2009 Jeep Liberty Review

Specifications

The Jeep Liberty hit the streets for the 2002 model year, replacing the long-standing Jeep Cherokee. Although the redesign six years later has left many Jeep fans wondering what was actually changed, the classic Jeep styling remains intact and newer, boxier look may prove hard to beat in the next generation.

What will not be hard to beat lies beneath the skin and tough façade of this compact SUV. Consumer Reports states ‘based on the unimpressive Dodge Nitro, the Liberty is noisy, cramped and outdated.’ The fact it is outdated within a year of a redesign does not bode well for the Jeep product and it is hard to imagine them pulling off the usual four and a half years between generations as most car manufacturers opt for these days.

Both the Sport and the Limited Liberty now come standard with the noisy 3.7-Liter SOHC V6 engine. This lackluster engine produces 210 hp and 235 ft-lb of torque and is thirsty for the class at 16 mpg in the city and 22 mpg on the highway for the 2WD models and 15 mpg city and 21 mpg on the highway for 4WD models. The 9.2 seconds to go 0 to 60 mpg seems sluggish for the vehicle class as well compared to the 8.5 seconds of the Hyundai Santa Fe and the 7.7 of the Nissan XTerra.

The classic Jeep design cues are still very much a part of the Liberty’s appeal. The seven lot grill, the trapezoidal wheel openings, the round headlights and sturdy stance are still present while new features like the Sky Sliderâ„¢ roof retracts to show a massive 33 inch by 60 inch sun roof. This retractable roof can fold from the front, from the rear or left partially open to any position in between. Extensively tested in Chrysler’s high-tech Aero-Acoustic Wind Tunnel, the roof structure and material allows for similar ratings in noise, wind and crash safety as the traditional metal roof of the Liberty. Rain beads on the reinforced acrylic cloth and the sturdy aluminum crossbeams protect your cargo from thieves.

The two-tone appeal of the interior offers a rich and detailed impression to the interior of the Liberty. Features like the standard 60/40 split rear seats that both fold forward flat and recline back means everyone is comfortable while storage can be optimized. The front passenger seat also fold flat allowing for longer cargo and in the Limited model, there are optional heated leather front seats with two temperature positions.

Always seem to have your hands full? Press a button on the key fob and the rear liftgate window pops open! Great for busy days or when the cargo area is already full. Convenience items like the power outlets on the dash and on the rear of the center console allow for anything from laptops to fridges to be plugged into 150 watts of power and the Reversible Storage Tray in the rear cargo area is a carpeted panel flips over to become a wet or muddy gear tray.

Chrysler is now offering the MyGig® Multimedia System w/ GPS Navigation that allows you not only know where you are going like every other GPS system, it also allows you to take your favorite music, photos and DVDs along for the ride. Inside sits a 30 gb hard drive so you can upload 4500 of your favorite songs or a few thousand photos through either a disc or a USB 2.0 port. Movies, Sirius TV and photos can be played on the cockpit nav screen when the vehicle is in park. Bluetooth technology allows for hands free calling and each Liberty comes with a one-year subscription to Sirius Satellite Radio.

Too bad during the redesign, Jeep did not find a more appropriate powertrain and smartened up the handling of the Liberty - the potential of the vehicle is excellent but the bad points far outweigh any good the attempted to do in this new generation. Our recommendation is to look elsewhere for a more solid, dependable and comfortable compact SUV - Jeep missed the mark on this one!