2008-2011 Jeep Liberty & Dodge Nitro

This is another review that takes on technically two models. Like before if they're pretty much identical I consider them the same car.




Introduction: The Jeep Liberty is the successor to the old Jeep Cherokee. However in much of the world it still retains the old Cherokee name. The Liberty features the uni body on ladder frame construction which stiffens its ride and handling. The Liberty is easily one of Jeep's trail rated vehicles meaning its been tested by Jeep for its ability to go off road. The Dodge Nitro was introduced in 2007 as Dodge's newest compact SUV since the 1990s when they had the Raider which was a Mitsubishi Pajero. The second generation Liberty in 2008 uses the same platform and borrowed the styling of the Nitro as well.

By the point I've driven the two, I was pretty unsatisfied with Chrysler I wasn't expecting these two to be any good.


Performance: There isn't a single change since the old Liberty, it still uses the same 3.7L PowerTech V6. There hasn't even been a performance upgrade from last time so its still 210 hp and 235 lb.ft of torque. It still sounds awful and its still slow, both cars take at least 10 seconds to reach 100 km/h from a standstill. Fuel economy is still rubbish. Keep in mind this engine much like it was in 2001 on a 2002 Liberty, a decade of no change.

My Score: 2/10 - The engine by this stage is very old, still extremely slow and has pathetic fuel economy that's the reason the score went down.

Handling: Not much has changed here either, both cars have pretty heavy steering but its not direct like a BMW. Its actually rather vague, making each turn feel meaningless. Ride comfort as expected is still bad, and due to their weight and height neither is very good on corners. Since these are supposed to be taken off road I can't deduct too many points but for sure these two aren't very good on the road.

My Score: 4/10 - Same as last time, steering is distant, the ride comfort is poor and it has no agility.




Interior: The interior of both vehicles have been designed when Daimler Chrysler still existed, as a result both are pretty poorly done. Interior room is surprisingly poor for the driver and passenger. I'm actually a short guy but I felt cramped every time I drove one of these. It seems as if Chrysler forgot where the driver's legs were supposed to go. Rear seating isn't very impressive for an SUV of this size. The previous Liberty had its spare tire on the back, this new Liberty puts it in the vehicle which takes up a bit of tailgate space, unfortunately you don't gain anything from this as the rear window is still too small. The rest of the interior is composed of very cheap plastic and the atmosphere is as dark and depressing as other Chrysler vehicles. The build quality on these vehicles is generally alright, sometimes there are squeaks and rattles though. The only major changes made to the 2011 vehicles is the steering wheel has been changed to the new Grand Cherokee style wheel, cruise control is now button operated instead of the very flimsy plastic lever from before. Both vehicles are assembled in Toledo, Ohio in the United States.

My Score: 2/10 - Cramped driver's space, terrible interior materials, less space than the previous Liberty.

Styling: There's not much to say about either vehicle, they're both extremely square. Both seemed to have been styled with cubes in mind. This unfortunately doesn't really make either that interesting. They're not exactly ugly, but they're both rather unimaginative. This is worse than before I find.

My Score: 2/10 - Square and dull.

Value for money: The old Liberty's saving grace was its a 4-door off roading SUV. I absolutely understood that it had some value back then. This is no longer the case anymore I'm afraid and even worse for Chrysler this competition is created by themselves. There's a Jeep Wrangler available in a 4-door configuration, if there was a Jeep to pick for off roading the Wrangler is so much better. It looks like a real Jeep, its made like a real Jeep and it has real Jeep features. The Liberty has none of those things. The Nitro honestly serves no purpose either for Dodge, as most Chrysler dealerships hold all three Chrysler brands. I honestly can't see a real reason to pick a Liberty over a Wrangler in the one area it was supposed to be good at. As a road SUV its absolutely horrible and there are several other choices guaranteed to be better. Its now horrible value for money.

My Score: 2/10 - The Jeep Wrangler took away its only saving grace last time, its utterly pointless now.

Overall: 12/50 - These SUVs are awful and with a 4-door Wrangler available serve no purpose.

2007-2010 Jeep Grand Cherokee Laredo

This is the final one. Have a Merry Christmas and have a happy new year!


