DaimlerChrysler discontinued the Jeep Cherokee in 2001 and replaced it with the Liberty. I’ve seen some Liberties on the road, and I think they are butt-ugly. They look too short in length for their height. I understand that their independent front suspension (IFS) is less capable off-road than the other Jeeps’ solid suspension. They have a less-powerful engine and have less room inside. But at least the sticker price is bigger.
I understand that most people don’t take their SUVs offroad. I understand that people like a soft ride. (Actually, I bought my Cherokee because it didn’t feel like a car. If I drive a truck, I want it to act like a truck, dammit!) I understand that some people want their vehicle to be “cute”. (I bought my Cherokee because it didn’t looke like every other “sport-cute” on the market!)
But why discontinue the Cherokee? DaimlerChrysler claims it was because of falling sales. Well, duh! Everyone’s sales were off in 2000! Still, the Cherokee was out-selling the Jeep TJ Wrangler almost two-to-one. The Cherokee was introduced in 1984. The tooling has long since been paid for. That had to give them a pretty good profit margin. (The TJ body was changed from the YJ, and the Grand’s styling changed considerably over the years.) Even after 17 years the Cherokee’s styling still looked great. The Cherokee’s engine is bulletproof.
The Cherokee has proven itself in very rough conditions as a working vehicle. The Liberty was damaged so badly on the Rubicon Trail (which all Jeeps must pass) that it had to be repaired before it could go on. And this was on a trail prepared by a team of rock stackers to make it easier.
It looks like Jeep is getting out of the Jeep market. It looks like they’re abandoning the niche they created and are joining the ranks of those whose vehicles are never expected to work hard, and which are driven by people more concerned with style than with capability. They want to be like Kia.
I’ve always thought I’d buy a new Cherokee when I finally wear out my 1999 model. But there will be no more. My next vehicle will be a Toyota pickup.
I hear ya. I, too, was sadly dissapointed when I heard that the Cheeokee was to be discontinued. This new ‘Liberty’ thing, or whatever it is, is awful! It’s, as you said, a ‘cute’ SUV for people who want a big car, NOT an SUV! I think that congress should pass laws making it illegal to own an SUV and not take it off-road AT LEAST three times a month. And driving up and down your driveway doesn’t count. It has to get mud on it…it has to wade through small streams…it has to climb rock faces!
I’m reminded of a commercial for an SUV I saw a while back…the Axiom, I think (who makes that…Isuzu?) Anyways, it was making fun of the ‘Jeep following the rock on a stick’ commercial. The Isuzu spokesman sees it and comments on how it is a bad SUV, since the driver will never go off road with it, and that the Axiom is good because it was designed for the city…excuse me? WTF? An SUV is not suppossed to be in a city! It is suppossed to go offroad! And SUV for the city is contradictory! This is why SUV’s and SUV owners get a bad name. These stupid yuppies who feel the need to drive around NYC in a $50,000 luxery SUV made by Mercades, or Oldsmobile, or BMW. They are the people who should NOT be driving SUV’s! They should go back to their little sedans. Us REAL SUV lovers know that a REAL SUV is a Jeep (Liberty excluded), or an old Toyota LandCrusier (man, those are sweet!)
Sheesh. Well, I’m done ranting now…but be rest assured I will be back, I always am…
Yeah, Jeep’s definitely shooting for the “cute-ute” compact SUV market with the Liberty. The thing is, it doesn’t seem to offer anything that would set it apart from other SUVs in its class. It’s more truck-like than the RAV4 and CRV, it’s got less cargo space than the Ford Escape, and it’s underpowered. The 4-cylinder version is basically a PT Cruiser engine on a big, heavy chassis. Why anyone would buy one for 4-wheeling is beyond me, although I guess it’s not meant for the off-road crowd.
I love my '96 Cherokee. I love the boxy body style, the no-frills interior, the flat, clunky dashboard. It’s part of the charm of owning a Cherokee. And it’s a great off-roader. When I bought it, I thought I’d be a lifelong Jeep owner. Not any more, though.
Well… Three times a month is a little difficult, especially in L.A. But my Cherokee is swell for camping. When I was hiking in Canada it was good to have the 4WD when the mud road by the trail decided it wouldn’t let a 2WD car out. And it’s fun to take it offroad from time to time and spash mud all over the top. (I took some great pictures, but my light meter in the camera wasn’t working and they didn’t turn out.) You may not climb rock faces, but an SUV driver should think about it from time to time and the SUV should be able to do it. (Which is easier if you have a solid front axle.)
When I saw that commercial I took Joe Isuzu to mean, “You don’t need an SUV. Buy one of these because it isn’t an SUV!”
Exactly. It looks like every other sport-cute out there. But DaimlerChrysler insists that it’s different because it has round headlights and a seven-slot grill.
