Jeep Liberty

tarkus2k

Interesting that the 3 replies posted at the same time, say the same thing.

stockey

Underpowered? the Sorento does 0 to 60 under 10 seconds,that is faster than the Liberty and the Sorento is much better looking Than the toy like Liberty.

tarkus2k

If your looking for an argument, try one of the Wrangler boards. They would be more than willing to listen to your nonsense.

Me thinks stockey is french for flamer.

tidester

The Liberty is no match for the Sorento,off and on the road,as well as for quality.

Then, by all means, buy one! I am sure the folks over at the Kia Sorento board will be pleased as punch to get a full report from you!

tidester, host

stever

Here's a link to the Vehicle Comparision Tool mentioned above.

Steve, Host

stockey

I did buy one,better than Chryscrap that's for sure.

clever1

stockey: Sounds like you're still trying to rationalize your decision. Otherwise, you'd be bragging on the Sorento board instead of flaming here. Good luck with your new car.

tbunder1

i dont know you, nor do i care. i also dont want to hear your story. but you come on here spouting off that your sorento is better than liberty and everything else. who drag races suv's? the liberty has more power and torque than your kia. and here's something to consider- RESALE VALUE.
ever try to sell a kia spectra? can you get $5000 out of an '02 used? kia's are nice looking and cheap transportation, but they're korean- pardon the pun- CRAP. which stands for- SERIOUS DEPRECIATION!!! go drive your boat of a nuclear reactor, but just look out for jeeps this winter when the snow flies and your all-wheel drive freezes up or something, or better yet, gets stuck under it's own weight in a snow drift with it's awesome 4x4 systems. this is absolutely hilarious conversation.

stever

A little off-topic drift is normal and tolerated, but this isn't a comparison topic between Kia and Jeep....

Steve, Host

clever1

tbunder: I always enjoy your enthusiasm; but, please don't fan the flamer. S/he is obviously just shopping after their purchase, or trying to feel better about their decision regardless of what we think. (Especially since they seem to be a "Kia Fanatic", whatever that means -- maybe "salesperson"?). stockey has also been trolling on the MB M-class vs Acura MDX vs Lexus RX300 vs BMW X5 vs Cadillac SRX board (yeah, right!), where they've already wisely chosen to ignore him/her.

Otherwise, since you've been breaking your Liberty in, has your fuel efficiency been improving?

ozone1

I've read numerous posts about the Liberty's fuel consumption improving over time. We have yet to see it, however. After 4040 miles on the Standard issue tires and 70/30 highway to city driving, our Liberty Limited averages just over 15 MPG. Maybe I can blame this on the roof rack....or the extra weight of the CD changer and tow hitch...ha!

shill3

Saw the '03 Liberty brochure yesterday. There are several appearance packages to choose from. The Renegade we know, the Wagoneer ("wood panel" trim on the sides and simple front and side facias), and Renegade lights and roof rack. They did have a dolled-up Limited that had so much on it that it looked more like a mini-van than an off-road vehicle. Sort of a plush Renegade. To each his own I suppose. My preference is stil the Sport trim.

clever1

ozone1: Wow... your mpg seems rather low, even for the Liberty, and especially given 70% highway miles. What type of driving do you do -- lots of stop-n-go, hilly or flat terrain, light footed or heavy footed, cruise control often or not, etc? Also, does more than one person use your vehicle? (I have a theory that the computers in new vehicles react to changes in driver styles with an "efficiency lag", which would mean that a solo user (like me) will achieve better mileage simply because the automated systems are not having to adjust and correct as often as with multiple drivers.) Although I average 21.5mpg in mixed suburban traffic (now at about 9K miles on the odometer), most Liberty owners seem to be getting closer to 18mpg on the *low* end of the spectrum after initial break-in (aprox. 5K miles seems to be a general break-in point). I use regular (87 octane) gas, favoring Chevron and Sunoco, although I'm not certain if brands matter. I'm curious what others are thinking re: effects on Liberty mpg.

tbunder1

sorry, im a blunt person. i can't help it.
mileage i dont know, im still on my first oil. im gonna switch to mobil1 at 2500 miles, then ill keep track.

ozone1

clever1: My wife is the primary driver, I drive it on weekends. Not really sure how she drives it, but neither of us use cruise control unless we're going on a long highway trip. Pretty sure it's the hills that are killing us. The stretch of highway my wife drives is just North of the Golden Gate bridge with a couple of moderate long climbs. Her office is at the base of the bridge, so factor in going up and down the hill to the freeway a couple of times a day and there you go.

