Comments: 1-15, 16-26
Many interior parts
struts & shocks
engine sensors
rattles
poor engine management
tires wear unevenly
pulls one way.
Think of a big ball under a SUV, and you have the liberty. It is the worst vehicle I've driven in. It handles very bad (anything over 80mph and you put your life on the line), very poor gas mileage (16mpg on the highway), very poor performance (the engine roars, but has no go with a 3.7l), and is unreliable. The wheelbase is so narrow, and the shocks are so stiff that you'll have trouble keeping it on the road.
I have been using it for work during the last 6 months, averaging about 1000kms/week. It constantly pulls to one side even after alignments.
The only good thing about it is AWD, which cannot be locked anyway.
In my opinion this review is total nonsense.
The Liberty rides and handles very well for a compact SUV.
If you want a magic carpet ride buy an old Lincoln Town Car. If you want sports car handling, then buy a Miata.
The Jeep Liberty is a reliable, solid and rugged SUV, that will outlast most competitors, and keep plugging along off-road where others cannot go.
Couple of things. "anything over 80mph and you put your life on the line." What are you doing going 80mph++ in a SUV that weighs MORE THAN 2 TONS ANYWAYS??? Of course it's going to drive like crap at 80+mph, they aren't built for that kinda speed!
"The engine roars, but has no go with the 3.7l" What!? I find that the 3.7L is the PERFECT match for the Liberty. For the weight of the vehicle, it has A lot of get up and go when you need it. Yeah it's noisy, so what!?!? It's a 6 cylinder JEEP!
"16mpg on the highway" Well quit runnin 80mph+ and you'll get MUCH better mileage, I PROMISE!
"The only good thing about it is AWD, which cannot be locked anyway." WRONG! The Liberty DOES NOT have an ALL WHEEL DRIVE (AWD) system. It has a PART-TIME system, with OPTIONAL FULL TIME, that CAN be locked and unlocked AT WILL. Maybe if YOU actually owned the Liberty, you'd learn to take better care of it, and it would take better care of you.
I've also had trouble with the Liberty.
In renting many different mid/compact SUVs like the Escape, 4Runner, and Tuscon, I'd say the liberty is the worst performing of the bunch.
It is okay for offroading, but not much more. The gas mileage is pitiful, interior space is lacking, and my interior started falling apart after 2 days of use!
I would not recommend this vehicle either. I've never tried going over 80 though.
Of the many SUVs I've driven, the Liberty does everything poorly. In my humble opinion, I'd say the review is accurate. The definition of a "compact" SUV are smaller vehicles, typically with car-like handing/behaviour/performance. The liberty has none of these.
Magic carpet ride, no, but I'd have gotten a truck if I wanted to feel every crack in the road. And I don't consider having the vehicle swerving 3' over due to winds at highway speed "Miata" handling.
Unless my Liberty happens to be a lemon, it is the worst vehicle I've had for reliability. During warranty (now off due to 70k miles) the transmission was worked on twice, the left front wheel bearing went, a fuel pump, and now the suspension "knocks" when it's cold.
The clearance is terrible, and I constantly scrape the bottom while going through paths other vehicls have created. For its "off-road" capability, it should at least have more clearance than a car.
As for the reviewer's comments regarding the unstability over 80mpg, I have also noticed this. When the speed limit is 65, and you have to pass someone, then obviously you are going to drive faster than 61mph to pass him. That is when it becomes tipsy, right when you are passing. BTW, the liberty weighs 4100lbs, an Escape is 3900lbs, an escape is nowhere as squirrely on the highway.
The 3.7L engine is indeed gutless. According to C&D magazine, 1/4 mile time of 16.9s, 80mph, so we are talking like 15 seconds 0-60. 90% of the other cars out there would beat this.
I got 18mpg on the highway while driving the speedlimit. Not very good I'd have to say. My friend's QX4 gets 25.
I don't believe a word of that last comment.
The Liberty has terrific ground clearance. If the V6 feels
"gutless" to you, you'll never be happy.
The ride is fine and it does not get blown around in the wind.
Which competitive make are you doing your PR for anyway???
By the way, my Liberty got 22-23mpg highway and 17-18mpg around town, and it was as reliable a vehicle as I've owned.
