Only real off-road vehicles anymore are the Jeep Wrangler, Liberty, Toyota FJ and Nissan X-terra. Other than that, there are a lot of good off-road vehicles, but I wouldn’t consider taking them off-road.

Anyways with that said I want to like a lot of Chrysler products. I can’t stand their styling. Nearly all their products look like someone took an etcha-sketch and drew a “car”. I wouldn’t be surprised if one day Chrysler comes out with square “wheels”.
I honestly didn’t care if the Jeep Liberty looked cartoonish. I always thought the hood should have been shorter and a little more interior room, but it was a classic design.

Only complaints:
-Interior could have better quality plastics. A big deal, NOT a big cost.
-More refined mechanics. New six cylinder, and a large four pot wouldn’t be bad. I don’t want anything fancy, it’s more to break down, but most people won’t be driving it off-road very often. Great to have the option between something like a 180hp 4-cyl and a 260 hp 6-cyl.
-New transmission.
-Lower glass tailgate. Getting groceries into the back tail-gate if your under 6’0″ looks to be a daunting task. Maybe just one that the top half folds up, bottom half down. Be more useful.
-Doesn’t need to be spartan in a few places.

Reading what I said earlier about true off-road vehicles, would that make it less of an off-road vehicle? Yes, but it’s gonna happen sooner or later.

But they are just so good. They are the Alfa Romeo of the true SUV world.

Chester-Joe hit it on the head with the “I can do anything” attitude, because he’s right. These things can do anything you dare to do, and that’s what’s great about them.

Are these designs intended to go retro 80′s?

Cue Helmet/HoP “Just another Victim”

Ahh yes. Land Rover…I did forget about them. You have to understand that I am from NJ. All you see around here are Ranger Rovers with big chrome wheels driving around. They have become modern day Hummers in other words.

The V6 in your ’08 Wrangler is a 3.8L, which – IIRC – is still based on the old “Trans-4″ Chrysler engines of the ’80s. It’s out of their minivans. The V6 in the Liberty is a more modern 3.7L V6, which is a bit more refined.

If course, none of them quite match the legendary torque monster that the 4.0L I-6 was. And when it was under the hood of an XJ Cherokee, there was lots of fun to be had.

I’ll never forget it when I had a chance to drive a 2001 Cherokee Sport and a 2002 Liberty V6 back-to-back. The Cherokee was FAR more responsive and felt FAR more powerful than the Liberty – which felt like a wet sponge – did.

All of that said, the re-skin of the Liberty for 2008 (it’s not new for ’09) really wins me over. It’s attractive again. Now if they could just put a good engine in it.

Your comment is pointless.

johnnycanuck

You are absolutely right. I own a 2008 Wrangler Unlimited(4door) Rubicon with that crap V6 in it. Don’t get me wrong, it’s smooth and has a good amount of torque(which is important when offroading), but it is extremely underpowered. And that you can see in the MPGs. I’m not saying it should have a big gas-guzzling V8 in it with 300HP+. But another 40-50HP wouldn’t hurt with maybe the same or alittle bit more torque. No need to add two more cylinders with. That number can be obtained with a 6.

Jeep is one of the few companies, along with Nissan(Xterra) & Toyota(FJ), who actually makes a REAL SUV anymore. Everything out there(ex H2) is watered down and designed to pick up kids at soccer practice and go to the mall(modern-day mini vans). They have become SEMA-whores and are Chrome-clad wastes of money & fuel.

I love my Wrangler. I gave up an ’06 Evolution IX MR for it. But it’s a different type of fun. I can hook up my mountain bikes up to it, my snowboards, kayak,etc. I can take it off on virtually every trail out there, the beach down in FL, or plow through 5 feet of snow. Take the top off and now you got a convertible. What more can you ask for!

Hey LLN, wheres that review on the wrangler you talked about a while ago?