What is it?
2008 Jeep Liberty
What's special about it?
Although its off-road talents were considerable, the original Jeep Liberty hid its toughness behind a veil of cuteness. It was all rounded edges and bug eyes, and not even the Renegade model's light rack and riveted wheel arches could give it the untamed masculinity that all Jeeps, save for the Compass, are supposed to have. No surprise then, that the redesigned 2008 Jeep Liberty is all hard edges and square jowls.
Still a unibody design, the new Liberty shares its architecture with the Dodge Nitro. It rides on a 2-inch-longer wheelbase and a 1-inch-wider track than the '07 model and it's 2.5 inches longer overall.
Jeep says the independent short-long arm front suspension and five-link live-axle rear suspension are completely new, though their basic design isn't radically different from previous Liberty hardware. Steering is again rack-and-pinion, though the ratio is a bit quicker (17.4:1 versus 18.2:1). The brakes are slightly larger as well.
We'd expected to see the Jeep pick up the Nitro's 4.0-liter V6 as an option, but for now last year's 3.7-liter V6 is the sole power source. It's still rated at 210 horsepower and 235 pound-feet of torque, and it's still available with a six-speed manual or four-speed automatic transmission.
Buyers have a choice of two- or four-wheel drive with either transmission, and just like last year, Jeep is offering both a part-time 4WD system (Command-Trac) and a full-time system (Selec-Trac II). Hill-descent control and hill-start assist are new options on the '08 Liberty. Stability control remains standard fare, and it now includes a trailer sway control feature to keep the back end from wandering, should you decide to take advantage of the Jeep's 5,000-pound tow capacity.
Inside, the design is a little cleaner than before, but the Liberty's aesthetic sensibility hasn't changed: This is still a traditional SUV cabin with an upright seating position and minimal frills, unless you choose to add them. Leather upholstery is available of course, as are Bluetooth and the MyGIG audio-navigation system, which allows you to rip CDs to its 20GB hard drive. The most interesting option by far is the Sky Slider roof, which equips the Liberty with a full-length, scrolling canvas top.
In the backseat, there's another inch and a half of legroom thanks to the wheelbase stretch, but at 31.5 cubic feet, the cargo bay is about the same size as before. Oddly, seats-down cargo capacity has dropped 5 cubic feet to 64.2.
Expect to see the 2008 Jeep Liberty at dealers in the third quarter of 2007. Jeep will offer it in the familiar Sport and Limited trim levels.
What's Edmunds' take?
The original Jeep Liberty scared away the 18-to-34-year-old males who bought Cherokees. Manly jawlines on the 2008 model should win back a slice of that coveted demographic without alienating suburban couples.
However, the Liberty has never been especially quick with the 3.7-liter V6, and with the '08 model's extra 200 pounds, it's going to have a tough time competing against the powerful Toyota FJ Cruiser and Nissan Xterra. — Erin Riches, Senior Content Editor
2008 Jeep Liberty
What's special about it?
Although its off-road talents were considerable, the original Jeep Liberty hid its toughness behind a veil of cuteness. It was all rounded edges and bug eyes, and not even the Renegade model's light rack and riveted wheel arches could give it the untamed masculinity that all Jeeps, save for the Compass, are supposed to have. No surprise then, that the redesigned 2008 Jeep Liberty is all hard edges and square jowls.
Still a unibody design, the new Liberty shares its architecture with the Dodge Nitro. It rides on a 2-inch-longer wheelbase and a 1-inch-wider track than the '07 model and it's 2.5 inches longer overall.
Jeep says the independent short-long arm front suspension and five-link live-axle rear suspension are completely new, though their basic design isn't radically different from previous Liberty hardware. Steering is again rack-and-pinion, though the ratio is a bit quicker (17.4:1 versus 18.2:1). The brakes are slightly larger as well.
We'd expected to see the Jeep pick up the Nitro's 4.0-liter V6 as an option, but for now last year's 3.7-liter V6 is the sole power source. It's still rated at 210 horsepower and 235 pound-feet of torque, and it's still available with a six-speed manual or four-speed automatic transmission.
Buyers have a choice of two- or four-wheel drive with either transmission, and just like last year, Jeep is offering both a part-time 4WD system (Command-Trac) and a full-time system (Selec-Trac II). Hill-descent control and hill-start assist are new options on the '08 Liberty. Stability control remains standard fare, and it now includes a trailer sway control feature to keep the back end from wandering, should you decide to take advantage of the Jeep's 5,000-pound tow capacity.
Inside, the design is a little cleaner than before, but the Liberty's aesthetic sensibility hasn't changed: This is still a traditional SUV cabin with an upright seating position and minimal frills, unless you choose to add them. Leather upholstery is available of course, as are Bluetooth and the MyGIG audio-navigation system, which allows you to rip CDs to its 20GB hard drive. The most interesting option by far is the Sky Slider roof, which equips the Liberty with a full-length, scrolling canvas top.
In the backseat, there's another inch and a half of legroom thanks to the wheelbase stretch, but at 31.5 cubic feet, the cargo bay is about the same size as before. Oddly, seats-down cargo capacity has dropped 5 cubic feet to 64.2.
Expect to see the 2008 Jeep Liberty at dealers in the third quarter of 2007. Jeep will offer it in the familiar Sport and Limited trim levels.
What's Edmunds' take?
The original Jeep Liberty scared away the 18-to-34-year-old males who bought Cherokees. Manly jawlines on the 2008 model should win back a slice of that coveted demographic without alienating suburban couples.
However, the Liberty has never been especially quick with the 3.7-liter V6, and with the '08 model's extra 200 pounds, it's going to have a tough time competing against the powerful Toyota FJ Cruiser and Nissan Xterra. — Erin Riches, Senior Content Editor
Add A Comment »
zski says:
02:33 PM, 09/04/2010
I purchased a 2008 Liberty Limited with 20,000 miles. Has the normal 3.7 V6. It is a nice looking vehicle and I tow it behind a motorhome. BUT, I have troble with low gas mileage. I get 17-17.5 MPG driving combined road and city. When I am on the highway, the gauge in the dash reads up to 24.5 MPG. It RARELY goes below 17.5 MPG, yet when I fill up, it is always 17.5 and sometimes less, as far down as 16 MPG. I don't do the "jack rabbit" starts and dive under the speed limit, like 62 MPH. I use a synthetic motor oil, don't let it stand and idle, and have the tires filled with "nitro". Also use the AC sparingly and have the windows closed. Spoke with another owner and he said he had gotten upwards of 22 MPG on the road, NEVER have I come close to that. He said he uses a mid grade fuel so I am doing that also. STILL, no different. Is there a quick fix or do I goback to a Ford F 150 and a tow dolley? Or do I just ignore the MPH gauge and say another messed up thing-a-majig! Terry