71charger

The gas mileage so far seems low, even for an SUV. But, I'll wait until it's had its first oil change and it's broken in and check it for real. A few hundred miles on a new vehicle isn't enough for a fair evaluation.

As far as the Kia I can't believe you used Kia and quality together. When the JD Power initial quality survey came out this year Kia had maintained its traditional place sucking mud at the bottom. The lowest finishing American nameplate was GMC and even they cleared Kia by a WIDE margin.

promike

Ordered a '03 Silver limited with G pkg,Sunroof, Chrome wheels, Heated seats, Locking differential, Skid plates at invoice $26135 + rebate or 0%. ETA 4-6weeks. No $440 Chrysler add on for Advertising, gas, etc. I think I did okay. MSRP $27995.

clever1

ozone1: Ah! I know that area well -- definitely steep around Sausalito/Mill Valley... beautiful stuff, worth the climb. The Liberty's weight definitely factors into uphill grade mpg -- I sometimes amuse myself with the "real time" guage, and notice mpg drop dramatically (easily below 10) whenever there's a climb with no momentum (not a problem on highway inclines). On the other hand, the downhill mileage is fantastic when it's not stop and go (two tons rolling -- I've seen 43+ with no obstacles on a good slope). Hopefully, your mileage will start going up in the next few thousand miles, despite the hilly commute -- please keep us posted one way or the other.

promike: That seems like a great deal, especially if you're getting the 0%/$1000 beyond that price. Did you have a chance to test the 16" versus 17" tires before you chose?

tbunder: What are your thoughts on the Mobil1 switch? I've been thinking of doing the same, but am not sure whether the long term benefit will be dramatically better than traditional 3K mile oil changes.

promike

clever1 I liked the looks and feel of the 17" tires. The chrome wheels really look good on the silver ltd. The 17's seemed to ride a little smoother. Have you checked them out yourself?

martee99

"I've really got to question your timing. Why wouldn't you have purchased a brand new one a few weeks ago at zero percent financing instead of a used one at the used car financing rate? In the long run the new one probably would have been cheaper. "

Well for one thing, with respect to new purchases it may be cheaper take the cash rebate depending on your finance rate. There are a number of on-line financial calculators that will bear this out.

I wasn't in the market a few weeks ago. I did not know there was zero percent. If so, was it only for 36 months? A 36 month finance term generates a monthly payment higher than I can comfortably afford.

As far as best practical value for your dollar, a one or two year old car is the best bet. Your have plenty of mileage left on the vehicle and you haven't paid for depreciation. I had been scoping out a fully loaded Sport that has 15k mileage on for that was $5000 cheaper than it stickered for. Again my concern was the inability to transfer the power train warranty. I have read a number of other posts on another Jeep board concerning a sudden surge in the transmission when coming to a complete stop. I saw another post in response which alleged that there was a calibration problem with the some of the machinery that went unnoticed in early Liberty production. Whether its true or not I don't know. I can't cite the specifics, but the bottom line is that I was going to be purchasing a first year model vehicle that was manufactured in June of 2001. In order to have a vehicle that was comparable to a new one I would have had to purchase a power train warranty which adds to the cost. I felt the risk vs. cost was too high.

Because of this I ultimately decided to buy a new one. I ordered a loaded Sport. With '03, I picked up rear disc brakes and now have a fully transferable warranty. Should I discover in two years that its not the car for me, I think it'll be easier to market.

tbunder1

clever, i simply am switching because i want the engine to last for six years at least. and i am sick of changing the oil every 3K on cars.

now i just have to figure out if the mobil1 oil filter is worth $12 to put it on. ill have to do some oil filter research. bosch makes a good one comparable to the mobil unit. its half the price too.

mrgallup

With the talk of switching to Mobil1 just kind of curious about what people are doing with regards to maintenance.

After switching to Mobil1 how long are you going to go between oil changes tbunder? Are you planning on doing the filter change at XX miles (adding a quart for lost oil) and then a full change at YY miles or a full change every time?