I have to disagree with the previous comment. Get out a measuring tape, and you get a ground clearance of just over 9". (a ford escape is only 1" less)
The V6 is indeed gutless, check the 0-60 times, and you'll find a life enriching time of 10.2s...on par with a 1.2Liter AUTOMATIC Geo Metro...ooo.
Drive it on a windy day, and it becomes a sail, always correcting.
Funny how someone who writes a negative review is instantly labelled as some PR guy. I guess I assume that the previous comments were from a PR guy from Jeep then.
Good job on the mpg, I only managed 18-20 on the highway.
The Escape has a rear suspension that takes away from the ground clearance. Next time your behind one take a look.
I have had my Jeep Liberty for a couple of weeks now and with 700 miles on it. I have loved driving this car, but the gas mileage is pretty bad. I am currently getting on average 15.5 mpg, but the engine has not been completely broken in yet so it may get better. I recently owned a Mitsubishi Diamante, that car had amazing power and my new Liberty is just as good.
The driving on the freeway is quite and smooth, I love it! Anyone who doesn't love the liberty are kidding themselves into believing it is a horrible vehicle. My family owns three other SUV's and this one definitely tops them all: the Escape, Santa Fe, and the Rav 4.
Hey guys and gals, let's face it. We didn't purchase a high performance vehicle and the Jeep Liberty never claimed to be one. If you want a high performance SUV, buy a BMW, Lexus, or the Infiniti; neither of which you will EVER take off road. This Liberty is every bit a Jeep. It performs like a Jeep off road and drives like a Jeep on the highway. I find the highway drive smooth, comfortable, and tight without being stiff. It's stable when driven with common sense although it does tend to catch the wind and can become noisy on windy days. I will say that I am very disappointed in the mpg. I purchased this small vehicle 7 months ago hoping to get better economy than my 1994 S-10 Blazer where I was getting almost 20 mpg on the highway with the 4.3 ltr V6. I have 7000 highway miles on my Liberty and I can't get any better than 15.8 mpg. I've had it back to two different dealers who both tell me they are getting a lot of complaints, but so far Jeep does not offer any solutions.
The fuel economy numbers you mention are no better than a Grand Cherokee with the 4.7 liter V-8.
Frankly, I don't quite get why the 6-cylinders in small vehicles like Jeeps (V-6 and straight 6) don't really get any better mileage than a V-8 in a full-size pickup or SUV. The Grand Cherokee Laredo that I recently drove, with a V-6, only got 16-17 mpg, even though highway is advertised at 20. That must be under ideal conditions doing 55 on a flat road on a windless day. With the technology of the engines, and the five-speed automatics or 6-speed manuals available, I would really expect that 25 mpg at least should be possible. How can a 6-cylinder 5- or 6-speed get no better mileage than a 3-speed automatic V-8??
Two days ago I traded my 2002 Jeep Liberty Limited 4x4 with just over 40000 miles for a 2006 model. Obviously I'm very happy with the Jeep Libertys. I have nothing bad to say about my 2002 Liberty, didn't cost me a dime aside from the normal maintenance, and did everything I ever asked of it. I didn't expect the feel of a luxury sedan or an Italian sports car when I bought it, heck, it's a Jeep after all!
I never got more than 19 mpg, though, but I expected that going in since that's what was advertised. It was stable on the local roads and the Interstates, and comfortable and roomy enough inside. The 2006 has numerous safety upgrades such as side airbags, and better traction control system. The only negative I've noticed so far is that the 06 seems to have less power (and I've heard that from other owners, too) even though the engine is the same -- how'd they manage to do that?
But if the 06 does as well as my 05, I'll be wanting another one in another 4 years...
My last update of the Liberty.
Frankly it has been the worst vehicle I have driven, period. For offroading, yes it is a pretty durable and fun machine. On the highway though, it just doesn't cut it. The previous owner hit the nail on the head when he commented that his old Blazer got better gas mileage than a 10 year newer vehicle. BTW, the gas mileage never improved for me from new to used (70k miles).
I have dumped the vehicle in favor of a new RAV4. In the course of owning it, I replaced the knock sensor, O2 sensors, tires, wheel bearings, breaks, rotors, and calipers. When I sold the vehicle, the brakes had again begun to surge and make weird noises while slowing down.
