If there's one thing I've learned about being married, the more I make my Irish redhead of a wife happy, the better off I'll be. She's been driving around a FOUR cylinder Hyundai Santa Fe and there's no way around it - it's a gutless 4-door scooter. I was so very tired of her whining about how slow it was that I started to do my homework about compact SUVs.
We considered the Honda Pilot (too big for her), The Ford Escape Hybrid (she hates Ford), the Kia Rondo (hated the tall mini-van look), the Kia Sportage (felt cheap to her), The Jeep Liberty and the Saturn Vue. We narrowed down the field to two... The Liberty and the Vue. She didn't want me to spend too much money, so we had our sights set on a used vehicle. I read that most people who buy the Liberty are female. I can understand why. The Liberty really isn't made for large guy like me. I'm 6' and 250 pounds. While I do get into the vehicle without hitting my head and while there's a considerable amount of headroom, I feel a bit cramped. I don't think three adults would be comfortable in the back seat, although three teens (or younger) would do just fine.
I purchased a CarFax.com subscription and went internet shopping. I printed a picture and stat sheet of various vehicles then checked CarFax for the vehicle's history and stapled it all together by vehicle and make (yes, I am a Virgo). Among CarFax's many topics, it reveals any accidents or other drama, whether it was in or out of factory warranty and if there is an inconsistent odometer reading. Knowing that a car has been in an accident and how severe it was, is a great buying tool and/or deterrent. It's also a great way to make sure that the vehicle's VIN number is the correct one for that vehicle. What a wonderful service.
Another great tip I can suggest is to bring a magnet along with you if you're buying a used car. Why? If you walk around the vehicle and you put the magnet up to the vehicle's body, if there's no hidden body work under the paint, the magnet will stick. Magnets do NOT stick to Bondo. That's the stuff used to repair body damage.
After ALL that work, we soon realized that in the long run it would cheaper to buy a new vehicle - especially the Jeep for its LIFETIME drive train warranty (more about that later). The reasoning behind this is simple. The interest rates for used vehicles is much higher than new vehicles. Plus, after I purchased an extended warranty, I'd be spending just about the same money for a vehicle with someone else's miles on it and either in or out of factory warranty. It just made financial sense in our situation while it may or may not make sense for others. We chose a Liberty Sport model in light Khaki with tan upholstery.
Driving Impressions: While shoulder and leg room is at a premium with this vehicle (especially in the back seat area) the headroom is surprisingly ample. At high speeds, it holds the road well and doesn't meander, shake or rattle. It does sound like a four cylinder engine when punching the gas peddle, but the six cylinders make it quite peppy. It corners quite well for a compact SUV.
What We Like: The rugged style, ride quality and handling. My wife is constantly comparing the Liberty to her 2003 Hyundai Santa Fe and the Liberty is better in every aspect but gas mileage.
I will admit, I prefer the Saturn Vue in almost every aspect. The Vue's seats were more comfy, the dash and console were designed better, the wood & aluminum accents were better looking than the black plastic of the Liberty, the creature features were plentiful and the gas mileage was higher. I loved the dent-resistant body panels on the Vue. I mean, the salesman actually drove his knee into the body of the Vue and no damage! But my wife liked the way the Liberty drove much more than the Vue. She said that the very soft steering and cornering was the main reason for her. That coupled with Jeep's lifetime drivetrain warranty was the deciding factor. Maybe she didn't realize that the Saturn is front wheel drive and the Jeep is rear wheel drive.
I love the fact that Jeep Liberty comes with an ELECTRIC (not belt-driven) cooling fan for the radiator. Why is this so great? In systems that use the drive belt to run the fan, it robs the vehicle of horsepower and gas mileage. Electric cooling fans do not need the engine's belt to operate. It's run by thermostat. Very smart.
My wife likes the 6-speaker stereo. I think it's average.
Love that is has 4-wheel ABS brakes standard.
What We're On The Fence About: When using the keyless remote, there's no option for either a horn toot or lights flashing. In noisy environments, you'll never really know if your doors are locked. The buttons are built right into the key as opposed to a separate remote and key. Sometimes when we start the car, the panic button sets off the car's horn. Annoying.
While my wife thinks the seats are comfy, I disagree. While they are better than her Hyundai (by far), they are not nearly as comfy as the Vue's seating. The Jeep's seats are cheaply made and the rear seating is even worse. Since the factory leather is about $1800 at the dealership, they suggested I go directly to their vendor to get the seats done up in leather with more padding for about $750.
Neither of us smoke, but it would be nice to have an ashtray since almost every vehicle (ever made) has one. There's also no cigarette lighter. Not a big deal for a non-smoker. Jeep does offer something called "The Smoker's Package." For $30 they give you a plug-in cigarette lighter and an ashtray that nests in a cup holder. Sorry, these two items would be cheaper at an auto parts place.
The instrument panel on the Liberty Sport is faced in black with white markers. On the Limited (and the Vue), they're white with black markers and a red needle. I think the white faced gauges are a lot more appealing especially at night when they're illuminated.
The spare tire is attached to the outside of the rear door. Apparently Chrysler/Jeep was too cheap to include a spare tire cover. Thinking that the sun would eat the rubber and that my wife would get dirty by brushing up against it, I asked my salesman to throw in a Jeep brand spare tire cover. They ordered us one. See? It never hurts to ask for stuff.
