Jeep Liberty

rsholland

Anybody have this (unbraked trailer) info on USA-spec Libertys, with and without the optional tow package?

Bob

wesley5

Anyone purchased the fork bike mount for the roof rack? Any comments or suggestions? Having trouble finding other mounts that fit the Lib.

jefferson1964

The Liberty Needs ABS this should be a standard feature not an option imo.

rkh207

I like sunroofs, they should be standard on all cars...Oh wait, not everyone agrees with me? Oh wait, you mean some people prefer being able to choose which options are in their truck? Oh wait, you mean those that go off road don't like ABS so they'd be alienated right off the bat? Well I'll be...

anonymous02

Your jeep has sides?

(Wrangler owner)

anonymous02

should be optional. I don't want it nor want to pay for it.

mad0865

Not only are ABS optional, but they are disabled when going into 4x4lo. How about that!

rsholland

is a disadvantage when going off-road, hence the reason for the re-calibrated ABS in 4-Lo.

Bob

martin44

Has anyone put a cold air kit on a Liberty? Do these things really boost horsepower? I heard they did and even improve mileage. Same has been said for dual exhaust. Either of these void the warranty? Anyone have any experience with either of these?

cdkelly23

I find my Liberty with more than enough kick to pass on the highway. It has plenty of power and pick-up for my needs.

Perhaps try putting a higher octane gas in your Liberty every couple of weeks. This may give your engine a little more pep. Just a thought.

Just wondering. How much cargo do you have in the back of your Liberty? I don't carry any, and keep the weight down. I have found, however, that when I am carrying something heavy, the get-up-and-go is a little sluggish.

oywhatnext

It should be noted that the owners manual specifically recommends the use of high octane fuel. I have a Limited V-6. I do most of my daily commute on the highway and I find that the passing power is more than adequate.

There is a website called Allpar Forum. Go there and find the Jeep Liberty message board and you will see some posts regarding the benefit of cold air induction.

soulfinger

You can try turning off the overdrive if you find the acceleration sluggish. Personally, I've never noticed a lack of passing power except on very steep uphill grades. In that case, turning off the O/D does the trick. And BTW, the owner's manual does NOT say to use high-octane fuel routinely (though I seem to recall something about using high-octane fuel if you're towing). Unless you're towing, regular unleaded is just fine.

jafo2001

Good info. Thanks for the posts.

cm3246

Does anyone know when the 2003 Jeep Liberty will become available? Thanks

mad0865

Uh..what owners manual are you reading? My manual states to use unleaded regular. Think you got it mixed up with a Nissan Xterra.

-mad

ps: running 87 regular and loving this vehicle

cdkelly23

MadMan is correct. The Liberty only needs 87 octane.

I do recommend, however, putting a higher octane in the tank every so often. I've always found this practice beneficial. My rule of thumb is every fourth fillup, using the highest octane available. The rest of the time, 87 octane is enough kick for the Liberty.

jefferson1964

Thats great, however, define off road. Is that a country farm to market road?? Most people never take their suv's off road much less anything like the rubicon trail. Therefore, abs should be standard on such a high priced suv and given the option not to have this feature imo. but then again everyone has an opinion not to offend...lol

soulfinger

Any time you're driving on any loose surface, like a dirt or gravel road, you're going to find ABS fairly annoying, even on the Liberty. The reason is that you can't come to a quick stop on a loose surface without wheel slippage. When that happens, the ABS kicks in and starts pumping the brakes for you when you don't want them pumped. It can take some getting used to. The ABS is only disabled in 4WD Low gear, not 4WD High. And most of the time when you need to brake sharply, you're going to be moving too fast to be in 4WD Low. So the ABS override sounds good, but in reality it's next to worthless. So pretty much if you drive anywhere off pavement, you'll learn to dislike ABS. If you want ABS to be standard, here's what I'd suggest: Buy one with ABS, and pretend it was standard. You'll never know the difference. You're paying for it, whether it's standard or optional. Having just ranted about ABS, I have to say I bought my Liberty with ABS. You just have to decide what's more aggravating: your brake pedal shaking like a paint mixer on a dirt road, or sliding helplessly toward the moron who pulled out in front of you on a rainy paved road.

mad0865

That's correct. ABS is disabled in 4lo. If I'm not mistaken, ABS is an option with the Liberty. So, if you're an avid off roader, you'd probably wouldn't want ABS. I personally love it, and it has saved my [non-permissible content removed] a few times, especially on rainy and snow days on the highway when someone decides to stop short for no apparent reason.

