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 The KJ Liberty which this review is based on has been replaced by the KK Liberty in 2008.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.