the best of gas mileage, don't handle curves, blah blah blah. It's a TRUCK. If you want a car based SUV, get one. This forum is about the Liberty, which happens to be a truck.
Those car based SUV's: Ford/Mazda Triscape, SanteFe, Forester, CRV, Freelander. They get better mileage and handle curves better. Try taking one of those off roading, and you'll be in for a shock. Get real and get over it.
Yoony: I drive in NJ every single day, on 78 and 287, and I don't see many rolled vehicles. Being on 280 you must get used to it. It's a messed up road, and even in a car I felt uncomfortable driving on it. I don't think just because it was a Liberty had anything to do with it. Any HIGH (ie: TRUCK) based vehicle can flip on that road.
I just wanted to share a few thoughts about my 2002 Jeep Liberty, Limited, 4WD. Firstly, what a great looking vehicle! Chrysler really hit the mark with the Liberty's exterior and interior looks. It couldn't be much better. The ride is nice and smooth (though a bit unstable from side to side in high winds), and acceleration is great for such a heavy vehicle. Gas mileage is simply horrible, but hey, it's a Jeep and I read the MPG rating before I bought it, so that's my problem. (I am currently getting a combined average of 13.9 MPG.)Now, to the disappointment... Firstly, a couple design flaws...the center mounted window controls are fine, but are easily bumped when putting a cup into the cup holder, rolling down the windows. Also, the control switch for the heated seats turns on by simply getting in and out of the car about 30% of the time on both the passenger and the driver's side. A really unpleasant feeling on a hot day! The controls should be re-designed or relocated. The paint of the driver's side door molding is rubbing off a bit. Now the MAJOR problems...At 3,900 miles the transmission failed due to rusted-out connctions and faulty computer controls, transmission fluid leaked from around the main seal/gasket, and acceleration from a stop was horrible...you needed to floor the gas pedal to get moving. I took the Jeep in for service and the problem was fixed in about two days at the shop. Next... at 8,000 miles, the transmission failed again...same problem, same symptoms, same solution...spent four days at the shop waiting for parts. Next...13,000 miles and the same problem!!! Except in addition, the car wouldn't accelerate over 60 miles an hour without loud engine revs and a burning smell in the cabin. The car also lurched forward violently (like you were being hit from behind by another car) whenever shifted into drive. The car also whined, whirred and buzzed when put into neutral and actually moved forward at about 3-4 miles an hour when in NEUTRAL! When shifted from park to drive, the transmission sounded like someone threw a handful of rocks into a blender. After spending a week at the dealer I have my Liberty back again, wondering just when this problem will surface again. Considering trading this lemon in and cutting my losses! Beware...the Liberty looks great, but is plagued with problems.
3 times is a charm. 3 times with the same problem is lemon law in most states. Sorry you've had such bad luck with the Liberty, but unfortunately, I can't agree. To me, it's the most solidly built vehicle that I've ever driven. I hope you get your problems solved.
My inlaws have my Liberty and thank goodness I can still visit it and drive it. My main driver is a WRX Wagon but the Liberty is still a great all around vehicle. Our Liberty has over 7,000 trouble free miles. Quit complaining to us and vent to Daimler Chrysler. For what you've gone through you seem entitled to some consideration.
I don't own a Liberty, but have looked at them. Sounds like you definitely have a lemon. They happen in all makes and brands (I know someone who had a lemon Toyota). Check out your state's lemon laws and get in touch with DC.
Picked up my new Liberty 9 days ago - flame red sport with most of the options I really wanted - the only thing I sorry about is not knowing more about the 4X4 systems - I ended up with Command- Trac when I should have looked for Select-Trac - but living on Long Island, 4 wheel drive isn't the biggest issue. We do a lot of highway driving - we travel 300 miles round trip every weekend from May to October to go to our "summer place" in the Catskill mountains, so we really wanted a 6 cyl. with enough get up and go to do the trip. We test drove the Santa Fe and the Vue besides the Liberty. There was no contest! The Santa Fe interior was very second rate, and it didn't handle well. The Vue was a real disappointment - the engine always sounded as if it was stressed, and that steering - worse than a 60s GM sedan - no road feel what so ever! I just love the way the Liberty handles - plenty of pick-up and good road feel. The interior is well thought out and comfortable - nice firm seats with good support. Of course the mileage leaves something to be desired, but I'll wait to pass judgement until it's broken in. For now - it's love at first drive. And, I might add, this is the first new vehicle I've driven in many years that doesn't have a "fix it" list to bring to the dealer - not a rattle or problem yet. Let's hope it continues this way!
