Liberty Spied...

[Delta Force79]

Allpar

[Sixty8panther]

Not very original... more handsome than the old one though.

[Paolino]

So, the Commander blew chunks and they figured they'd make the Liberty into a smaller Commander?

[Northstar]

So they killed the Commander so they could use it's styling on the Liberty? I thought they killed the Commander because it was ugly and didn't sell

[Delta Force79]

This is a lot better looking than that Grand Wagoneer wannabe

Edited January 30, 2007 by Delta Force79

[BrewSwillis]

The Commander sold 88,497 units last year.....and was a complete failure (in haters' eyes). The Honda Ridgeline sold like 60,000 units, and was the greatest thing since sliced bread.

The Commander is built on the same platform and line as the Grand Cherokee, and together they sold 227,645. They definitely got more people to buy Jeeps, with little additional investment.

[VenSeattle]

The Commander sold 88,497 units last year.....and was a complete failure (in haters' eyes). The Honda Ridgeline sold like 60,000 units, and was the greatest thing since sliced bread.

The Commander is built on the same platform and line as the Grand Cherokee, and together they sold 227,645. They definitely got more people to buy Jeeps, with little additional investment.

with $8,000-$10,000 discounts (at least in this part of the country)... those Commander sales weren't painless. That's in its first year too. GM W-Body cars sell more with less than half that discount.

As for the Liberty remodel... It's now the Cherokee that Jeep needed 5 years ago.

[turbo200]

I like it...a lot. The look wears ten times better on the smaller, affordable truck. The proportions help, but also this minimalist blocky look works on a cheap truck. Memo to Jeep brand imaging guys: techno exec lux sports utility costing $50k cannot function on the same utalitarian look a 25k work playtoy truck can work on.

Edited January 31, 2007 by turbo200

[regfootball]

not liking the liberty. never did. its a very wussy name.

I like the commander. why can't dcx just limit themselves to 30,000 commanders or so a year instead of cancelling them?

[sciguy_0504]

I'm not a big fan. It looks like they slapped together the Nitro, Patriot and Commander and called it a day.

[Northstar]

Breaking news! Chrysler has just released the picture of the Liberty's interior:

[Drew Dowdell]

Lieutenant Commander

[FAPTurbo]

Breaking news! Chrysler has just released the picture of the Liberty's interior:

:rotflmao:

[Z-06]

Breaking news! Chrysler has just released the picture of the Liberty's interior:

Good one Northie :rotflmao:

[Cadillacfan]

Don't laugh because they probably thought about using that interior.

I have the real one here. It's a heavily modified version of the Dodge Nitro interior.

[AAS]

I prefer the old Wrangler wanna-be look, to this new Commander wanna-be one. I think the box look is pulled off better with larger vehicles (H1, Commander).

[regfootball]

Don't laugh because they probably thought about using that interior.

I have the real one here. It's a heavily modified version of the Dodge Nitro interior.

ROTFLMAO!

i drove a nitro at dcx ride and drive. HORRIBLE interior. It's on par with a Chevy Celebrity. Easily the worst interior in its price class for cars these days. Terrible.

[Intrepidation]

It wears the Cherokee look much better than teh Commander does...which makes sense since it's about the size of the Cherokee...they just need to rename it "Cherokee" now. Anyway, I like it a lot...best new product yet from jeep besides the Wrangler as far as looks are concerned. I wonder if the interior really will only have slight changed from the Nitro...we'll see soon I guess. As for people's complaints about the interior...function follows form...it's a Sport Utility Vehicle in the truest sense of the phrase. It may not have the best plastics...but anyone buying a Nitro is not intending to glide their ass across the dash to ensure smoothness and softness.

Edited February 1, 2007 by Dodgefan

[Chris_Doane]

Don't laugh because they probably thought about using that interior.

I have the real one here. It's a heavily modified version of the Dodge Nitro interior.

Heh yea having seen the 08 Liberty interior in person....thats pretty much it. The dash is somewhat different though.

[Northstar]

It may not have the best plastics...but anyone buying a Nitro is not intending to glide their ass across the dash to ensure smoothness and softness.

That doesn't mean it shouldn't have better plastics. There's a big difference between having decent plastics and piss-poor ones. The Nitro's plastics are piss-poor, and there's absolutely no excuse for a vehicle of it's price to have such a cheap interior. Not having the best plastics is not the Nitro's problem. Not having average plastics is the problem.

