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Give Me "liberty?"


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After 5 weeks here in AZ I'm going crazy reading pages on 1.5/2 rated caches that say, "You need a 4WD to go the last 53 miles or so to this cache." Rather than rant about mis-rated caches, I've decided I need a 4WD vehicle. I like the Jeep Liberty. I also like the Wrangler but I don't want to drive one 2,500 miles back to New York in a couple of months.

So, Any Liberty owners out there want to tell me how you like them for moderate off-road geocaching?

Anything else I should be considering? I'll be looking either new or 1-2 years old.

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You might want to rethink that decision. Liberty's are nice, but they won't get you here:

 

jeep2.jpg

 

(That's my baby.)

 

Hmmm... is it supposed to look broken like that? :P

 

 

 

 

:)

 

That is minor considering some I have seen in the colorado rockies.....Bring a four wheel drive here and hit wrong road a two wheeler to take home :ph34r:

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That is minor considering some I have seen in the colorado rockies.....Bring a four wheel drive here and hit wrong road a two wheeler to take home :ph34r:

 

You might want to go back and look just under my avatar; I AM in Colorado, and that picture was taken coming up the backside to Mosquito Pass. I could post some more extreme photos, but I don't want to hijack the thread.

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You might want to rethink that decision. Liberty's are nice, but they won't get you here:

 

jeep2.jpg

 

(That's my baby.)

 

Personally i like the Wrangler's looks better and there is a ton of aftermarket stuff for it. However, if you are keeping the vehicle in stock form then they are both capable, at least for the majority of geocaching you might need a 4wd for. I like my Jeep Cherokees, one is lifted etc,, the other stock, but ive heard good things about just about every 4x4 out there. Like the Magellan versus Garmin thing, it's mostly a matter of preference!

 

One thing that i would do before buying would be to try and find out which gets the best gas milage. :ph34r:

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We like our Jeep Liberty Renegade a bunch. It has worked well for the areas we have gone into such as heavily rutted FS roads and the such. But, I am still leery of taking it on REAL 4X4 roads. Its not that I don't trust it, I just don't trust my driving skills to keep me out of trouble on them. Dean recommends the undercarriage shield thingys as they help a lot when I try to drive the Jeep. :ph34r:

Prior to getting our Jeep, we would tag along with other cachers to get to the far off road caches, and offer gas money. Our liberty is getting about 16-17 mpg on average, haven't checked what it gets when rural caching.

Hope you like whatever vehicle you end up choosing!

-J

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You might want to rethink that decision. Liberty's are nice, but they won't get you here:

 

jeep2.jpg

 

(That's my baby.)

 

Nice lookin' vehicle! But why is it so articulated in the photo? The ground looks pretty flat. Is one of the rear wheels on a rock?

 

If I didn't want a bed for cargo, I'd have one of those. They rock! I currently drive a Ranger FX4 LII, that's the package with the limited slip differential and full skid plates and all that...

 

To the OP:

I'd worry about a liberty. I don't know much about them specifically, but are they built on a good sturdy frame? What kind of axles/differentials do they have? Of course it all depends on where you want to go. All you need for a steep hill on a slippery gravel road is basic 4WD. If you're gonna go over rocks and stuff, even moderate ones, you'll want something more substantial.

 

Whatever you choose, I'm sure you'll have a blast as soon as the pavement ends! :ph34r:

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In recent history the best stock small 4x4's (and this is my opinion) are:

 

Toyota 4 Runner

Nissan Xterra

Jeep Grand Cherokee

Jeep Wrangler Rubicon

 

That's in the order I'd buy them in were I shopping right now for a new one.

 

Used opens up a few more options.

 

91-97 Land Cruiser

Toyota 4 Runner.

Nissan Xterra

Grand Cherokee

Jeep Wrangler Rubicon

Jeep Cherokee.