I know I just said I love my Liberty, and I do, but after reading all I could find here about 4WD, I just wonder what good the Command-Trac 4WD system in my Liberty is - According to what I've read, you shouldn't ever use a parttime 4WD system on paved roads, or you may experience control problems or transfer case lock-up, and it isn't much better on slippery/icy roads or off-road surfaces - so when do I use it??? Any advice would be appreciated
I have a Wrangler and am thinking about a Liberty for sometime next year. The Wrangler only comes with a part time 4x4 (or Command Track) system. It is fine for icy roads and it gets me out of our driveway when we have 2 feet of snow on the ground (it didn't like the 3 feet we had in one night - I got high-centered in the road due to the buildup of icy snow under the frame). As long as the wheels can slip it works well. It is not any good for driving on paved roads that are mostly dry with a few small icy patches - then I drive cautiously. I don't use it on wet pavement, but then I've never felt a need for it. The big thing to remember is that your front and back wheels only travel the same when you are going straight ahead. If you go around a curve the back end doesn't exactly track the front end (look at tire tracks in the snow around a corner) and so will travel at different speeds. If the tires can't slip either on dirt, ice or snow, you can do all kinds of damage (or so I'm told - I believe it and don't want to try it myself - sounds like an expensive experiment).
Hope this helps - I'm certainly not an expert, just an occasional off-roader.
Just ordered my Liberty Limited with Select-trac, Towing pkg., Track-loc & AT tires. Picked the Patriot blue or as we prefer to call up here in the north 'Maple Leaf Blue' (it's a hockey thing .. you wouldn't understand it).
Have tried to read all the great discusions here and noticed that there is little talk about 4wd & trac-loc. Is not 4wd without trac-loc realy only 3wd?
you have Quadra-Drive (Grand Cherokee only), or a vehicle with a 4WD/AWD system that can distribute power to any or all the wheels, you really have only 2-axle drive, not 4WD. Besides the GC's Quadra Drive, other vehicles with true 4WD—meaning power going to all 4 wheels, not just the front and rear axles—include Subarus with an LSD or VDC, BMW AWD 3-Series and X-5, Range Rovers, Hummers, Mercedes 4-Matics, ML and G-Classes, and several others which, unfortunately, memory escapes me at the moment. If you have a 4WD that has the capability of locking both the front and rear axles, then those also have "true" 4WD.
its just a limited slip. and from what i read, it took a lot to get it to engage in some tests. you should've just got the off-road group. it gets you the trac-loc, all-terrains if you want to call those things they put on it, a useless skidplate (as the t/c is fully tucked up under the frame anyway), and a somewhat functional fuel tank skidplate, along with more cooling ability- all for like $700.
imo, the best liberty value is just getting the steel wheels with the 215's on it, and then taking and trading those in on some BFG 245/70/16's, which are pretty much a 30x9.50/15 dimension. or basically its a 29.6 inch tall tire as compared to the stock 235/70/16's smallish 29.1 inches. dont really need the off-road group as everyone gets a front-end skidplate, and the other two will probably never make contact with anything when one uses his liberty with the oem tires.
to my knowledge, the only currect jeep getting a fully locking diff is the new rubicon wrangler due out this summer. now that is a serious factory off-road machine.
Since you are talking about changing tire sizes - do you know if the Liberty has a restriction on using chains with bigger tires? I know that the Wrangler does, and wondered about the Liberty, since whatever I replace that y2k Taco with must have the ability to take chains.
I was contemplating getting the off road group since I wanted Track-Lock & the All terrain tires but couldn't justify the extra $285.00 CDN for skid pates and tow hooks. The trailer package gives me the extra cooling capacity.
My buddies that go off roading usually find CRV's and Rav4 going through the trails with them. It's more of a family day out in the country than serious off roading.
I can always add skid plates later If I decide to get serious.
Collected the 3.7l Sport just in time for the Easter 4 day w/end over here. Have now done 1100kms over the break combining highway touring and a climb up to Falls Creek (1650m) which is a ski village in the high country. Trip included about 45kms in medium off-road conditions including some fairly serious hill ascents in dry conditions. I have to say that at this point I have nothing to say except that the KJ is simply the best car I have ever owned or driven. It drove very well, has plenty of power, a comprehensive 4WD system (TracLoc Diff and Select Trac are standard in Australia), great tyres (for the conditions) and seems to seal fairly well against the dust.
The tracks we took the car on were typical for the Australian high country during summer - dusty, steep and rocky with lots of washed our ditches from the winter. The clearance of the Jeep was superb - the long moulded mudflaps at the rear touched a few times and if I had to back down a hill they would rip off for sure however. Will have to have a think about this - any suggestions? Do the shorter moulded muflaps have this problem? DO you even need mudflaps?