Also, what vehicle out there gives you the option to disable ABS on the fly with a push of a button? Just curious.

oywhatnext

Sorry - meant to say that the owner's manual recommends AGAINST the use of high octane fuel.

Sorry for the confusion!

ajb723

My wife's current Cherokee Laredo lease expires in July, so I went to look at a Liberty. Despite its smaller size, lower MSRP and various dealer gimmicks ($2000 prior customer rebate and early termination of present lease), the end result- i.e. monthly lease payment, is surprisingly about the same. How is this possible? Higher interest rates. Lower residual. Higher acquisition fee (a colossal rip off IMO), disposition fee of $500 at lease end. All in all, a very disappointing experience. dangle incentives, then sneak in other charges..Certainly no good reason to terminate my present lease early.

ajb723

as an addendum to my previous diatribe, the dealer offered me a "new" Liberty- a dealer demo with 2000 miles on it. Of course he offered a warranty as new. How much of a discount is it reasonable to expect for this car?

stever

I've seen this question asked in the Smart Shopper board, I think in the Any Questions for a Car Dealer? discussion. You may want to browse or ask over there too.

Steve
Host
SUVs, Vans and Aftermarket & Accessories Message Boards

andy81

Look I am now confused. My manual specifically says that you should not run the KJ on high octane as it may cause pinging.

Has anyone here actually ran their Jeep on PULP? If so did it run better or was it more fuel efficient (lol as I tear up more cash filling it up each week).
PULP here has an octane rating of 98 BTW.

anonymous02

"... however, define off road. Is that a country farm to market road??"

I'd think off road would not be anything with "road" in the name for starters...

;-)

anonymous02

Is there a fuse you can pull to disable the ABS?

milt721

...but the fuse for most DaimlerChrysler ABS is in the power distribution center located under the hood. Just take off the cover and all of the fuse locations are thoughtfully mapped on the underside of the cover. Be warned, when you pull out the ABS fuse, the ABS warning light will illuminate on the IP.

mad0865

No Andy; haven't put in anything but 87 octane. Manual must state it for a reason, so why change? No added benefit except that it costs more. FYI: Yeah, the ABS fuse is under the hood, but hopefully you won't get into an accident or something happen while you're driving and it's a result of it.

As for demo vehicles, my Dad used to work for GM, so we used to purchase demo vehicles all the time. They're perfect. Dealers don't let the test drivers beat on the vehicles, so consider it "broken in". They usually give a once or twice look over, change all the fluids and such. Should be fine.

-mad

kapay

Got my first car-liberty aug2001.
Had my first oil change feb2002 (after 6 mos) at 4800 mileage (i dont drive a lot).

Q1: Some of my friend says i should go for a 3000miles or 3mos change oil maintenance. Is this correct?

I now have a 6800mileage, 2000 miles and 3mos
difference since my last oil change.
And I will be on vacation for four weeks by endMay until midJune...

Q2: should i go for an oil change now because of the 3mos difference, or is it better to do this maintenance after my vacation on around midJune (almost 5mos after my last oil change)?

Q3: Will my liberty gets hurt if i leave it IDLE for FOUR WEEKS?

Q4: When is it better to have my 7500miles maintenace, before or after my vacation?

Q5: what advise can you give me to improve my car given this maintainance history?

Thanks.

kapay

Its written in the manual to use a winshield washer that wont freeze on -20F below 0.

