Two Decades Ago, Jeep Made A Small SUV With A Beefy Diesel Engine Everyone Forgot About

At the end of July, I finally came to the realization that I had screwed up. I had collected way too many projects, more than I could hope to finish. And so, I began selling off the vehicles I could bear to part with, and it’s been liberating to see them go and feel the virtual weight being lifted off of my shoulders.

And yet, I’m finding myself drawn to a really bad idea.

Back in the 2000s, Jeep took its Liberty SUV and gave it Italian diesel power. I’ve been wanting to try one out for years and somehow I’ve had the strength to stop myself. But the call of 295 lb-ft of torque is dragging me in. Come along for the ride with me.

If you’ve read our pieces for long enough, you probably know by now that I’m the Autopian‘s resident diesel nut. Five of my current vehicles are powered by diesel engines ranging from an 800cc triple to a 5.0-liter twin-turbo V10 and an 8.5-liter four-cylinder. If a vehicle I want has a diesel option, that’ll be the version I’m getting. Likewise, a diesel option may be a motivating factor for me to buy a certain vehicle in the first place.

David Tracy has successfully sold me on why Jeeps are so great, but for whatever reason I’m not drawn to the silky-smooth XJ David introduced me to or even the legendary Wrangler. Instead, I want the Jeep seemingly so many people don’t like, the first-generation Liberty. But more than that, I keep looking at ones powered by the 2.8-liter VM Motori R 428 four-cylinder. But why have I not pulled the trigger?

The Jeep Cherokee’s Killer

Jeep fans have reason to dislike the original Liberty.

The vehicle that came before the Liberty was the XJ Cherokee, an SUV so legendary that you don’t need to be David Tracy to recognize how awesome they are. Visit just about any off-roading community in the United States and chances are someone is going to be rolling with an XJ. I’ll let resident Jeep expert David shower the XJ with praise:

The Cherokee XJ improved in almost every way over its predecessor (my 1979 Jeep Cherokee is shown in the Instagram clip above), without really sacrificing much. The smaller, boxier Jeep didn’t look as cool in some people’s eyes, but it was more powerful, quicker, more efficient, more capable off-road, quieter, better-riding, better handling, and on and on. The XJ made its SJ predecessor look downright prehistoric, and if you still don’t believe me, read my article “It’s Incredible How Big Of A Quantum Leap The Cherokee Cherokee XJ Was Over Its SJ Predecessor“.

Honestly, David doesn’t go far enough to talk about how amazing the XJ is. I have been participating in HooptieX rallycross events for four years now and there is always one vehicle that always performs well. It doesn’t matter where the HooptieX track is or what the surface is like, the guys and gals rolling in XJs consistently put down some of the fastest lap times and their SUVs put up with a ton of abuse.

The XJ died in 2001 and Jeep fans didn’t even have time to mourn before Jeep rolled out its replacement. The Jeep Liberty, which was sold elsewhere in the world as the Cherokee, was an entirely different SUV than the XJ. I’ll bring David back:

When it left, it was replaced by a vehicle that wasn’t nearly as compelling overall, which is why, if we’re being honest with ourselves, it was 2001 when everyone capable of mourning the Jeep Cherokee shed their tears. This was the final model year of the XJ, and the beginning of KJ Liberty production (The Liberty continued the Cherokee name in other markets).

The new Cherokee (called Liberty in the U.S.) did improve upon the XJ’s ride, on-road handling, NVH, and interior volume, but whereas its predecessor was revolutionary and stood out among its peers, the new Cherokee didn’t bring that much more to the table, and blended in with its competitive set. Here’s what Patrick Foster writes about the KJ Liberty in his book:

“At least one valid complaint could be made about the Liberty. Unlike the Cherokee, Grand Cherokee, or the original Wagoneer, Liberty didn’t introduce any new innovations to the market, and its style, while pleasant enough, didn’t set any standard either.”

Here’s the official word from Jeep:

The venerable Cherokee (XJ) was phased out in 2001 its replacement was the Liberty (KJ). The new Jeep® Liberty featured time-tested design cues like round headlamps and a seven-slot grille. The Liberty infused bold engineering advances like an independent front suspension and a new 3.7L V6 to replace the longstanding 4.0L I-6 engine.

Four-wheel drive is via Command-Trac®; Liberty Limited models received Selec-Trac Full-Time 4WD and 3.73:1 axles as standard. For the 2005 model year, Liberty was offered with an optional 2.8L turbo diesel engine and six-speed manual transmission.

In David’s obituary on the XJ, he notes that Jeep fans weren’t pleased with the fact that the Liberty looked almost joyful and happy, quite the opposite of the rugged and tough SUVs you’d expect from a burly off-road vehicle. David’s problem was with that 3.7-liter V6, which made the same torque as the legendary 4.0 straight-six and 20 more thoroughbreds under the hood at 210 HP. On paper, this was great, but not only did this engine make its power up high, which is not great for off-roading, but the Liberty weighed more than 300 pounds more than a similar XJ.

As a result, the Liberty was slower than the XJ and the engine wasn’t nearly as torquey down low as the old straight-six. David continues that the first-generation Liberty isn’t as easy to repair as the XJ, isn’t as easy to modify as the XJ, and can’t take a beating like the XJ can.