I was expecting the fuel consumption to be horrible, however am not actually finding that it is as bad as I thought. No firm figures yet but my perception was that it was running around the 15ltr/100kms mark and it can only get better with time. On this trip we had 4 people in the KJ with enough gear for 2 nights and there was sufficient room in the boot for all of our stuff - just. Mind you we were not exactly travelling light.
Things I like: Power, transmission, quality of chassis, driving position, good a/c, nice stereo, the rear tailgate operation, rear seat leg room, drink holders in the rear are fantastic design, aerial built into glass stops it being ripped off by trees or drunks. Really liked the auto in low range as plenty of power and control on decents was also good.
Things that I am not so sure about: I really hate the way the warning chime stays on when you leave the key in the ignition, no foot room in the RH drive version for the driver, the way that you have to press the key fob button twice to open all the doors.
Am changing the oil this week and having windows tinted as dark as legally allowed. Also I would highly recommend the Mopar tow kit - I had it thrown in by the dealer but I have to say that it is really heavy duty and a great design.
The majority of people dont even go on a gravel road so to not have ABS because one day u just might go off road is not a wise decision. I had an xterra 4x4 with abs never had a problem off road with the abs and was very glad i had abs. Abs has saved me several times in different situations and would not buy a car without this feature especially for city driving. I agree u r paying for the feature but its worth the extra $$ for an added safety feature. When your driving down a road and have to hit the brakes hard one day and all four lock up and u start skidding u will wish u had abs and it will happen its just a matter of time.
Just because YOU want it (or YOU do not offroad) does not mean that the majority want it (or do not offroad).
I think Jeep was wise to make this optional as opposed to standard because so many former Cherokee owners already had enough points to protest in the new vehicle. Plus, it helps keep the entry price down for those who do not want it and/or can not afford it.
Hi all, have any of you towed a 2500 lbs camper with the Liberty ? I have been driving my Jeep Cherokee Laredo for 11 yrs and still love it. I think both the Cherokee and Liberty look equally GREAT.
My Automobile Insurance Company has stopped giving discounts for ABS. The Insurance institute says statistics indicate that ABS made no difference or increased the accident rates for vehicles equiped with ABS. They said some people relied too heavily on ABS and tended to overdrive road conditions. This Insurance company was one of the first to give ABS discounts. Has anyone else had their Insurance company eliminate discounts on ABS equiped vehicles.
"I really hate the way the warning chime stays on when you leave the key in the ignition ... the way that you have to press the key fob button twice to open all the doors."
It always amazes me how petty some people can be when complaining about their automobiles or SUVs. If a warning chime, or the "inconvenience" of having to press the key fob button twice to open all the doors is all you can find wrong with the Liberty, I'd say you are ahead of the game.
My complaint is that you at times have to pull into a gas station to put fuel in the Liberty. And, at times I have to replenish the windshield washer fluid. And, the Liberty isn't self cleaning. I have to wash it from time to time. Jeez. You'd think Jeep would make a vehicle that wouldn't require such demeaning things as having to refuel, replenish the washer fluid and having to wash the vehicle.
We've become a society of people who don't like to be inconvenienced in the slightest. Remember the days when we didn't even know what keyless entry was? My God, we had to actually put our keys in the doors to unlock them.
Jeezy-Peezy. Let me know when you find that perfectvehicle. I'd say the Liberty is a pretty good find. I know I love mine, even if I do have to press the fob button twice to open all the doors.
And, about that chime? I just take the key out of the ignition. The chime goes away.
FYI: there is a simple procedure to change the unlock button to unlock all doors with one press. Its described in detail in the manual...
Hey what do you know, my first post.
Thanks to everyone for all the great info it really helped in making my purchase. I bought a slasa red Sport in November and have 4000 trouble-free miles.
Hey, you have doors? (currently drive a Wrangler!)
As far as chimes, only if I hang some from the roll bar when driving. In fact, I took the fuse out for the light when doors are open last summer and haven't put it back since.
I am actually fairly offended by your comments - particuarly about the hard to please bit. I love the Liberty and actually shelled out my hard earned cash to buy one so I am entitled to comment where DC have got it wrong - and they have mostly got it right. You took my comments intended for either people that own the Liberty or people that may be intending to purchase one and turned them into a childish rant.
