Is the Liberty the ultimate vehicle?

TallNorton · **Posted:** Fri Aug 05, 2005 7:12 pm

I did another run down to my mountain land this week and had lots of time to run the Liberty in many different conditions.

In the course of 2 days I:

(Day 1)
•Drove 350 miles down the interstate at 80 miles an hour in perfect comfort
•Drove 25 miles on winding country road without the Jeep feeling at all unsecure...handled like a sportscar
•Road 20 minutes in 4wd up single track dirt road, through a stream, dealing with rocks, ruts, mud
•Hauled all of my gear up there with plenty of room for my 6'7" frame
•Hauled 5 loads of rocks back up the single track to try and repair the road...turning around within the width of the road each time without going over the edge of the mountain
•Drove back to town to the hotel, then went and did some driving on the forestry roads up where my folks land is...40mph down loose gravel roads in perfect safety...saw a black bear and a red fox.

(Day 2)
•Back to the land and more rock hauling...saw a flock of 15 turkeys about 1/4 mile from the property
•Back to town to go to assessors office and to see the surveyor...parking in town a snap!
•Back up the interstate at a comfortable 80mph, interrupted by 2 hours of hell on the DC beltway

I've never owned a vehicle so able to change its personality to meet the task at hand. From highway. to country roads, to pretty rough dirt roads, to parking in town that little 4x4 does everything I ask of it.

WOW!

dirtykj · **Posted:** Fri Aug 05, 2005 7:20 pm

Glad you enjoy your vehicle. We love ours. But, some of our friends were always quipping about "your compact SUV"

Oh well, can't win them all.

Guest · **Posted:** Fri Aug 05, 2005 9:30 pm

I never even thought of a vehicle as being the ultimate. After reading your post, I started thinking of all the different jobs I've asked this jeep to do and in comparing all the vehicles I've owned, it's very clear. As an all around vehicle your right, this liberty has done everything I've asked of it and more. I love it even more now, Thanks for the wake-up call. I will stop bitching about the gas mileage.

KW AV8R · **Posted:** Fri Aug 05, 2005 10:06 pm

It took me a while to realize this also. My wife and I looked at many different vehicles trying to find one that could do everything and still have room for when we have a family (still working hard at that part :wink:

). I had originally wanted a TJ, but it wasn't practical enough. We looked at all the import products (european and asian) then went to the Jeep dealership. I kept sliding over to the TJs and my wife had a hard time keeping me focused. Once we drove the KJ, I finally agreed to "settle" for it. Part of the deal though was that the dealer would lift it (big mistake

), add rock rails (also a mistake), the rennie light bar, and the rennie roof basket (another mistake). Three months later I drove from lower AL to CO with about 600 pounds of stuff in the back, a cat and more stuff in the back seat, and still had an open seat in the front. I averaged about 18mpg and was comfortable the whole way. That was my first hint at how good a vehicle I had bought. Then I got LOST and it's all been down hill from there. I love being on the cutting edge of development for a new product. The guys/gals in the CJ/YJ/TJ community have so many mod. options out there, the only really challenge to build a good one is figuring out what you want and paying for it. I don't mean to put them down, I'm just saying it is just much harder to build a KJ than a CJ/YJ/TJ. Every time I get comments about it being a "cute-ute", a "wanna-be 4x4", or the like, I just refer them to this website. I loved when the Rockies chapter went out on a fairly difficult trail and were told by a CJ driver that they had never seen a Liberty make it down that trail. With a smile, we responded with, "Now you've seen five!"

(I'm still going to gripe about the mpg though, just very quietly and to myself mostly)

sstenner · **Posted:** Fri Aug 05, 2005 11:04 pm

Don't forget towing! Just came back from a trip to Pittsburgh... while my sister was turning off her AC so she could get up a hill I was looking for the dirt roads back into the "hollers!"

longarm · **Posted:** Fri Aug 05, 2005 11:41 pm

..........

OKJeep · **Posted:** Sat Aug 06, 2005 2:03 am

I agree completely. After a recent trip to Colorado, 2,700 miles & 19.7 mpg, I realized it was the most comfortable long haul vehicle I've ever owned. No one ever complained about being uncomfortable. We've traveled, light off-roading, extreme heat, floods, snow, slush, towing, malling, everything and it's never complained. Yea the mileage isn't great and the back end is a little small, but I knew all that when I bought it. If it were any different it woudl be a RAV4 or a Pilot. It is what it is and I like it that way!