[BrewSwillis]

ROTFLMAO!

i drove a nitro at dcx ride and drive. HORRIBLE interior. It's on par with a Chevy Celebrity. Easily the worst interior in its price class for cars these days. Terrible.

Edmunds:

Interior Design and Special Features

Inside, the Nitro has a somewhat industrial feel, though faux aluminum accents brighten the place up a bit. Materials quality is average for this class, with only a few plastics that stand out as low-grade.

thecarconnection.com:

Likeable cabin

In the cabin, there's much to like. It has a chunky, utilitarian feel, but in a modern way rather than an antiquated one. The central console is well laid out, with three big ventilation system knobs below an audio unit that's easy to use and has big buttons. The brushed aluminum surround looks right for the car.

and the best one....Auto123.com:

Same thing goes for inside. The interior is not prissy and overstyled like some cute utes from other carmakers. Geometrically, its very jagged and raw looking, with circles and squares comprising the door panels, seats and much of the dash. It looks industrial, more like sitting inside of some sort of giant piece of machinery than a vehicle. There are heated leather seats are trimmed with a white on black color scheme which is mirrored in the gauges. The parking brake handle is shaped like the grip on a machete, and hard plastic is the construction material of choice for most of the inside.

Certainly, one could get into a higher quality cabin for the price, but none feel this tough and ready to work. Besides, real men don't care too much about soft touch materials and visually soothing design elements. Martha Stewart drives a Lexus anyhow.

[Intrepidation]

That doesn't mean it shouldn't have better plastics. There's a big difference between having decent plastics and piss-poor ones. The Nitro's plastics are piss-poor, and there's absolutely no excuse for a vehicle of it's price to have such a cheap interior. Not having the best plastics is not the Nitro's problem. Not having average plastics is the problem.

Edmunds:

Interior Design and Special Features

Inside, the Nitro has a somewhat industrial feel, though faux aluminum accents brighten the place up a bit. Materials quality is average for this class, with only a few plastics that stand out as low-grade.

and the best one....Auto123.com:

Same thing goes for inside. The interior is not prissy and overstyled like some cute utes from other carmakers. Geometrically, its very jagged and raw looking, with circles and squares comprising the door panels, seats and much of the dash. It looks industrial, more like sitting inside of some sort of giant piece of machinery than a vehicle. There are heated leather seats are trimmed with a white on black color scheme which is mirrored in the gauges. The parking brake handle is shaped like the grip on a machete, and hard plastic is the construction material of choice for most of the inside.

Certainly, one could get into a higher quality cabin for the price, but none feel this tough and ready to work. Besides, real men don't care too much about soft touch materials and visually soothing design elements. Martha Stewart drives a Lexus anyhow.

Northstar, you just got hardcore.

Also, I've sat inside a Nitro. They are average...and that's just fine. They're certainly not as low grade as most of you seem to think.

[Northstar]

Edmunds:

Interior Design and Special Features

Inside, the Nitro has a somewhat industrial feel, though faux aluminum accents brighten the place up a bit. Materials quality is average for this class, with only a few plastics that stand out as low-grade.

Ok, so they neither hated it or liked it.

thecarconnection.com:

Likeable cabin

In the cabin, there's much to like. It has a chunky, utilitarian feel, but in a modern way rather than an antiquated one. The central console is well laid out, with three big ventilation system knobs below an audio unit that's easy to use and has big buttons. The brushed aluminum surround looks right for the car.

Very well, they like the utilitarian feel. I'm not sure the center stack is very well laid out, but whatever. I'm also not quite sure that "brushed aluminum" belongs in a utilitarian car... that would seem to belong in something sporty to me.

and the best one....Auto123.com:

Same thing goes for inside. The interior is not prissy and overstyled like some cute utes from other carmakers. Geometrically, its very jagged and raw looking, with circles and squares comprising the door panels, seats and much of the dash. It looks industrial, more like sitting inside of some sort of giant piece of machinery than a vehicle. There are heated leather seats are trimmed with a white on black color scheme which is mirrored in the gauges. The parking brake handle is shaped like the grip on a machete, and hard plastic is the construction material of choice for most of the inside.

Certainly, one could get into a higher quality cabin for the price, but none feel this tough and ready to work. Besides, real men don't care too much about soft touch materials and visually soothing design elements. Martha Stewart drives a Lexus anyhow.