I have no idea whether you drive offroad cdkelly, but if you do as much driving in the bush as I do you would find that the ignition is a pretty good place to leave you keys when you are out of the vehicle - in fact as a safety precaution we always leave the keys in the vehicle. I went out in the Jeep last w/end and whether I was walking a creek beford fording it, or simply getting out ot the car to enjoy the view the damn warning chime annoyed me. It could chime 3 times and then stop and I would be happy - but no it goes on forever and it is a stupid piece of industrial design. It serves no purpose at all by continuing to chime. Do you think it does cdkelly? Why would you defend it with such vigour?
Re:the double press of the key fob - thanks very much chauze for the advice as it doesn't seem to be in the AU manual. I thought that this sort of advice was what the Edmund's forums were for rather that flaming someone who was making a constructive comment about a vehicle that they think is the best they have ever owned.
I don't like the chimes either. If you don't want to pull the fuse on it, you can always get one of those separable keychains and put the fob on one half and the key on the other. Or skip the keychain and just clip the fob to a carabiner on your belt. Then you can shut the door and take just the fob with you next time you get out to check a stream. Glad you like the Liberty. I love mine. Is your Liberty stock, or have you lifted it? I've been impressed by how capable the stock Liberty is right out of the box.
As soulfinger mentioned, you could take the fuse for the chime out, or take the chime out completely (snip a lead wire). Don't let cdkelly get your knickers in a twist. Glad to hear you like your Liberty.
First, I can't believe jeep owners complaining about a chime or two button clicks, legroom I understand, and yes, the Liberty lacks it. And yes, on paper, the Liberty looks great, and since I thought I did my homework before buying one,I must agree that they have a lot of good design features. But, I'm not posting because of the good here. Mine has some type of driveline, tire, or suspension vibration above 70mph (worst @ 80mph as fast as I ever go). Two tire re-balancings, an alignment, and resurfacing of brake rotors, and four+ trips to the dealer and it still does it. The regional rep drove it and another new one from the dealership which also had the vibration at a lower speed, and declared it's a design characteristic. So beware when purchasing, I'd recommend ignoring the typical break-in recommendation of staying below 50mph, and go ahead and check it out on the demo drive. (I didn't because I still believe the break-in is crucial) but faced with finding out 3 months later when you leave to drive 3 states away, that the vehicle shakes... well I'd risk a little initial bearing skuffing for the demo drive. You can bet I will in the future. Hopefully mine is just another example of "spotty manufacturing quality" or cheap goodyear tires (P rated). But wanted to post this warning for potential buyers.
If the chime is the biggest problem you have with the Liberty (by the way, all the cars I've driven for as long as I can remember make some kind of sound if you leave the key in the ignition and open the driver's door - it's an idiot reminder so you don't lock yourself out... for some people 3 or 4 chimes just aren't enough to deliver the message) just pull the key out about 1/8" - it still stays in the ignition switch, but the noise stops! Much more important to me is how the Liberty handles. While mine is only 2 weeks old with less than 400 miles on the clock, I still can't get over the handling of this thing! For an SUV, it drives and corners unbelieveably well, but the biggest suprise is the turning radius and parallel parking! The extremely short overhang, both front and rear mean that this thing turns on a dime - I've never parked an easier vehicle. And the rack and pinion steering offers a great compromise between road feel and steering ease. After my 96 Chrysler Concorde, this thing is like a 4WD sports car. Just hope that the love affair continues..... this is the first car that I can remember where there is no "fix-it" list to bring to the dealer with my 1K oil change, and I plan on keeping this for quite a while as I sprung for the 7 year 100K extended warranty, which along with the DC 7yr 100K drivetrain warranty means I'm covered for another 99,600 miles of fun and games!
Cauze I need your help! Read the AU manual last night and nothing in it about reprogramming the key fob or door locks so that one press will open all locks. If you can paraphrase for me or if someone else can give me the info I will buy them beer when they are next in Melbourne.
Re: the chime - thanks soulfinger. If I had a choice I would prefer to leave the chime running (as good for things like low fuel, doors open etc) - it is only the key thing that gets my goat. Actually now that I have had the car for a week I am finding that the chiming when you start it is pretty annoying also so give me another week and I reckon I will want to kill all chimes.
My Liberty is stock - although from reading this forum I see that the AU spec differs a fair bit from the US. This means I have Tracloc, Select Trac and I decent set of Wranglers on it standard, plus the front bash plate (which is the best I have ever seen on a stock 4WD). Have a dash mounted GPS also. The only thing that I am looking at now is a bullbar (maybe). Have to say that from what I have seen so far you would only need mods on the Lib. if your were a serious rock crawler and in that case I wouldn't be using ANY new car, but rather would get something old and destructable.
Again - any advise of changing or reprogramming chimes would be much appreciated.