What do others do?
Also been thinking about going to a K&N filter. Anybody running with one? Does it make any difference in MPG or just a small bump in HP?

Anything anyone else doing maintenance wise that is unique on their Lib? This is the first brand spanking new vehicle I have every bought and I want to baby it to 100K +. 4 weeks now and still no food or drink allowed! With a 15 mo. old who has a passion for cheerios - this is quite an accomplishment

shill3

One of the biggest considerations when deciding between an '02 and '03 is how long you intend to keep it. If it is a long term buy (say five years) then your best bet is to go with the '02, enjoy the mark-down. However, if you intend to trade it in in say two years, go with the latest model since it will have a greater value when you want to trade it in (it is one year less old on paper).

But, going with an '02 also limits your options since what you see is what you get.

tbunder1

mrgallup- i hear you. cheerios are the choice snack for my 3 yr old daughter on road trips. just be glad it isn't something messy. they vacuum up easily. and besides, you've got kids. just accept that you will have feetprints in the seat a few times and that the backseats won't be perfectly spotless all the time. they're only young once.

ps. i have a 9 week old back there too. she ain't too messy quite yet. )

regarding oil changes with mobil 1- i will probably go 5000 miles and do a full oil change when 5000 miles is up.

colorado1974

Had my Liberty cross a river, 3 feet deep and no water came inside. The door seals held. Huge boulders and not once did I bottom out. I think the key to off roading is the path you take. Of course my wife was white knuckled the entire time. :-) Of top of that, my inlaws have had 100x more trouble with thier new Audi in one month than I have had with the Liberty in one year. On top of that I get 24 mpg on the highway.

71charger

I bought my 83 Shelby Charger new. I've always used whatever oil was on sale. Have changed it religiously every 3,000 miles. I have beaten the crap out of that car. I have blown up two transmissions. Less than a year ago it scored 5 parts per million on the hydrocarbon test at the emissions station. It now has 180,000 miles on all the original engine parts. Change it regularly and synthetic is unnecessary. That being said I would run nothing but synthetic in my turbo.

ronmac1

Our '02 Jeep Liberty Limited 2 wheel drive just turned 1 year old and until last week, we've had no problems.

As of last week, the interior overhead lights are coming on intermittently and the driver's power seat is no longer working. Fuses have been checked and no lose wires have been found under the seat. We're scheduled for a trip to the dealer this Friday as we obviously have electrical problems.

Gas mileage is ranging from 15.5 mpg in stop/go city commute to 24.3 on the highway at 70mph. Over 70mph and the highway mileage drops quickly to 20mpg. We've had the Jeep on long trips to Arizona, New Mexico, and Colorado finding it to be a very comfortable road vehicle. Did some off roading outside of Telluride, Colorado and it ran great at 10,000 feet.

Will provide an update on the dealer visit later in the week.

RCM

hokies1

Anyone out there know if the liberty renegade is available in khaki yet? Searched 10 dealers in my area and no dealer had that color. Thanks

swervedriver

I'm about to buy the limited 27G, but none our local dealers stock any with ABS. Should I wait for one with ABS? It doesn't seem to be a popular option around here. A lot of the new ones have the 17" wheel pkg. Are the Wrangler HP a good upgrade?

ozone1

swervedriver: I would say getting ABS or not would depend on what kind of driving conditions you experience most often. Personally, I am not a huge fan of ABS brakes, after owning two cars with the system installed, but I live in San Francisco, where we only have to deal with rain, no ice. And not all ABS systems are created equal...the ABS seems to work ok on my 93 Rx7, but on my 99 Isuzu Rodeo...the brakes tend to fade when the ABS kicks in. Maybe it has something to do with the the weight of the vehicle? Anyway, based on our past experiences, we opted for the 27G package without ABS. Also, isn't it true that if you want to take your vehicle offroad that ABS systems are a detrement to traction on steep grades?

mad0865

MPG: Getting about 22-23mpg hwy, using 87octane Exxon only. It took about 10,000 miles before I got to this point. Mileage in the beginning sucked badly, but got better as the mileage got up there.

