Once upon a time, a loafer-wearing businessman buried the front end of his rented Oldsmobile in a dune on the barren southwestern point of Galveston Island. I retrieved my Jeep Liberty and drove it to the Olds across a sea of tidal dunes carved into the coast like three foot swells; the Liberty loped from crest to crest in a spray of sand. Within minutes, I dug out enough of the Olds’ front bumper to affix a strap and pull the trapped car onto smooth packed beach. So how does this Jeep lover rate the prospects for the new 2008 Jeep Liberty? D.O.A.
Codenamed KJ, the current Jeep Liberty came to market in 2001 as an ‘02 model. In the U.S., its introduction overlapped production of the ancient, outgoing Jeep Cherokee by about six months. It was a sensible move; dual production kept the assembly lines running and assured the new Liberty a soft launch to major league success. The Liberty has been America’s best selling compact SUV since 2005.
The redesigned 2008 Liberty, code named KK, will roll off the assembly line this fall. Looking to revive the Cherokee’s now legendary styling, the KK is shaped like a brick on wheels. Aficionados have dubbed the new Liberty a mini-Commander (Lieutenant Commander?). In case you’re wondering, that’s about as far from a compliment as a Jeep lover can get without dropping the F-bomb. The Commander, an unmitigated sales disaster, is being quietly dropped from Jeep’s multi-model roster.
But questionable looks aren’t the only reason why the Liberty’s segment-leading success will soon be over. The new Liberty is destined to be a dud because the existing Patriot and four-door Wrangler Unlimited will cannibalize its sales.
To test my suspicions I turned to L.O.S.T. (Liberty Owners Special Team). Most of this club and web forum’s members are apex users; they modify their cute-faced grocery-getter with lift kits and larger, knobbier tires and take them to places that SUV critics say SUV owners never go. The members’ antics prove that the current Liberty’s solid frame, low gear transfer case and stout-hearted rock crawlin’ engine make it a “real” Jeep.
Granted, this hardcore owner group’s behavior doesn’t represent the mainstream suburban Liberty owner. But L.O.S.T. members are living the dream that draws all of the lifestyle wannabes to the brand. I submit that their leading-edge opinion is a good bellwether of the platform’s future. So I polled their website’s visitors about the new Liberty’s place within Jeep’s lineup.
Although the survey was unscientific and the sample population small, the results were decisive. By a factor of two to one, L.O.S.T. members said they prefer the new four-door Wrangler Unlimited over the forthcoming KK Liberty (62% Wrangler, 29% Liberty).
No surprise there. Most of these owners purchased their Liberty because it’s the best compromise between off-roader and family taxi. Now that the Jeep Wrangler’s ride has been greatly improved and can plausibly seat four passengers, it can pull double duty. And so it will.
Again, most Liberty owners are not mud-plugging militants with dirt, grease and blood under their fingertips. The model’s sold to well manicured urban and suburbanites seduced by the Jeep’s round-eyed headlights and smiling bumper; buyers so smitten by the Liberty’s cuteness that they ignore the harsh ride, heavyweight handling, cramped quarters and horrendous gas mileage.
Those days– and sales– are numbered. The new Lego-shaped Liberty has the cuteness quotient of a shoebox. Of course, such stylistic determinations are subjective. But beholders with an eye for sassy will more likely find Jeep’s own Patriot or even [dare I say it] Compass more suitably adorable. Furthermore, the non-jeep Jeep twins are less expensive and more fuel-efficient. They’re better “cars.”
And consider this: Jeep now sells seven models in the U.S. The situation is so confusing that the brand’s American website has a widget to help a Jeep buyer “find the vehicle that best matches your needs by selecting your preferences from the filters below: Price Range, Seating Capacity, Towing Capacity.” Select the $20k to $30k price range from the drop-down menu and… all seven models remain highlighted.
Put another way, a customer with $25K burning a hole in their pocket can purchase a Patriot Limited AWD, Liberty Limited, Grand Cherokee Laredo or Wrangler X. How’s THAT for model overlap and price point confusion?