 

Alas the best used one is older than your range. Even though I already have a Diesel GMC Jimmy I'm seriously tempted to get the Land Cruiser and use the Jimmy as a spare just because it can run on Bio Diesel.

 

The key thing is what are you going to use it for? That lust is SUV but the Toyota Quad Cab Truck with the TRD off road package is pretty nice as well. If you need to seat 5 (like me) it rules out the Wrangler. If you want hill climbing ability look for the ones that have a selectable locking differential or a limited slip (in that order) Cruising comfort? That's going to skew you towards the top of the lists. Will you be hauling a lot of cargo? The Liberty and Wrangler don't have much room. Need to tow? Etc.

 

As the saying goes, there is no perfect 4x4 but there is one that's pretty close to perfect for you.

 

Also: Tsegi Mike and Desert Viking does give good advice about hooking up with someone for the adventure of it and not getting one at all if you don't think you will need one when you leave AZ.

Edited by Renegade Knight
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I have had a Liberty since '02. While on the whole it's not been bad, I have had a few complaints. The chief one being is that the tranny (automatic) sometimes lugs on the downshift to a stop and causes everyone to be thrown forward. Another is a mysterious electrical problems that seem to appear and then go away (power windows not functioning occasionally etc.)

 

I would get something else if given the choice again.

Edited by Bill & Tammy
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My first Liberty was the first year it was made in '01 ('02 model) and I loved it. I had a fully loaded '99 Grand Cherokee that was just wonderful, but drank too much fuel. The 6 cylinder Liberty was a bit more fuel efficient, but still not as efficient as I would have liked. At any rate, the Liberty has turned out to be my favorite Jeep model so far. Small enough to be fuel efficient, enough power to pull 5000', and with one of the highest entry and exit angles of any stock Jeep, it does not do too terribly bad off-road, either. As an added bonus, my daughter loves it.

 

Anyhow, I now have a CRD (diesel) and am absolutely pleased with it. Finally, off-road capability with great gas mileage. Plus, the nearly 500 mile range on a tank of gas makes it a good vehicle to get lost in the mountains, desert, or any other place without having to think much about refueling, even when lugging along in 4 X 4. The little motor is quite spry for a diesel, plus if I am in a really environmental mindset (or want to get back at supply & demand driving petroleum prices high), filling up with biodiesel is always an option.

 

Oh, dreary day, since my nice CRD is parked safely 7,500 miles away, and I walk/bike to caches for the time being.

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My first Liberty was the first year it was made in '01 ('02 model) and I loved it. I had a fully loaded '99 Grand Cherokee that was just wonderful, but drank too much fuel. The 6 cylinder Liberty was a bit more fuel efficient, but still not as efficient as I would have liked. At any rate, the Liberty has turned out to be my favorite Jeep model so far. Small enough to be fuel efficient, enough power to pull 5000', and with one of the highest entry and exit angles of any stock Jeep, it does not do too terribly bad off-road, either. As an added bonus, my daughter loves it.

 

Anyhow, I now have a CRD (diesel) and am absolutely pleased with it. Finally, off-road capability with great gas mileage. Plus, the nearly 500 mile range on a tank of gas makes it a good vehicle to get lost in the mountains, desert, or any other place without having to think much about refueling, even when lugging along in 4 X 4. The little motor is quite spry for a diesel, plus if I am in a really environmental mindset (or want to get back at supply & demand driving petroleum prices high), filling up with biodiesel is always an option.

 

Oh, dreary day, since my nice CRD is parked safely 7,500 miles away, and I walk/bike to caches for the time being.

 

I've been curious about the diesel/biodiesel option myself for a future vehicle... but what's a CRD?

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Having thought about this a little more:

 

The "Cute 'Utes" have some potential.

 

That's the Honda CRV and the Toytoa Rav 4. They are not 4x4 wonder machines but they would beat the snot out of a Corolla or Civic off road.

 

I prefer to call them Mini Urban Assault Vehicles – good to itch your RASH.

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