2002 Jeep Liberty Limited 4WD

They look at me funny when I write a check in the grocery store and put down not simply the wrong month or day like normal people, but the wrong year. I come by this confusion honestly (or so I mutter to myself). Here we are, not yet to the midpoint of 2001, and already my driveway is peppered with vehicles marked “2002 model.” This Jeep Liberty counts itself among that fold. It bears the distinction of replacing the vehicle that started this whole sport utility craze, the Jeep Cherokee. As a compact, this Liberty takes on the Ford Escapes, Mazda Tributes, Toyota RAV4s and Honda CR-Vs of the world with the kind of verve and muscle that make it a credit to its ultra-rugged roots. I just spent a week with the Liberty Limited 4WD, the more uptown of the Liberty’s two models. This is what I found.

The Good News
Few vehicles I’ve driven lately (the metallic orange Prowler excepted) have elicited the comments and stares this Liberty does. Its seven-slot grille, single round headlamps, square fenders and other visual cues make it immediately recognizable as a Jeep. But the contemporary design and compact size also let people know this is something very new and different.

And that it is. Although its compact dimensions compete with the smaller car-based SUVs, its underpinnings suggest a very different animal. Not only is the Liberty engineered to follow the same roads-less-traveled as other Jeeps, it also offers a new optional 3.7 liter V-6 that trots out 210 horses and 235 pound feet of torque.

This 12-valve engine is “similar in architecture” to the Grand Cherokee’s 4.7-liter V8, Chrysler says, and beats everything in its class in horsepower and torque. When equipped with the optional automatic transmission, as mine was, the Liberty boasts a 5000-pound towing capacity. The Liberty also offers a new 2.4-liter 150-horse four-cylinder engine in its base Sport model, and a 5-speed manual transmission is available with both engines.

You also choose between two-wheel drive or systems that shift to part-time or full-time four-wheel drive. Mine came with the latter that allows you to select between two-wheel drive, part-time four-wheel, full-time four wheel or four-wheel low for the toughest challenges.

Much has been done to ensure the Liberty’s ride, both on- and off-road. Most impressive is the fact that more than 70 percent of the underbody is high-strength steel. It has a “uniframe” construction for durability and strength, with reinforcements that further support and distribute the load.

The result is the stiffest Jeep body ever, with 43 percent torsion and 58 percent bending improvement over the Grand Cherokee. That means more solid ride and handling characteristics than ever before over all terrain, newly paved highways included. Noise and vibration are kept to a minimum.

That is just one way this Liberty heralds on-road comfort and civility. The fancy Limited Edition I tested has many more, from its leather seats to its power/folded/heated mirrors. I especially love the high seating position, good headroom even with sunroof, chrome-rimmed retro gauges and the brushed stainless accents. Even the inside door handles are ergonomic delights.

Cargo capacity is 31 cubic feet with back seat in place, 69 with seat folded, which is comparable to the Cherokee and close to most of its compact competition. It is accessed via a rear door that opens from the right side in one neat piece, unlike the Honda CR-V which annoys the heck out of everyone with its flip-glass/open door setup.

The Bad News
Despite efforts to cut corners on weight, the Liberty’s fondness for steel and extra reinforcements makes it a very heavy vehicle. With the V6, it weighs almost two tons. Its EPA ratings are 16 mpg city/20 highway, not great by class standards.

But the extra weight doesn’t slow it down. And while I admire eager acceleration, especially in a class with more than a few anemics, the Liberty’s V6 lurches with a tad too much enthusiam to suit me. I’m sure the 5-speed manual would tame these jitters.

This Liberty’s commendable command of the off-road isn’t without some tradeoff in comfort. The on-road ride has more spring and bounce than the car-based compact SUVs, but it is certainly tolerable, all things considered.

Price
Manufacturer’s base, $22,720;
Price as tested, $28,305

Is it worth it?
Keep in mind that my Jeep Liberty Limited Edition was fully loaded. Like many top-end, option-happy vehicles I test, what I like best can also be found in lesser dressed models. In this case, that would include style, off-road integrity, overall construction and just plain fun-to-drive factor. The one extra I would have a hard time parting with, however, is the V6. I like the power, if not always the delivery of it

I think Jeep has a winner in this new Liberty. To me, it’s a great marriage of the Wrangler attitude with Grand Cherokee comfort and sophistication. Although I like other compact sport utilities for different reasons, I welcome a contender with more power and an honest-to-goodness appetite for the off road. It makes this Liberty is, well, liberating.

Beth Stein is a life-long car buff and free-lance journalist living in Nashville. She has reviewed new vehicles in print for 12 years as a weekly columnist for Nashville’s daily newspapers and on television for Road Test Magazine and Motor Trend Television. Currently, her reviews appear nationally on Car And Driver Television.