By this time, everyone knows about Jeep's new four-wheel drive vehicle, the great looking Liberty (known as a Cherokee in other parts of the world). This small four-door station wagon replaces the good old Cherokee that has been with us since 1984. Since I have already described the Liberty in technical details (quite) earlier this year, I will be brief in my description of the vehicle.
As we can see, it's a four-door wagon that seems to sit on a full chassis. But it is not the case as the Liberty is a unibody shell that is reinforced by two rails welded under the floor pan. Two engines will power this Jeep, a base 2.4-liter four cylinder in line mill or a new 3.7-litre SOHC V6 that develops 210 hp and 225 lb-ft of torque. That was the engine that powered my two test cars. The Liberty remains a real Jeep with a 5-speed manual transmission or a 4-speed automatic (like my two testers). Power is delivered to the rear wheels until the driver pulls the lever and sets the truck in part-time or full-time four-wheel-drive or, in extreme cases, low-ratio four-wheel drive. What sets this Jeep apart from the former ones is that it was totally designed by DaimlerChrysler (all previous Jeeps kept some AMC-Jeep engineering including the Grand Cherokee). In the case of the Liberty, everything or almost is new from the engines to the suspension. Indeed, for the first time ever, Jeep is offering an independent front suspension, a real heresy to true Jeep die-hards.
My first tester was an all-red deluxe Limited that I kept on the road all the time. My first real surprise was to discover that the new Liberty is the quietest Jeep I ever tried. Believe it or not, this Jeep is surely not noisy on the road and its new suspension is so much smoother than I ever thought it would be. I cannot say that the engine is fast but it is quick enough to keep up with traffic in any circumstances. Passing was more satisfying as the engine growled very pleasantly. On the highway, the Liberty was quiet and very stable. I especially liked the very precise steering that felt stiff enough to keep it straight but could be a little difficult for not so strong people who try to park in a tight spot.
As we can see, it's a four-door wagon that seems to sit on a full chassis. But it is not the case as the Liberty is a unibody shell that is reinforced by two rails welded under the floor pan. Two engines will power this Jeep, a base 2.4-liter four cylinder in line mill or a new 3.7-litre SOHC V6 that develops 210 hp and 225 lb-ft of torque. That was the engine that powered my two test cars. The Liberty remains a real Jeep with a 5-speed manual transmission or a 4-speed automatic (like my two testers). Power is delivered to the rear wheels until the driver pulls the lever and sets the truck in part-time or full-time four-wheel-drive or, in extreme cases, low-ratio four-wheel drive. What sets this Jeep apart from the former ones is that it was totally designed by DaimlerChrysler (all previous Jeeps kept some AMC-Jeep engineering including the Grand Cherokee). In the case of the Liberty, everything or almost is new from the engines to the suspension. Indeed, for the first time ever, Jeep is offering an independent front suspension, a real heresy to true Jeep die-hards.
My first tester was an all-red deluxe Limited that I kept on the road all the time. My first real surprise was to discover that the new Liberty is the quietest Jeep I ever tried. Believe it or not, this Jeep is surely not noisy on the road and its new suspension is so much smoother than I ever thought it would be. I cannot say that the engine is fast but it is quick enough to keep up with traffic in any circumstances. Passing was more satisfying as the engine growled very pleasantly. On the highway, the Liberty was quiet and very stable. I especially liked the very precise steering that felt stiff enough to keep it straight but could be a little difficult for not so strong people who try to park in a tight spot.