Same as my previous reviews: Solid, dependable, and overall fun to drive - in a daily commute, or up in the hills.

Up until the seats, just nit-noid stuff, like the easily scratched / marred interior plastics.

This is my third review of my 2002 Jeep Liberty Sport - I just gotta vent, and find out if any other Liberty owners have had this happen:

THE SEAT STITCHING IS COMING APART!

Looks like defective thread; it started to rot and break after about three-and-a-half years, at first in the back (seats that are rarely even used!), but now even the driver's seat is splitting open!!

I've owned cars & trucks from GM, and never had anything like this happen - and they weren't expensive vehicles.

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See my first review.

Solid feel, good towing capacity, acceptable mileage (meets EPA rating), good reliability ratings, 6-speed is great. Feels much more sporty, rough and ready than previous 1993 Grand Cherokee. Have not tried off road yet but probably will not be disappointed.

It seems a little small for its weight. It feels heavy at low throttle pressure even with the manual transmission although it will go if press it.

So far this car has met my expectations. I definitely recommend the part time four wheel drive and 6-speed manual transmission to minimize weight, maximize full economy, maximize gear selections and fun to drive factors for such a heavy vehicle. With this combination, EPA ratings of 22/17 MPG are easily achieved with moderate driving habits. So far with significant highway driving achieved 20 MPG @80MPH, 21.5 @75MPH, 23.0MPH @70MPH mostly with A/C on low. I considered the diesel but the mandatory automatic, extra 500 lbs, and consumer reports scared me off.

I like the color (Atlantic blue and black plastic trim)looks, handling, and instrument cluster along with the towing capacity for my 18' boat. Fit, finish, and comfort is good although spartan with the cloth seats. Good view of the road. Feels rock solid but heavy. Climate control is strong. A/C does not seem to have significant effect on MPG.

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1993 Jeep Grand Cherokee Laredo 4x4 5.2L automatic

Powerful smooth engine. Superb suspension. 6-speed standard transmission is smooth. A good value for the money.

Thirsty engine. If you are worry about gas buy something else. The rear cargo area is short (smaller than the one in the Cherokee) but this increases the departure angle for off-road conditions. Emergency brake doesn't work; it engages at the last click, sometimes. Chrysler knows this is a problem but don't seem to fix it.

I owned a 2003 Liberty Sport and I upgraded to a 2006 Renegade. Having driven the Cherokee previously I can say that this vehicle is light years ahead of the old Cherokee when it comes to power, handling and a smooth ride. The Cherokee was a truck and rode like one. The Liberty rides like a well mannered SUV, but it is still an SUV so do not expect car-like handling. This is not a sedan or sedan made to look like a big box SUV. The guts, transfer case, transmission, rear solid axle are pure Jeep. This vehicle is heavy and tough and far more capable off road than what many owners are capable or willing to risk doing. The Cherokees was better off road with a front solid axle and more ground clearance. The Liberty’s IFS is too low to the ground but it flexes better when going over rough stuff so if you are no rock crawling, it will get the job done. The new rear suspension has eliminated axle hop over wash board roads. The V6 is powerful but thirsty. The German 6-speed transmission requires precise shifting as it has no slop in it. For the money you get a very capable vehicle that can handle both the highway and the dirt.

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1973 CJ-3
1986 Cherokee
2003 Liberty

everything! I am a JEEP lover so it is hard for me to find faults.

gas? ok...it is kinda difficult to get in the back seats..the space isn't that big for adults but kids get in just fine.

LOVED IT!!!! this jeep was riding smooth and never gave me a worry for the year I had it!I had a wrangler 1994 prior to this one and I had the same satisfaction with this cherokee. It is pretty roomy and really convenient to bring my 3 labs dog around. it had the 6 in line with the 4.0 L engine and this car had guts!!! I sold it recently because the paint was due to be redone and I just didn't think it was worth it for a vehicule that old...sold it to a guy that does a lot of offroading and he loves it too!!

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Jeep Wrangler 1994

Great suspension, nice interior, powerful, spacious, excellent sound system, easy to use navigation with steering wheel controls, heated seats, fun to drive 4x4.

Could use a larger storage area in the center console, engine is slightly noisy due to the large amount of torque for 5000 lb. towing capacity.

This is a really nice compact SUV. The seats are comfortable, it has decent interior space, the exterior paint is beautiful, there is a subatantial amount of cargo room, and the instrument cluster is also set up real nice. It gets great gas mileage for a 3.7L V6. The ride is very smooth and it's just alot of fun to drive. My friend is a mechanic for Jeep and told me that he has seen very minimal problems with this vehicle and highly recommends it. Better than similar class vehicles.

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Toyota RAV 4, Lexus RX300, Grand Cherokee, Wrangler

Outside looks.
I do like the cargo area even though its not big.

SEE SUMMARY

I am a little amazed that this vehicle has such a high rating. It is my first Suv, and i am somewhat disenchanted. It rides very rough, is not at all comfortable, and well not very appealing in the interior. I was attracted to the ouside and the Jeep name. The windshield is very succeptable to cracks and chips..( even with a bug shield) My sister-in-law and a co-worker also had to replace their windshield. I do have the sport but the seats are so cheap...( i know it's my fault...I did test drive it.)
I had to replace my bushings already, it is an 03, but bought it new in march of 04. God forbid you only put the rear windows down, because you'll burst your eardrums. It also shifts a little hard. I don't like that the seats don't fold down any flatter.
also i have had problems with my 4 wheel drive sticking and literally have to turn the vehicle off to get it to disengage. I guess i just need to really research my next vehicle.

