2008 Jeep Liberty Limited Road Test

It isn’t often that we get to test a brand new car against its outgoing counterpart,

2008 Jeep Liberty Limited and 2007 Jeep Liberty Limited

Old Liberty, meet New Liberty. (Photo: Justin Couture, American Auto Press)

but that’s exactly the situation we had with the new 2008 Jeep Liberty. Redesigned on a platform shared with the Dodge Nitro, we were struck by its baby Commander styling, and its broad shouldered stance – what a contrast to the ’07 model. That got me thinking. I picked up the phone and called up my dad, the owner of a recently purchased 2007 Liberty, who was more than pleased to donate his trucklet for scrutiny and analysis against the newest kid on the Jeep block.

Our anonymous donor could best be described as a dyed in the wool traditionalist. He claims that it took him a while to warm up to the Liberty, claiming “it wasn’t Jeepy enough”. While we’re not sure that “Jeepy” is a word, it’s not hard to see where he’s coming from. Jeeps were born out of the need for a rugged military vehicle. They were designed to be driven in some of the worst conditions, and what’s more is that they were designed to be durable. This mandate is, unfortunately, all too clear when driving an older Jeep on city streets and pavement. As excellent as they may be for fording a river or climbing a rutted, muddy path, old Jeeps are not civil. Potholes

Fear not winter, bathtub-sized potholes or the occasional trail. And also fear not being shaken apart thanks to the new suspension setup. (Photo: Justin Couture, American Auto Press)

and imperfections cause them to buck and bound around where regular cars glide. This is, of course, besides the fact that they’re very noisy. If you’ve ever done a long distance trip in an old Cherokee or Wrangler, it’s rare that you’ll emerge rested and rejuvenated from your drive.

But the marvels of engineering and huge advances in technology mean whatever you know about Jeeps of the past, you can go ahead and forget it. These buggies are still very comfortable off-road, but their on-road behavior is vastly improved. Most people have already figured that out, as a look around ones local automotive landscape will surely reveal a large concentration of the brand. People are enamored with the ruggedness that a Jeep represents, although most owners still don’t venture onto anything more aggressive than a cottage driveway. Should they change their mind however, the “Trail Rated” badge on the front fender means that their Jeep has been rigorously tested in the most unforgiving of road

A box on wheels alright... New Liberty also loses its spare tire. (Photo: Justin Couture, American Auto Press)

conditions and lived to tell about it.

So how different is the new Liberty versus its older counterpart? Let’s start with the styling, because that feature alone is wither going to lure or repel many buyers. Despite being labeled as too girly, most folks that we spoke to found that the ’07 Liberty was a better looking vehicle. There’s just something about the way that its round headlights and molded hood look. Cute? Friendly? Either way, it’s a more pleasing shape than the new model which could be best described as a box. Mind you, it’s a fairly aerodynamic box, improving over the outgoing model and bettering the Dodge shadow (no, not the economy car from the '80s... the Nitro). The 2008 Liberty is more in line with the rest of the Jeep family from a styling standpoint, and it looks more robust than before. Styling is still very much a matter of one's personal preference, so you may find you're smitten by the new kid, as some fellow motorists’ – many of which were currently Liberty drivers – longing gazes did well to enforce that idea.

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