I'll have a look at my manual tonight. I can't remember the procedure off-hand. I do remember that changing to one press was the very first thing I did when I got my liberty. My Stealth required two presses and it is annoying. The procedure involves pressing a certain sequence on the fob. As I remember, you can also enable/disable the horn beeping when the doors lock, and perhaps the lights too.
I think the Liberty is 174.2 in. and Cherokee is 167.5 in. Does anyone know how they were measured ? The Liberty looks a bit shorter. Is it because it has a taller and wider body that makes it looks short ? I test drove it once and noticed the cargo space is shorter than the Cherokee.
There's ome interesting info posted on the jeeps unlimited forum concerning drive train vibrations. My Liberty has the problem, and after drive shaft replacement, drive shaft balancing, and drive angle adjustments the problem is mostly gone. Design characteristic my ...! Any way, the site is www.widowmakeronline.homestead.com/allnew~ns4.html
page 57 To unlock all the doors upon the first press. 1. Press and hold the "Unlock" button on the transmitter. 2. Continue to hold the "Unlock" button, wait at least 4 but no longer than 10 seconds, then press the "Lock" button. 3.Release both buttons.
I've had my Liberty for almost two weeks now and I love it. One thing I have noticed is what seems to be an excessive amount of bug splatter on my windshield and grill. Is this something that is common to the Liberty or am I just murdering an abnormal amount of bugs?
I have considered getting the hood mounted bug shield but I am a little intimidated by the installation process (it took me almost 20 minutes to figure out how to install the slush mats!!!).
We currently live and work in Belgium (small country in Europe, sort of between the Netherlands, France, Germany and the UK)and are planning to buy a Liberty (or European version cherokee) Through the Local dealer, we have the possibility to buy tax free, which knocks off 21 percent, and he offered an additional 7% "diplomatic sales" and a 10% off their invoice price. (This is a discount they get because I am exporting the vehicle, and he would share the discount with us, THEN add his comission, and give seven percent off the total - pretty confusing really) With all these wonderful discounts the car comes close to the US price. I can also buy a US model through military sales which is I guess what you did Geminigeek. I don't know how different the two models are, except for what you wrote, but there could be all kinds of changes I need to make before shipping the car to the US when we move there next year. Do you know anything about this, or does anyone know where I can find out about US specs vs European specs?
I have driven the Diesel, and I think it's not for me. However, to get back to some of the Diesel bashers from a few hundred posts ago-they do get better gas mileage, they do last longer, they are super strong and require less maintenance. In Europe and especially in Belgium Diesels are very popular in ALL cars, because road tax and registration fees as well as gas prices are high. A gallon of regular petrol costs over $3,10, and Diesel is about 20% cheaper. My friend has a new Audi A4 1.9tdi and has to go for his first maintenance after 50000km (30000miles)
I drove it though,yesterday, and the Diesel in the Cherokee is loud, louder than the new European diesels you get in Audis,BMWs,Volvos or VWs. I realize that these are not Trucks, so they shouldn't be compared. The Diesel here is the 2.5 liter CRD you have snow8, one dealer told me what you said, that it comes from Italy. This guy also told me that the New Cherokee is built in Austria. So I believe the engine, but I think all the cars come from the US don't they? Anyway, the other dealer (Mr.Discount) told me they all came from the US and that the 2.5 CRD came from Detroit Diesel with the help of MB. I don't know which is true? Anyone? I'm looking at the 2.4liter 4 cylinder, which has not been sold in Europe so far, but is just coming out now. I noticed on this board no-one has one of these? The 2.4 apparently has the engine from the Voyager. Then I found out only the Sport comes with the 2.4 -or 3.7, and the Limited only with the 3.7. So I would get the Sport and go full option, but you can not get factory installed leather seats or dark windows on the Sport, only on the Limited. Why? And is this also the case in the US? The Mr.Discount dealer offered to have leather put in by some third party and also put that dark foil on the windows, but that doesn't look the same really. Anyway, as you can see I haven't made up my mind, except for that it'll be a Liberty (or New Cherokee :-) Thank you for your patience if you read the whole thing. Any ideas -suggestions? Anyone have the 2.4? tkx
I bought a Sport here and was offered the aftermarket leather seats by the dealer. I asked to see an example and I have to say that after seeing in installed and hearing how they put leather on a non-leather seat I wouldn't touch it with a barge pole. Compared to the factory leather seats the aftermarket one was tearing the leather at the seams and the car I saw it in hadn't even been used yet. Apparently they just re-skin the seats and you can't even be sure that you are getting good quality leather. So my advise - just stick to the Sport seats as they come. I actually like them as if you have ever sat on a leather seat here in Oz on a hot summers day you would know why. Also my dogs claws scratch leather.