Jeep is generally regarded as the Pentastar’s crown jewel, the one brand that’s survived its German owners’ neglect and mismanagement relatively unscathed. As the Commander and new Liberty prove/highlight, DCX has somehow found a way to kill the golden goose. They’ve diluted the brand’s carefully crafted off-road image while failing to produce a credible competitor to Toyota’s RAV4 or Honda’s CR-V. If anyone wonders why Chrysler’s on life support, well, there’s your answer.
This post seems more like a review than an editorial. That aside, my understanding from the European side of the pond is that the 02 model Liberty was a sales disaster. We much preferred the old Cherokee, and though the Liberty was badged Cherokee for our market it didn’t work. The cutesy looks haven’t been popular, so a return to the set square is welcome.
Yet the latest model lacks panache. It lacks the detailing of the original Cherokee that communicated a premium feel even though it was way out of date when lauched in Europe. All the new Jeeps look and feel cheap, a feeling that gets worse once you get inside.
All that, combined with a poor reputation for reliability, is killing the brand. Give me a Freelander any day.
Wasn’t the lack of a front solid axle in the Liberty (a change from the Cherokee) the main source of disappointment by the hardcore crowd?
“The model’s sold to well manicured urban and suburbanites seduced by the Jeep’s round-eyed headlights and smiling bumper; buyers so smitten by the Liberty’s cuteness that they ignore the harsh ride, heavyweight handling, cramped quarters and horrendous gas mileage.”
I’ll ditto you on:
* The handling. This thing feels like an old drum-braked monster from the early sixties.
* The cramped quarters. I swear it was designed for women. I’m only 5′ 11″ and I have to fold myself up to get through the door and into the front seat. It is almost as bad as getting into my ’65 E-type Jaguar with the top up! The really annoying part, is that once I fold myself, get in and unfold myself into the seat, I can’t reach out and grab the door handle to close it, without folding myself again and stick my folded upper body out the door! Or just bang my head on the door frame. Sigh.
As for the fuel economy… My wife bought one for herself, and I insisted she get the Diesel. That little torquey four banger sips fuel. She gets 27MPG in town an we’ve seen 30 MPG on some long trips. Given how heavy the chassis feels I can only imagine how bad it would be with a gasoline engine!
But look around, this thing is a “chick car” if I’ve ever seen one. 9 out of 10 Liberty drivers are women.
–chuck
Jeep can still be saved though. It hasn’t undergone decades of neglect and mismanagement like say Buick
How is the new Patriot not a credible alternative to the CRV or RAV4? Sure, it’s built on the Caliber chassis, but it gets good fuel economy, drives like a car, and still blows the CRV/RAV4 away in off-road capability. It’s actually a great modern entry-level Jeep, in my opinion. It may not drive as well as the Japanese vehicles, or be as refined…but it’s inexpensive and has better off-road capability, and Jeep looks.
Jeep will be fine as long as they don’t mess with their core: the Wrangler. That’s about as high margin as you can get, and that’s why Jeep has been able to survive their German overlord’s neglect.
The problem with Jeep is that the premise for their past success doe not hold true anymore. Buyers WANTED a truckish, offroady SUV for looks, to impress the neighbors. They ignored the compromises. Those days are over. Now, as Jeep atempts to court the new buyer wanting better mileage/ride/quality, it is losing its core customers. Jeep needs to head towards Land Rover – top quality and uncompromised functionality.
NN:How is the new Patriot not a credible alternative to the CRV or RAV4?
– an interior only a mother could love
– unrefined powertain
– poor resale
– crap warranty (3/36 powertrain??)
– unproven reliability
As someone who is interested in a small SUV and isn’t concerned with offroad prowess, the Jeep offers me nothing but poor value.
They should break it into two brands :-
Jeep : For the Wrangler and Liberty L.O.S.T crowd who prefer the look of the underside of their vehicles to the outside of them.
