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Jeep Liberty
The Jeep Liberty is a compact SUV from DaimlerChrysler. The Liberty was introduced in 2002 with styling inspired by the Dakar and Jeepster show cars. It competes with the Toyota RAV4, Ford Escape, Chevrolet Equinox and Nissan Xterra. The Liberty was the first Jeep to use two new PowerTech engines: A 150 hp 2.4 L I4 and a 210 hp 3.7 L V6. Despite popular belief, the Liberty was not the first Jeep vehicle to use an independent suspension; the Jeep Wagoneer first used it in the 1960s.
The Liberty has been very successful for Jeep, outselling the Ford Escape in 2005 to become the best-selling compact SUV in the United States. 70 percent of Liberty buyers are new to the Jeep marque, and the Toledo North Assembly factory in Toledo, Ohio is running overtime to produce the model.
See Wikicars' comprehensive Jeep Liberty Review.
Recent Changes
Not much has changed for 2007 since the Liberty received some updates in 2005. For 2007, the Renegade trim has been removed, as well as the turbo diesel versions from 2006.
Styles and Major Options
The 2007 Liberty comes available in two trims: the Sport and the Limited. Both operate on the same 3.7L 210hp V6 engine, and while the Sport is available in a 6-speed manual transmission as well as a 4-speed auto, the Limited is only availble in auto. Though the Limited does include some options and cosmetic touches not found on the Sport, most of the standard features remain the same. Some of these include:
Liberty Sport
- 16" silver styled steel wheels
- 4-way cloth bucket seats
- 6-speaker AM/FM/CD audio system
- Power windows, locks, mirrors
Liberty Limited
- 17" Silver alloy wheels
- 8-way (6-way power) driver's seat
- Roll-up cargo cover
- 6-Speaker AM/FM/CD/Sirius satellite audio system
- Cruise control
- Body-colored fender flares
- Chrome bodyside and grille moldings
Pricing
Today's actual prices for the Jeep Liberty can be found at CarsDirect.
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Liberty Trims |
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Sport 2WD |
Limited 2WD |
Sport 4WD |
Limited 4WD |
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MSRP |
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$21,365 |
$25,000 |
$22,875 |
$26,510 |
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Invoice |
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$20,022 |
$23,330 |
$21,416 |
$24,724 |
Gas Mileage
As seen on the FuelEconomy.gov website, the City/Highway MPG averages are as follows:
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Trim |
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MPG |
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18/22 |
17/23 |
18/22 |
17/22 |
Reliability
Safety
According to the NHTSA, the 2007 Liberty performed well overall in safety tests. For driver front-impact and all side-impact crash tests, the Liberty received a 5-Star rating, while passenger front-impact tests earned it a 4-Star rating. However, rollover tests performed on the 2WD and 4WD versions both yielded only 3-Star ratings.
Some of the standard safety equipment that can be found on all versions of the Jeep Liberty include:
- ABS and driveline traction control
- Electronic stability control
- Front and rear anti-roll bars
- Four wheel anti-lock brakes
- Driver/passenger front-impact airbags
- Side impact bars
Photos
Colors
A full list of colors for the 2007 Jeep Liberty is viewable at CarsDirect.com. Some of the available combinations include:
Exterior
- Black Clearcoat
- Bright Silver Metallic Clearcoat
- Inferno Red Crystal Pearlcoat
- Light Khaki Metallic Clearcoat
- Stone White Clearcoat
Interior
- Dark Khaki/Light Graystone
- Khaki
- Medium Slate Gray
Main Competitors
Hybrid Models
There are currently no hybrid models of the Liberty.
Unique Attributes
Resale Values
According to Kelley Blue Book, "the Liberty is projected to retain an average residual value over 24-, 36-, 48- and 60-month periods. The Liberty Limited holds its value better than the Nissan Xterra, Kia Sorrento and Suzuki XL-7, but falls behind the Toyota RAV4 and Honda CR-V."
Criticisms
- "You really feel the weight [4,115 pounds with V6 engine] under braking..." - AutoWeek
- "You'll feel the mass at the gas pump, too, with an EPA estimate of 16 mpg in the city, 20 highway." - AutoWeek
- For some the Liberty might be a bit too "cute" to carry off the image they want from a Jeep, even though the model is very capable off-road. The small rear cargo area may also persuade some to look for a bigger vehicle." - Kelley Blue Book
Current Generation: (2002–present)
4-wheel disc brakes were added for 2003. For 2005, a 2.8 L VM Motori turbodiesel engine became available in the CRD model. Although diesel engines are not familiar in the American market, Jeep reported that they sold 10,000 Liberty CRD models in the first calendar year of sales.
With the arrival of the new Jeep compact SUVs Compass and Patriot for 2007, a 2008 Liberty is expected to grow considerably and become a mid-size crossover SUV, with competitors such as the Toyota Highlander, Nissan Murano and Ford Freestyle, or possibly Jeep could cancel the Liberty.
Worldwide
Design quirks and oddities
Awards
- The Liberty was nominated for the North American Truck of the Year award for 2002.
See also
External Links
This page uses content from Wikipedia; see Jeep Liberty, which includes these contributors.
