From http://www.jeep.com/jeep_life/news/autoshow_news/patriot.html:

The Trail Rated Jeep Patriot sits one inch higher than non-Trail Rated versions and meets Jeep off-road capability requirements for traction, water fording, articulation, maneuverability and ground clearance, including nine inches of ground clearance, a 29-degree approach angle, a 33-degree departure angle and a 23-degree breakover angle. This version of the Patriot also has additional body sealing and high-mounted drivetrain vents to support 19-inch water fording capability. In fact, Jeep Patriot's body and chassis were developed and tested over numerous rugged off-road terrains to meet the requirements of the enthusiast Jeep customer.

That page also mentions a 19:1 low ratio, and that the "Freedom Drive II" makes it the most capable offroad vehicle in the compact SUV class (that is the Liberty's class)

Between that and the 4 door wrangler, I can't see why there is still a market for the Liberty :-/

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Jeff 2005 Jeep Liberty Renegade
4x4, 6spd, Leather, Sunroof, trak-loc, skids/rails, hitch+shackle, hooks, Alpine/iPod, Thule, GPS, CB, Frankenlifted w/ 31" MTRs
Photos Cardomain

Hhhhmmmmmm.................or you could reverse that thought and wonder if there is a market for the Patriot????????

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05 BLACK KJ - 42RLE & NP242
Skids, Hooks, Bent Rock Rail, Lifted, A/T's, etc.
NY and PA and Florida ONF Special Custom Organic Trail Rash

Seriously? Many people out there don't want a wrangler, but the patriot would be too small. I mean, those wheel wells are tiny. I see this patriot competing with Rav4's, and CRV's, and things of the like.

The liberty though my friend, its in a class of its own!

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2005 Liberty Renegade Patriot Blue Pearl - 3.7L 4x4 - Offroad Package - Full Skids - Rock Lizard Skink Sliders - Frankenlifted - Spidertrax Wheel Spacers - Firestone Destination A/T's 265/75/16 - Sony Xplod w/ iPod setup - Trac Loc (coming soon)!!

The patriot is larger than the liberty. The only reason the specification says that the liberty is longer is that it includes the rear-mounted spare tire in the measurement.

As for the wheel wells, that is strange. They are giving it 215/65R17 (28") tires by default, and I don't think the 1" lift that the offroad group gives it will help much. It seems weird that they would offer a suspension lift as part of the offroad group for the patriot, but not the liberty... That would have been a much better thing to do instead of lowering all the liberties back in 2002.



I'm sure we all think that, but when we bought our liberty, it was the only offroad worthy 4-door vehicle that jeep made. Now they are making two more, plus an AWD wagony thing. I think they are making too many choices, but that could be just me. The more choices there are, the fewer aftermarket parts any one of them will have.

I think they could have done much better expanding one platform into different options, even if it involved making a FWD CVT version of the Liberty (gasp!) so long as they still offered a full 4WD model.

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Jeff 2005 Jeep Liberty Renegade
4x4, 6spd, Leather, Sunroof, trak-loc, skids/rails, hitch+shackle, hooks, Alpine/iPod, Thule, GPS, CB, Frankenlifted w/ 31" MTRs
Photos Cardomain

Although we know it's a uniques vehicle, many potential buyers will be running direct comparisons between Jeep, Rav4s, Ford Escapes, etc. Jeep will be oversaturating their only market, which is SUVs. I think Jeep should focus more on ideas like the Gladiator truck, than more and more suvs.

DesertKJ..........Yea..put me down for a Gladiator.................................

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05 BLACK KJ - 42RLE & NP242
Skids, Hooks, Bent Rock Rail, Lifted, A/T's, etc.
NY and PA and Florida ONF Special Custom Organic Trail Rash

The libby will still beat it off-road. Whats the low ratio for the libby?

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LOST KJ'S
Where are you going???
Current Jeep: 2004 Jeep Liberty
-Atlantic Blue
-Air Ride Rear Suspension ; OME/Rustys Lift ; Powertrax Locker ; Moog Lower Ball-Joints ; 245/70/16 Yokohama Geolander A/T-S's on MOABS ; Flowmaster 50 SUV
Lost #007082
http://www.cardomain.com/id/jeepjeepster

I wonder if this model can pull stumps like my CRD? I looked at several competive products when I bought mine. They were all very nice cars and would have worked fine for my 4X4 needs but all looked lightweight and flimsey compared to the Liberty's build. I don't see these new models as anything more than grocery getters. Not at all into off-roading but can't see these staying together on the trail. This is an attempt to chase the cute-ute market. As my niece's husband told me once, "just don't ever use the word cute and Jeep in the same sentence." They have a '02 GC.

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2005 Liberty Sport CRD, Lt Khaki, sunroof

Thankful to now be an EX-CRD owner.

It seems buying vehicles is beginning to be like buying computers so here's some advice from someone who's been buying computers since long before the WWW (and cheap memory) made computers as common as cars:

1. Do lots of homework before you buy.
2. Buy the best match for your current and forseeable future needs that you can afford.
3. (and this might be the most important step...) Stop looking at ads that show you what your previous purchase price can get you now or you'll go insane (or broke trying to keep up)!