Is this correct even during summer days? Can't I use other windshield washers like washers that are not for freezing temperature?

Is there a warning indicator in the dashboard saying that the windshield washer is too low and needs a refill?

charlesb_la

LOWASH will appear in the odometer when you are low on washer fluid. I wouldn't think it matters what you use in the summer, although one of the store bought fluids will help remove bugs etc. better than water.

Good luck,
Charles

granny8

ok, guys. I love the Liberty but the gas mileage scares me away from it. How about some input? Will do mostly highway driving so that's what I'm interested in.

andy81

Yeah I love the Jeep Cherokee (aka Liberty). Have owned mine for about 2 months now and have done 2600kms. I have to say that I was not expecting the car to be friendly on the mileage when I bought it, but even I was shocked after the first 1000kms at just how much it used (20l/100kms around town). That said it has obviously now loosened up a fair bit as I just got 402kms out of my last tank (full to reserve light coming on plus a little more is 60 litres exactly) which means I got 14.9l/100kms which I am pretty happy with. Most of this was commuting to work which is all city driving for me.

No it is not the most fuel efficient. In Australia however it has by far the largest engine in it's class, it weighs nearly 2 ton, and it a very tough and capable offroad 4WD - and for all that I don;t mind paying the fuel costs. Also it goes fast......

binka

I commute 120 miles a day in my Liberty 80% interstate 20% city and average 19 mpg but I'm easy on the throttle. Good ride, plenty of power to merge, great looks, and four wheel drive capabilities in a 4,000 lb vehicle not a bad trade off for that kind of mileage. worst problem is the small gas tank,you get to know service station people real well.

redliberty1

I broke in my liberty by following the directions in the manual. I drive 100 miles a day round trip 75% highway 25% city the first few tankfuls 18.5 mpg. I now have 3200 miles on my liberty and I'm getting 19.5mpg, on the highway I don't drive above 62mph.

kittel

I now have over 6000 miles and find that it's still improving. Started at 13 to 15 on the first 3000 and after that noticed a significant improvement. Now will get 19 to 21 on the highway, but have noticed mileage will fall of when driven at 70 mph, so I will drive at 65. I also notice a big drop off if I drive just in the city, much more than I noticed with any other vehicle I've owned. Wind also has a big affect, because it's about as aerodynamic as a brick. I have been told it will improve until I get to about 10,000. I also have a friend who has an Escape and his mileage isn't any better than my Liberty. For what the Liberty is, I'm quite happy with the mileage.

anonymous02

If you are going to be doing mostly highway driving, perhaps you should get a "mostly highway" vehicle, and not a jeep?

arjay1

Why would you buy a Liberty to commute 100 to 125 miles per day? I could sure think of some better, (more comfortable and more fuel efficient) vehicles to choose.
Not flaming, we all buy what we want, that is America, just curious.

gypsy532

Granny....I've owned a Liberty for six months...wouldn't get one if I were you! Gas mileage is terrible and traveling in one is rough!

The ride is bumpy, driver's seat cuts off my circulation in my leg and there is no cargo room at all! They are great for parking though!

mad0865

Uhm, didn't you test drive it before purchasing? Why buy a vehicle that cuts the circulation off in your legs, has little cargo room, and a bumpy ride? Just curious.

Granny: Buy a car or something car-like if you're going to be doing that many miles (hwy). There are a lot of other vehicles that will give you much better mileage.

LOL..A brick. Anyone have a FlameRed Liberty? Paint brick like lines on it, it'll look too cool.

stever

lol, have you been hanging around the Amateur Redesign Studio?

pf_flyer "Amateur Redesign Studio" Apr 3, 2002 2:42pm

Steve
Host
SUVs, Vans and Aftermarket & Accessories Message Boards

jafo2001

I tested a Liberty recently (a couple of times). It may just be me but I also found the leather seat lumpy and a bit too narrow and short in height. I'm only 6 ft tall.