Oil: Switched to Mobil-1 after 20k, mechanic said I can go easy 5-6,000 miles between changes with the Mobil-1 filter as well. I've noticed that on these cold NJ mornings that the Jeep seems to start up and warm up rather quickly lately. Dunno.

ABS: Swear by it, and have it installed on the Liberty. Here in NJ, we get all types of crazy weather. ABS helps in the rain, snow, whatever. A lot of hardcore 4x4er's don't like it because of it activating during their rock climbing. No problem there, mine's not going climbing till after it's paid off. BTW, it gets disengaged when in 4x4lo.

Dimming Lights: I read on one of the other Jeep sites out there that it's a "bcm"? (something control module) that is probably faulty. Easy fix, dealer should be able to replace. (jeepsunlimited.com) Good luck.

71charger

I thought ABS was a load of crap until a panic stop in the rain in my ABS equipped Neon. I believe now.

jeepster229

I've got 18,000 miles on my Liberty Sport and have loved every mile I've driven. There have been two recalls, but the dealership handled it with no inconvenience to me. I definately went with an extended warranty as it's a first year model Jeep, and Jeep's are known to have their problems as the miles rack up. I had a 98 Cherokee that was a lemon, had to get rid of it, and I swore I'd never get a Jeep again...until I saw the Liberty and gave it a test drive. It puts the Cherokee it shame!

I've done some minor off-roading (will do more once it's paid off), and have driven to the summit of Pike's Peak (14,000 + feet) with no problems and no power loss at the high altitude, although the gas mileage that day dropped incrementally. 17" tires are definately the way to go.

I did run into one problem the day before I flew out of the country on business, and I'm wondering if anyone else has had this problem. My timing belt got frayed and about 1/3rd of it eventually broke off. This didn't cause any problems to the engine and as soon as I get back I'll get it fixed (Should this be covered by Warranty since it is a possible design flaw?). There is a hose (don't know much about engines, so I'm not sure what the hose is for) laying across the top of the belt which I suspect caused the fray. Has anyone had a similar problem? If not, take a glance at your belt's and see if there is any wearing or even if that hose is resting on the belt...it may save you some problems if you're traveling across the country of in the back country.

mosby1861

I was leaning towards purchasing and Escape until I came to a jeep dealer. They had a nicely loaded 2002 Liberty Sport, listed at 25,000+. It had 8,000 miles on it. What kind of price do you think I could offer them for this vehicle? 21,000? 20,000? I really like this one, and I am not too pleased with the quality of the Ford Escape.

Any suggestions about a good price for a 'used' demo Liberty Sport in that category??

Thanks for the help.

ozone1

"Nicely Loaded" is a little ambiguous, what specific options are included? 25K sounds very high.

mosby1861

I can't remember everything but it had selectrac, ABS, cruise, V6, etc. Plus the destination charge. But since it has 8000 miles on it, what kind of deal do you think I could get for it?

Thanks for the advice!

ozone1

If it included the tow package, upgraded stereo w/ changer and sunroof.....18,000 maybe. 8,000 miles seems like a lot of miles to me though, I wonder why it was returned to the dealer?

mosby1861

From what I can tell, it is the dealership Demo. Has "Demo" on the windshield. I was thinking of offering around 18,000 for it. Not a bad deal in my mind - as long as you are correct - it was wasn't returned to the dealer - I can tell that by having the title checked?

Thanks!

71charger

If a vehicle was returned as a result of a Lemon Law that forced the manufacturer to buy it back it must, by law, be noted in the paperwork. I've seen a few Jeeps over the years at the local dealer with Lemon Law disclosure notices posted on them. They went back, were repaired (hopefully), then sold at auction to a dealer. Ask if you're concerned. They have nothing to gain except the State's Attorney General's office climbing on them by lying.

russ31

I am new to the group, I have new liberty with 5000kms . I have chirping noise not always heard , of course the dealer couldn't her it the day I took it in. The noise coming from the front sounds like a loose fan belt, but feels tight.

Anyone else have the problem if so what was it and how was it fixed.

thanks.
Russ

tidester

Welcome aboard! If anyone can help you out it would be the fine folks in this forum!

tidester, host

jm49

Our dealer diagnosed the chirping noise as noisy alternator bearings. A new alternator is on the way to be installed next week. I will let you know if this solves the chirp.