TallNorton · **Posted:** Sat Aug 06, 2005 6:45 am

RE: Mileage...

Forgot to mention that I made 21 MPG on one tank of gas....others were averaging 20 MPG. I don't consider that too bad for a heavy, boxy vehicle with a 6 cylinder engine. My old Dakota was in that territory with 2wd, no AC, no PS :shock:

Just thought though....mine is a 5 speed so maybe I'm picking up a couple MPG there.

the1jferg · **Posted:** Sat Aug 06, 2005 9:28 am

I get that "compact SUV" stuff all the time here in Texas until I park along side of their suburban and they really see how big a liberty is.

Again, I've put a 10' piece of lumber in with the glass closed.

Jeep made this thing visually deceptive.

TallNorton · **Posted:** Sat Aug 06, 2005 10:07 am

the1jferg wrote:

I get that "compact SUV" stuff all the time here in Texas until I park along side of their suburban and they really see how big a liberty is.

Again, I've put a 10' piece of lumber in with the glass closed.

Jeep made this thing visually deceptive.

I know what you mean....I pulled up beside a Cherokee Classic yesterday and noticed that my Liberty is nearly as long and has much more headroom.

Don't forget that with a roof rack, it would be nothing to haul small amounts of long lumber.

JJsTJ · **Posted:** Sat Aug 06, 2005 7:38 pm

Love mine, but if it just had that SFA and more lower rpm torque...... maybe some day.

SethX9 · **Posted:** Sun Aug 07, 2005 12:00 am

Earlier this week I went to IKEA and put a king-size mattress in the back, closed the gate and the window and then me and the mrs. hopped in and drove home @ a smooth comfortable 80mph. This morning I went and did a 4-rated trail.....yeah, for me it's perfect! The only thing I'd change is to get the CRD instead of the 3.7L. Next year maybe.... :-)

InCommando · **Posted:** Sun Aug 07, 2005 10:40 am

I've posted before about how I feel about the KJ and why I bought it. It is an excellent all-purpose vehicle. And for those magazine writers who consider it a "cute ute", they should see a KJ parked beside a RAV4 or a CRV. As I've also posted before, I do take my KJ into the woods, and none of my co-workers in Rav4's, CRV's, Sante FE's, or Escapes will take me up on my offer to go 'wheeling for a day.

flatfoot · **Joined:** Sat Aug 06, 2005 10:28 pm **Posts:** 9

One thing you will notice about the liberty, is that if you compare the load capacity, you will see a much larger capacity, then a lot of vehciles in its class, and even larger.
For a compact type of car, it has an awful large rated capacity, especially when compared to such vehicles as the rav 4, crv , etc.
I load up my jeep, to go to military duty, with three buddies, and eight heavy duffle bags in back and on roof, and the jeep doesnt complain one bit.
It does have a harder time, gaining speed on the highway, say from sixty to eighty miles an hour, but still a willing and capable vehice, especially in inclement weather.

Much regards flatfoot

Tokyojoe · **Posted:** Sun Aug 07, 2005 7:36 pm

So, was the Cherokee listed as a Compact SUV when it was in production? If so, then the Libby is pushing the limit of compact since it is taller, wider, and longer than the Cherokee.

The Libby belongs in the mid-size SUV but I'll take compact category since I think insurance might be lower for a compact. Just my guess.

Jeepjeepster · **Posted:** Mon Aug 08, 2005 10:45 am

TallNorton wrote:

the1jferg wrote:

I get that "compact SUV" stuff all the time here in Texas until I park along side of their suburban and they really see how big a liberty is.

Again, I've put a 10' piece of lumber in with the glass closed.

Jeep made this thing visually deceptive.

I know what you mean....I pulled up beside a Cherokee Classic yesterday and noticed that my Liberty is nearly as long and has much more headroom.

Don't forget that with a roof rack, it would be nothing to haul small amounts of long lumber.

The libby is 3in longer than the cherokee, without the spare tire. Its bigger in every way but the width i think, its about the same there.

And yes they did make it look alot smaller than it really is, its where its so tall, and the fenders are not that big.

Is the Liberty the ultimate vehicle?

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