The 2002 Jeep Liberty's exceptional off-road ability, palatable on-road demeanor and comfortable cabin won many of our editors' hearts. As a bloodline relative of the legendary Jeep Willys, the newest Jeep had to be a great off-roader. Sensational, even. Based on our extensive testing, it is. However, the heft (3,857 pounds) required to make it a sure-footed, stout, unshakeable billy-goat in the country also conspires to hobble it on the freeway and in the city.

The Jeep's 3.7-liter V6 produces an impressive 210 horsepower. Combined with 225 pound-feet of torque, it provides zippy city starts, but it weakens on grades. It placed second in the acceleration portion of our instrumented testing (behind the Ford Escape) despite its greater displacement. And it's thirsty; we recorded a greedy 13 mpg during city and highway use.

With a full 8 inches of suspension travel, bumps are a non-issue in the Liberty. City potholes and rippled pavement barely register in the roomy and stylish cabin. Some of us have issues with the Jeep's heavy steering on pavement, complaining of a lack of feeling. The beefy suspension and high ride height (ground clearance is 10.1 inches — a RAV4 offers only 6.7 inches) are also blamed for a clunky street ride and excessive body roll. But others concede that there has to be a little compromise for the Liberty's incredible off-road ability.

The Liberty seemed indestructible on broken ground. When we snicked its floor-mounted transfer case lever into 4-Lo, it climbed, descended, traversed and forded like a tank. And all the while, we were ensconced in its spacious, supportive and comfortable chairs and enjoyed our view of the well-built and quality dash. The rear seats are also supportive — one of our editors likened the experience to "sitting in a baseball glove."

We did register some complaints, however, mostly regarding the difficulty getting in and out of the Liberty. Especially hard were the back seats, due to the small rear doors and the intrusion of the rear wheelwell into the doorway.

The Liberty's cabin has a sculpted, modern look. Our test vehicle seemed very well assembled and emitted no rattles or squeaks even when the suspension was taking a pounding. We liked the brushed-chrome trim around the center stack, floor-mounted gear lever, door locks and the door handles. And the steering wheel-mounted audio controls are particularly handy, but a few of us don't agree with putting the window controls on the center console. However, if you drove the Liberty every day, the oddly-located controls would soon become second-nature.

Rear-seat comfort was exemplary, and we loved the fact that the rear windows go all the way down — it's nice that the people at Jeep don't assume that because you're in the backseat you don't know any better than to stay in the vehicle when it's moving.

We all raved about one of the niftiest cargo gate innovations we've seen: When you pull on the rear latch, the glass flips up and the gate swings open all in one motion. But we didn't like that the rear headrests must be removed to lay the cargo floor flat.

The Liberty's exterior design evolved from the Dakar and Jeepster concept vehicles (1997 and 1998, respectively) and features design themes from each, such as a large greenhouse, short front and rear overhangs, high roofline, rear-mounted spare tire and 16-inch alloy wheels whirring beneath pronounced wheel flares. Some of us thought the Liberty's bug-eyed headlamps and overall styling were too cute and belied the Liberty's incredible off-road performance.

For a freshman vehicle, the Liberty shined. We expect it to have bust-out junior and sophomore years when Jeep whittles away at its few deficiencies. With a sticker close to $28,000, the Liberty was the second-most-expensive vehicle in our test, which swayed the balance against it on our score sheets. If it were about $3,000 less, a little less thirsty and its street handling were a tad more refined, it might have nudged the Escape from the top spot.


Second Opinions:

Road Test Editor Ed Hellwig says:
It's really a shame that Jeep made the Liberty so darn cute-looking. If it weren't for that aspect, I would surely consider the Liberty, if I were actually shopping for a mini-ute. It's quite an upgrade from the ancient Cherokee, but I'm not sure if it will attract the same kind of buyers.