Introduction: The Jeep Grand Cherokee is a model that many people all over the world are familiar with. It started out in 1993 as the replacement of the Jeep Grand Wagoneer from the AMC years. Primarily known for being able to travel off road but with the comfort and luxury that many SUVs back then didn't have. This would be Chrysler's first Jeep designed vehicle as all the previous Jeeps were of AMC design. Development of the Grand Cherokee was delayed due to Lee Iacocca pushing for the Chrysler minivan to be completed first. Over time the Grand Cherokee has grown from its original humble size to a rather large crossover SUV. The current Grand Cherokee is in its fourth generation, this review focuses on the third generation.

This has always been considered one of the important Jeep models so of course I was expecting it to be something Chrysler put more effort on. However by the time I got a chance to drive one, my expectations of a Chrysler product were pretty low as I haven't been at all pleased with many of them. Many of which I downright hated, I was hoping it wouldn't be the case for the Grand Cherokee as I thought the previous one was rather good.


Performance: Since my review is specifically on the basic Laredo it means the Grand Cherokee is powered by a 3.7L Power tech V6. It is also available with a 4.7L Power tech V8, a 5.7L Hemi V8 and even a 6.1L Hemi V8 for the SRT-8 version. The 3.7L V6 produces 210 hp and 235 lb.ft of torque its mated to a 5-speed automatic transmission. Considering this Grand Cherokee is bigger and much heavier than the previous two, this power number doesn't look very good. You would be correct to assume its slow. The Jeep Liberty with the same engine took 10 seconds to get from 0-100 km/h, the Cherokee is another 400 lbs heavier so its about 11 seconds. With this poor performance you get slightly better fuel economy than a Chevrolet Trailblazer with a bigger straight six engine. The engine sounds terrible, its rough and I'd suggest you don't get this engine if you want a Grand Cherokee.

My Score: 2/10 - Slow, noisy and not terribly efficient compared to the available V8s.

Handling: Being heavier than 2 tons will reduce its handling capabilities on the road. When taken around a corner you get quite a bit of understeer and quite a bit of body roll. This is added with steering which is rather vague. Its not exactly light or heavy, but its still not capable of proper communication. As a result you have no real faith in it. The ride quality is not that good either, bad roads are quite noticeable.

My Score: 3/10 - Doesn't like corners, dull steering and mediocre ride quality.


Interior: I was pretty disappointed when I first got into a Grand Cherokee. I was expecting something like the previous Grand Cherokee which was rather nice and comfortable. Instead this Grand Cherokee is a sea full of dark, cheap and ugly plastic. The cloth seat is not all that comfortable. The dash gauges are better than the standard Chrysler ones but not by much. The interior is rather roomy although its a 5-seater, so it will have proper tailgate space. Still you can't seem to avoid how dark and gloomy it is inside. Build quality is mediocre, there's an occasional squeak and rattle from this vehicle. The Grand Cherokee is assembled in Detroit, Michigan, USA.

My Score: 3/10 - Its roomy and spacious, but otherwise its depressing and unpleasant.

Styling: It does retain a lot of the Grand Cherokee styling from the previous versions. However I never did like those headlights as they look stupid. Overall its fine since its an evolutionary design. Its difficult to fault something that looked good several years ago and still does today.

My Score: 7/10 - Progressive styling, although the stupid headlamps are out of place.

Value for money: The Grand Cherokee is not cheap even with the basic Laredo. I'm not aware of its off road performance which could help it but on the road I'm not sure why anyone would choose this SUV over the likes of the Toyota 4Runner or the Nissan Pathfinder both are quicker, made of better materials, better assembled and less expensive. Both have also made a name for themselves off road and their durability. Given that most Grand Cherokees these days never see a dirt road, I don't really understand why one would buy these ones. Seems during this time Chrysler was milking the Jeep name.

My Score: 4/10 - Its got competition that's cheaper and mostly better in quite a few ways.

Overall: 19/50 - With a small engine and a terrible interior, the Grand Cherokee to me makes no sense. For $40,000 you would expect something decent instead of this which is mostly bad.

2007 Jeep Liberty

Here's another review today, a vehicle that I haven't driven in a while.


Introduction: The Jeep Liberty is the successor to the old Jeep Cherokee. However in much of the world it still retains the old Cherokee name. The Liberty features the unibody on ladder frame construction which stiffens its ride and handling. The Liberty is easily one of Jeep's trail rated vehicles meaning its been tested by Jeep for its ability to go off road. The KJ Liberty which this review is based on has been replaced by the KK Liberty in 2008.