There's a difference between feeling tough and ready to work and cheap and ready to fall apart. I fail to see how the cheap plastic can feel so substantial to them. And, anyone who is smart enough to realize they're spending $20+k on a vehicle should care that the interior isn't a horrible place to be. Maybe it's "cool" and "utilitarian" at first, but can you imagine driving around in such a bucket of crap for more than a week?

[BrewSwillis]

Nitro review

Car&Driver:

It’s less flashy inside. The supportive two-tone seats with bright red inserts will get your attention in an otherwise tasteful and well-executed interior. Switchgear is properly placed, and despite a narrow footwell, leg- and footroom are plentiful. Behind the second row is the slick Load ’n Go floor that aids packing big, bulky items into the 50-percent-larger cargo area.

I guess people just repeating how bad Chrysler interiors are, is becoming one of those myths like the Loch Ness Monster and Toyota's superior "quality?".

The RAV4 and CR-V look just as crappy (if not more) and plastic to me:

RAV4

CR-V

[Northstar]

Northstar, you just got hardcore.

Also, I've sat inside a Nitro. They are average...and that's just fine. They're certainly not as low grade as most of you seem to think.

Yes, I just got owned hardcore because Edmunds thinks the interior is average and I think it's crap.

I see you conveniently didn't highlight auto123's opinion: "hard plastic is the construction material of choice for most of the inside." Looks like I just got owned there too.

Apparently some people have different thoughts about interior quality than others, and perhaps my opinion about what's a quality interior and what's junk is a bit more demanding than yours.

It's my opinion that the only people getting "owned" in the case of the Nitro are those willing to plunk down $20-30k so that they can ride around in a pile of crap.

[Intrepidation]

Yes, I just got owned hardcore because Edmunds thinks the interior is average and I think it's crap.

I see you conveniently didn't highlight auto123's opinion: "hard plastic is the construction material of choice for most of the inside." Looks like I just got owned there too.

Apparently some people have different thoughts about interior quality than others, and perhaps my opinion about what's a quality interior and what's junk is a bit more demanding than yours.

It's my opinion that the only people getting "owned" in the case of the Nitro are those willing to plunk down $20-30k so that they can ride around in a pile of crap.

I didn't see the need to point out the obvious. No $h! it's hard plastic. That doesn't make it piss poor cheap. It's no worse inside than the Equinox...I sat in one of those...the panels are pretty badly misaligned. I fforget how much of it was hard plastic but I believe most of it is.

The Impala has hard plastic almost everywhere, and yet one here complains about it being cheap.

[Northstar]

I guess people just repeating how bad Chrysler interiors are, is becoming one of those myths like the Loch Ness Monster and Toyota's superior "quality?".

The RAV4 and CR-V look just as crappy (if not more) and plastic to me:

RAV4

CR-V

Yeah, we just have a personal vendetta about Chrysler and want to see them fail so we say all Chrysler group interiors are crap, but let others slide.

Oh, wait, look at what I said about the CR-V and RAV4:

CR-V: Harsh ride, loud, annoying engine buzz, lots of road noise, cheap interior (hard plastics, hollow souonding), and she really hated the gauge "hood" which was quite possibly the cheapest piece I've seen on a car. It was also rather cramped, for me at least.

RAV4: The interior was nicer than the CR-V, but again it was cramped and we both thought it felt like a little car. I was more cramped in it than the CR-V... the interior, while better than the CR-V, still was nothing special.

So, in conclusion, the CR-V is a POS, the RAV4 is average at best

It makes the RAV4 and CR-V appear to be the pieces of crap that they are

So there you have it. All Chryslers are junk and everything else is at the very least acceptable.

[Intrepidation]

I really have no problem if you don't like the Nitro or the interior. It's not your thing, and that's fine. However to call it a POS just because the interior isn't your cup of tea is different. I noticed you didn't post anything about the cheapo Equinox interior

To be fair maybe you did in another thread, I dunno. Anyway, this is about the Liberty not the Nitro.

Edited February 1, 2007 by Dodgefan

[BlkHhr104]

Hey, hey, hey... the Equinox isn't that bad, sure not the best quality in material, but the revised one is alot better then it was, and if you ask me it has alot more style then the RAV-4, CR-V (was it that hard to make names Toyota and Honda?), and Nitro.

[Intrepidation]

Hey, hey, hey... the Equinox isn't that bad, sure not the best quality in material, but the revised one is alot better then it was, and if you ask me it has alot more style then the RAV-4, CR-V (was it that hard to make names Toyota and Honda?), and Nitro.