As for the dark window tint - I got mine aftermarket - got a lifetime guarantee and paid $295 and the quality is excellent. It is also darker than the tint on the Limited.
Have to agree with you on the seats. I had leather in our Moutaineer, would never get them again. I enjoy the cloth ones just fine. As for the tint, our Sport's tint is in my opinion, very dark and blocks the sun nicely. Do they use different tint overseas? Just curious.
Comments
I would own a Jeep before I'd ever drive a Hyundai or a Ford, the two vehicles you mentioned.
But, it is a matter of personal preference.
Perhaps you should stick with the Ford and Hyundai message boards. It appears your interests rest with those two makes.
Those car based SUV's: Ford/Mazda Triscape, SanteFe, Forester, CRV, Freelander. They get better mileage and handle curves better. Try taking one of those off roading, and you'll be in for a shock. Get real and get over it.
Yoony: I drive in NJ every single day, on 78 and 287, and I don't see many rolled vehicles. Being on 280 you must get used to it. It's a messed up road, and even in a car I felt uncomfortable driving on it. I don't think just because it was a Liberty had anything to do with it. Any HIGH (ie: TRUCK) based vehicle can flip on that road.
Ok, enough venting.
-Mad
That is what I would have done after the second instance.
Trac when I should have looked for Select-Trac - but living on Long Island, 4 wheel drive isn't the biggest issue. We do a lot of highway driving - we travel 300 miles round trip every weekend from May to October to go to our "summer place" in the Catskill mountains, so we really wanted a 6 cyl. with enough get up and go to do the trip. We test drove the Santa Fe and the Vue besides the Liberty. There was no contest! The Santa Fe interior was very second rate, and it didn't handle well. The Vue was a real disappointment - the engine always sounded as if it was stressed, and that steering - worse than a 60s GM sedan - no road feel what so ever! I just love the way the Liberty handles - plenty of pick-up and good road feel. The interior is well thought out and comfortable - nice firm seats with good support. Of course the mileage leaves something to be desired, but I'll wait to pass judgement until it's broken in. For now - it's love at first drive. And, I might add, this is the first new vehicle I've driven in many years that doesn't have a "fix it" list to bring to the dealer - not a rattle or problem yet. Let's hope it continues this way!
Hope this helps - I'm certainly not an expert, just an occasional off-roader.
Have tried to read all the great discusions here and noticed that there is little talk about 4wd & trac-loc. Is not 4wd without trac-loc realy only 3wd?
Bob
imo, the best liberty value is just getting the steel wheels with the 215's on it, and then taking and trading those in on some BFG 245/70/16's, which are pretty much a 30x9.50/15 dimension. or basically its a 29.6 inch tall tire as compared to the stock 235/70/16's smallish 29.1 inches. dont really need the off-road group as everyone gets a front-end skidplate, and the other two will probably never make contact with anything when one uses his liberty with the oem tires.
to my knowledge, the only currect jeep getting a fully locking diff is the new rubicon wrangler due out this summer. now that is a serious factory off-road machine.
My guess is it would be OK for slippery/icy roads, but that is just my guess. That is part of the reason I bought my Wrangler.
As for the second part of your question:
DEFINITELY DO THIS:
http://www.jeepjamboreeusa.com/cmf.htm
you might need these:
http://www.4x4books.com/wftny.htm
a good reference:
http://www.mountainsummits.com/homepage/recommendedlinks.htm
some other info:
http://www.jeep.com/liberty/4wd/details.html
article:
http://www.jeepclub.co.uk/articles/liberty.html
a good place to go (under Liberty):
http://www.jeepforum.com/cgi/ultimatebb.cgi
wanna upgrade?:
http://www.trailready.com/liberty.htm
Bob
My buddies that go off roading usually find CRV's and Rav4 going through the trails with them. It's more of a family day out in the country than serious off roading.
I can always add skid plates later If I decide to get serious.
The tracks we took the car on were typical for the Australian high country during summer - dusty, steep and rocky with lots of washed our ditches from the winter. The clearance of the Jeep was superb - the long moulded mudflaps at the rear touched a few times and if I had to back down a hill they would rip off for sure however. Will have to have a think about this - any suggestions? Do the shorter moulded muflaps have this problem? DO you even need mudflaps?
I was expecting the fuel consumption to be horrible, however am not actually finding that it is as bad as I thought. No firm figures yet but my perception was that it was running around the 15ltr/100kms mark and it can only get better with time. On this trip we had 4 people in the KJ with enough gear for 2 nights and there was sufficient room in the boot for all of our stuff - just. Mind you we were not exactly travelling light.
