Jeep Liberty Sport
Jeep Thrills
|
  |
By Richard J. Newman
|
NITS: The placement of the radio is ergonomically incorrect. It's high in the dashboard, which forces you to hold your arm uncomfortably in the air if you want to page through settings or search for a station.
G-FORCES: The test vehicle came with the optional 210-horsepower V-6, which is powerful enough to tow a 5,000-pound trailer–leaving a lot of gusto when nothing's hitched behind. The base 4-cylinder engine offers 150 horsepower. The Liberty holds the road extremely well, with little of the lateral toss that afflicts many SUVs on curves.
GIZMOLOGY: Buttons on the radio were too small, a particular annoyance since the radio was hard to reach in the first place. Controls for the climate system and other features were simple and easy to use.
KID MARKS: Not the easiest vehicle for kids to get in and out of. But the rugged interior seems spill resistant and scuffproof. A stroller will fit in the back, but cargo space is limited.
HOT OR NOT? Not. To maximize interior space and improve off-road performance, Chrysler trimmed the front and rear overhangs and gave the Liberty an upright posture that looks stiff compared with some sleeker SUVs. But the cheeky "face" of the Liberty is undeniably cute.
ENVIROMETER: Three out of five stars on the EPA's "green vehicle" ratings scale. Mileage: 16 mpg city/22 highway (automatic transmission). Details: http://www.epa.gov/autoemissions/
E-JEEP-Liberty-02.htm
CRASH COURSE: Nine out of 10 stars in the government's frontal crash test; 10 out of 10 on the side test; and two out of five on the rollover test. Details: http://www.nhtsa.gov/
NCAP/Cars/2002SUVs.html
PRICE POINTS: Base prices range from $17,495 to $23,855. Price as tested: $25,540. (All prices include delivery fees.)
MORE INFO: http://www.jeep.com/liberty/index.html
|
Model year tested: 2002
My kids should have been complaining about the Liberty. Its high perch made getting into the SUV the equivalent of mountain climbing for my 3- and 5-year-olds. The cupholders containing their juice boxes were totally out of reach, lodged near the bottom of the door panels. And the power window buttons–usually one of the main attractions–were on the back of the center console, where my kids could only reach them with their toes. But the rugrats were elated to be in the Liberty. "I wish we could have this car all the time," declared my 5-year-old daughter.
So did I, after a few hours of driving. I had expected the Liberty to be a cutesy version of Chrysler's rough and rugged Jeep Cherokee, which it replaced. It was that, but more too. The Liberty features inner refinements the Cherokee never offered. The ride was surprisingly smooth and made me feel like I was in a tall wagon. The 3.7-liter six-cylinder engine was quiet and competent. Cornering was firm but not bouncy. The Liberty was simply easy to handle, with none of the rough shifting or macho rumble of other SUVs in the neighborhood of 25 grand.
We took the Liberty to the beach, which helped highlight the je ne sais quoi that Jeeps still possess. Call it the cool factor, which even toddlers pick up on. Despite gentrification under the hood, the Liberty still evokes a free-spirited, open-trail ethos. Perhaps it's the rounded, retro grill on the front, maybe it's the tailgate ready to fold down and host a barbecue. It helped that the interior fabric, even on a gussied-up version of the Liberty, was still fairly utilitarian, some kind of polyester that seemed impervious to sand, mud, trail mix, and anything in your cooler. Not to mention apple juice and cookies.
I also appreciated a kind of hands-off mentality built into the Liberty. There were minimal buzzers, beepers, and alarms reminding me to do this or undo that. The Liberty has a split rear tailgate, for instance, which allows you to drive with the glass fully raised and open. When I tried that, a chime gently sounded a couple of times and the word "glass" appeared in faint light at the bottom of the console. When I chose to ignore the warnings, the Liberty let me drive on, with no further reminders. It's refreshing to find an automobile that leaves the driving to the driver.
 In the market for a new car? Use our auto search for more information.
Is there a car you would like us to review? Send your suggestion to test-track@usnews.com.
Return to the auto page to view more reviews.
|
