Jeep Liberty
Good points: very offroadable, nice ride, responsive engine, large fuel tank
Needs improvement: cargo space, rear hatch closing handle, not as car like as the competitors, base engine is underpowered, tight rear seats
The bumper crash scores were poor, the roller over resistance is average, side-impact testing resulted in an excellent five-star rating for both front and rear passengers, the crash offset rating was marginal for the Liberty. So why do we bring these up for this Jeep? Because true to its heritage it is the most offroadable of the bunch and might be subject to a more dangerous lifestyle than its less adequately equipped brethren. Unfortunately, it is also the heaviest and with the base four-cylinder engine only available with a manual transmission we would advise you to look at an optional larger engine if you need an automatic. Basically, the Liberty suffers from old think, as the interior does not have the usable space as the higher rated SUVs, the spare tire hangs off the back, and the gas mileage is unsatisfactory for such a new design. On the other hand, it has a whopping 20 plus gallon fuel tank making 500 mile excursions a possibility and is ideal for off-roading where there are few services available.
Suzuki XL-7
Good points: comes with V6 as standard, well loaded with standard features, has an available transfer case for more serious off roading, pricing and warranty are good.
Needs improvement: useable interior room, harsh ride, brakes, seats, gas mileage.
It is time for a redo for this Suzuki, as it needs an improved ride, more refined engine, and more attractive interior. If you want to keep this Suzuki a long time the warranty length is five years/ 100,000 miles on some items. That might be a good idea since resale isn't very good. In this price range this Suzuki is the least expensive SUV that can hold seven people. The V6 engine pushes the truck chassis along fine once underway, but when loaded it struggles. The ride is harsh at times and its greatest grace is its ability to go off-road. The bottom line here is the price and the range of standard features that include superior headlights, keyless remove, in dash CD four-speed automatic transmission, antilock brakes, 16-inch alloy wheels, power sunroof, and more. The XL-7 version is the one to buy if you live where dirt roads and inclement weather are a daily event and you have need for extra seating. The foot longer wheelbase and third row seating is going to cost you about $2000 more for the XL-7 than the smaller Grand Vitara so you may want to consider that models, too.
Saturn Vue
Good points: customer service record, dent resistant panels, handling, good crash scores, some panels are dent resistant, very low initial price.
Needs improvement: underpowered without expensive Honda optional engine, difficult to close rear hatch, awkward rear seat release, poor interior materials, hard to close rear hatch, transmission, brakes.
We tried to like the Vue, but we never could accept its limitations in this highly competitive market. The brakes and ride are not up to today's standards and the interior design needs a rethink. The electric power steering provides little feedback and isn't a joy to drive in traffic. If you want to be among the fastest of the compact SUV crowd order the 3.5-liter V6 built by Honda with its 250 horsepower. A good handler, but not the best. Check the resale before you buy even though it has a very attractive price on its entry-level model.
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| Jeep Liberty |
Needs improvement: cargo space, rear hatch closing handle, not as car like as the competitors, base engine is underpowered, tight rear seats
The bumper crash scores were poor, the roller over resistance is average, side-impact testing resulted in an excellent five-star rating for both front and rear passengers, the crash offset rating was marginal for the Liberty. So why do we bring these up for this Jeep? Because true to its heritage it is the most offroadable of the bunch and might be subject to a more dangerous lifestyle than its less adequately equipped brethren. Unfortunately, it is also the heaviest and with the base four-cylinder engine only available with a manual transmission we would advise you to look at an optional larger engine if you need an automatic. Basically, the Liberty suffers from old think, as the interior does not have the usable space as the higher rated SUVs, the spare tire hangs off the back, and the gas mileage is unsatisfactory for such a new design. On the other hand, it has a whopping 20 plus gallon fuel tank making 500 mile excursions a possibility and is ideal for off-roading where there are few services available.
Suzuki XL-7
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| Suzuki XL-7 |
Needs improvement: useable interior room, harsh ride, brakes, seats, gas mileage.
It is time for a redo for this Suzuki, as it needs an improved ride, more refined engine, and more attractive interior. If you want to keep this Suzuki a long time the warranty length is five years/ 100,000 miles on some items. That might be a good idea since resale isn't very good. In this price range this Suzuki is the least expensive SUV that can hold seven people. The V6 engine pushes the truck chassis along fine once underway, but when loaded it struggles. The ride is harsh at times and its greatest grace is its ability to go off-road. The bottom line here is the price and the range of standard features that include superior headlights, keyless remove, in dash CD four-speed automatic transmission, antilock brakes, 16-inch alloy wheels, power sunroof, and more. The XL-7 version is the one to buy if you live where dirt roads and inclement weather are a daily event and you have need for extra seating. The foot longer wheelbase and third row seating is going to cost you about $2000 more for the XL-7 than the smaller Grand Vitara so you may want to consider that models, too.
Saturn Vue
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| Saturn Vue |
Needs improvement: underpowered without expensive Honda optional engine, difficult to close rear hatch, awkward rear seat release, poor interior materials, hard to close rear hatch, transmission, brakes.
We tried to like the Vue, but we never could accept its limitations in this highly competitive market. The brakes and ride are not up to today's standards and the interior design needs a rethink. The electric power steering provides little feedback and isn't a joy to drive in traffic. If you want to be among the fastest of the compact SUV crowd order the 3.5-liter V6 built by Honda with its 250 horsepower. A good handler, but not the best. Check the resale before you buy even though it has a very attractive price on its entry-level model.