The interior had begun to fall apart (the driver side sun visor is broken), and various plastic moldings along the door have come loose.
For all the die hard jeep owners out there, in general Jeep is a excellent company, but I have found the liberty to be their worst product. Do some math with the real life gas mileage compared to other SUVs, and you'll be thinking twice about buying one of these again.
I am slightly amused...
I use a 2005 Cherokee Renegade (which is what the Liberty is still called in Africa) manufactured at the end of 2004. I have done about 21000km in it, and so far I have to say that I am very pleased indeed.
Yes, I have had a couple of things go wrong, even one very important thing, but it was replaced under warranty, and the dealer didn't even want to discuss it - it was a question of, "...as soon as the part arrives, we'll put it in for you. Do you need a replacement vehicle while you are waiting?" This is to me a very respectable attitude.
I have used my own Liberty very little off-road, but before I purchased it I tried three different models at a purpose-built off-road course, which covers roll-over angles, ground clearance and water obstacles, and I have to say that it's performance was pretty impressive.
What is even more impressive is it's performance on-road. This is not what you guys in the US are accustomed to, as I am certain your tarred roads are actually tarred. You see, ours aren't! There are more potholes in many of our roads than tar, and my Cherokee (/Liberty) has hit many of them, sometimes at speeds of up to 80km/hr, and yet it still doesn't rattle and still holds its wheel alignment! If you want to see how rugged a vehicle is, try driving it on a tar road in C. Africa, and you'll soon work out what will last and what won't - I can promise you that potholes in tar are far more damaging and dangerous than off-road work. Nevertheless, my experience with the Cherokee is that it is a very competent off-roader, and I have used it against an Isuzu KB d/cab 4x4, a Toyota Hilux (with raised suspension), and a Mazda B2500 4x4, and it performs just as well as any of them off road, bar the additional ground clearance that comes with the raised suspension. I have also used it against a Land Rover Disco 2 and it definitely puts that in the shade, except for the cargo space.
The other big difference between my vehicle and all of you people complaining out there is that mine is a 4 cylinder 2.8 common-rail diesel, which pushes out 119kW and 400Nm. That's enough grunt to make it accelerate almost as well as a petrol engine, and a very competent towing vehicle, and while it's not quite as economical as the EPA's suggested 22-27mpg, I can certainly go for nearly 800km on a single tank out of town (that's the new 78 litre tank).
Good luck, guys.
Seriously, I'm sorry so many people had bad experiences with their Liberty. I have an '05 Renegade and have thrown on a K/N cold air intake and Borla exhaust my gas mileage went from a meek 16-18mpg to 20-23mpg. That to this point has been the only problem I've had. As for the other SUVS I test drive them all, The Honda Element - no power, no handling, and a cheap interior, Toyota Rav 4 - handles like a car and has the off-road capabilities of one... just go buy a car. Nissan Xterra - You kind of lose touch with the ground in this thing, sluggush and the body is tossed in the wind. Ford Escape - Take note I've been a ford guy since I was a little one. Cheap everything, nothing feels solid, more space usage, no power. Hybrid - when I was driving the hybrid I was only getting 26mpg? yea big fuel saver there for the extra $8k sticker and $5k in maintainence and repairs. Honda CRV - think minivan.
I drive my Liberty hard and it't held up fine and I keep up with maintainence. By hard I mean I'll hit the restrictor at 107mph on the highway. Then later that day I'll be playing in the mud with my friends in their Wrangler's, X-Terra's, Ranger's, Pathfinder, and H1. I can hold my own both on and off the road. With the $700 I spent on aftermarket parts I have more than enough power and torque. The power to weight ratio is definitely the most favorable of any SUV I've driven, before the parts it was in the upper echelon. It has Jeep on the front and handles like a Jeep should. I would like to add that it's road noise is minimal for it's tires and capabilities. All I can say is buy what's right for you. People who want a car... you know who you are; should never have bought a liberty. If you want a fun, sporty, solid, capable small SUV with remarkable performance upgrades per dollar spent (approx. 40hp and 4-5mpg gains for $650. The resale value is second only to the Honda CRV, the RAV4 is really a car so I don't count it.