The 2008 Jeep Liberty is offered in two trim levels, both with rear- or four-wheel drive. The models are Sport ($20,330), Sport 4WD ($21,940), Limited ($24,515), and Limited 4WD ($26,125). The lone engine is a 210-horsepower 3.7-liter V6. Sport models come standard with a six-speed manual transmission; a four-speed automatic ($825) is optional for Sport and standard on Limited.
The base four-wheel-drive system is Jeep's Command Trac, a part-time system designed for off-road use. Also offered is Selec-Trac II ($445), a full-time system that allows use of four-wheel drive on dry pavement. Both systems have low-range gearing.
Sport features include cloth upholstery, air conditioning, tilt steering wheel, 60/40 split folding rear seats, power mirrors, power locks, power windows, remote keyless entry, AM/FM/CD stereo with four speakers and auxiliary input jack, and P225/75R16 all-season tires on aluminum wheels.
Sport options include a Sky Slider canvas sunroof ($1200); a regular sunroof ($850); Class III towing package with trailer sway control ($495); the Premium Sound Group with 6-disc CD changer, six speakers and Sirius satellite radio with one-year subscription ($345); all-terrain tires ($280); skid plates ($225) for the 4x4 model; and the Popular Equipment Group ($995) with 115-volt auxiliary power outlet, six speakers, cargo compartment cover, fog lamps, front passenger fold-flat seat, roof rails, cruise control, external temperature display and compass.
Limited models add Yes Essentials cloth upholstery, heated power mirrors, 368-watt Infinity sound system with eight speakers, cruise control, vehicle information center, leather-wrapped steering wheel with redundant audio and vehicle information center controls, auto-dimming rearview mirror, roof rails, six-way power driver's seat, fold-flat front passenger seat, universal garage door opener, antitheft alarm, fog lamps, full-size spare and P236/65R17 all-season tires on aluminum wheels.
Limited options include the Premium Group ($995) with automatic headlights, heated front seats, leather upholstery, six-way power driver's seat with memory, two-way power passenger seat and remote starting; the Premium Group 2 ($2295) which adds automatic climate control, interior air filter, rear obstacle detection and P235/60R18 all-season tires on chromed aluminum wheels to the Premium Group; and MyGIG Multimedia Infotainment system ($1550) with 20-gigabyte hard drive, navigation system, Sirius satellite radio with real-time traffic and one-year subscription. The Limited's Premium Sound Group ($395) adds Jeep's UConnect wireless cell phone link to the Sport's version.
Safety features include the mandated dual front airbags, plus head-protecting side-curtain airbags with rollover sensors and front side airbags for torso protection. Active safety features include anti-lock brakes with brake assist, hill start assist, traction control, and electronic stability control with rollover mitigation. The antilock brakes have rough road detection; when rough conditions are detected, the system holds the brake pulses longer to better slow the vehicle. Hill descent control is standard on 4x4 models. Optional safety features include trailer sway control and rear obstacle detection.