San Francisco:
What happens when you drop a diesel engine into a
normal Jeep Liberty? Not very much, and that's a good thing. Compared to
a regular Jeep Liberty, the 2006 diesel powered version offers a
slightly stronger kick when you step on the gas while adding only a tiny
bit of noise. It's an incredible machine for that reason alone.
I remember sometime in the 1980s when my neighbor
across the street drove a Volkswagen Jetta with a diesel engine. He was
a teacher who drove a school bus in the mornings, so each day around 5
a.m. he'd fire up the
Jetta and drive off to the bus barn - and wake up
the whole neighborhood in the process. Boy, that thing was really noisy.
This new 2006 Jeep Liberty Diesel is almost as
quiet as a regular gas engine. Of course there's that distinctive diesel
chatter under the hood, but it's not that bad. You can go through the
drive thru lane at McDonald's without having to shut off the engine to
place your order. It's pretty much exactly like a normal Jeep Liberty,
only with more truck like power and better fuel economy.
The only downside to this SUV is the same as with
any Liberty - its bouncy, off road suspension. I know Jeep makes
vehicles specifically for off roading, but I see a lot more Liberty’s in
parking lots than I do in mud pits.
Instead of using a smoother independent suspension
that would suit most Liberty owners just fine, every Liberty is fitted
with an off road suspension that isn't nearly as refined as most other
small SUVs. It's not a comfortable ride. Then again, if it had a
comfortable ride it wouldn't feel like a Jeep.
The diesel engine gives a slightly stronger kick
compared with an ordinary Jeep Liberty. The diesel engine is a good
alternative to the gas engines because it's more fuel efficient and has
truck like power without adding much noise.
I'm just glad to see a diesel option on the
Liberty, and I suspect it's something we'll see much more frequently on
other small cars and SUVs in the very near future.
What was tested? The 2006 Jeep Liberty
Limited Edition with a base MSRP price of $24,410. Options: Diesel
engine ($1,360), customer preferred package ($1,575), Sirius satellite
radio ($195). Price as tested: $27,540.
Why buy it? Its strong diesel engine is
amazingly quiet. It has plenty of power and lots of off road capability
to go with its classic Army styling.
Why
avoid it?
The off road suspension is bouncy and unrefined for on road driving.
By
Derek Price © AutoWire.Net - San Francisco
Jeep Home Page
Byline: Syndicated content provided by Tony
Leopardo ©AutoWire.Net
Column Name: More truck like power and
better mileage
Topic: The 2006 Jeep Liberty Diesel
Word Count: 508
Photo Caption: The 2006 Jeep Liberty Diesel
Photo Credits: Jeep Internet Media
Series #: 2006 - 54
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2006 Jeep Liberty
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