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2009 Jeep Liberty Safety Review

June 25, 2009

SAFETY | 7 out of 10

Expert Quotes:

Good” rating for frontal offset test, “marginal” rating for side impact test
IIHS

Five-star performance for front and side crashes
NHTSA

Jeep has widened the new SUV's track
Edmunds

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) rates the Liberty “good” for front impacts but “marginal” for side impacts. In crash tests conducted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the Jeep Liberty scores five stars for front and side impacts.

“After a report came in from an enthusiast magazine about a rollover of the former model during testing, Jeep made some modifications to the Liberty's suspension. The improvement garnered the Liberty an additional star in the government's rollover rating. We anticipate the '08 Liberty will do at least as well now that Jeep has widened the new SUV's track by an inch up front and slightly more than an inch in back,” states Edmunds.

Rain-soaked or snow-covered roads won’t pose much of an obstacle to the Liberty. Jeep’s Command-Trac and Selec-Trac II four-wheel-drive systems are very capable. Internet Auto Guide says, “Both four-wheel-drive systems make the Liberty highly capable off road, and they are aided by the addition of Hill Start Assist and Hill Descent Control.” Even the seemingly testy NYTimes.com admits, “To Jeep’s credit, all the good safety equipment is standard.” While Jeep has strayed away from its roots of producing only highly capable off-road vehicles, the 2009 Jeep Liberty remains a true rock-hopper. The same characteristics that make for good off-road performance can also enhance on-road safety when the weather turns ugly.

Conclusion

The 2009 Jeep Liberty has all the expected safety equipment, but a few crash-test blemishes keep it from scoring particularly well.

SAFETY | 7 out of 10Expert Quotes:Good” rating for frontal offset test, “marginal” rating for side impact testIIHSFive-star performance for front and side crashesNHTSAJeep has widened the new SUV's trackEdmunds The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) rates the Liberty “good” for front impacts but “marginal” for side impacts. In crash tests conducted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the Jeep Liberty scores five stars for front and side impacts. “After a report came in from an enthusiast magazine about a rollover of the former model during testing, Jeep made some modifications to the Liberty's suspension. The improvement garnered the Liberty an additional star in the government's rollover rating. We anticipate the '08 Liberty will do at least as well now that Jeep has widened the new SUV's track by an inch up front and slightly more than an inch in back,” states Edmunds. Rain-soaked or snow-covered roads won’t pose much of an obstacle to the Liberty. Jeep’s Command-Trac and Selec-Trac II four-wheel-drive systems are very capable. Internet Auto Guide says, “Both four-wheel-drive systems make the Liberty highly capable off road, and they are aided by the addition of Hill Start Assist and Hill Descent Control.” Even the seemingly testy NYTimes.com admits, “To Jeep’s credit, all the good safety equipment is standard.” While Jeep has strayed away from its roots of producing only highly capable off-road vehicles, the 2009 Jeep Liberty remains a true rock-hopper. The same characteristics that make for good off-road performance can also enhance on-road safety when the weather turns ugly. ConclusionThe 2009 Jeep Liberty has all the expected safety equipment, but a few crash-test blemishes keep it from scoring particularly well. 2009 JEEP LIBERTY STYLING | [7 out of 10] NYTimes.com: “an unmistakable Jeep grille combined with squared-off, go-anywhere pugnacity” Automobile.com: “an uncanny resemblance to the Dodge Nitro” TruckTrend.com: “Jeep has definitely masculinized the Liberty’s styling” The 2009 Jeep ...

Read More of this Review:

  1. styling
  2. performance
  3. quality
  4. safety
  5. features

Other Choices:

If you really want genuine Jeep performance, the 2009 Liberty doesn’t disappoint. If you want something that just looks like it could go off road, there are better choices. Among those more carlike choices are the Subaru Forester, which has a tough all-wheel-drive system that can even take on muddy, rutted trails. The RAV4 is styled closer to an SUV, but it's more carlike; inside you can specify a small third-row seat. Honda's CR-V is one of the smoothest-riding and most fuel-efficient, and it's a good choice for those who don't plan to venture off-road. For those who want hardy off-road alternatives and really plan to take to the trail, the Nissan Xterra is a good choice, especially if you have a lot of equipment to haul around. And for off-road fashionistas, the FJ Cruiser is a hot ride.

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See the Jeep Liberty in Other Years:

2010 | 2009 | 2008 | 2007 | 2006 | 2005 | 2004 | 2003 | 2002

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