Jeep Liberty Limited: Practical and stylish

Posted Thursday, January 17, 2008

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With its distinctive seven-slot Jeep grill awash in chrome, along with chrome accents on the front, 18-inch chrome wheels and chrome side badging and cross rails, my first impression of the 2008 Jeep Liberty Limited was that it was an absolutely stunning sight to behold.

This Liberty comes with a lifetime powertrain warranty with unlimited miles and years, said salesperson Diane Fahnestock of Jim Riehl’s Friendly Chrysler Dodge Jeep in Lapeer.

And on the safety side, side-curtain airbags are standard on the 2008 Jeep Liberty Limited. Another convenience is the memory-seat option for two drivers, which sets seat position, exterior mirrors and preferred radio stations for each driver. It also offers Sirius radio free for a year and an MP3 port.

Other options on the Limited model include rear bumper sensors with a visual light indicator that shows obstructions up to 10 inches high and six feet back, as well as a toneau cover and storage tray where other vehicles just have a trunk.

Other model options include the Jeep Liberty Sport and the Jeep Liberty Renegade.

With all that in mind, I took this beautiful creature out for a test drive, and you know what I found? Well, let’s just say my in-car experience was a little different than I had initially expected.
For me, the critical test was when I took the Liberty through the snow and elements to see how it would perform. Long story short, the vehicle’s traction control option allowed me to remove this fine piece of machinery from what could have amounted to quite a precarious position without a bit of damage to the lawn and yard I was almost engulfed in.

Also, while my current vehicle requires that I slow down for things like curbs and pot holes, the Jeep Liberty seemed to handle every valley and plateau of the terrain like an old-time pro, regardless of speed.

Another plus: The interior was impeccable and creature-comfort options were impressive, such as a top-of-the-line Infinity sound system. Other amenities I found enticing included an AC outlet for powering standard household items and a 4-wheel-drive option with shift-on-the-fly capabilities.

The only downside was the steering, which seemed more sedan-like than I expected in an SUV.

There’s plenty of utility in this SUV with a second-row seat that drops down for storage and cargo, along with a front passenger seat that folds flat so you can move anything from skis to lumber.

Overall this Liberty offers a good package: It’s practical like a station wagon, powerful like a truck and stylish like a luxury car. — Michael Selecky