 |
Jeep Liberty Gets The Ladies!
2008 Liberty
Too bad the guys couldn't bottle what Jeep has accomplished with the Liberty. Smart guys may be driving Liberty's themselves because the ladies like this Jeep so much. I think there have always been "Jeep Girls" who have owned CJ's and Wranglers, because they simply thought they were "cute". Okay, many of you lady Jeepers like your CJ's and Wranglers for the same reasons as us guys...and I hate to admit it but they are kinda cute. Anyway, back to the Jeep Liberty. The first KJ Liberty's became available in 2002 and were to replace the aging XJ Cherokees...which they did. Jeep purists thought it was awful that this new kid on the block came with an independent front suspension in 4-wheel drive instead of the trail proven solid front axles used in Cherokees, Wranglers and CJs. At least the Liberty is a primary rear-wheel drive vehicle in 2-wheel mode unlike it's new siblings...the Jeep Compass and Jeep Patriot which are primary front-wheel drive vehicles when in 2-wheel drive mode.
(See my scathing mini-review/opinion of the new Jeep Compass)
Nonetheless, Jeep had developed a compromise vehicle for it's line-up. As you might remember, many of
the die-hard CJ Jeep owners were a bit perturbed at the introduction of the lowered, rectangular headlighted
Jeep Wrangler YJs in 1987.
Click here to see how the CJ and Jeep Liberty contrast with the Wrangler.
Initially, Jeep did not develop many true off-road or trail ready upgrades for the Liberty. Various models have been available with factory trail cosmetics and a few functional items such as a light rack and driving lights.
The standard engine was the 2.4-liter 4-cylinder followed by the 3.7-liter V-6...and later a turbo-diesel. With todays gas prices it bears noting that the mileage for the Liberty has not been great with the gasoline engines. This is at least partly due to the overall weight of the Liberty which is a bit more than it's predecessor... the XJ Cherokee. But then again, with the exception of the new Jeep Compass and Patriot, Jeeps have never been known for stellar gas mileage figures. It's a trade-off for some semblance of ruggedness and toughness that Jeeps are known for.
So, the bottom line is that the Jeep Liberty seems to attract the female consumer because it is cute and sexy as well as being compact... yet big enough for much of the SUV function and safety considerations. How do I know this? Well, I don't need statistics when I can look around at any stop light, or on the road and see one Liberty after another being piloted by ladies of all ages. If you don't believe me just look for yourself the next time you're on the road.
|