The Liberty was not the first Jeep I drove, rather it was the Compass which isn't a Jeep. The Liberty however was the first real Jeep I actually drove as I noticed a few items that weren't present on many SUVs like the low range 4WD. I wasn't sure how it was going to be.


Performance: The original Cherokee made a big name for itself by using the through its 4.0L straight six engine considered to be still one of the best engines used by the Jeep brand. The KJ Liberty uses two Powertech engines the 2.4L 4-cylinder(straight 4) which produces 150 hp and 165 lb.ft of torque, it was dropped in 2006 however. The larger engine which this review covers is the 3.7L V6 engine that produces 210 hp and 235 lb.ft of torque. Unlike passenger cars, the more important number here is the torque and unfortunately this V6 is not able to replace the old 4.0L I6 in getting its torque early where that engine produces 230 lb.ft of torque...but its at 3000 rpm versus 4000 for the V6 despite its slightly higher number. This means its acceleration numbers are not good its 0-100 km/h time is 10 seconds. It sounds tired most of the time so its not a pleasant engine to listen to.

My Score: 3/10 - It failed to replace the outgoing engine, its not quick, powerful at the right time or very good sounding.

Handling: Well with its stiffened construction it does affect its handling ability. The ride comfort is pretty poor but it does not appear to make the Liberty very agile. The Liberty just feels a bit like a heavy pig, less agile than in my mind much larger trucks like say the the Sierra or even Dodge's Ram. Steering is rather heavy but I just don't find it feels very connected to the actual steering. I can sort of forgive its hard ride in favour of stronger durability but its not very agile to compensate for the ride.

My Score: 4/10 - Poor agility, steering is distant and not a comfortable ride.


Interior: The Jeep Liberty has a rather simple interior however its a very cheaply made one as well. Cheap handles that are present on Daewoos, ugly tin foil plastic, cheap vents, and so on. Its just not a pleasant place to be inside. Its got good storage space if you fold the back seats. The tailgate opens like the Wrangler does and unlike the Wrangler the spare tire does not intrude much on rear vision. As for the build quality, its not that good with trim easily being loose and the panel gaps. The Liberty is made in Toledo, Ohio in the United States.

My Score: 3/10 - Very cheap inside, not that well made but good cargo space.

Styling: Unlike the old Cherokee which was a rather unique looking vehicle the Liberty decided to take on the Wrangler's styling instead. While its reasonable enough to look at, the cheap bumper and wheel arches make it look very cheap. If I had one I'd definitely have the bumper and wheel arches painted the same colour as the rest of the car because it looks so awful without it being done.

My Score: 4/10 - Not creative and kind of dumb leaving the bumper and wheel arches unpainted.

Value for money: The Jeep Liberty in 2007 has a slight problem as the Wrangler gained a 4-door option. For the 2002-2006 years it was the smallest 4-door Jeep you could buy that was capable of going off road. During its early years it didn't have much competition on this low end of the scale as the Toyota RAV4 lost much of its off roading ability and the CR-V was never really meant to do it. As an off roading SUV due to its capabilities its very good. As a vehicle to go to a shopping mall its a bad idea, its heavy, slow, not comfortable and has equipment you'll never use for that purpose. If you buy a Liberty it best be for the dirty, slimy trips.

My Score: 7/10 - Great for off roading when its competition is very small, terrible for on road use.

Overall: 21/50 - As a off roading vehicle the Liberty should be good, but seeing as I don't do off roading and I'm looking at it from a on road perspective the Liberty is a silly vehicle to spend money on.

2008-2009 Jeep Patriot

Here's another Jeep...this one isn't that much different from the Compass.


Introduction: The Jeep Patriot is another cross-over built by Chrysler like the Compass used the same Caliber platform. Introduced in 2007 at the same time as the Caliber and its sibling the Compass. Unlike the Compass the Patriot does have the Trail rated badge meaning its supposed to satisfy Chrysler's testing criteria for off-roading.

Yeah the Jeep Patriot isn't really much different from the Compass other than supposedly being able to go off-road and if it fails...that's Chrysler's problem.


Performance: The Patriot uses the exact same engine and exact same transmission as the Compass. The same 2.4L 4-cylinder engine that produces 173 hp and 165 lb.ft of torque. Its still gutless and unpleasant. The Patriot's 0-100 km/h time is about 9.5 seconds marginally slower than the Compass.

