2005 Jeep Liberty Limited CRD

[BMWDave]

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2005 Jeep Liberty Limited CRD
Going the Distance: Can torque and driving range give diesel SUVs a niche in America?
KEVIN A. WILSON
Published Date: 6/27/05
2005 JEEP LIBERTY LIMITED CRD
ON SALE: Now
AS-TESTED PRICE: $31,405
POWERTRAIN: 2.8-liter, 160-hp, 295-lb-ft turbodiesel I4; 4wd, five-speed automatic
CURB WEIGHT: 4296 lbs
0 TO 60 MPH: 10 seconds (est.)
FUEL ECONOMY: 23.0 mpg (EPA combined), 23.2 mpg (AW observed)

Torque counts for more than horsepower in around-town driving. Many of our test drivers felt the new Jeep Liberty with four-cylinder diesel power was faster than the 3.7-liter V6 gasoline model. The Liberty CRD (common-rail diesel) feels strong when you dial up 295 lb-ft of torque at only 1800 rpm. So we hand-timed one dash to 60 mph and it took a few ticks less than our instrumented test of a 3.7-liter gasoline model.

Off-roading fans may want that get-?er-done grunt more than they would the 3.7-liter?s 210-hp peak, a 50-hp advantage over the diesel. But the V6 has only 235 lb-ft up at 4000 rpm.


Jeep?s 2.8-liter turbodiesel four is built by VM Motori, a Mercedes-Benz subsidiary industrial engine supplier in Italy. Liberty?s is not as quiet and sophisticated a diesel as those found in Mercedes cars, though it is quieter than the big truck diesels used in Detroit pickups and the Hummer H1. The distinctive diesel clatter is mostly heard at start-up, idle and other low-rpm situations?once up to speed, you?ll never notice.

The American model is stronger than the Euro version we drove a little over a year ago. That one got to 62 mph in 13 seconds; the U.S. model gains about three seconds. Plus, our version is more responsive in the crucial 60-to-80-mph zone on the freeway. It?s all about enhanced torque and gearing in the five-speed automatic.

Diesels, against expectation a few years back, are being embraced by several consumer segments based largely on fuel efficiency. EPA ratings are 17/21 city/highway for the 3.7 and 21/26  for the CRD. We saw 17.7 mpg in the V6 AutoFile test and 23.2 in the CRD, an improvement better than 30 percent.

That means less carbon dioxide in the air, a gain on the global warming front offset by more particulate pollutants. Diesel efficiency also means less fuel being imported from sources not so friendly to U.S. interests.

The downside? Several times we found ourselves standing on greasy gas station pavement, donning plastic gloves before daring to grasp the diesel-fuel nozzle (aka the oozy gun), thinking, ?Tell us again what?s so green and healthy about the diesel lifestyle?? Other test drivers, however, found clean, consumer-friendly diesel suppliers. Even so, one appeal of the CRD is that it lets you avoid fuel stations, dirty and clean alike. Jeep cites a 450-mile driving range for the Liberty, and our experience confirms it.


A means to further reduce petroleum consumption is available at stations carrying biodiesel. A blend with petroleum diesel fuel, biodiesel can be up to 20 percent vegetable oil from farm waste. Near Detroit, diesel costs the same as 89- to 93-octane gas (mid-grade to premium), and B20 (20 percent veggie) biodiesel costs most.

Can fuel economy make up for an MSRP about $2,300 higher than a Liberty Limited 3.7? You?d have to drive a lot of miles to make up $2,300 plus interest over the course of a five-year loan. In Europe diesel is taxed less than gasoline, so the math favors it. Not so in America.

If saving money and fuel were our only concerns, we?d consider Liberty?s base 2.4-liter 150-hp gasoline four-cylinder, EPA-rated at 21/24 mpg and with a range of more than 400 miles. It gives up only 10 hp to the diesel, though torque is a meager 165 lb-ft. But the base truck is 300 pounds lighter and comes with a six-speed manual gearbox, offsetting the performance loss. You can?t get upscale Limited trim, and towing capacity is 2000 pounds vs. 5000 for the CRD.

So ask yourself: What will you sacrifice for national security or the global climate, and is diesel really the best answer?

[R33 GT-R]

Didn't we already have this topic.

[BMWDave]

No, we had a topic about the need for Jeep to get more Diesel engines because of demand for the CRD...this is an actual review.

[R33 GT-R]

Ohh, I thought you were trying to fooshnicker us.  

[footoflead]

what purpose is this jeep supposed to serve...i can see two or three vehicals making it off road...(other that driving it in the yard)

[R33 GT-R]

what purpose is this jeep supposed to serve...i can see two or three vehicals making it off road...(other that driving it in the yard)

Explain your rational a litlle more please.

[footoflead]

what purpose is this jeep supposed to serve...i can see two or three vehicals making it off road...(other that driving it in the yard)

Explain your rational a litlle more please.

most people buy SUV's (or anything that can be considered an offroad vehical) and then hardly ever let them see dirt...thus our high demand for gas (SUV's play a big roll in that...but there're not alone)

[BMWDave]

what purpose is this jeep supposed to serve...i can see two or three vehicals making it off road...(other that driving it in the yard)

Explain your rational a litlle more please.

most people buy SUV's (or anything that can be considered an offroad vehical) and then hardly ever let them see dirt...thus our high demand for gas (SUV's play a big roll in that...but there're not alone)

A lot of people buy it for practicality also...and the CRD has relatively good gas mileage.

[footoflead]

what purpose is this jeep supposed to serve...i can see two or three vehicals making it off road...(other that driving it in the yard)

Explain your rational a litlle more please.

most people buy SUV's (or anything that can be considered an offroad vehical) and then hardly ever let them see dirt...thus our high demand for gas (SUV's play a big roll in that...but there're not alone)

A lot of people buy it for practicality also...and the CRD has relatively good gas mileage.

true that...true that

especially for a diesal....



i saw a bumper sticker once that said..."real engines dont need spark plugs..."....obiviously it was on a diesal....



damn...my spellin has gone to hell recently

[R33 GT-R]

this is hilarious

[Catman]

I think that jeep has a great combo here.  The $2300 premium is alot easier to justify here than the extra Toyota charges for a hybrid.

[BMWDave]

I think that jeep has a great combo here.  The $2300 premium is alot easier to justify here than the extra Toyota charges for a hybrid.

Agreed.  The same goes for Honda.  It would take a long time with those hybrids just to justify the extra spending, let alone make money on it.

[TBR]

The only problem is the price of diesel, it is still $0.05 more expensive than gasoline, and the difference is probably relatively small here compared to other regions.  

[BMWDave]

The only problem is the price of diesel, it is still $0.05 more expensive than gasoline, and the difference is probably relatively small here compared to other regions.

I believe that diesel prices will go down once demand becomes higher for them, and more diesel is available.

[R33 GT-R]

Remember when diesel was like 20 cents a gallon cheaper than 87 octance.  They must be producing manly man diesel for these prices.