Legroom wanted
Inside the Liberty, the general design is fine, but the dash and door panels are moulded in cheap-looking plastic. The shift lever looks like it was lifted straight out of a '78 Cherokee Chief. And yet, the door-mounted switches are Mercedes-grade, while the heating and ventilation controls are straightforward, as is the sound system.
The seats have very short cushions, and their padding numbs your legs after half an hour. The biggest complain, though, concerns the lack of legroom, especially in front. The footwells are very narrow; there's no dead pedal for the driver, and once you take your foot off the clutch pedal, there's nowhere to rest it. The floor mats are as big as the placemats on my kitchen table.
The door sills are particularly large, which complicates exiting the Liberty; the same issue applies to most Chrysler products. The cargo area has a convenient underfloor storage bin for hiding objects, but it's not very deep; it's best for carrying dirty stuff and preventing the carpeting from getting stained. And with the optional trailer-tow package, the Liberty can pull up to 5,000 lbs (2,268 kg).
Cool sunroof
The Liberty's shape is pure Jeep; you won't mistake it for anything else, and it looks like the love child of the Commander and the Patriot. The rear hatch glass can be opened separately, which is pretty handy. The outside mirrors could be a little bigger, though.
The optional Sky Slider roof is great, because it opens up from the front right up to the back of the SUV. So, all passengers can catch a ray or take a collective shower, whatever they feel like doing. During the test, the roof seems water-tight and the cabin isn't all that noisier at speed. My only concern is how the hardware and roof material will hold up ten years from now.
Inside the Liberty, the general design is fine, but the dash and door panels are moulded in cheap-looking plastic. The shift lever looks like it was lifted straight out of a '78 Cherokee Chief. And yet, the door-mounted switches are Mercedes-grade, while the heating and ventilation controls are straightforward, as is the sound system.
 |
| The biggest complain, though, concerns the lack of legroom, especially in front. |
The seats have very short cushions, and their padding numbs your legs after half an hour. The biggest complain, though, concerns the lack of legroom, especially in front. The footwells are very narrow; there's no dead pedal for the driver, and once you take your foot off the clutch pedal, there's nowhere to rest it. The floor mats are as big as the placemats on my kitchen table.
The door sills are particularly large, which complicates exiting the Liberty; the same issue applies to most Chrysler products. The cargo area has a convenient underfloor storage bin for hiding objects, but it's not very deep; it's best for carrying dirty stuff and preventing the carpeting from getting stained. And with the optional trailer-tow package, the Liberty can pull up to 5,000 lbs (2,268 kg).
Cool sunroof
The Liberty's shape is pure Jeep; you won't mistake it for anything else, and it looks like the love child of the Commander and the Patriot. The rear hatch glass can be opened separately, which is pretty handy. The outside mirrors could be a little bigger, though.
The optional Sky Slider roof is great, because it opens up from the front right up to the back of the SUV. So, all passengers can catch a ray or take a collective shower, whatever they feel like doing. During the test, the roof seems water-tight and the cabin isn't all that noisier at speed. My only concern is how the hardware and roof material will hold up ten years from now.
 |
| The rear hatch glass can be opened separately, which is pretty handy. |