Motor Trend article/review

moose · **Posted:** Mon Sep 18, 2006 4:13 pm

Gris wrote:

Did anyone really expect anything different? I have yet to see the Liberty get a good revue except for that "truthaboutcars" thing a few months ago when the author got blasted because he dared to say an SUV was the devil incarnate.

F motor trends for riding the bandwagon and F DCX for destroying the jeep line completely as of 2007.

You'd figure the company who's name is synonimous (sp?) with off-road for the past 50 years, Jeep, would go a little more out of the way to enforce that image.

Let all the punks in their H3s that are scared of going off-road and all the XTerra and FJ owners that think they can go off-road eat the mud stuck in the skids of any modified liberty, which still costs less than either of the other 3.

How do you really feal about this Gris? I sensing anger or hostility, but I'm not sure. You really should open up and share your feelings on these topics instead of making us guess all the time. :wink:

Gris · **Posted:** Mon Sep 18, 2006 4:21 pm

it's annoying, yet gratifying, watching people stare in amazment when I hit the registration area at Paragon or Rausch after a good days run. I actually heard the comment "You're liberty could look like that" from some lady to her husband in a rubicon when I was airing up Sat.

If DCX gave a crap, the liberty wouldn't have this rep. All they need is a $5k option (yeah, that expensive) to lift it 4" and basically put the Rubicon package on it and no one would laugh, plus it would still be cheaper than any other mid SUV. But no, they have to put all their R&D into CARS (compass) and completely screw up a classic with the sorry excuse of a JK they are releasing this year with the wrangler name on it

I've been saying this since I say the '07 line-up, but I think the Jeep portion of DCX is screwed.

DarbyWalters · **Posted:** Mon Sep 18, 2006 4:44 pm

Take the best Jeep...the new Wrangler Rubicon
the best Hummer...They have a upgraded H1
the best Nissan...?...humm...Truck I guess
the best Toyota FJ or Truck

and put them to the offroad test...

Jeep Rubicon hands down...stock vs stock

The Liberty can be built for the price of the H3 or FJ with $$$$ left to go to MOAB for Easter. The Xterra is in the same realm as the Liberty. A few good mods and you are good to go.

Take them all on tight windy trails where turning radius, visibility and manuverability are at a premium.

The real point is buy what you want, modify to your liking and then go out and have fun!

mikekj_cda · **Posted:** Mon Sep 18, 2006 4:55 pm

DarbyWalters wrote:
Take them all on tight windy trails where turning radius, visibility and manuverability are at a premium.

I have been thinking this from the start, that's a big factor for the KJ.

Jeepjeepster · **Posted:** Mon Sep 18, 2006 5:00 pm

Who cares really, Ive built my kj the way I wanted it and its the way I like it.

dirtykj · **Posted:** Mon Sep 18, 2006 5:24 pm

Oh come on, I'm surprised nobody has mentioned:

Jeepjeepster · **Posted:** Mon Sep 18, 2006 5:53 pm

Those are so stupid. I saw those on a dodge truck the other and though, "what would happen if I had a kid and he ask me what those were." Idk what I would say, uhh, son, you will use those some day to make another one of you. :lol:

mikekj_cda · **Posted:** Mon Sep 18, 2006 6:52 pm

dirtykj wrote:

Oh come on, I'm surprised nobody has mentioned:

See them around on a few p/u trucks, they bother me. I'm a huge fan of good humor but they go past good taste given the wide audience that has to put up with it. For individuals that are truly offended, what do they do, shut their eyes while behind the wheel? Naked lady mud flaps, one thing, these are another.

Jeepjeepster wrote:

"what would happen if I had a kid and he ask me what those were."

I thought the same thing when I saw them as well, I am a dad and I'm not prepared to explain to my little girl :shock:

. Still haven't read the chapter on doing that yet :lol:

.

Ok, enough, off my soap box

.

DarbyWalters · **Posted:** Mon Sep 18, 2006 8:53 pm

Even the BLUE ONES?