At the New England International Auto Show, they had a blue one on display. It looked better as far as the revised center stack and steering wheel, but the dash had misalinged panels, and the A-pillar was loose. Here, I have some pics I took (but never got around to posting originally).

At least the Nitro I sat in was solidly put together...this is inexcusable. Also note that I was only pressingly lightly on that A-pillar.

Edited February 1, 2007 by Dodgefan

[BrewSwillis]

Yeah, we just have a personal vendetta about Chrysler and want to see them fail so we say all Chrysler group interiors are crap, but let others slide.

Oh, wait, look at what I said about the CR-V and RAV4:

So there you have it. All Chryslers are junk and everything else is at the very least acceptable.

I never said that Chrysler had the best, or even better than average interior materials. I was just trying to point out that most major reviews don't have a real problem with the interior, and some even like it. Yes, alot of it is "hard plastic"....but what (non-premium) automotive interior is not nowadays? People are stating that the Nitro has, by far, the worst interior in the class.....but yet the professional reviews state that it is basically on par with what's out there.

It appears that you hate most vehicle interiors that are of average quality. You must prefer an Audi or BMW, where you pay a huge premium to have a squishy interior comprised with multiple materials? I didn't even quote you when I posted those reviews. I quoted "regfootball", who notoriously hates Chryslers!

[Northstar]

Dodgefan: that Equinox is bad. What is the last pic of?

BrewSwillis: no, I perfer something that seems like it's worth the price tag. Take a look at this thread if you want to see some of my opinions on interiors: http://www.cheersandgears.com/forums/index...showtopic=14445

Believe it or not, the Santa Fe had the best interior of any compact SUV I sat in while car shopping.

[Intrepidation]

Dodgefan: that Equinox is bad. What is the last pic of?

BrewSwillis: no, I perfer something that seems like it's worth the price tag. Take a look at this thread if you want to see some of my opinions on interiors: http://www.cheersandgears.com/forums/index...showtopic=14445

Believe it or not, the Santa Fe had the best interior of any compact SUV I sat in while car shopping.

That's the A-pillar. You can see the plastic trim (what my thumb is touching) coming off and exposing the metal underneath.

The Nitro...it's interior isn't going to win any contest on looks or materials...but I think it's at least functional and fits the macho looks of the exterior. Can we agree on that much?

[Northstar]

That's the A-pillar. You can see the plastic trim (what my thumb is touching) coming off and exposing the metal underneath.

The Nitro...it's interior isn't going to win any contest on looks or materials...but I think it's at least functional and fits the macho looks of the exterior. Can we agree on that much?

I figured out it was the A-pillar after thinking about it for a while. That's definitely bad because that part of the car shouldn't be abused, even at an auto show.

We can agree that the Nitro's interior fits te macho feel of the exterior, but I guess we'll have to agree to disagree on whether it's any good

[MyerShift]

Ugh.

So, now not only is Chrysler sharing a Jeep platform with another division (something that would have never happened in the past when Chrysler was independent), the only difference between the updated Liberty and the present Ntiro will be... the Front End. Isn't it great to see that the days of the K-Cars sans the quality are back?

Yippy-skip.

[Intrepidation]

Ugh.

So, now not only is Chrysler sharing a Jeep platform with another division (something that would have never happened in the past when Chrysler was independent), the only difference between the updated Liberty and the present Ntiro will be... the Front End. Isn't it great to see that the days of the K-Cars sans the quality are back?

Yippy-skip.

Isn't the roof supposed to be higher than the Nitro's? Also the wheel arches are square not round. Still...they look similar in photos...there's no denying that...

[MyerShift]

Oh, you know.

It just seems as though there isn't enough to justify Dodge having one. They look far too similar.

[Northstar]

MyerShift brings up an excellent point. It would have made much more sense for Chrysler to pocket the costs of producing the Nitro and used the money to make the Liberty best-in-class. They could probably save half of the Nitro's development costs and spend them on giving the Liberty a class-leading interior, and then save the rest for something else. Instead, we will probably end up with two middle-of-the-road vehicles.

I wish GM would do this too in some cases, but they seem to be getting away from sharing so much, other than platforms and in a few cases A-Pillar-back sheet metal. The Enclave is very different from either of the other two Lambdas, and while the Acadia and Outlook are basically the same from the A-Pillar back, their interiors are well differentiated and the front ends are unique. For instance, on the next Cobalt, they should pocket any costs saved by not making a new G5 and use that money to fix anything that might have gotten cut by having to spend the money to make the G5 a little different.

