General Comments:
The liberty sits a bit higher than most mid sized SUV's allowing a nice view of the road when commuting. Plenty of storage space with the rear seats folded down. Nice amenities and options for the price of the vehicle.
Interior space more generous than BMW X5. Acceleration is solid. With the automatic transmission the liberty seems to want to rev at about 2k rpm most of the time probably contributing to lower than expected mileage. I seem to be averaging near 16 mpg combined city and highway so far which is less than the 17 to 21 MPG the vehicle is rated for. This may improve as the vehicle breaks in.
The Liberty is a heavy vehicle. Normal breaking on dry pavement is not an issue, but optional ABS may be desired for wet or snowy conditions. Excellent handling and traction in snow and ice.
Seats are firm and allow ample leg head and shoulder room even for larger drivers. Factory stereo not audiophile quality, but adequate with nice steering wheel controls for volume and tuning. Great turning radius making navigation into tight parking spaces a breeze. Highway handling is nimble.
20th Feb 2006, 19:50
I purchased a 2005 Liberty Limited 3.7 4x4 automatic. I have 7 months and 7000 highway miles and I can't get over 16 miles per gallon on the highway. (I'm using a true miles per gallon calculation and not just using the on-board computer). The vehicle size, quality, ride, and comfort is great. I use the vehicle off-road occasionally and it performs true to the Jeep reputation. I turned in a 1994 Chevy S-10 Blazer with a 4.3 V6 that was getting a bit over 20 MPG on the highway. I wish I had my S-10 back.