Sheep : For the others in the follow-thy-neighbor crowd.
boredlawstudent: Wasn’t the lack of a front solid axle in the Liberty (a change from the Cherokee) the main source of disappointment by the hardcore crowd?
Yes. And the fact that the ’02 Liberty weighed 800lbs more than the outgoing Cherokee.
Speaking of (over)weight: the new Wrangler 4-door is well over 4,000 lbs. Just in time for the new CAFE rules.
chuckgoolsbee, I loved the oil burners. Hopefully a clean diesel will make it into future Liberty’s.
Call me OCD. I have tracked my 3.7L V6 for 30,176.6 miles and averaged 16.3mpg. In town with the a/c on I average only 14.86mpg and get 18.52mpg on the highway.
james2550: my understanding from the European side of the pond is that the 02 model Liberty was a sales disaster.
That may be true, but here in the colonies you cannot swing a dead cat owner in a grocery store parking lot (car park?) without hitting a Liberty or two.
– crap warranty (3/36 powertrain??)
My old Dakota had a 7/70 warranty. When a manufacturer shortens their warranty, I have to assume it’s because they don’t think the vehicle will last that long. Bye-bye Chrysler.
John
Jeeps are no longer cool, except possibly for the wrangler. the rest are mall shoppers. A friend even has a “trail rated” jeep something or other. I said “what trail? Your driveway?”. I dont get it. They are top heavy, thirsty, noisy, cramped and mostly stupid lookin.. i can see if there are people that actually use these things for off roading, but i never see a dirty one.. silly expensive cartoonish venicles, much like the ridiculous hummers…at least the freelander has style!
I agree that Jeep has cannibalized Liberty sales with the new 4-Door Wrangler, Patriot and Compass. (I think the Patriot looks like a blatant ripoff of the Subaru Forester with a Jeep grill slapped on.)
Still, I would be wary of the 4-Door Wrangler. I would imagine that the roof has a lot of leaks, squeaks and rattles compared to the Liberty.
I think the Liberty is going to do O.K. sales-wise. With its new styling, it looks like something for the owner of a current Grand Cherokee or Commander who wants to down-size.
If whoever eventually buys chrysler jeep later sells off Jeep to say Toyota or the Chinese will you still feel the same way librenny?
My hands down favorite vehicle that I’ve ever owned was a 2-door Dodge Raider (Mitsubishi Montero). It had a torquey, though low horsepower, V-6 that sucked gas, it was so damned loud on the road that no stereo could compensate, it bounced like an angry bull over every road imperfection, the back seat was useless BUT MY GOD I loved that little bastard! It was SO much fun off-road and it was like having a totally cool, totally crazy friend that you couldn’t rely on for shit, but who you had the BEST time with. When my 4 year lease was up and they took my Raider away, it was like my dog died. So, not every vehicle is a bunch of specifications. Some transcend their details and their imperfections, just by how they make you feel.
The words reliability and Freelander in the same sentence? An oxymoron if ever there was one.
Imho the Patriot is definitely not a credible competitor to the Rav4 / CRV..inside it looks and feels identical to the Caliber + it’s absolutely positively tiny.
Please, do not dare say anything nice about the styling of the Compass. This new Liberty is uglier than the old, but not nearly as bad as the Compass.
# JK43123:
April 12th, 2007 at 3:20 pm
– crap warranty (3/36 powertrain??)
My old Dakota had a 7/70 warranty. When a manufacturer shortens their warranty, I have to assume it’s because they don’t think the vehicle will last that long. Bye-bye Chrysler.
John
———–
Uh, John your Dakota had a 7/70 powertrain warranty. The Jeep warranty is 3/36 bumper to bumper. I would like it to be longer than 3/36 but there is a big difference between the two.
Last summer the wife and I changed elevation – from life at 6,000 feet in Colorado Springs, to 7,500 feet in Monument, Colorado. The first thing I did before we moved was t0 throw down some cash on nine-year-old TJ Wrangler.
Three blizzards later, it became obvious that the TJ was a better investment than the new house. As I type this, the weather man is telling me we’re going to get another nine inches of snow tomorrow, maybe more.