Things I like: Power, transmission, quality of chassis, driving position, good a/c, nice stereo, the rear tailgate operation, rear seat leg room, drink holders in the rear are fantastic design, aerial built into glass stops it being ripped off by trees or drunks. Really liked the auto in low range as plenty of power and control on decents was also good.
Things that I am not so sure about: I really hate the way the warning chime stays on when you leave the key in the ignition, no foot room in the RH drive version for the driver, the way that you have to press the key fob button twice to open all the doors.
Am changing the oil this week and having windows tinted as dark as legally allowed. Also I would highly recommend the Mopar tow kit - I had it thrown in by the dealer but I have to say that it is really heavy duty and a great design.
Andy
I hope you are not hitting drunks!
;-)
I think Jeep was wise to make this optional as opposed to standard because so many former Cherokee owners already had enough points to protest in the new vehicle. Plus, it helps keep the entry price down for those who do not want it and/or can not afford it.
It always amazes me how petty some people can be when complaining about their automobiles or SUVs. If a warning chime, or the "inconvenience" of having to press the key fob button twice to open all the doors is all you can find wrong with the Liberty, I'd say you are ahead of the game.
My complaint is that you at times have to pull into a gas station to put fuel in the Liberty. And, at times I have to replenish the windshield washer fluid. And, the Liberty isn't self cleaning. I have to wash it from time to time. Jeez. You'd think Jeep would make a vehicle that wouldn't require such demeaning things as having to refuel, replenish the washer fluid and having to wash the vehicle.
We've become a society of people who don't like to be inconvenienced in the slightest. Remember the days when we didn't even know what keyless entry was? My God, we had to actually put our keys in the doors to unlock them.
Jeezy-Peezy. Let me know when you find that perfectvehicle. I'd say the Liberty is a pretty good find. I know I love mine, even if I do have to press the fob button twice to open all the doors.
And, about that chime? I just take the key out of the ignition. The chime goes away.
Hey what do you know, my first post.
Thanks to everyone for all the great info it really helped in making my purchase. I bought a slasa red Sport in November and have 4000 trouble-free miles.
tidester
Host
SUVs
As far as chimes, only if I hang some from the roll bar when driving. In fact, I took the fuse out for the light when doors are open last summer and haven't put it back since.
By the way...
:-)
I have no idea whether you drive offroad cdkelly, but if you do as much driving in the bush as I do you would find that the ignition is a pretty good place to leave you keys when you are out of the vehicle - in fact as a safety precaution we always leave the keys in the vehicle. I went out in the Jeep last w/end and whether I was walking a creek beford fording it, or simply getting out ot the car to enjoy the view the damn warning chime annoyed me. It could chime 3 times and then stop and I would be happy - but no it goes on forever and it is a stupid piece of industrial design. It serves no purpose at all by continuing to chime. Do you think it does cdkelly? Why would you defend it with such vigour?
Re:the double press of the key fob - thanks very much chauze for the advice as it doesn't seem to be in the AU manual. I thought that this sort of advice was what the Edmund's forums were for rather that flaming someone who was making a constructive comment about a vehicle that they think is the best they have ever owned.
Andy
Cheers, Mate.
about a chime or two button clicks, legroom I understand, and yes, the Liberty lacks it. And yes, on paper, the Liberty looks great, and since I thought I did my homework before buying one,I
must agree that they have a lot of good design
features. But, I'm not posting because of the good here. Mine has some type of driveline, tire,
or suspension vibration above 70mph (worst @ 80mph
as fast as I ever go). Two tire re-balancings, an
alignment, and resurfacing of brake rotors, and
four+ trips to the dealer and it still does it. The regional rep drove it and another new one from
the dealership which also had the vibration at a
lower speed, and declared it's a design characteristic. So beware when purchasing, I'd
recommend ignoring the typical break-in recommendation of staying below 50mph, and go ahead and check it out on the demo drive. (I didn't because I still believe the break-in is
crucial) but faced with finding out 3 months later
when you leave to drive 3 states away, that the
vehicle shakes... well I'd risk a little initial
bearing skuffing for the demo drive. You can bet
I will in the future. Hopefully mine is just
another example of "spotty manufacturing quality"
or cheap goodyear tires (P rated). But wanted to
post this warning for potential buyers.