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we have a dodge dakota also. this is the first suv.

I suppose the strenghs were its styling, headroom, and smooth ride. The oil and filter were easy to change. The SUV gave the impression of being solidly built. Remote door locks were a nice touch.

1)THE GAS MILEAGE IS TERRIBLE!! I REPEAT: THE GAS MILEAGE IS TERRIBLE!! I realized within the first month we made a horrible mistake and we had to keep it two years in order not to be upside down to trade it in. You'll see many used car lots around town with used Jeep Libertys with good miles. That's because the previous owners know that it's such a gas hog.
2) This SUV requires hard to find size Goodyear Wrangler tires. The tires are too high and thin. They cost around $150 each. My wife was always afraid we'd tip over at times.
3)The engine is noisy and always feels like it's laboring. The SUV is very heavy resulting in greater engine wear.
4)The seats are very uncomfortable. I thought we would get used to them but we couldn't.
5) At first we though the spare tire was cute in the rear but it's an eyesore.
6) The engine ran harsh on regular unleaded and we always had to use at least mid-grade.
7) Hardly any storage space! Glove department is tiny.

We bought ours in 2003 used with 13K miles. Sport package automatic 3.7. I cannot understand all of these positive reviews. They must own gas stations because the gas mileage is beyond dismal. We just traded ours in yesterday and felt compelled to review it. You will be spending a great deal of time looking for gas stations. This SUV posseses the dubious combination of having a small gas tank and a thirsty engine. The result will be a significant weekly fuel bill for this turkey regardless of your driving habits. I have honestly tried to be objective and just cannot understand why fuel consuption is not a big issue on this vehicle in the previous reviews. I knew that SUV's had gas mileage issues but I was not prepared on just how bad the Liberty was in light of its small size. Unfortunately, this vehicle was not a good choice for us and would not recommend for anyone who doesn't like to spend time and money at gas stations. I hope this has been helpful.

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The Liberty has plenty of V6 power. It accelerates quickly and the automatic transmission shifts smoothly. Although several reviewers say it has pronounced road noise, I don't find that to be the case. It's very quiet in the cabin. There are complaints about the window switches being mounted on the center console...I don't find that to be a problem either. The tailgate and rear glass open smoothly and the grocery bag hooks on the backs of the rear seats are a really nice touch. Jeep 4WD...wow...although this Liberty's gonna be used mostly around town, I've already found it'll climb over anything. The 2006 Liberty is out, but the dealer had this 05 model, new, still on the lot. They wanted to move it, so I snagged it fully loaded with 4WD, leather, ABS, 6-cd-changer, and more for $22,400.

The cabin could use a bit more storage around the driver's area. At 6-2, I find the seats to be a bit 'short'. The cd mechanism clunks loudly when the radio is turned on.

I've driven Toyota trucks exclusively since 1991. They're solid and reliable, but they're still TRUCKS. I reached the point where I wanted a vehicle with more comfort, which would carry four people, and which has the ability to still get dirty when called on to do so. I selected the Jeep Liberty after test-driving the RAV-4 and the Highlander. The RAV-4 seemed underpowered and the Highlander seemed overpriced.

Very good build quality, Ride is comfy most of the time, Interior is quiet, Go anywhere "Jeepness"

Ride can be choppy, Poorly designed ball joints, Doors don't unlock when you put the car in park, Window switches on center console, Interior fabric stains EASILY

My wife and I bought the Liberty in the summer of 05. It has been trouble free and reliable. It has 43,000 miles on the odometer and there isn't a squeak or rattle in the vehicle. The ride is firm but comfortable if your used to driving trucks. The interior is quiet with a minimum of road noise intruding into the cabin. Storage is adequate but not as good as my Cherokee. Considering that a Libby weighs approximately 4500 pounds with all fluids the gas mileage is acceptable. I'm currently getting 13-16 city and 17-21 highway. Power from the 3.7 liter v6 is decent. It has plenty of power for passing, merging, or driving at extra legal speeds. I stated the power is decent because no matter how much power you have it's never enough. Some of the things I don't like are the funky placement of the window switches on the center console. I don't know whose brilliant idea this was but it was stupid. Water will stain the interior fabric. I've got a two year old, imagine what that does to the fabric. I'd like the door locks to unlock when the vehicle is put into park. It would make getting kids out of their carseats easier. As it is now I have to punch the door lock first. It's a minor thing, I just prefer door locks that unlock when placed in park.

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99 Cherokee, 87 Blazer, 00 Dodge Dakota

Driver room Acceleration Good gas mileage for class/size Towing Parking Fit and finish Looks great Drives great

Luggage space (solved with luggage carrier $170 fix) Large passengers seem cramped in front

The Liberty has been a great vehicle for my young family. I traded in a minivan and have never looked back. I have the V6 and I don't understand why people are getting such poor mileage. I usually get 20 in the city and 26-28 on the highway. Sometimes the mileage will dip when I haven't changed the oil in a timely fashion, but otherwise its been good for a vehicle that tows 5000 pounds. We pull a small camper and the Liberty drives like nothing is behind it. Space was an issue so we bought a luggage carrier from Sears for $170 and lack of space is not a problem anymore (gas mileage stayed the same). The $170 luggage carrier beats spending an extra $5000-10000 for something larger. We've put 34000 miles on the Liberty in just over a year. We've driven all over the United States and have had a great time. I highly recommend the Liberty, especially for those who need a small SUV that can safely tow a trailer. Nothing else comes close.

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2001 Cherokee 2d 4X2 (still own and love) 1984 CJ7 (love of my life) 2001 Isuzu Rodeo Sport V6 (too small but fast)