I’ve become a Wrangler guy, and proud of it. When you live up this high, “off road” is a redundancy; our roads get so snow-buried it’s impossible to tell where the roads end and the hills begin.
The only problem we have is, the wife hates the Wrangler. She hates the noise from the canvas top, she hates the ride, and she especially hates that you couldn’t keep the interior warm if you set it on fire.
She needs something that can tackle a Colorado blizzard, yet keep her (and the baby) all warm and comfy. She might also be the first to tell you that, here in the mountains, the last thing we care about is what the Liberty looks like. What we care about is a reasonable compromise between comfort and practicality.
The Compass is just a car. The Patriot isn’t much better. The Wrangler, for my wife, is just too much. What’s that leave? She has a choice between the Grand Cherokee and the Liberty. And if you’re on a budget, that choice becomes a no-brainer: The Liberty, no matter what it looks like, looks pretty damn good.
Jeep is killing the brand with all of these 2wd soft roaders. I almost pissed myself laughing at the salesman trying to justify why there are 2wd wranglers on the lot! The worst part is there is a huge backorder of Unlimited Rubicons and this demand can’t be met. There are guys waiting six months or more for their Rubicon. An huge miscalculation on the part of DCX. For sure this four door Wrangler is cannabalizing sales of the other Jeep vehicles.
If 4 door Wranglers are such a hit, that is good for Jeep. Let’s say you decide you want a wrangler. What else will compete? Nothing.
Unfortunately, everyone will learn the wrong thing from this lesson. Making the Wrangler more mainstream was only successful because it was so different to start. It is a good design to do what it is meant to do. Most of the other SUV’s are not good SUV’s to start with.
If you ask me, they should have made the Liberty or Compass more like a dune buggy. And, only done one or the other. That would fit Jeep better. Lastly, who cares if they offer 2wd vehicles, so long as there is always a 4wd option.
2wd can get you as far as many of the 4wd trucks now can go, and certainly farther than most will ever go. Make a good, light weight chassis that is rugged and has good clearance. There is a niche for that. Make it THE car for hauling dirt bikes, surf boards, light boats, or doing donuts in the dirt.
Steve Green,
2 words: Seat Heat
You can likely install it yourself.
Another 2 words: New Wrangler
Get the freedom top with it. Unfortunately, even the new ones don’t have seat heat as an option, but the dealer told me he would gladly install it before delivery.
Just as William Wirt made up the “Give me liberty or give me death!” line in his biography of Henry, years after the fact — so has Chrysler been making up a rationale for its Jeeps.
I have owned three Cherokees – or should I write: I have worn out three Cherokees, banging them through mudtrails to get them to favorite fishing haunts; or just mistreating them because I knew they could take it.
WIth the raised Offroad specification, and a reinforced undercarriage ready to bang against anything, they got me there and back. And the Limited interior provided a level of comfort you don’t usually associate with real 4×4.
The number of cars I have pulled out of ditches or up icy slopes … it’s substantial. The number of times I have jogged myself out of deep snow and sludge or mud, likewise.
So – I took one look at the ’02 Liberty, and thought: “When the hell did Disney animators start designing real cars?” Then I took a look at the spec’s, and laughed. What a dead end for the Willy’s Jeep.
Check out the most recent Defender from Land Rover — there’s a company that knows what sticking to its core values is all about. Jeep should have at least one core vehicle in its line-up, now it has death warmed over across a number of parking lot Jeeps.
Stien, You might look into the Toyota FJ Cruiser. My kid has one and I’m rather impressed. I LOVE my old Cherokee but sadly it’s life is almost over. An FJ might very well replace it. The Wrangler is just a tad bit hard core for my use.
DC should have just updated the Cherokee for the 10’s of thousands of us that were extremely satisfied with an old school, live axle, reliable vehicle.
Wrangler/TJ or whatever: 85 mph, 15 mpg and make sure the fillings in your teeth are well secured. To park at the ski house and use at weekends, OK. But for general commuting work? Forgetaboutit.