Sorry, I couldn't resist...Now I will ban myself for 10 minutes.

mikekj_cda · **Posted:** Mon Sep 18, 2006 8:55 pm

DarbyWalters wrote:

Even the BLUE ONES?

Sorry, I couldn't resist...Now I will ban myself for 10 minutes.

snowsport · **Joined:** Tue Oct 18, 2005 11:52 pm **Posts:** 1211

DarbyWalters wrote:

Now I will ban myself for 10 minutes.

That is some kinda funny! :lol:

But seriously, gonads on a truck? Why?

adamkrz · **Posted:** Mon Sep 18, 2006 9:03 pm

I only bought my bone stock 5 speed 3.7 liberty in 2004 for the northeast winters and not for off roading but my purchase price was only around 18k and since added mopar skid plates & rock rails + rusty's coil lift for less than a grand and can't be more happy with it,I can take on long rides and still bang out some rough trails in comfort,My old Wrangler just wasn't that family friendly,3 years without any problems and new LBJ'S for free...How can you beat that.

jeeplikens · **Posted:** Wed Sep 20, 2006 3:50 am

nolakj wrote:

Having wheeled with both a stock FJ and an H3 I will admit. Stock, they both out did my stock KJ. Since I got my lift and tires, I have since wheeled with the same stock FJ and can go anywhere he can. The biggest problem is if something goes wrong with the FJs locker, it can be repaired under warranty by the dealer. If my ARB (which I haven't bought YET) goes out, I have to remove it, send it in, have it re-installed etc.... PITA

I still love my KJ though......

That’s a good point. You can take a "Gremlin" body and put it on a CJ7 frame and drive train and tada! But unless it comes the shelves of DCX.. it's your dime if something breaks. The KJ is a nice general purpose, all weather off roader. If you want to so some serious offroading.. you need to dump more money into it and run the risk of voiding warranties. If you take all the vehicles that the KJ was a direct threat too (CRV, RAV, RX300...) off the showroom floor, the KJ is a winner for it's design. But a KJ vs H3, even loaded with every offroad option is like putting a Bradley fighting vehicle up against a M1A1. Some threat but not enough to write home about.

Universeman · **Posted:** Wed Sep 20, 2006 1:04 pm

Funny how the liberty was the best thing since sliced bread in this review due to its off road prowess
http://www.motortrend.com/roadtests/suv ... index.html

mikekj_cda · **Posted:** Wed Sep 20, 2006 1:12 pm

Universeman wrote:

Funny how the liberty was the best thing since sliced bread in this review due to its off road prowess
http://www.motortrend.com/roadtests/suv ... index.html

I know

...I found that strange myself but the comparables in that review were not as tough as this more recent article.

Universeman · **Posted:** Wed Sep 20, 2006 3:29 pm

Ok hers a quick list of what I want to do to my KJ and the aprox cost of everything
Frankenlift $875
Super skid $265
Boulder Bars $310
245/75R16 Goodyear MTRs $800 or so for set of 5
JKS Quicker disconnects $130
Total=$2380
My point being that there is zero aftermarket for either the Kia or Suzuki so there is no contest there to begin with. However in this comparison they make it sound like the liberty is totally out classed by the competition which is what’s stupid, because for less then $2500 bucks a KJ (with a traction aid, I have an 06 with the traction control) will out perform any of these stock or modified(except for the H3, rough country appears to have a very expensive looking 5" lift that will fit 37s in the works), plus we have a turbo diesel! So eat my dust!
Let me get of my topic for a second, what was this hill the KJ couldn’t climb? cus I have yet to find anything that would stop my jeep that wouldn’t have stopped the others as well and other then taking a second to to sort out where to send the traction works just about as good as front and rear lockers, seriously I think this whole "comparison" test is bogus to begin with.

This says it all "4th Place Jeep Liberty Renegade
Too cute, too old, and not macho enough to contend in this group."

Macho macho man, I want to be a macho man!
Now you’re all going to hum that every time you see the "competition" :twisted:

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