2011 JEEP LIBERTY

SPECIFICATIONS

   Model: 2011 Jeep Liberty Limited 4X4

 Engine: 3.7-liter V6 Horsepower/Torque: 210 hp @ 5,200 rpm/235 lb.-ft. @ 4,000 rpm

Transmission: 4-speed automatic Wheelbase: 106.1 in.

 Length/Width/Height: 176.9 x 72.3 x 72.0 in.

 Tires: P235/60R18 Cargo volume: 26.1/62.4 cu. ft. (rear seats up/down)

 Fuel economy: 15 mpg city/21 mpg highway

 Fuel capacity: 19.5 gal.

 Curb weight: 4,290 lbs.

 Sticker: $33,075 (includes $745 destination charge and $6,010 in options)

  Five reasons to buy this car 1. You want a civilized Wrangler 2. Off-road capability 3. Good cargo capacity 4. Ruggedness, despite civility 5. It’s a Jeep thing, you wouldn’t understand

   The Bottom Line: The Jeep Liberty is a lot like the Wrangler. Its styling is similar, although the Liberty has some roundness to the front windshield. All-in-all, though, you can get almost Wrangler performance off-road for the advantage of much nice on-road manners and a few more creature comforts.

                     There are a lot of options open for Jeep fans, from the rugged off-road worthiness of the Wrangler to the sophisticated urbanness of the Grand Cherokee, with a couple of stops in between. I confess I’m not the most avid Wrangler fan, although I do respect the vehicles’ off-road capabilities.

          The Liberty is more to my liking, if I’m headed for the back country. Physically, the Liberty and Wrangler appear to be similar in size, although the Liberty is more along the lines of the Wrangler Unlimited with its four doors. Yes, the Liberty has four doors. It also has a slight curve to the front windshield that you won’t find in the Wrangler, which retains its military-practical flat glass all around.

           The Liberty is definitely a Jeep, but it is civilized, with four doors, a steel body and Grand Cherokee-like comfort. However, it’s not that comfy.

 But you’re not far off the main line Jeep track with a Liberty. You still get a rough ride on the highway and on-road. It isn’t a harsh ride, but it definitely isn’t smooth.  The Liberty also has decent handling. It isn’t a sports ca rby any means, but you don’t have to be afraid to go around corners with a little gusto; just not too much gusto.

          The 3.7-liter V6 under the hood is noisy, but it supplied enough power to move the Liberty along at a good clip. I was slightly concerned, though, because our tester had a tendency to stall, but this was only at stop signs and red lights. Front room foot room is slightly restricted because of the transfer case, but in most cases people don’t cram their feet up alongside the transmission tunnel.

 It’s easy to switch from 2WD to 4WD to 4WD Low with a slide switch on the center console. We drove mostly in 2WD, but our day-plus time in 4WD showed no decrease in performance.  The Liberty has a simple instrument panel, with small fuel and water gauges flanking larger tachometer and speedometer. Our tester also had a small “navigation screen” in the dash for audio readouts, etc. The dash is short and there’s barely enough room for a plastic Jesus to fit on top of it.

          Front seats are comfortable with minimal side support. The rear seats are flat with restricted leg and knee room. The seat backs fold flat for a 6-foot long cargo bed. Sadly, we had a 6-5 package to carry one day and had to use alternate sources to carry it.           There’s a “chicken bar” on the dash for panicky passengers to hang on to when the driver gets too enthusiastic, or when the off-roading gets serious. There’s a nice “running board” to aid in entry, although it’s more like a pipe than a board.

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2011 JEEP GRAND CHEROKEE

The new Chrysler is off to a rip-roaring start with an  all-new 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee that just about everyone agrees is a huge step forward when compared to its predecessor.

Not that you won’t recognize it. The all new chiseled, angular shape still looks precisely like a Jeep, and it shares quite a bit of styling flavor with several recent Jeep concepts.

You’ll also likely be wowed by a new dual-pane panoramic sun roof , called CommandView, that reaches from the windshield clear to the rear of the Jeep Grand Cherokee.  It‘s made up of two glass panels with power open/close sun shade.

And if you are worried that it’s given up a millimeter of its vaunted off-road capability, you can stop worrying.  There’s a new “Quadra-Lift” air suspension that can lift it as much as 4.1 inches from Park mode, to a maximum ride height of 10.7 inches. And you’ll have your choice of three 4 x 4 drive systems, including Quadra Trac 1,Quadra-Trac 2 and Quadra Drive II that includes rear electronic limited-slip differential.

It also includes a feature almost never seen on anything but the most expensive SUVs like Land Rover: a Sele4c Terrain system that has five terrain settings to help you conquer just about anything. They include Sand/Mud, Snow, Rock, Sport, and Auto.

And as you might expect, fuel economy is a big driver behind the all-new Jeep Grand Cherokee.

Its powered by the long awaited new flexible fuel 3.6 liter Pentastar V-6, which provides an 11 percent improvement in fuel economy, offering up to 23 miles per gallon or 500 miles on one tank of gas.  The engine’s other features include variable valve timing. It puts out 290 horsepower and provides 260 pound ft of torque.

Of course, you’ll still be able to get the 5.7-liter, 360 horsepower Multi-displacement System (MDS) V-8 engine if you wish.

And if you’re planning to tow a trailer, you will want to look hard at the new Jeep Grand Cherokee, since it has tow capacity of up to 7,400 pounds.

But clearly, the thing that impresses us most here at Automobile Journal is the huge improvement in materials and presentation for the interior. Now, we think the new Grand Cherokee should compete quite well with the top luxury models in its field. You couldn’t say that before.

What’s really cool is that it maintains an all-American look. There are no European influences or Japanese flavorings to be found here– and that’s clearly a plus, and it should help distinguish the Grand Cherokee from some of its competitors.

Jeep is wise to play up the American quality angle in its commercials on the new Grand Cherokee, it makes an excellent case that “Built in America” is back with bang, and it’s a force to be reckoned with in the marketplace.

You’ll see premium soft touch interior material, including leather instrument panel and door trim on the Overland model, along with real wood and leather, heated steering wheel, heated rear seats, four way power lumbar controls, Parkview rear back up camera and a host of other features that make the new model entirely competitive at last.

Other interior features include more storage space in the instrument panel, more space to get in and out, and over four inches of additional rear seat leg and knee room. And yes, the second row eat does incline.

What we did find interesting that the new Grand Cherokee remains a five seat vehicle; that should prompt more comparisons with Lexus’ RX models, Cadillac’s SRX and the Lincoln MKX. Still, there’s such a demand for three rows that much less expensive products now feature it. It will be interesting to see how this all plays out in the marketplace.

You’ll find an awful lot of safety and security features in the new Grand Cherokee, too.

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