PRE-OWNED WHEELS
2008-2011 Jeep Liberty
There’s an English hair salon in one of London’s grottier neighbourhoods where truth in advertising reigns supreme. The name of the shop? “It Will Grow Back.” Similarly, the unofficial tag line for Chrysler’s Jeep division has long been: “It’s a Jeep thing — you wouldn’t understand.”
Concocted by Jeep fans, it has nothing to do with brand arrogance and everything to do with the rolling community of owners who gleefully smile, wave, nod and generally act cordially towards other Jeep pilots.
What it isn’t is a focus-grouped advertising campaign or manufactured meme intended to galvanize loyalty to the badge. It doesn’t overpromise or under-deliver. It only suggests Jeep people are pretty jovial.
One way to get into the Jeep lifestyle without mussing your hair is to sample the Liberty compact sport-utility. Originally introduced in 2001 to replace the long-in-thetooth Cherokee, it married unibody construction with a box-section steel frame so rugged that it could do jail time.
The second-generation Liberty, relaunched for 2008, was larger in every dimension, roomier inside and more refined, with an independent front suspension and a new, five-link rear suspension to locate its trademark live axle.
Despite the promise of more elbow room, the cabin was oddly pinched down in the footwells due to an inordinately large transmission tunnel that bisected the space. Even the front seats were uncomfortably narrow.
The driver faced a conventional four-dial instrumental panel, but the hard-plastic dashboard was strangely misshapened — so narrow you can’t rest anything on top of it, the result of a fairly upright windshield.
At least the back seat was wide with good space for three riders. The longer body permitted designers to tuck the spare tire down below, freeing up the back portal to emulate a minivan hatch and reach for the sky.
The lone engine was the same SOHC 3.7L V6 that carried over from the old Liberty, good for 210 hp and 235 lb.-ft. of torque. A sixspeed manual transmission was standard, with a four-speed automatic optional. Rear-wheel drive was standard.
Manual-transmission models had an optional part-time 4x4 system that could not be left engaged on dry pavement. Automatic models were available with more sophisticated Selec-trac II all-wheel drive. Both systems included lowrange gearing for off-road use. Standard safety features included four-wheel antilock disc brakes, traction control, an antiskid system with rollover sensors and curtain side airbags. The Liberty was stout enough to pull up to 2,230 kg, or 5,000 lbs. For 2009 all Liberty models came with the automatic transmission, the six-speed manual having been dropped due to buyer apathy. Newly available was Chrysler’s Uconnect multimedia suite, which included a 30 GB hard drive for storing digital media.
ON THE ROAD
With its doubly reinforced chassis, the Liberty was one lead sled, taxing the old-school 12-valve V6 something awful. Zero to 100 km/h came up in 9.3 seconds — no quicker than a four-cylinder Mitsubishi Outlander. “The V6 feels so sluggish that you have to jam your foot on the gas pedal to get the transmission to downshift,” one owner posted online. In addition, the tall Liberty felt tippy in the curves, inducing uneasy yawing that could unnerve drivers and passengers alike. Stops were lengthier than the class average, and noise and vibration were pronounced. The distinctive, optional Sky Slider canvas roof exposed both rows of seats to the elements when fully opened — an appealing feature — but one that many owners realized was a constant source of wind noise, open or closed. The Liberty was not shy about lapping up gasoline. Drivers were unpleasantly surprised by the compact ute’s thirst for fuel, typically 17 L/100 km in the city.
WHAT OWNERS SAY
The second-generation Liberty delivers some welcome advances compared to the original, including more space, a convenient hatch and improved road manners.
The Toledo-built Liberty may even be more reliable than its predecessor (which we no longer recommend), though there are some caveats worth recounting here.
Firstly, avoid models with the Sky Slider roof. In addition to the cacophony you’ll hear on the highway, the canvas roof sometimes allows water to infiltrate the seals and flood the cabin.
Even without the fabric roof, owners caution water may find its way in to soak the carpets, most often through the back hatch and around the cargo lamp.
The check engine warning may light when the temperature falls below freezing, requiring installation of an improved throttle body.
Other reported weaknesses included bad water pumps, electrical glitches, slipping transmissions (in small numbers) and poor defroster performance.
Overall, the Liberty works as advertised, but those who have no desire to venture beyond paved civilization can find more refined sportutes out there. We would like to know about your ownership experience with these models: Toyota Tundra, Mercedes-benz E-class and Chevrolet Malibu. Email: toljagic@ca.inter.net