Scott Burgess: Review

Jeep brings masculinity back with '08 Liberty

INDIANAPOLIS -- When the Jeep Liberty debuted in 2002, it was the alternative off-roader.

Its doe-eyed headlights and curvy cute looks were a hit with everyone but Jeep enthusiasts, who found their Rubicon sense of machismo unhinged; the ultimate man's brand was being shopped by women.

Turns out, Jeep had created a vehicle that non-Jeep owners wanted, taking its clunky ruggedness into a new era of "modern Jeep styling."

But instead of continuing in that vein -- catering to those considering a jump to the Jeep family fold -- the iconic brand has redesigned the 2008 Liberty to appeal more to its core constituency. It's the "classic Jeep styling," which I think looks great. And that's precisely the problem: I'm a guy.

The new Liberty, with its slab sides and tall squared-off front looks more like the discontinued Jeep Cherokee than the curvaceous first-generation Liberty, which, ironically, replaced the Cherokee. It's out with the new and in with the old.

The new Liberty's face gets mean, its headlights and fog lamps, encased in glass on each side of the seven-slot grille, glare down the road. The friendly and bubbly demeanor of the first Liberty has been replaced with a more serious stare.

The swollen and removable plastic fenders -- a must for off-roading -- keep Jeep's trapezoid lines over the wheels and add to the muscular stance. The new Liberty has run off and joined the East German swim team.

But there's nothing scary about this off-roader: It has a great personality. Take this SUV for a spin, and you'll be impressed with a smooth-riding, well-appointed vehicle.

A gentler ride

The Liberty comes with a new independent front and five-link rear suspension making it quiet and comfortable on the highway and deserving of its "Trail Rated" badge in the backcountry. The power-assisted rack-and-pinion steering is precise and well-balanced.

While driving through the rolling hills outside of Indianapolis, I never felt jostled or battered. Even on tough trails, the Liberty remained smooth bounding up steep hills and articulating over uneven roads. The additional 2 inches to the wheelbase and 3.3 inches to its overall length over the previous generation certainly create a gentler ride.

Some ingenious add-ons, such as the hill descent control and brake assist, make driving in some conditions easier. The downhill descent on the Liberty allows a driver to simply let go of the brake and gas to gently descend steep, off-roading hills. It's unnerving to test, but after it works, you sigh and reassure yourself that you knew it would work all along.

The brake assist allows the driver to press the brake, move his foot over to the gas without any back roll -- a friendly feature on trails or paved roads.

The Liberty also offers the best $1,200 option available for any vehicle: the Sky Slider. The innovative canvas top opens up half of the roof (from the front or the back) without sacrificing body strength or roof crush results. The top seals up and Jeep promises a leak-proof life. When closed, there's little noise seeping in, and when open, it's still easy to talk to passengers.

Technology on wheels

Inside the Liberty, the driver's seating position still feels a little cramped, though more comfortable than the previous generation. There are 40.8 inches of leg room in the front, but an odd bump along the transmission tunnel gobbles up some additional foot space. Both front seats are comfortable, even after a day of cruising.

The flat dash is simple and rugged and distinctively Jeep -- chunky and heavy on plastic. The grab handle for the front passenger is in front above the glove box instead of along the roof -- it feels out of place during off-roading.

Another out-of-place item -- in all three test vehicles I drove -- was the very light colored headliners. While lighter interiors have become trendy, I'd worry about smudge stains finding their ways onto the liners in the future.

Those are minor quibbles, especially when looking at the array of technology available inside the cabin. The Liberty can include Jeep's My Gig system, an optional multimedia system that allows a driver to use his personal music device, USB port or burn CDs and photos to a 20-gig hard drive. There's also a Bluetooth hands-free phone system and Sirius satellite radio available.

Overall, Jeep has lowered the starting prices of its Libertys by roughly $1,000, but it has added about $1,400 in content, making the Liberty a more tempting proposition.

Quiet and mighty

The performance of the Liberty is excellent. It's quiet on the highway and never feels in need for more power. Even the four-speed automatic transmission shifted quickly and quietly though its gears.

The standard 3.7-liter V-6 provides plenty of power (210-horses and 235-pound-feet of torque). The EPA mileage numbers may discourage some buyers with the Liberty hitting 16 miles per gallon in the city and 22 mpg on the highway. But those numbers are on par with similar-sized vehicles such as the Ford Escape and Nissan Xterra, which lack Jeep's legendary off-roading abilities.

There has been no decision to add a diesel engine to the Liberty, which the first generation offered to much fanfare. However, no one at Jeep would dismiss the idea either; it just won't put a time frame on it.

If you're more concerned with mileage, but still want a Jeep, the smaller Patriot may be the option for you. A 4x4 version of the Patriot hits 27 mpg on the highway. The two share those classic Jeep looks and the lighter Patriot costs less.

Flexibility rules

Making over the Liberty may be the perfect move for Jeep. It has adjusted the Liberty's looks to appeal to more men, instead of building a more female-friendly vehicle, even though I liked the funky styling of the previous generation.

Sticking to classic Jeep lines, the Liberty loses some of its charms, blurring into a lineup of similar-looking vehicles.

However, when you look beyond the sheet metal, you can appreciate the substantial changes to the new Liberty. It's better ride, additional space and options such as the Sky Slider make this Liberty a more impressive vehicle.

And when you're trying to hop a log, climb a hill or tear through some mud, few vehicles will offer as much flexibility as the 2008 Jeep Liberty, whether the driver swims for the men's or women's team.

Scott Burgess is the auto critic for The Detroit News. He can be reached at (313) 223-3217 or sburgess@detnews.com.