2005 Jeep Liberty Review
2005 Jeep Liberty Review
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Used Liberty for sale
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Edmunds' Expert Review
by the Edmunds Experts
Pros
- Extremely capable off-road, creative interior design, economical diesel engine option, still a Jeep at heart.
Cons
- Gas engines are rather thirsty at the pump, not as "carlike" on the street as most of its competitors, less cargo space than some of its competitors.
What’s new
An all-new diesel engine option makes its debut for the 2005 Jeep Liberty. Exterior appearance changes this year include a new front fascia, grille, foglamps, fender flares and body side moldings. Interior upgrades include relocated power window switches, new instrument panel cluster graphics and trim bezels and improved seat comfort. The Renegade model gets a flatter hood, taller grille, off-road foglamps and taillamp guards, as well as functional rock rails and four skid plates. A new six-speed manual transmission replaces last year's five-speed unit.
Edmunds says
A thoroughly capable and comfortable compact SUV if you like to bash boulders, but if you're like most people and spend 99 percent of your time on the pavement, the 2005 Jeep Liberty lags behind its more carlike competitors.
Cost to DriveCost to drive estimates for the 2005 Jeep Liberty Sport Rwd 4dr SUV (2.4L 4cyl 6M) and comparison vehicles are based on 15,000 miles per year (with a mix of 55% city and 45% highway driving) and energy estimates of $3.64 per gallon for regular unleaded in Ohio.
Monthly estimates based on costs in Ohio
$220/mo for Liberty Sport
Liberty Sport
vs
$189/mo
Avg. Compact SUV
Consumer reviews
Read what other owners think about the Used 2005 Jeep Liberty.
5 star(60%)
4 star(25%)
3 star(9%)
2 star(5%)
1 star(1%)
415 reviews
Trending topics in reviews
Most helpful consumer reviews
3.88 out of 5 stars
Had to review this fun inexpensive little truck
beepjeep1, 08/14/2014
2005 Jeep Liberty Limited Rwd 4dr SUV (3.7L 6cyl 4A)
This is my 5th jeep went from a cj to a yj to 2 TJ's but since I got 2 kids had to get a friendlier vehicle and low and behold the liberty.
I always thought of these as chick vehicles but they are at the LOWEST end of the used SUV's and I bought a 2005 with 64Km's mint mint mint for 6500$ with 2 sets of tires from an old lady. Now 2 years later i'll review it.
This jelly bean can motor, … good acceleration, decent offroad handling, moderate pulling power, and absoloutly DISGUSTING GAS MILEAGE! But meh who cares.
My unit has been reliable and maintenance free for the past 2 years, easy to park and you can load it up pretty good with gear and 2 kids.
5 out of 5 stars
A great surprise
Chris, 12/19/2017
2005 Jeep Liberty Renegade 4WD 4dr SUV (3.7L 6cyl 6M)
This Jeep reminds me every day why I love it. Researched it and hunted one down w/ 37000 miles. Great pickup and braking. Real 4wd capibilities. Parks so easily/great visibility. The poor window regulators are a money maker for the dealer at $350 each ( all replaced, drivers twice)but not much else. Noisy struts in cold weather. I wish the seats were more adjustable for tall people. … However, I’d say this Jeep gives me faith again in American built on reliability alone. It a keeper.
Update 6-2019
64000 miles, usual maintenance done, new radiator. This is a 14 year old Jeep. Not 1 day of grief. So reliable. The best relationship of my life.
Update 12-20
Time for struts and shocks. Another window motor fail. Still amazingly reliable. I’ve replaced the Jeep as my primary vehicle but I’m keeping it forever at this rate. Still a Jeep through and through unlike the new renegades made in Italy by fiat.
4 out of 5 stars
Go anywhere do anything SMALL SUV
Kal, 11/15/2016
2005 Jeep Liberty Renegade 4WD 4dr SUV (3.7L 6cyl 6M)
Absolutely loved this vehicle except that we out-grew it after having twins... For 10+ years and 150,000 miles my wife, 120lb dog and I used this rig to travel all over North America. Handles 18" of snow, 12" of mud, sand, rocks and river crossings with ease yet pulls 90+mph on the freeway with ease. Tows 4,500lbs comfortably and has enough power / torque for all our needs. Only two … repairs in 150K miles of ownership - cracked radiator at 120K mi and fan blower motor, both of which were an easy driveway repair. Very easy and inexpensive to maintain, high quality interior finishes held up well to our abuse, and the exterior looked great for a heavily off-roaded suv. Just wish it was a little larger and more fuel efficient, averaged 17mpg before lifting and 15 mpg after 2.5" lift and larger tires. Overall, this vehicle was driven like it was stolen on a daily basis and never missed a beat.
5 out of 5 stars
Super Car
Dennis, 01/26/2016
2005 Jeep Liberty Sport Rwd 4dr SUV (2.4L 4cyl 6M)
My Jeep Liberty is probably the best car I've ever had. The only maintenance is normal wear and tear items. Being a four wheel drive you expect maintenance on the drive shafts and u joints. I have maintained a very strict oil change regimen and use only synthetic oil. Over a 170K and it doesn't use a drop of oil. Great for off-roading and deep snow. In winter I use studded snow … tires and the traction an control is unbelievable. Just had it in for routine maintenance and got lots of comments on its premium condition. No rust on the body which is amazing. I had to install a new a/c condensor at 176000k but it was a small price to pay for 12 years of reliable service. And as of Jan 2021 the ODO is at 185000k and still running strong
2005 Liberty Highlights
Sport
Base MSRP Excludes Destination Fee | $19,480 |
---|---|
Engine Type | Gas |
Combined MPG | 20 MPG |
Cost to Drive | $220/month |
Seating | 5 seats |
Cargo Capacity All Seats In Place | 29.0 cu.ft. |
Drivetrain | rear wheel drive |
Warranty | 3 years / 36,000 miles |
Safety
Key safety features on the Liberty include:
- Alarm
- Tire Pressure Warning
NHTSA Overall Rating
The National Highway Transportation Safety Administration offers independent analysis.
- Frontal Barrier Crash RatingOverallNot RatedDriver5 / 5Passenger4 / 5
- Side Crash RatingOverallNot Rated
- Side Barrier RatingOverallNot RatedDriver5 / 5Passenger5 / 5
- Combined Side Barrier & Pole RatingsFront SeatNot RatedBack SeatNot Rated
- RolloverRollover3 / 5Dynamic Test ResultNo TipRisk Of RolloverNot Rated
IIHS Rating
The Insurance Institute of Highway Safety uses extensive crash tests to determine car safety.
- Small Overlap Front Driver-Side TestNot Tested
- Small Overlap Front Passenger-Side TestNot Tested
- Moderate Overlap Front Test – OriginalMarginal
- Moderate Overlap Front Test – UpdatedNot Tested
- Side Impact Test – OriginalNot Tested
- Side Impact Test – UpdatedNot Tested
- Roof Strength TestNot Tested
- Rear Crash Protection / Head RestraintPoor
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