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Jeep Liberty
The Liberty brings all the right things in its repertoire to do the off-road thing very well. The blunt nose and bobbed tail bring good approach and departure angles, while the elevated stance adds the needed ground clearance. Add to that a suspension design that brings a fill eight inches of travel and life in the boonies is both surefooted and comfortable enough that the use of a kidney belt is not required. The high seating also helps position by delivering an excellent view of the terrain ahead and with Jeep's legendary 4-wheel drive system you complete a pretty picture.
On road all of those things conspire to hinder the Liberty's overall handling. The tall stance brings lots of body roll with the soft suspension allowing the movement. The net result is an interesting run though the pylons. The knobbly tires that work so well off-road bring a lot of noise on road and allow understeer to become a factor fairly early in the equation. The strong point is the steering. While a little firm at slow speeds it brings very good feedback - all things considered.
As with the pylon test, the willowy suspension allows quite a lot of nosedive at the threshold. That said, the pedal is firm and easily modulated and the anti-lock system keeps its nose out until absolutely required. The reason is that it is tuned to off-road situations when 4-wheel drive is selected. This allows some wheel lock-up on low traction surfaces - which is a desirable trait in the dirt.
Power comes in two flavours, a 150 hp four or the preferred 3.7 litre V6. The latter is a derivative of the V8 that now powers the Grand Cherokee. With 210 horses and an impressive 235 lb-ft of torque at a low 4,000 rpm this engine brings a willing, albeit thirsty, work ethic - one equally suited to on or off-road duty.
A couple of transmissions are offered: a five-speed manual and a slick-shifting automatic. Of the two it's the automatic that is the better choice, especially with the V6 engine. The shifts are co-ordinated and the ratios will suited to the engine's torquey nature.
On the safety front - the Liberty fairs well. The stiff chassis - one that's 43% stiffer than the Grand Cherokee torsionally - is complemented by multi-stage front airbags and available drop down curtain airbags.
Immediate Competition: Nissan Xterra, Honda CRV, Toyota RAV4
Price as tested: $31,725
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