Even if this is only a mediocre car (but I’m thinking my familty will lovwe it), i got a good deal.

Still doesn’t matter. I’d want the Patriot with Freedom Drive II over the (new, not old) Liberty. My family owned a 1980s Cherokee. The Patriot looks like a Cherokee, the Liberty doesn’t.

The new styling is rather unfortunate, it looks more campy than Batman. Plus, if you’ve gotta take off the bumpers to go off-road, well, they’re not going to cover slipping on mud and hitting a tree with the headlight in the warranty.

…Of course, I’ve never gotten a chance to drive either. I just don’t see how the Liberty can overcome some of its shortcomings. Unless it still has the articulation of the old model, that is…

That’s funny cause I think the Patriot should not be called a Jeep.

To me, the Patriot (and Compass) are faux SUVs like the other cute utes.

Jeep Patriot (not Trail Rated)
Ground Clearance – Breakover Angle [DEG] 21.3
Ground Clearance – Departure Angle [DEG] 32.2
Wheelbase [in] 103.7
Turning Diameter (curb-to-curb) [ft] – Turning Left [ft] 35.6
Ground Clearance 8.0
Ground Clearance – Approach Angle [DEG] 28.1

Jeep Liberty
Ground Clearance – Breakover Angle [DEG] 22.6
Ground Clearance – Departure Angle [DEG] 30.3
Wheelbase [in] 106.1
Turning Diameter (curb-to-curb) [ft] – Turning Left [ft] 35.5
Ground Clearance 8.1
Ground Clearance – Approach Angle [DEG] 29.0

From MSN Autos:
“The Trail Rated Patriot has nine inches of ground clearance, a 29-degree approach angle, a 34-degree departure angle and a 23-degree breakover angle.”

In most dimensions that matter for off roading, the Trail-Rated Patriot and Liberty are identical. The Patriot is also lighter which would help it out in tough off-road situations. If it does have a weakness, it’s in the engine and CVT, but to say that it’s “just another cute ute” when it’s got low-range gearing, skid plates and nine inches of ground clearance is a bit harsh.

If anybody reads this, I’d like to know William Montgomery’s take on the Liberty versus the Patriot. Would you say the Liberty is a far better off roader than the Patriot or would you peg them about even? I would call it a draw.

First off, the 2008 Liberty can be had in Trail Rated or non-Trail Rated models depending on what you need and how you equip them. Unlike many of the pretend SUVs out there, Jeep offers a choice of 4wd systems with and without a low range, again depending on your needs/desires. Properly equipped, this can be a true off-road vehicle. This isn’t a Toyota RAV4 or Highlander, nor a Honda CRV or Pilot, this is a REAL SUV.

Styling is always subjective and this is an either you hate it or love it design. Personally, I think it is reminiscent of the Willy’s Jeep wagons of the ’50s, and that’s a good thing, IMO. Getting the spare tire off the rear door and in a sling under the vehicle was a smart move. The interior doesn’t look any cheaper to me than what Toyota is throwing at us these days and I guarantee it will hold up better over time.

When people question why Jeep has the Liberty and the Wrangler 4-door, all I have to say is go drive both and you’ll immediately understand why. The Wrangler suspension is stiff and the solid front axle doesn’t help the ride any despite Chrysler’s leading edge design. Having driven a Wrangler Unlimited and a Liberty back to back, I can tell you the Liberty makes a better everyday driver and highway hauler. The Wrangler’s ride would get old quick on long trips. The Liberty is a nice blend of ride and off-road prowess that many other small and mid-size SUVs can’t match. And it will tow up to 2-1/2 tons.

The Jeep Patriot is also a very different vehicle at a lower price point and aimed at the fuel concious. Unlike the Liberty, the Patriot is based off a car platform like a Honda or Toyota and while Trail Rated versions are available, the Liberty is more capable off-road and has a higher towing capacity. To me, the Patriot (and Compass) are faux SUVs like the other cute utes.

If you liked the old Cherokees, the Liberty (still sold as the Cherokee in some markets) is the direct replacement. It’s hard to believe the last generation Cherokee went out of produciton in 2001, a full 8 model years ago. They had a good run from 1984 till then so what you see on the road could be going on 25 years old, longer than some manufacturers have been building SUVs. It’s a Jeep thing.

That’s funny cause I think the Patriot should not be called a Jeep.

“The KK is 2.2-inches longer and .6-inches wider than before…”

That is wrong.

It is 2.2 inches longer and .6 inches wider than before.

HTH!

The Overall score is not the result of a mathematical formula – it’s an independent comprehensive assessment – but reason dictates that they should be close unless there are supplementary considerations not reflected by the individual scores. In this case, the overall rating aligns well with the individual scores:
*Performance: 3/5 stars
*Ride: 4/5
*Handling: 1/5
*Exterior: 3/5
*Interior: 2/5
*Fit and Finish: 2/5
*Toys: 4/5
*Desirability: 2/5
————————-
*Total: 21/40, therefore Overall = 3/5 stars

By complaint about the Liberty (old one) is the front seat, which is only adjustable horizontally in the one my wife bought. The seat is so high off the floor that it makes for a small aperture of entry. I’m not THAT tall (at 5′ 11″) but I have to fold myself and the neck and waist to get into the Liberty, which is really odd in a vehicle this size. I have no such issues in my TDI Jetta. Hell, it is almost easier to get into my vintage E-type Jaguar than the wife’s 5x larger Jeep Liberty! Go figure!?

I wish it had a stick too, but it isn’t my car so that wasn’t my call.

–chuck
http://chuck.goolsbee.org

Jeep offers the 42-state Grand Cherokee Diesel on the “Limited” trim level now.

A 4X2 Limited with the diesel (and no other options) is listed at about $37.3K. So, you can now get the diesel for about $3000 less than last year (when it was only on the Overland). However, $37K is still too expensive for most that would otherwise be interested.

Currently Jeep does not offer a diesel engine for the Liberty in the U.S. market.

The Diesel Grand Cherokee is still out there, but due to the $40K+ price, not many have been sold. As quasimondo indicated, they might not be with us much longer.

Not anymore. Tightened emissions regulations marked its end.

What better way to ‘pep up’ your volume seller than by combining the styling of the Compass and Commander, two of your most well-received vehicles?”

Could more than one person at Chrysler have actually thought this? I mean, they must have.

Love it, morbo!

I think he was referring to the Diesel version.

I also imagine fuel economy will be somewhere between “poor for class” and “disappointing.” I was really surprised at how poor the fuel economy of the earlier Diesel Liberty was reported in tests… seemed like it wasn’t worth doing at all. Friends have a 2-3 year-old Liberty and they’re very unhappy with the mileage (they bought it as their high-mpg car; their other is a Pathfinder).

What was wrong with the Cherokee that needed fixing? It’s the one Jeep that I might have been able to sell to the spouse – except that all the examples in the parking lot are dissolving into heaps of rust before my eyes.

I can easily imagine, if the Liberty didn’t exist in the lineup and was just brought out, we might be saying:

“Finally, something to split the difference between the way-too-truckish and uncomfortable Wrangler, and those soft, on-road cute-utes. Thank you Jeep!”

That being said, I’m not crazy about this new look. Correction: it’s downright ugly and un-Jeep-like. I happen to be driving a Liberty for a few months (between TSXes — waiting for the ‘09), and I find it truckish, though surprisingly stable at high-speed and with — again — surprising handling for a high-truck.