Jeep Liberty Limited CRDWe'd take the 2.8L VM Motori turbodiesel in the Liberty over the 3.7L V-6 any day! The 2.8L's impressive torque lags a little off the line, but load it down and the turbo builds enough boost to give you 295 lb-ft at only 1,800 rpm. That's enough grunt to leave most of the other trucks in our test in a cloud of diesel smoke.
When we popped the hood to check out this new diesel, we were pleasantly surprised to see an Optima red-top battery anchoring the electrical system. That will give diesel Liberty owners even more to brag about.
We suspect that Jeep is working hard to downplay the cute-ute stigma that plagues the Liberty with most male buyers. Love it or hate it, we know the looks make it hard for the man of the house to drive it around town without his buddies kidding him about it. As much as we love the new engine, even we still feel kind of dorky driving it.
Once you get inside the Liberty any feeling of dorkiness is replaced by the command-seating position this 4x4 has. In our mind it makes this the perfect urban commuter Jeep. But on a cross-country trip that same sitting position was deemed less comfortable, and some judges commented they felt like they were driving a bus. A "very small bus." It doesn't help that the interior of the Liberty felt tighter than everything but the Rubicon Unlimited on our test. The power window switches were again bashed by our judges for "being out of place" in the center console. While we expected complaints about diesel clatter, none of the judges found it very intrusive. The engine noise is detectable at idle and full throttle, but at freeway speeds the diesel clatter seems to go away.
With the Liberty out on the trail this little 4x4 showed that even with IFS it still has the Jeep DNA. We found the rear limited-slip differential works well with the tractor-chug-slow wheeling the diesel Liberty prefers. But shouldn't a "Trail Rated" Jeep come with a selectable rear locker? We think so. We did appreciate having the option of full-time four-wheel drive, which made the Liberty much better in the sand than the Rubicon Unlimited despite its poor tires and a slow speed engine. If Jeep could just inject the Liberty's styling with some testosterone we know it would sell more of them.
Specifications
| GENERAL |
| Manufacturer | Jeep |
| Model | Liberty Limited |
| Base Price | $25,035 |
| Price as Tested | $30,950 |
| Options as Tested | Customer Preferred |
| Package 22G (Selec-Trac transfer case, premium leather-trimmed power bucket seats, luxury door trim panels, in-dash 6-disc changer AM/FM stereo w/6 premium Infinity speakers, steering wheel audio controls, power heated fold-away mirrors, vehicle information center, traveler/mini-trip computer, universal garage door opener), Trailer Tow Group (Class IV receiver hitch, 7-to-4 pin wiring adapter), rear cargo organizer, five-speed automatic transmission, Trac-Lok differential, 2.8L 4-cylinder turbodiesel engine, 700-amp battery, floor carpet, bright “CRD” badge, P225/75R16 tires, 16x7 luxury aluminum wheels, 5,650 GVW rating, ABS brakes, engine block heater, power sunroof, U-Connect hands-free communication, tire pressure monitor display |
| ENGINE |
| Type | OHV inline-four |
| Displacement (liters/cubic inches) | 2.8/171 |
| Bore & Stroke (inches) | 3.70x3.94 |
| Compression Ratio | 17.5:1 |
| Induction Type | Direct injection common-rail |
| Fuel Req. (octane)/Cap. (gal.) | #2 diesel/20.5 |
| SAE Peak Horsepower | 160 @ 3,800 rpm |
| SAE Peak Torque (lb-ft) | 295 @ 1,800 rpm |
| TRANSMISSION |
| Type | Five-speed automatic overdrive |
| Model | 545RFE-A5 |
| Ratios | First: 3.00:1; Second: 1.67:1 (upshift), 1.50:1 (kickdown); Third: 1.00:1; Fourth: 0.75:1; Fifth: 0.67:1 Reverse: 2.21:1 |
| Transfer Case |
| Type | Two-speed part/full time |
| Model | NVG 242 |
| Low-range Ratio | 2.72:1 |
| Axles |
| Front Type | IFS Dana 30 |
| Rear Type | Chrysler 81¼4 w/limited slip |
| Hubs | N/A |
| Ratio | 3.73:1 |
| SUSPENSION |
| Front | Upper and lower A-arms w/coil springs |
| Rear | Live axle, three-link w/triangulated upper and coil springs |
| Steering |
| Type | Power rack-and-pinion |
| Turns Lock-to-Lock/Ratio | 3.5/18.2:1 |
| Turning Radius (feet) | 35.9 |
| Wheels |
| Size (inches) | 16x7 |
| Material | Cast-aluminum |
| Tires |
| Size | P225/75R16 |
| Brand | Goodyear Wrangler ST |
| Brakes |
| Front | 11.3-inch discs |
| Rear | 11.2-inch discs |
| 60-0 (feet) | 171.57 |
| ACCELERATION |
| Standing 11/44-mile | |
| (seconds @ mph) | 19.61 @ 70.54 |
| Weight (pounds) |
| Curb Weight | 4,296 |
| Advertised GVWR | 5,650 |
| Mileage |
| EPA Estimate (city/hwy. mpg) | 22/27 |
| As Tested (mpg) | 19.07 |
| Dimensions (inches) |
| Wheelbase | 104 |
| Overall Length | 174.25 |
| Overall Width | 82.75 |
| Overall Height | 71.5 |
| Front/Rear Track | 60.25/60 |
| Front/Rear Overhang | 29/39.125 |
| Min. Front Ground Clearance | 6.25 |
LikesSix-speed transmission wakes this Jeep upPaint looks good clean or dirtyQuintessential rockcrawler
DislikesCabin feels too narrow with hard doorsLots of rear wheelhop in the dunesNot enough lockable storage
VerdictYour out-of-the-box rock monster. Just as Pw would've built it.