Rugged 2008 Liberty loses none of its "Jeepness"

Rugged 2008 Liberty loses none of its "Jeepness"

Jim Robinson
By: 2008 Jeep Liberty

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind.: We came over the crest on the trail and my co-driver and I both gasped.

There, 20 metres straight down, was the forest floor of the hill we had just driven up. There was no turning around and going back, only forward.

With trees so close together we had to pull in the mirrors to make it, we edged over the brow, and with feet off the brakes and gas, nosed over on Hill Descent Control (HDC).

With the HDC making grunting braking and engine noises, the bottom was about as wide as the wheelbase with the next challenge being another seemingly vertical climb up through ruts as deep as the axles.

My knuckles on the grab handle were white on what was easily the most demanding off-road course I've ever been on, and I've been on a lot.

We were driving a 2008 Jeep Liberty and you can count on the fingers of one hand how many showroom stock competitors would have made it through.

"Jeepness" is a word used inside Chrysler's Jeep Division and it means having all the legendary, go-anywhere ability consumers expect to find in the name. Cutting corners would have been easy on the Liberty. It would have made it a whole lot less expensive to produce, but it wouldn't have been a "real" Jeep.

The second generation Liberty is part of a seven-model lineup that has blossomed over the past five years from just three. The Liberty shares the same, rugged flat-sided look as the big Hemi-powered Commander. All the Jeep styling cues are there like the seven-slot grille and large headlights.

But perhaps the greatest single design cue is the squared-off fender flares, that are now in body color. Jeep said they could have made the vehicle less costly without the detachable flared fenders. But owners said loud and clear that when they go bashing through the bush, which many do, they want to just tear off the old fender and bolt on a new one instead of always going to a body shop for repairs.

Doors feel solid and close with a "thunk". Inside, the Liberty is not festooned with faux wood and brushed aluminum trim. It is primarily hard-edged, soft-touch plastics but without the bargain basement look and feel of the first generation Liberty.

In fact, my co-driver and I agreed that the Liberty shows you can have a quality interior look and feel as long as you don't cut costs here to spend it on things you don't need like gaudy interior trim. The biggest improvement was with the seats that now have improved bolstering to hold your tush securely in place.

The most noticeable improvement was in the quality of the ride on highways. The last Liberty I drove felt heavy (which it was) and slow. The 2008 Liberty still has a feeling of solidity but with the 3.7-litre V6, it has the punch to keep up with the flow of traffic.

One thing I did notice was the return spring on the accelerator pedal was heavy and you constantly had to press down to keep up the pace. Cruise worked well, but with all the highway traffic in and around Indianapolis where we tested the Liberty, working the gas pedal took some effort.

Coming up to an off-ramp, the Liberty did not lurch over to the right as some bigger 4X4's do because of their high centre of gravity. In fact the Liberty was more like a CUV than a dedicated SUV.

Jeep officials said at the press briefing the Liberty's 3.7-litre SOHC V6 was seen as offering the best balance of power and economy producing 210 hp and 235 lb/ft of torque with a choice of a six-speed manual or four-speed automatic transmission. Fuel numbers for the manual are 13.4L/100 km (21 mpg city) and 9.2L/100 km (31 mpg) highway. The automatic gets 14.0L/100 km (20 mpg) city and 9.7L/100 km (29 mpg) highway.

It wouldn't be a Jeep without industry leading four-wheel-drive.  All Liberty models come with a standard Command-Trac II four-wheel-drive system. Optional on all three models is Selec-Trac II, arguably the most advanced four-wheel-drive system available in the industry.

Command-Trac II is a part-time fully electronic system with a shift-on-the-fly that provides peace of mind with available four-wheel-drive capability delivered through a two-speed transfer case for use on slippery or loose surfaces such as snow, mud or sand.

The all-new Selec-Trac II full-time active on-demand system actually anticipates and prevents wheel slip before it occurs. It is ideal for a range of road settings, including dry pavement conditions not typically suited for conventional part-time four-wheel-drive systems typically seen on competitors.

All Liberty models come with front and side curtain airbags, tire pressure warning monitor, a flip-up rear glass on the tailgate, a nifty reversible rear cargo tray that can take up to 400 lbs and the four-wheel disc brakes come with a full battery of anti-lock brakes, electronic stability program (ESP) and electronic rollover mitigation.

Options are few but significant, like the premium sound system with Sirius satellite radio, a trailer towing group and the MyGIG multimedia information system with internal 20 gigabyte hard drive. But the kicker is the Sky Slider Roof that opens either to the front or the rear from just behind the A-pillar all the way back to behind the back seat. The fabric top is about the size of six-place dinner table. You have to see it!

While our American friends get two versions of the Liberty, as has become fashion at Jeep Canada, we get three models. The base Liberty Sport starts at $27,695 with the range topping Limited coming in at $32,795. In the middle is the $28,545 Canada-only North Edition which is similar to the Sport but adds some of the amenities Canadians like such as fold-flat front passenger seat, cruise control, roof rack with side rails, compass and temperature readouts, fog lamps and a 115-volt AC outlet.

Interestingly, Jeep officials said that while more content has been added, the Liberty Sport is $2,695 less than the 2007 model and that price reduction holds true across the range.

But by far, the biggest feature, and it's standard, is that all Liberty models are "Trail Rated" and that means they have been tested to meet and/or exceed all the off-road capability that people expect in a Jeep.

Chrysler knows it's "Jeepness" that people want and it's "Jeepness" they are going to find in abundance in the 2008 Liberty.


JEEP LIBERTY SUV 2008 AT A GLANCE

BODY STYLE: Mid-size SUV.

DRIVE METHOD: front-engine, four-wheel-drive.

ENGINE: 3.7-litre, SOHC V6 (210 hp, 235 lb/ft)

FUEL ECONOMY: Manual, 13.4L/100 km (21 mpg) city, 9.2L/100 km (31 mpg) highway; automatic, 14.0L/100 km (20 mpg) city, 9.7L/100 km (29 mpg) highway.

PRICE: Sport, $27,695; North Edition, $28,545; Limited, $32,795.

WEBSITE: jeep.ca

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