Liberty's aimed at more-typical SUV buyers, who don't leave pavement often, and especially at women. Underrepresented among Jeepers, they are, in marketing-speak, an opportunity. An almost-cute take on the small Jeep Wrangler. The look is endearing. But the similarity causes you to mentally downsize and downgrade, as if Liberty's a Wrangler with fancy top, instead of unique.
Husky voice accompanies pleasing acceleration.
The four-speed automatic transmission upshifts and downshifts precisely. Quiet inside, almost as hushed as Toyota's RAV4, and closer to silent than Ford's Escape, which sounds cheap in contrast. The V-6 growls distantly. Easygoing, but not sloppy. And though bigger than Cherokee, it's still a small SUV with a relatively short wheelbase, which causes some jiggling.