Anyone else have that feeling? Is the cloth seat better?

mad0865

Yeah, I happened to like the cloth seats better, more supportive. Also, I don't like leather seats period. Too hot in the summer, cold in the winter. Chalk that up to personal preference.

richardcoulson

The seats bottoms are a bit too narrow and short for tall people on the liberty. I am 6'2" and my wife is 5'0". The liberty fits her like a glove and she loves it. I have a new trailblazer and the seat bottoms are a bit on the long side, but fit me fine. However, my wifes lower back does not touch the back of the seat if she bends her legs very much. The trailblazer has a very roomy and comfortable ride, but the liberty is still much more fun to drive in town due to its agility.

I guess that if you are around 5'6" to 5'8", you have a lot of options for car selection. If you are tall or short, the list is narrowed considerably, especialy if your spouse is on the other end of the scale.

rexmasters

Just took delivery of my new Liberty Limited here in Puerto Rico, where everyday driving can resemble "off-road" stateside. Here in San Juan, we hold the record for per-capita sales of SUV's, which was a vehicle that I swore to never buy before (I normally drive convertible sports cars and other similar vehicles).

For the record, I can state that what I read somehwere on Edmunds about the Liberty handling the road better than the Mercedes ML is correct. I have a friend with a Mercedes that cost nearly $70,000.00 (ouch) and I wouldn't trade cars with him now if you gave it to me. I suppose my point is that impression of a car has a lot to do with where you are driving it. Any SUV can handle well in Florida or California on the highway, where the roads are a sports car owner's dream come true. The Liberty, however, not only remains reponsive, but provides an incredibly smooth ride over nasty roads at 60 mph.

Admittedly, my Liberty purchase was in impulse buy, due to a sharp increase in taxes tomorrow, but I think I may be even more satisfied with this vehicle than I originally imagined.

COMMENTS IN RESPONSE TO OTHERS:

1. The gas mileage is stated clearly on the side of the car. If it was really that big of a deal, why did you sign your name to the purchase agreement! The time to complain is BEFORE buying, NOT AFTER! Do the Math! A car that gets 5 mpg. more than the Liberty (which is probably enough to make most stop complaining about the gas consumption of this vehicle) is not enough money to make a difference in the life of someone who can afford a $20K+ car+ insurance. If you are a money-miser, and are concerned about the mileage of this vehicle, DON'T BUY IT! You are only going to become less enchanted with the situation as time passes. If it bothers you that much before buying, you'll probably be sorry later.

2. You are wasting money putting premium gasoline in a new Liberty.

3. If you think this car is underpowered, then you may want to review your driving habits or take a defensive driving course. I have only had my car one day, but have already seen what it can do.

4. Vehicles like the Liberty are built for a target audience (ie. people who drive off-road, live where the roads are bad, live in flood prone area, drive in ice and snow in hilly or moutainous areas, etc.) If you are not one of those people whose habits, lifestyle, or personal situation has a NEED for a car such as the Liberty, DON'T BUY ONE!! You can get more car, gas mileage, handling, etc., etc. in many other vehicles. Once the cuteness and intial thrill of ownership wears off, if you don't have a REASON to own this car, you'll probably wish you didn't. On the other hand, if you have a NEED or REASON to buy a STRONG SUV, and don't need to haul around six kids or rescue tractor-trailers from ditches, then the Liberty is an excellent choice.

MY COMPLAINTS: (as much as I like it, no vehicle is perfect)

1. You have to put your fingers all over the rear glass window to close it. (This sounds picky, but if your car is clean then this can be annoying.

2. The driver's seat is a bit short in the front for a tall person, (but not unacceptable)

3. Sunroof button must be held down continuously to close. Jeep could take a tip from the folks at Volkswagen. For me, this is no big deal, since it's usually far to hot to let outside dirty air into the car.

4. I was disappointed that ABS is not standard on 2WD, and is not available in Puerto Rico, unless you custom order a car and pay full retail and a premium for doing so.