Jason

dtran2149

I just came home from buying a 2003 Jeep Liberty Sport in the Dallas area! Here is a break-out of what I paid and got:

Original Car MSRP (from sticker): $20,610
Sales Price: $20,057 (before the $1k cash)
Drive-out Price: $20,450 (after the $1k cash and including TTL; TX = 6.25%)
Financing: 60 months at 4.99% w/ pymts = $385

Vehicle specs:
- 2WD Sport 3.7L Auto (Black/Slate Gray)
- Package 27B
- 16x7 cast aluminum wheels
- CD player w/ changer ctrls
- dealer installed alumnium paneling (like Ltd) (est. value $300)
- dealer installed window tint (est. value $100)
- certificates for 6 oil changes (est. value $150)

Hope this helps anyone looking for the auto. Not sure how good the deal was, but it seems somewhat consistent with Edmunds TMV pricing.

D Tran

ttbuyer

This is a modified version of my earlier post because I forgot to mention that my Liberty was equipped with the 27B package. I am also adding some details that I hope will be of use to others shopping for a new Liberty.

I am in the Los Angeles area. On October 8, I bought an Atlantic Blue 2003 Liberty Sport V6 w/AT, 27B package, and the "smokers group". Don't smoke, but the ashtray makes a nice coinholder. I paid $18,500 plus T&L (sticker was $20,280.00). According to Edmunds, the invoice on my Jeep would have been $19,067 and the TMV would have been $19,708, so I feel pretty good about the deal.

Although I live in Torrance, I bought my Jeep in Alhambra. Very EZ transaction (I think they are having a slow October). As I understand it, there is a $1,000.00 rebate on 2003 Liberties in some (or maybe most) markets but it is not offered in the "LA Area". Chrysler had 0% for 36 months...I took 4.9 for 60months. We love the Jeep, but are used to Japanese reliability. Hope it holds together, because we are planning to keep it for about 7 or 8 years.

Also, if anyone in LA is looking to buy a Jeep today (HALLOWEEN), I just got a call from a guy from Long Beach Jeep that I had delt with before. He offered "close to $2,000.00 back of dealer invoice" on a 2003 Liberty if I bought "today" (end of the month and they need to sell 3 cars to meet the monthly target hes says) Because it is Halloween today, they figure the lot traffic will be S L O W. I hated to tell him that I already bought a Jeep.

His generous discount offer might be BS, but I thought that I would pass it along in case anyone could use it.

hokies1

Can someone please give a quick explanation of how select trac 4WD works. Is it more comparable to a Subaru or does it only split power when there is slippage? Thanks

mad0865

Has the ability of commandtrac (2hi, 4hi, 4lo) with an added benefit. 4Fulltime; which basically allows you to put it in 4x4 mode that will activate the front wheels in case of slippage. I don't know exactly how the Subie does it, but from my experience, it's on full time (I don't know how much power is brought to the front wheels), but has a clutch switch that activates when more power is needed.

It's awesome in the rain, snow, sleet, etc. It allows the the truck to be in 4x4 mode on dry pavement. 4x4hi, locks the front and rear wheels, which can cause a problem on dry pavement. Hope that helps.

-mad

jeepster4

4Fulltime is just that. It is always engaged and splitting the power roughly 50/50 front to rear. The Selectrac transfer case incorporates a center differential that is unlocked in the 4Full setting. This allows the front axle and rear axle to rotate at different speeds when going around corners, thus eliminating drive line wind up. There are no clutches or magic speed sensors deciding when to apply power to the front axle.

hate23putt

I just went and test drove a Liberty Limited Edition w/leather. I am close to buying and would appreciate any last minute tips on negotiations. Is the Edmunds TMV a true indicator of what I should look to spend? Anyone bought a truck similar to the one I drove? Anything would be helpful. thanks

promike

Hate23putt: You should be able to buy at Edmunds invoice figure minus rebates. I ordered a limited about 2 weeks ago for invoice.

djasonw

I wouldn't rely too heavily on the Edmunds pricing. You may end up paying too much if you don't try to negotiate lower. If you can wait until the end of the month I can assure you that you can get your Liberty for a MINIMUM of $200 over dealer's invoice price.