More remarkable than the exterior design are the interior details. The Liberty wins this category hands down. A beautiful gauge cluster, top-notch materials and even neat-looking, not to mention highly functional, door handles make the Jeep's cabin best in class. The seats were supportive on long drives; although, the extremely upright seating position took a little bit of getting used to.

The new V6 engine delivered plenty of smooth, quiet power much like the V8 in the larger Grand Cherokee. Transmission shifts were also executed crisply, but I would have preferred that they came a little sooner.

To no one's surprise, the Jeep excelled off-road. Even the biggest ruts and bumps barely phased the burly Jeep. It easily inspired the most confidence on rough terrain, although its fun factor was probably about the same as the Xterra. Unfortunately, the Jeep couldn't duplicate its star off-road performance once the pavement returned. Excessive body roll and a disconnected feel through the wheel make the Liberty less than thrilling on the street. It seems logical that a vehicle so competent off-road would suffer on-road, but even still, I was hoping for a little more.

There's no doubt that the Liberty will sell well. There's still a big enough chunk of the population that just wants to have that killer rock-crawling capability available should the mood strike them. The quirky design should snare another solid chunk of buyers, and the interior might be able to do the same, as well. It's hard not to like a vehicle with so much personality, but the reality is that most of these vehicles will rarely be taken off-road, leaving the Liberty all dressed up with nowhere to go.

Photography Editor Scott Jacobs says:
The Jeep is the undisputed off-road king. It can take a pounding and conquer challenging obstacles with its great combination of toughness and technology. All this off-road prowess comes at the price of on-road sensibility, though.

The exterior smacks of Jeep heritage, going back to the famous WWII Jeep Willys. The headlight design is a love-it-or-leave-it feature. I loved it. The interior combined many elements commonly seen in other Jeep products and new design touches, like the great door handles, set this Jeep apart. Out of the group tested, this had the best interior design.

The 3.7-liter engine is peppy and can get this thing to move. The steering was pretty soft and so were the brakes, which really made it not so fun driving around town. If they were crisper, it would make a great all-around vehicle.

With its high price tag and questionable on-road feel, I don't think this is a winner in this group. For people who want something that is comfortable and capable off-road, this is it.

Road Test Editor Liz Kim says:
Pushing the Liberty through some of the more rutted and rocky sections of our driving loop, I realized that the Jeep must appeal to those who enjoy treading terrain on which their precious little feet can't carry them. I, of course, am not one of them.

Yes, the Jeep does have its charms, from the muted roar of the V6 to some of its blocky exterior design cues. For me, however, they can't overcome its deficiency in the day-to-day driving arena, with "heavy" applying to almost all aspects of the Liberty. Heavy curb weight, heavy and numb steering, heavy brake pedal modulation and a long stopping distance. Heavy doesn't necessarily translate into secure-feeling, especially when some of the interior panels can be pulled off by idle hands. Plus, it's the second-most-expensive vehicle in the test. Unless your commute calls for massive amounts of off-road duty, other vehicles will serve you better.

Senior Editor Christian Wardlaw says:
Image is everything in some circles, and it's what will sell the Liberty to thousands of people who don't need it. Jeep insists that every vehicle branded with the signature seven-slot vertical bar grille must be able to traverse the Rubicon Trail. To tackle such rigorous terrain, a truck must be just that, with serious underbody hardware to match the task at hand.

In the Liberty, this results in lots of weight, a clunky suspension, slow steering, a choppy ride and abysmal fuel economy. It also results in the best four-door off-roader this side of $25,000. Get this truck onto a serious trail, and you won't be sorry you bought a Jeep. The Liberty should be able to see you through just about any kind of weather assailing any kind of terrain.

Problem is that most folks just want something that can get them home from work in 6 inches of snow. For that purpose, the Liberty is overkill. And on dry pavement, where you'll be driving most of the time, you might be sorry you decided that the Jeep image was more important than ride quality, handling and fuel economy. In the final analysis, the Liberty is for serious rock-hoppers and cash-strapped conspicuous consumers only.