5. "Auto" window buttons only are "auto" going down. I guess the folks at Jeep don't think you're going to ever put it back up again. Hey, Jeep, please check out BMW's and Volkswagens that work "auto" in both directions. Sounds picky, but is a nice thing to have at a toll booth.

6. For a person with long legs, it takes some getting used to the fact that the door frame is right next to your head in your field of peripheral vision. I am used to larger doors with visibilty to my side. Granted, I will adjust to this in time and is not a major deal. Actually, it makes side impact safer.

7. I wanted silver and loved the color, but the interior (LIMITED) DOESN'T MATCH AT ALL. The side door inserts CLASH with the exterior. H-E-L-L-O!!

WHAT I REALLY LIKE ABOUT THE CAR:

1. Unusually strong for it's size. I have a friend with a Ford Escape (which Edmund's somehow managed to rate higher that the Liberty). Her car is a toy compared to mine, with rattles and vibrations--a horrible ride over bumps--and horrible A/C.

2. Stylish interior (Limited) that helps you forget that you opted for practicality and not luxury. (I am a BIG BMW fan and have owned several)

3. Ergonomics are excellent--window controls easy to access, and door handles are well placed and shaped--attractive and functional.

4. A/C cools well in tropical heat.

5. Exceptional road feel and handling on exceptionally bumpy roads. Not just a disguised SUV, like a Highlander, for example.

6. The auto-open back window is great.

7. The car is large enough to carry occasional rear passengers and cargo, but not so big that you feel as if you are driving a bus on your solo commute to work. (Again, a personal situation).

8. Misc. other well-thought-out engineering and design details--too much to mention here.

SUMMARY

Consider the car if you NEED an midsized SUV. If you need a car, buy a Higlander or something else. If you are taller than 6'1", consider a bigger SUV. If you are an aggressive driver and need handling, lane changing, and quick stopping, I've got a great BMW for sale!

djasonw

I have to agree with this poster's thoughts. The Liberty is a wonderful all around vehicle. Anyone who complains about gas mileage should not even consider an SUV. I've owned mine since August and have close to 11,000 miles. I never reset the trip computer and the avg MPG is 17.0. I can't complain since I normally travel at 75 and do some city driving.

Regarding the window express up feature, well in order to have that I would imagine DC would have to employ "pinch protection" which would cost more $$$. I would love to flick the switch upward to express close, but heck I am used to it now. I also have NO complaints about the switch placement. Once you get used to it, it's quite natural.

I got this vehicle to compliment my Subaru WRX wagon. I just LOVE the fact that I can simply find a trail and make a right turn off the main road to explore (in PA state land). Try doing that with a CRV/Escape or any other car based SUV. This truck ROCKS!!

jafo2001

I think the reason people complain about fuel mileage is more psychological. I.e. you see the money physically coming out of your wallet every week or so whereas other payments are not so tangible.

mad0865

Rexmasters: Great features listed, enjoyed the post.

Jafo: What? Have no idea what you said.

If you want a small / midsized truck , get a Liberty. If you want a car based SUV, get a Highlander/CRV/Escape/Subaru ...Good luck.

MAD

yada

I have had my Liberty Limited for exactly 3 weeks and I have to say that I am pleasantly surprised my the mileage I'm getting (and I'm assuming by what I've been reading here that it will get slightly better..) I'm averaging 19 mph which is a combination of city/highway (I have a 22 mile commute to work) & my first roadtrip last weekend I got 20.7 mph. Nothing wrong w/ that...

And to echo the complaint of rexmasters, I too find the closing of the rear window annoying by having to put my hands on the glass... I find that a palm-print looks better than several fingerprints.....

I have a question about bugs on the windshield...
does the deflector help w/ this??? I'm not sure I like the looks of it (my Liberty is silver) but I'm convinced that every bug in Connecticut is aiming for my windshield....

mhemmer

I just went to a dealer who offered the Libety sport 4 wheel drive automatic for 22,000- good price or not? what have others paid?