I purchased a Jeep Liberty about six weeks ago. I wanted an affordable vehicle that I could comfortably and safely drive to work and back through stop-and-go traffic, haul landscaping and building supplies for DIY projects on the weekend, and could be driven overland on vacation camping trips and backcountry adventures. The Jeep Liberty fits these requirements perfectly.

The fit and finish of the vehicle is perfect and all of the knobs, levers, and switches feel like high quality components. The Liberty fits my 5㤓” frame perfectly. I sit in a more upright position than I do in a car but it is just as comfortable. I cannot speculate what a taller or wider person would think, but I can’t think that it would be much different than most other small and midsized cars I have driven. The seats are firm and supportive, although my wife wishes that the front right passenger armrest were a little higher.

I have no problem with the placement of the power window controls on the center console. My wife especially likes being able to control all of the windows when she is sitting in front with me, which she couldn’t do if the controls were on my door. The non-standard positioning of these controls takes some getting used to so that you instinctively reach to the right rather than to the left to operate the windows from the driver’s seat, but it is not the big deal as has been portrayed by so many other bitter reviewers.

The rear seats lack contour and the knee room is limited. This fine for our 10 and 12 year-old boys, but most adults would not want to spend much time back there. Furthermore, the glove box is ridiculously small. You cannot even fit the owner’s manual into it. It also has few little trays or pockets to put coins and knick-knacks into.

The only design flaw I have noticed is that the plastic cladding on the rear door that wraps around into the wheel well traps Mud/dirt. This requires opening the door to hose off and clean.

The Liberty drives heavy for a vehicle of its size, which makes it feel really substantial and safe. It is solid and durable like a Tonka truck. Although it is small and nimble off-road, it is relatively sluggish on-road compared to most regular cars. Still, the engine has adequate power and the suspension has good sway control for a vehicle of its mass, so you can still throw it into some corners tear around as long as you don’t over do it.

I cannot say enough about the 㤍 Liberty’s brakes. I was really concerned about the Liberty’s ability to stop short in traffic due to its weight, height and short wheelbase. Having driven it in wet and dry conditions I am now fully confident in the breaking system. Despite its heft, the big disks on all four wheels, in conjunction with the ABS, really slows the thing down in a hurry.

The Liberty seems to handle heavy loads well. One weekend I loaded 900 lbs of topsoil, gravel, and mulch into the back. With the rear seats folded down the bags fit with room to spare. The load made the Liberty ride noticeably lower on the suspension but it drove normally and the engine did not strain at all with the additional weight.

While the Liberty is fully satisfactory to drive over pavement, it is a total blast to drive off-road. The day we bought it I took it off-road and gave it a baptism of mud. The Liberty’s four-wheel-drive system and off-road capability is vastly superior to that of the car-based crossover SUVs that are currently so popular. Their all-wheel-drive systems are okay for snow and an occasional trip to the beach but the Liberty has skid plates, a low-range transfer case, powerful high-torque engine, and frame strength required for more challenging off-road situations.

Gas mileage is as expected, so I won’t count this as a negative. The vehicle is rated for 17 mpg in town and 22 mpg on the highway. The mpg is better than that of a large SUV or truck but not as good as a crossover SUV or a car. We knew this going into the purchase and planned for it in our monthly budgeting, so I cannot complain about this. Each day I commute 18 miles (one way) from my home to work in stop-and-go Dallas, Texas traffic. I have carefully measured 4 tanks of gas and observed 16.25, 16.75, 17.30, and 15.56 MPG. On the highway at 75 mph I expect to get about 20 mpg.
Amount Paid (US$): 23000
Model and Options: Sport 4x4