Chrysler's products may have unique front ends, but their interiors all look almost exactly the same.

[regfootball]

all your quotes from those manufacturer funded sources were nice and all, but the Nitro I sat in and drove had been sat in and drove by a few people and showed a terrible amount of wear for being so new. Removed from the glitzy lighting and maximum armor all overdose of a typical auto showroom, subjected to real use, i felt the design and quality of the nitro interior was extremely subpar. it was a brand new vehicle, yet its design and wear made it seem as primitive as just about any of GM's worst interiors ever, like the Citation, Celebrity, Chevette.

Let's not mistake 'industrial' for 'cheap'.

Worse yet, its far from ergonomic. The seat were shaped horribly and everything esle was patchwork. Nothing appeared to have been designed around human interface.

I wouldn't want to making payments on that Nitro. The interior will be looking 10 years old by the time payment coupon 15 arrives.

The equinox in comparison is much better.

BTW I don't hate chryslers. However, I do believe that lately they seem to be setting new low standards for interiors. They clearly are the kind of budget interiors these days.

Edited February 1, 2007 by regfootball

[regfootball]

Ok, so they neither hated it or liked it.

Very well, they like the utilitarian feel. I'm not sure the center stack is very well laid out, but whatever. I'm also not quite sure that "brushed aluminum" belongs in a utilitarian car... that would seem to belong in something sporty to me.

There's a difference between feeling tough and ready to work and cheap and ready to fall apart. I fail to see how the cheap plastic can feel so substantial to them. And, anyone who is smart enough to realize they're spending $20+k on a vehicle should care that the interior isn't a horrible place to be. Maybe it's "cool" and "utilitarian" at first, but can you imagine driving around in such a bucket of crap for more than a week?

[FAPTurbo]

but anyone buying a Nitro is not intending to glide their ass across the dash to ensure smoothness and softness.

That gave me an awesome idea!

Can't wait to head to the next Auto Show in my city.

[Delta Force79]

I like the new front end on the Liberty, it does make me wonder if this is what the new Cherokee would be if that name had been kept. I guess it is essentially the Jeep Cherokee, and I like it a lot more now than the previous Liberty. Just tool up the molds for the name Cherokee and be done with it. The Cherokee name sells vehicles....and the Grand Cherokee is still going strong, time to bring back it's little brother.

[The O.C.]

Northstar, you just got hardcore.

Also, I've sat inside a Nitro. They are average...and that's just fine. They're certainly not as low grade as most of you seem to think.

Nah.....they truly suck.

Just like EVERY other Chrysler except the current LX cars.....

[BrewSwillis]

I like the new front end on the Liberty, it does make me wonder if this is what the new Cherokee would be if that name had been kept. I guess it is essentially the Jeep Cherokee, and I like it a lot more now than the previous Liberty. Just tool up the molds for the name Cherokee and be done with it. The Cherokee name sells vehicles....and the Grand Cherokee is still going strong, time to bring back it's little brother.

The Liberty is a Cherokee in every other country outside N. America. They couldn't call the Liberty a Cherokee in N. America, because both models were on sale at the same time. I guess we'll find out if they go back to calling it a Cherokee in N. America when they introduce the new Liberty/Cherokee. I doubt they will since the Liberty name now has quite a bit of recognition.

[regfootball]

they probably can't call it cherokee anymore because it probably offends the NA community

[FAPTurbo]

they probably can't call it cherokee anymore because it probably offends the NA community

But wouldn't the name 'Patriot' offend the New England "colonial" crowd?

[Chris_Doane]

Nah.....they truly suck.

Just like EVERY other Chrysler except the current LX cars.....

But in all fairness, you do have the gayest sig known to man.

So your taste is questionable.

[Cory Wolfe]

Nah.....they truly suck.

Just like EVERY other Chrysler except the current LX cars.....

Average, my ass. The Nitro's dash could give plastic burn if rub my arm on it or touch it the wrong way. Pitifully piss poor plastics. My Grand Am has better plastics and I'm not exaggerating.

Anyways, this new Liberty looks good. It's certainly an improvement over the old one and definitely carries the look better than the Commander, but then again, it's basically the same look. Either way, it looks good.

[regfootball]

But wouldn't the name 'Patriot' offend the New England "colonial" crowd?

some groups don't take insult at every little reference like that.

viper's right about the plastics.

Edited February 3, 2007 by regfootball