My Score: 2/10 - Engine is slow, noisy and not very fuel efficient.

Handling: The Patriot drives so similar to the Compass despite its supposed ability to go off-road. It still handles pretty badly and the steering is just as numb. However as a vehicle that can go off-road the suspension is more understandably not all that comfortable.

My Score: 3/10 - Same pathetic handling ability, the good news...the suspension is justifiably harder for off-roading.


Interior: The 2009s were given an interior update...you know the interior of the previous 2007 models were very bad when Chrysler had to update them so soon. That said its still a horrible interior. Much of the disgusting plastic that's in every Chrysler is still present. It really didn't improve all that much frankly. Unlike Hyundai, Chrysler even when they know their mistake can't seem to correct it...probably because they spent all the money on the 2009 Ram.

My Score: 2/10 - Its still terrible, they clearly didn't try hard enough.

Styling: The Patriot is a little bit better than the Compass with styling but they ruin it with the cheap looking plastic bits on the bumpers. While it does look more like an SUV compared to the Compass which is a blob with a Jeep grille, its still not pretty and doesn't look like its an off-roader. Once again it takes the Wrangler's styling in an attempt to pretend its something its not.

My Score: 3/10 - Better than the Compass thanks to it looking like an SUV, not very creative though.

Value for Money: Well the Patriot...is cheaper than the Compass. It makes no sense, I couldn't believe the Compass goes for more than the Patriot when the Patriot does a little bit more and had an ounce more effort put into it. Its the least expensive 4WD vehicle out there which does count for something when its supposed to have some off-roading capabilities so its not a complete waste like the Compass.

My Score: 4/10 - It does more than a Compass, and its the cheapest 4WD SUV designed to go off-road.

Overall: 14/50 - Its still a horrible SUV but unlike the Compass its not a total crock it at least does a slight bit more for frankly less money. The name however is pretty stupid, you'd probably be a better American patriot if you bought a good American product.

2007-2008 Jeep Compass

I technically haven't driven a Jeep Compass in a year but its so similar to a certain car that I technically have always driven the thing.


Introduction: The Jeep Compass was introduced in 2007 as one of Jeep's most affordable models. Its based off the Dodge Caliber introduced in the same year. This is the very first Jeep to not have the "Trail rated" badge indicating its not designed to go off-road as every other Jeep had before.

Yeah my intro for this car is pretty pathetic...but that's as much as I can say about a re-badged Caliber. This is I believe the 2nd car I've driven from work. Judging from how little I have to say in the introduction...you know what to expect.


Performance: The Jeep Compass comes with a 2.4L 4-cylinder engine that produces 173 hp and 165 lb.ft of torque. The same engine used in the base Sebring and Avenger. In a heavy vehicle like this you know what my grade is going to be. The only difference is the Compass uses a CVT. Its 0-100 km/h time is 9.2 seconds, far from impressive.

My Score: 2/10 - Engine is slow, noisy and not very fuel efficient.

Handling: The Compass uses Caliber suspension and as a result its not very good. The handling is pretty poor with lots of roll thanks to the bigger body. The steering is as usual numb with little feel or feedback. Its a bad combination to have a big heavy vehicle with poor handling and numb steering. Its not even comfortable riding over bumps which makes it all the more worse.

My Score: 2/10 - Poor cornering ability, numb steering and not comfortable.


Interior: The interior is virtually identical to the Caliber. Very very cheap materials, an unattractive dashboard, not built very well and worst of all not all that much roomier than a Caliber despite a bigger body. As a crossover SUV its a very poor job.

My Score: 1/10 - No more room than the awful car it was based off of.

Styling: This is where the Compass is different from the Caliber but just by looking at the Compass you know they didn't even bother. A round plasticky looking Wrangler is really what the styling says and unfortunately its a lesser vehicle than the Wrangler.

My Score: 2/10 - It shows its cheap looking while attempting to look like something it clearly isn't.

Value for the Money: The Compass is an awful value for the money especially when you compare it to the other Dodges and its Jeep sibling the Patriot. For the extra thousand you spend on a Compass all you get is a slightly bigger engine which isn't all that great. This is a big crock and ruins the Jeep name, Jeep enthusiasts must be furious about this awful re-badge.

My Score: 0/10 - A re-badge that costs more for no extra value, a pointless vehicle

Overall: 7/50 - What was Chrysler thinking, surely people weren't dumb enough to buy this were they?