Much more important to me is how the Liberty handles. While mine is only 2 weeks old with less than 400 miles on the clock, I still can't get over the handling of this thing! For an SUV, it drives and corners unbelieveably well, but the biggest suprise is the turning radius and parallel parking! The extremely short overhang, both front and rear mean that this thing turns on a dime - I've never parked an easier vehicle. And the rack and pinion steering offers a great compromise between road feel and steering ease. After my 96 Chrysler Concorde, this thing is like a 4WD sports car. Just hope that the love affair continues..... this is the first car that I can remember where there is no "fix-it" list to bring to the dealer with my 1K oil change, and I plan on keeping this for quite a while as I sprung for the 7 year 100K extended warranty, which along with the DC 7yr 100K drivetrain warranty means I'm covered for another 99,600 miles of fun and games!
Re: the chime - thanks soulfinger. If I had a choice I would prefer to leave the chime running (as good for things like low fuel, doors open etc) - it is only the key thing that gets my goat. Actually now that I have had the car for a week I am finding that the chiming when you start it is pretty annoying also so give me another week and I reckon I will want to kill all chimes.
My Liberty is stock - although from reading this forum I see that the AU spec differs a fair bit from the US. This means I have Tracloc, Select Trac and I decent set of Wranglers on it standard, plus the front bash plate (which is the best I have ever seen on a stock 4WD). Have a dash mounted GPS also. The only thing that I am looking at now is a bullbar (maybe). Have to say that from what I have seen so far you would only need mods on the Lib. if your were a serious rock crawler and in that case I wouldn't be using ANY new car, but rather would get something old and destructable.
Again - any advise of changing or reprogramming chimes would be much appreciated.
Cheers and thanks,
Andy
More info will be coming...
To unlock all the doors upon the first press.
1. Press and hold the "Unlock" button on the transmitter.
2. Continue to hold the "Unlock" button, wait at least 4 but no longer than 10 seconds, then press the "Lock" button.
3.Release both buttons.
I have considered getting the hood mounted bug shield but I am a little intimidated by the installation process (it took me almost 20 minutes to figure out how to install the slush mats!!!).
Any advice would be appreciated.
We currently live and work in Belgium (small country in Europe, sort of between the Netherlands, France, Germany and the UK)and are planning to buy a Liberty (or European version cherokee) Through the Local dealer, we have the possibility to buy tax free, which knocks off 21 percent, and he offered an additional 7% "diplomatic sales" and a 10% off their invoice price. (This is a discount they get because I am exporting the vehicle, and he would share the discount with us, THEN add his comission, and give seven percent off the total - pretty confusing really) With all these wonderful discounts the car comes close to the US price. I can also buy a US model through military sales which is I guess what you did Geminigeek. I don't know how different the two models are, except for what you wrote, but there could be all kinds of changes I need to make before shipping the car to the US when we move there next year. Do you know anything about this, or does anyone know where I can find out about US specs vs European specs?
I have driven the Diesel, and I think it's not for me. However, to get back to some of the Diesel bashers from a few hundred posts ago-they do get better gas mileage, they do last longer, they are super strong and require less maintenance. In Europe and especially in Belgium Diesels are very popular in ALL cars, because road tax and registration fees as well as gas prices are high. A gallon of regular petrol costs over $3,10, and Diesel is about 20% cheaper. My friend has a new Audi A4 1.9tdi and has to go for his first maintenance after 50000km (30000miles)
I drove it though,yesterday, and the Diesel in the Cherokee is loud, louder than the new European diesels you get in Audis,BMWs,Volvos or VWs. I realize that these are not Trucks, so they shouldn't be compared. The Diesel here is the 2.5 liter CRD you have snow8, one dealer told me what you said, that it comes from Italy. This guy also told me that the New Cherokee is built in Austria. So I believe the engine, but I think all the cars come from the US don't they? Anyway, the other dealer (Mr.Discount) told me they all came from the US and that the 2.5 CRD came from Detroit Diesel with the help of MB. I don't know which is true? Anyone?
I'm looking at the 2.4liter 4 cylinder, which has not been sold in Europe so far, but is just coming out now. I noticed on this board no-one has one of these? The 2.4 apparently has the engine from the Voyager. Then I found out only the Sport comes with the 2.4 -or 3.7, and the Limited only with the 3.7. So I would get the Sport and go full option, but you can not get factory installed leather seats or dark windows on the Sport, only on the Limited. Why? And is this also the case in the US? The Mr.Discount dealer offered to have leather put in by some third party and also put that dark foil on the windows, but that doesn't look the same really.
Anyway, as you can see I haven't made up my mind, except for that it'll be a Liberty (or New Cherokee :-)
Thank you for your patience if you read the whole thing. Any ideas -suggestions? Anyone have the 2.4?
tkx
As for the dark window tint - I got mine aftermarket - got a lifetime guarantee and paid $295 and the quality is excellent. It is also darker than the tint on the Limited.
Cheers,
Andy
-mad