The seats have been an issue in past models. Sport seats we tried in '04 felt firm in the middle, but the side bolsters were too mushy to provide much side support. For '05, they have been noticeably improved through the use of dual-density foam. Also, there's no seat-height adjustment. The side bolsters are still soft, a signal that the Liberty is set up more to absorb vibration than sling around corners. The cloth upholstery, with a diamond-plate inspired fabric, feels like it'll hold up well. The Renegade front seats are tailored with unique cloth center panels and vinyl bolsters. The front seats in the Limited are more comfortable. They are chair-like buckets, softer and more contoured than the seats in the Ford Escape.
Getting in and out of the Liberty is more difficult than it is in some of the more carlike SUVs. The door openings are relatively narrow, the step-up height is a little higher, the seats have side bolsters to get past, and your feet must clear relatively high side sills. The grab handle, located on the A-pillar above the steering wheel, is not in the perfect position to help shorter people swing inside.
The Liberty's rear seats are comfortable, capable of holding three people. Two adults should be happy here. There is even more rear headroom than in the front, and lots of space to slide your feet under the front seats, but knee room is limited. Sliding out of the back seat requires a bit of a stretch down, and your legs drag across the fender. So be sure to clean that area before sending any well-dressed guests back there.
The Liberty offers a generous amount of cargo space behind the rear seats. Caesar the 160-pound mastiff was happy to ride behind the rear seats. Two full-size garbage cans fit side-by-side back there, a feat we haven't seen duplicated in many SUVs. Grocery-bag hooks and cargo tie-downs are provided to keep things from rolling around. An optional cargo organizer opens to a shelf with compartment dividers to keep packages in place, and can be folded flat when not in use.
Fold the rear seats down and the Liberty offers a lot of cargo space (69.0 cubic feet), virtually the same as the Escape offers. Dropping the split rear seat is a one-hand operation in the Liberty; the rear seat bottom stays in place. The cargo floor isn't perfectly flat when the rear seats are folded down, however, and that's our biggest gripe with this vehicle. Nor are the rear seats readily removable as they are in the RAV4. Also, removing the rear headrests requires pressing two buttons at once to release them.
Overall, the interior presents a round motif that looks contemporary, with round door handles, round instruments, round air inlets, a round horn pad. Textures and finishes are nicely done. Big gauges use black-on-beige graphics. The Limited adds attractive satin chrome highlights to the instrument panel and doors. We felt the interior on the Limited was nicely designed and executed with qualilty materials. The Renegade gets real brushed aluminum highlights on the instrument panel that give it a machined look consistent with the exterior theme.
The manual shifter is on the tall side, but works well. The available leather-wrapped steering wheel is comfortable and features well-designed cruise controls.
The accessory controls work well and intuitively. The power window switches are located on the center console, however, more awkward than having them on the door. The manually operated heating and air-conditioning controls work well, though the mode selector demands attention. The radio works well, but uses a separate and poorly located button to preset stations, an unnecessary distraction when driving. The addition of Sirius Satellite Radio is a major plus, especially on a 4x4 that may be driving into areas where radio reception is spotty.
A notable option on Liberty is UConnect, a hands-free, in-vehicle communications system. UConnect uses Bluetooth technology to link your cell phone with the Liberty's stereo speakers. A hands-free microphone, voice recognition interface, and phone button are housed in the rearview mirror. The system works when you set your mobile phone down anywhere inside the vehicle. You can even continue a conversation while entering or exiting the vehicle without disrupting your call.
A power accessory delay feature maintains electrical power for 10 minutes after the key is removed from the ignition or the front door is opened. That's useful when you turn off the ignition then notice you forgot to close the windows.
Safety features add to the Liberty's appeal: The Liberty was the first Jeep to offer optional side-curtain airbags to protect outboard occupants from head injury in side impacts; we recommend this option. Multi-stage front airbags deploy with less force during low speed collisions, or if the occupant is unbuckled, to reduce the risk of airbag-related injuries. The Enhanced Accident Response System automatically unlocks doors and illuminates interior courtesy lights five seconds after the deployment of the front or side airbag; the system also shuts down the fuel pump immediately after the bags deploy. A three-point belt for the center rear seat is standard, a safety feature that's missing from many SUVs. Should the driver fail to buckle up, the new BeltAlert System periodically activates a chime and illuminates a light in the instrument cluster. Seat belts are the most important safety feature on any vehicle and serve as your first line of defense in a crash.
Renegade and Limited offer an optional tire-pressure monitor, which integrates into the information center in the overhead mini-console. The system displays individual pressures for all four rotating tires, and a warning message when the pressures fall below or exceed set thresholds. The spare tire is also monitored. Tire-changing and jacking equipment is stored under the rear seat and can be quickly grabbed as a unit.