“Is it pronounced DIME-lerChrysler, or DAME-lerChrysler?”
I agree with a lot every one is saying. The IFS is going to make it a lot less tough. My wife and I are an SUV couple out of neccesity but it is mostly because of deep snow.
I am not that unhappy with the Liberty as some of you. Although we did just by a Grand over the Liberty. I have a friend that builds old Broncos for ‘Jeeping’. He is the most radical 4x4 person I know. He was actually surprised at the Liberty’s ability. He took one on a very tough trail not 1 mile from my house. I used to do it in my ‘84 CJ7. I also did it in a 76 short bed Chevy. I might be able to do it in my current ’93 pathfinder but I really don’t want to find out.
A good 4x4 is built. The Cherokee was a good start. As was the FJ40 (put a 327 in one once. Very Scary). Short bed pick-ups make a good base. But good stability is traded of for too big.
Ever hear of a Pinzgaure. It’s sort of like a little Unimog. Not fast to be sure. But you can buy one for about 10g or so (used).
My wife and I used to own a Cherokee, then moved to Manhattan (and thus didn’t need a car). After living there for awhile, we moved to the suburbs this past fall and bought a Liberty. We’re pretty happy with it. We haven’t gone on hard-core trails, but the moderate offroading we have done has been just fine.
Popular Science recently did a review of four new “cute” SUV’s - the Libery and the Isuzu Axiom (boo!) being among them. They took them to an extremely muddy trail in Virginia (sorry, I don’t remember the name). They only had one photo to accompany the article–a mud-caked Liberty headed down a rather steep embankment, followed by the other three (rather clean) SUV’s being tested. The testers were surprised with the Liberty; while you really couldn’t do any kind of rock-climbing, it was still very capable off-road–certainly much more so than the other three vehicles tested.
Despite the independent suspension, I don’t feel that the Liberty is really leaving the Jeep name behind. The design definitely has a bit too much Mercedes in it, but it’s not the ugliest thing I’ve ever seen. And it’s not the first time a Jeep vehicle has been underpowered.
I’ve been looking into a used vehicle for several months now and I originally wanted a wrangler. I like the removable top when the weather is nice, but they are priced a little too high for the features I want(V6, nice rims, low miles). Then I thought about the Cherokee. No removable top, but with the V6 and other features, it seems like a nice alternative and costs quite a bit less.
Now I’m considering(and flame me if you must), a ‘99 Isuzu Amigo. It’s a semi-convertible, has the V6, and is 4 wheel drive. Living in Boston, I dont go 4-wheelin’ a whole lot. But, I’m originally from the central part of the state where there are trails aplenty and I visit that area several times a month. I also hike, camp, and mountain bike during the summer. The particular one I’m looking at has only 30K miles. The only feature I dont like is that it has an automatic tranny. The cost, however, is less than 13K which is right in my price range. The Amigo is the only mini-suv I would consider. It is certainly much better than the Suzuki Sidekick, Geo Tracker, etc. The amigo is basically a Rodeo with a shorter chassis and I consider it more like a wrangler than anthing else.
Anyone have or heard any horror stories regarding the Amigo? Just curious to know before I buy it.
I hope they throw in a mexican hat when I pick it up.
I love my 99 Cherokee. I’ve wanted a Cherokee since the first time I drove one, nearly 10 years ago. I’m disappointed that the Liberty is replacing the Cherokee, and I do think the Liberty is a rather ugly looking vehicle. But what’s even uglier than the Liberty is the Pontiac Aztek. Yuck!
I’m glad that I’m not the only one who finds the Liberty ugly. They tried to copy the Wrangler’s style, but they didn’t pull it off very well.
BTW, I heard a funny story about those “sport-cutes.” One of the Japanese companies (I forget which one) drove one its little toy trucks into the woods so they could make a commercial with it doing rugged, off-road stuff. They shot the commerical without any trouble, but they couldn’t get their vehicle out of the woods. It was too underpowered to make it up the wet dirt road! The crowning insult was that they had to tow it out of the woods with a Chevy Blazer
And after all that, they had the nerve to air the commercial on TV.
I purchased a 98 Amigo just last month with about 50k on it. Similar issues to the ones you are having, trying to find something fun to drive on a fairly tight budget. This one checked in for under $11 with V6, 5spd, 4wheel drive and loaded with comfort items (for an Isuzu). Underpriced by about $2500 if the Autotrader.com pricing guide was to be believed.
So far no troubles at all, but I haven’t owned it long enough to ident any real problems. I’m too lazy this morning to look them up, but what sold me was a review I found on Car and Driver’s website (and another site where owners rated their purchases. Just search on “Isuzu Amigo review” and I’m sure you will find something) and the people I know who have had Isuzu vehicles have spoken well of the reliability.
