2004 Jeep Liberty Limited Powertrain

First Place: Jeep Liberty Limited
Some of you may think that placing the Jeep first in a comparison that requires off-road skills is a foregone conclusion. Not so. Jeep likes to promote the fact that everything it builds, the Liberty included, has the ability to traverse the legendary Rubicon Trail from Loon Lake Dam to South Lake Tahoe in California. Problem is, you'd never want to commute in most vehicles that can make this claim. We're happy to inform you that the Liberty Limited 4WD is, indeed, liveable and likeable in almost every situation we encountered.

The rounded Liberty replaced the boxy Cherokee in mid-2001 as a 2002 model. At first, some criticized the unibody-constructed Liberty with the brand's first independent front suspension (say it ain't so!) as a caricature of a real Jeep, but brisk sales and our experiences off-road say otherwise.

The separate glass and left-hinged door earn points.

There's a wide variety of models available in rear or four-wheel drive with either part- or full-time mechanicals. Our loaded Limited ($24,870) is the most off-road-dedicated available and is augmented with optional skidplates, tire-pressure monitoring, locking differential, full-time 4WD, tow hooks, and an ABS system that changes calibration when low-range gears are selected. Standard equipment on the Limited is comprehensive, but suffice to say it has the comforts and conveniences of the others (minus a moonroof) at an as-tested price just $5 more than the Kia's. On the other hand, there's a $1665 discount if you opt for the "Quick Order Package 28G," which is reflected in the Liberty's $28,290 as-tested total.

All the controls, materials, gauges, and doodads with which a person interacts feel and work with a sense of purpose and solidity. There's nothing cheap-ish about how the Liberty presents itself. That feeling carries over to its road manners, too. The steering isn't overly boosted or heavy, the brakes feel confident and firm, the chassis isn't wallowy or burdened, and the suspension isn't punishing in the least. Unlike Jeep's blatantly purposed Wrangler, you'd never suspect the Liberty is such a dedicated off-roader from a drive to the store.