Jeep “Purists” speak out on Liberty:
2002: I hate the new round Liberty, why did they have to kill off the legendary Cherokee!
2007: I hate the new square Liberty, why are they trying to look like the Cherokee, bring back our round Liberty!!
Let’s get some facts straight:
1. Liberty comes in 2wd and a fully jeep, fully trail-rated 4wd.
2. Cherokee sold gobs of 2wd models back in the day.
3. The Soft-roader cute-ute role in Jeep’s lineup was taken over by Compass. The new Liberty is significantly upscaled from the 07 model.
4. 3 years ago, there was consensus that Jeep was completely underutilized with 3 models. Now that they’ve expanded the lineup, now they have killed the brand?
5. Jeep sales are up 5% in total volume in the first 3 months of the year.
6. Sales will only continue to improve the new Wrangler and Liberty outperform their 06 numbers, and 2 new models add to total sales, including the just released Patriot.
jeep doesn`t have 7 models. for the new liberty is nothing than a rebadged dodge nitro- the same a-b-c pillars. the same gas cap configuration, the same windshield and door lines. the whole jeep brand is a paradigm of american car manufacturing. obsolete technologies are served as something rugged, outdoor and traditional. outdoor to cemetery. the designs of all jeeps is medium grade, without sharp precise lines. reminds designs of beginning of 90ies.noone needs jeep brand. for jeep doesn`t even have it`s own platform. all cars are based either on mercedes or mitsu fwd lancer platform.pathetic! the only platform you have for your wrangler is so outdated with rear live axle and leaf springs that even a korean company would never buy it. the whole range of jeeps look like failures. at least no educated people would consider buying a jeep. go on! imitate the diversity of products! rebadge dodge nitro as Chrysler Incinderjell.for you are desperately afraid of any job that has anything to do with tangible hardware.how `bout Plymouth Semtex? it`s easy just grab another grille! the problem is not only in chrysler- it`s the whole american hardware manufacturing, that is going the Titanic way! Lunatics@inbox.lv
Two wheel drive SUV’s are a defamation of the Jeep Brand. It would be like making a front wheel drive Impala SS (oh wait….)
Jeep has put out 2wd vehicles since the inception of the brand. Jeepsters, Cherokees, Wagoneers, Willy's, Comanches, all have had 2wd variants. Again, the Nitro is built on the new Liberty platform and dumbed down, not the other way around. Liberty is fully Jeep.
The results of this unscientific reading of responses from Jeep fans is almost overwhelmingly positive:
http://www.jeepnewsnow.com/modules/news/article.php?storyid=1479
So for Jeep I only see them with 4 vehicles:
Wrangler
Wrangler Unlimited
Cherokee
Liberty – This is soley for those that want the image but don’t need something as big as the Cherokee.
SuperAROD, Let me respond to some of your comments. It will be hard to be brief.
1.) I prefer the more mature look of the new Liberty, as do, is suspect, most Jeep “purists.” However, it isn’t cute which is why I predict the trucklet’s mass appeal (i.e. sales) will be damaged.
2.) Amen to your assessment of 2WD Jeeps. They’ve been around forever without destroying the brand.
3.) Amen to the Liberty => Nitro connection.
4.) Jeep News Now link: I did a quick survey of the comments and did not find them to be overwhelmingly positive. I thought it was a mixed bag of reactions.
5.) I fully support Jeep growing the model lineup from just 3 offerings and exploiting the brand’s successful image. But re-badging a cheap Dodge was a mistake x2 and the Commander failed to pull-off rugged luxury. Furthermore, they crowded one demographic. Read the following target demographic profiles (model names omitted) from two different Jeeps. Tell me they are not talking about the same target buyers:
Mystery Jeep ‘A’
_____ is expected to cross generations – its target customers include both Gen X-ers and baby boomers. Many of these buyers are up-and-comers – middle-class workers on the rise in their professional life. Some have young children, but none are ready to settle down and become part of the minivan set. They want a vehicle that reflects their personality – rugged, independent, confident. _____ satisfies their needs on all levels, offering an outdoorsy vehicle with comfortable interiors and available Trail Rated® features.