I don't like that the window control switches are located on the center console while the door lock switches are located on the two front doors. It should be the other way around.
At higher highway speeds, the Liberty tends not to feel terribly wind resistant. My wife has commented how this scares her. Hmmm, maybe she won't speed - bonus!
My daughter was sitting in the back seat and asked why she didn't have window switches. I was a bit surprised and was ready to call the dealership with an attitude. Then, I noticed that there were, indeed, two window switches - located in the back of the center console. What an odd place for switches - near someone's feet?
The back seat is a 65/35 split, but there is no pull-out armrest.
At night, the mirror switches on the driver's armrest are NOT illuminated - annoying.
While there are front airbags, there are no side curtain airbags.
What We DO NOT Like: The gas mileage should be better. This is a six cylinder with electric fan cooling and my wife is averaging 17 - 18 mpg? That's horrid for a compact SUV. My V8 GMC Envoy gets about the same mileage and that motor is a monster.
I'm six feet tall and while there's plenty of headroom, my knees are cramped for the front passenger's seat. The lower part of the dashboard is too low and my knees will wind up in my chest in an accident.
OnStar is not available. Chrysler and OnStar have no contract - why? Since I have it on my
GMC Envoy, I wanted my wife to be that much safer out there.
I don't like the fact that someone could lose teeth while opening the rear door. The second you pull the rear door handle, the glass (on the upper half) pops open right toward my face. If you're too close to the vehicle, the glass will hit you in the face. Good way to wake yourself up in the morning - not so good for pain factor.
The floor mats are cheaply made. I bought her Jeep slush mats that look and feel a lot better.
Lifetime Drivetrain Warranty: It does cover the engine, transmission, differential(s) and the remainder of the drivetrain for the entire time that the original owner owns the car. That means it's NOT transferable - not even to immediate family. It will not cover things like manual transmission clutch.
Extended Warranty: The BEST piece of advice I can offer you when buying any vehicle's extended warranty is write a separate check for it. Pay for it up front. Why would you finance and pay interest on an extended warranty? Unless you get ZERO percent financing, paying interest on a warranty is never worth it.
Jeeps come with basic 3-year/36,000 mile coverage standard. The options for extended warranties are 7-year/70,000 or 7-year/85,000 or 7-year/100,000 miles. The extended warranty covers all the things that the lifetime drivetrain does not.
Back in 1983, I bought a black CJ7 Laredo. That was (and still is) my most favorite vehicle that I have ever owned. There's nothing like doing a road trip to Canada with no top and no doors - wooo hooo! It's a little-known fact that the Jeep CJ is the ONLY American-made, non-exotic and NON-classic car that goes up in value each year. I like the Jeep brand, but I think this Liberty skimped on a few things. Conversely, the Liberty Limited is a plush version with many bells and whistles. Remember, the factory leather seats are NOT as comfy as leather seating you can buy at an auto upholstery shop.
Buying Advice: Go into the dealership having done all of your homework. Know your options, your best prices, what rebates are available, know what optional accessories are available, etc. Buy a car toward the END of the model year for better pricing, rebates and leverage. The list on our Liberty was $23,900. We ended up paying 19,300 included an installation of a power moonroof and a spare tire cover. I guess I have a very persuasive way about me. I pitted the Jeep salesman against the Vue salesman quite well.
Color Options for 2007: We chose the light khaki (which looks a lot like taupe. Other colors include; black, bright silver, inferno red, Jeep green, midnight blue and stone white. The blue was our second choice.
My only regret? That my wife chose not to (at least) test drive the 2007 Honda CR-V or the Mini Cooper.
Other Options: Not many options as far as mechanical entities. The engine is a standard 3.7 V6 that puts out 210 horsepower. You do get the option of manual 5 speed transmission or the 3 speed automatic. You can opt for two or four wheel drive and a variety of appearance or mechanical "packages," but there is no option for a 4 or 8 cylinder motor. For a list of available options, visit the Jeep website www.jeep.com and build one of your own. Sirius radio is an option but standard in the Limited Edition.
2008 Liberty: I have seen the new Liberty and it's like a more square and streamlined version yet looks more like a mini-Commander. Oh wait, I was told by a Jeep senior service advisor that the 2008 Jeep Liberty is actually a Dodge Nitro with a Jeep front grill and the optional 4 wheel drive. The dash is more simplistic and they come with an optional (and rather large) retractable canvas roof so everyone can enjoy the sun. Who knows? With its more rugged looks, perhaps more guys would consider buying it. Maybe. But it would have to have 4WD, beefier tires and maybe a roll cage for the Liberty to be acceptable as a "guy car."
In the News: I don't know if you heard the news. Chrysler was recently purchased by a group of young and wealthy friends here in America. On May 14, 2007 DaimlerChrysler AG announced the sale of 80.1% of Chrysler Group to American equity firm Cerberus Capital Management, L.P., although Daimler continues to hold a 19.9% stake. Chrysler LLC is the new name. The deal was finalized on August 3, 2007. I was told that Chrysler will be offering some exciting vehicles and features in the near future. I can't wait.
If you'd like to read about the 1984 Jeep CJ7 I'm restoring now, please
CLICK HERE* * Please visit www.JeepRiver.com * *
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Amount Paid (US$): 19,300
Condition: New
Model Year: 2007
Model and Options: 3.7L Sport, automatic, moonroof