Mystery Jeep ‘B’
The _____ is designed to appeal to customers who are looking for Jeep 4×4 capability as well as comfort and convenience. It is targeted to young couples and new families, as well as professional, young single men and women between 30 and 40 years of age, balanced male to female. Jeep _____ owners will balance day-to-day responsibilities with their passion for adventure as well as the outdoors. They are athletic, and pursue activities that combine their various interests with their active lifestyle.
And can you guess which profile is from which Jeep model?
A – Liberty
B – Patriot
I understand the argument that there are overlapping demographics with a lot of their models. But it is not because of poor planning, it is the fact that Jeep cannot profitably sell a vehicle for under 15K, and cannot expect to sell a vehicle for 40K. The Overland GC and Commander are testing the limits of how much people are willing to pay for a Jeep.
That being said, if you have 6 models all priced in the 15K to 35K range, you are going to have some overlap.
I think the Compass was a good idea poorly executed. It is not as horrible as people on auto websites make it out to be, but it is not the homerun they could have had it they had stayed true to the Concept compass.
The Patriot is not going to be a mistake. It has a classic look, is full features, can be had in full trail rated trim, starting at 14.9K. If it is marketed right, it should do well. http://www.expeditionswest.com/equipment/reviews/patriot/index.htm
Right models, wrong profiles. ‘A’ is the Patriot (source: Dealership Product Information Guide: 2007 Jeep Patriot, p. 4) and ‘B’ is the Liberty (source: 2008 Liberty Official Press Release, 5th paragraph).
In the US Jeep was only really successful when they had little decent competition. Now that literally every car company is also playing in the SUV sandbox there are few reasons to do business with Jeep anymore. Hummer has taken the leading spot for image conscious I Wanna Look Rugged suburbanites. Those who want something to park next to the BMW, Porsche, Mercedes, Lexus, Infiniti, Volvo or Acura sedan can now choose a matched set from their brand of choice. In the 1980s the marketing people were surprised to find that the other car in the garages of Grand Cherokee owners was one or more luxury vehicles from the traditional brands.
Other than for a tiny niche a hardcore offroaders, Jeep is a meaningless brand. I would bet that they are more taxicabs sold every year than their are new vehicles to hardcore offroad users. This isn’t enough to support a big brand. Jeep is a dead man walking.
I think the knock goes on the 2wd Wrangler more than it more suburban siblings. This is the first generation of 2wd Wranglers/CJs. There have always been 2wd Grand Cherokees for the soccer mom set.
My wife drives an 05 Liberty 2×4 – her second Liberty. We’re a Jeep family – I drive a 97 Wrangler Sport. She wouldn’t go off-road if you paid her – not even in my Wrangler. Pushing 120K miles, I’m ready for a new Wrangler. My wife is looking for something a little bigger and a little different from her Liberty. We visited the local Jeep emporium and checked out their new models. The Compass? Puleeeeze. The Patriot? A good six inches shorter than her Liberty. Face it – it’s a station wagon, by any other name. She gravitated to the Wrangler 4-door. We drove a Rubicon Unlimited. First observation: it was so quiet, that she didn’t realize that she had it running. (!). We drove one equipped with a soft top. At highway speeds, it was every bit as quiet (if not more so) than her Liberty. And it wasn’t lost on either of us that, configured with a 3-piece hardtop with the rear section off, you’d have the equivalent of a pretty versatile pickup. Impressed doesn’t begin to describe our reactions. The Wranglers are everything an SUV should be – and nothing it shouldn’t. She’s ready to trade for a Wrangler Unlimited, and I can’t blame her. If Jeep feels the need to build the Compass and Patriot to attract entry-level buyers or soccer moms, it’s fine with me. (The dealers tell me the Compass is almost as hard to keep in stock as are the Wranglers.) As long as Jeep keeps making the Wrangler the best-of-breed, I’ll be very happy.