If you’re wondering why Jeep did this, there is an explanation. As the Toledo Blade explains, Jeep’s engineers began their development of the Liberty by taking an XJ and refining it. Jeep then let consumers test it and discovered that while people liked the new SUV, they also compared it to the Grand Cherokee. The designers found out that the Cherokee replacement didn’t really have its own identity outside of being what the consumers would buy if they couldn’t afford a Grand Cherokee. This was unacceptable, so the designers, including head designer Bob Boniface, went back to work.

Jeep’s designers came up with a vehicle that borrowed elements from the 1997 Dakar show car as well as the 1998 Jeepster. The Dakar gave the Liberty a tall profile and big flares while the designers borrowed the Jeepster’s sporty looks and front end. Circles were also a big theme of the Liberty from its interior down to its taillights.

The Liberty was also supposed to be a step forward. It looked like no other Jeep and it was designed to ride like no other Jeep. This was a Jeep with rack-and-pinion steering and the first Jeep with an independent front suspension since the old Wagoneer. Jeep saw itself carving out a new niche with a softer, but still capable SUV aimed at being better than other compact SUVs. Keep in mind there that I didn’t say it was designed to be better than the XJ, but better than other compact SUVs of the early 2000s.

Diesel Power In A Compact SUV Form Factor

In 2004, DaimlerChrysler announced it had new vehicles in its pipeline for people who wanted to go green and save money at the pump.

Reportedly, DaimlerChrysler knew that America was still a bit sore about its past with diesel passenger cars. Diesels gained a reputation for being smoky, loud, slow, and in the case of diesels from the ’70s, unreliable. But diesels had come a long way from then and DaimlerChrysler wanted to prove that diesel was cool. Its plan to make that case was the launch of the Mercedes-Benz E320 CDI and the Jeep Liberty CRD. One would show that diesels are great in luxury cars while the other would prove diesel’s worth off-road. Both were touted as ways to save money in the long run.

DaimlerChrysler’s marketing touted the Liberty CRD as being America’s first mid-size diesel SUV. The 2.8-liter VM Motori R 428 inline-four turbodiesel made 160 HP and 295 lb-ft of torque. That’s far more twist than the 235 lb-ft offered by the 3.7-liter V6 and Jeep said the diesel would get 21 percent better fuel economy than the V6, too. On paper, the diesel solves the problems David described above. It makes more torque at a lower RPM and gets 27 mpg on the highway. What’s not to like?

If you weren’t convinced, Jeep then said that the Liberty CRD went up to 500 miles on a tank of diesel and gave the little sport-ute a towing capacity of 5,000 pounds, the same tow rating as the V6.

Jeep continued with what made the Italian-made VM Motori diesel special:

The 2.8-liter diesel uses an advanced common rail direct injection fuel system. Direct injection of fuel into an open combustion chamber is more efficient than a pre-chamber indirect injection configuration. The system in the 2.8-liter CRD operates at fuel pressures nearly 70 percent above the older distributor pump systems, producing finer atomization, leaner combustion and higher power. At the same time, direct injection provides inherently lower engine-out hydrocarbon exhaust emissions and lower NOx emissions. A high pressure pump driven by the cog belt from the camshaft supplies fuel at up to nearly 24,000 psi. The pump’s electronic control system responds to fuel demand and delivers the optimal fuel pressure, injection timing and injection duration.

An electronically controlled variable geometry turbocharger improves control of boost pressure, reducing emissions and improving full load engine power and torque. The turbocharger features moveable vanes that allow it to act like a small turbocharger under launch conditions. At higher engine speeds it acts like a larger turbocharger. The benefit to customers is enhanced low-end and high-end torque. Meanwhile, a vacuum reservoir improves cold launch performance by allowing the turbo to spool up faster from idle, thus, minimizing turbo lag.

Injectors on the 2.8-liter diesel have been improved so that fuel burns more thoroughly, producing fewer particulates and lower emissions than previous generation diesel engines. The Liberty diesel engine uses two pilot injections prior to the main injection. This system prepares the cylinders for the main injection of fuel, which helps to smooth out the main combustion and quiet the engine, especially at idle.

Jeep continued by talking about how the CRD uses electronically controlled ceramic spark plugs that warm up way faster than old-school plugs that leave you sitting in the cold for a while before you can attempt an engine start. Jeep also went in and added sound deadening, engine balance shafts, hydro engine mounts, and more to reduce the transmission of noise, vibration, and harshness.

Jeep then said that choosing the diesel and fueling it with B5 biodiesel not only helped you save the planet with lower carbon dioxide emissions but reduced your dependence on petroleum.

How did all of this translate to real life? Motor Trend liked it:

We have found that the little diesel starts up easily when cold, but is a little clattery at low rpm and idle. This characteristic is reduced with some speed and on the highway the engine is perfectly acceptable. While there is some turbo lag, the Liberty has plenty of passing power in reserve, and it is pretty quick off the line. If you are not careful, it even has enough torque to light up the inside tire while turning during the 1-2 shift.

In addition to the diesel engine, we loaded our Liberty up with navigation, leather seats, seat warmers, and just about every option Jeep would let us click off on the order sheet. We love the maneuverable size of the Liberty and good visibility around town. Even our staffer who makes a regular commute to the office thought it did well in L.A.’s stop-and-go freeway dance.

So far, our experience with the CRD has gone well, and we think the Liberty is a great little SUV. We’d like to see a couple more power points up front, and a little more storage for cell phones and wallets, but overall our first three months with this little trucklet has been great and we are looking forward to logging lots of comments in the log book in between those infrequent fuel entries.

Four Wheeler Magazine had a Liberty CRD as a long-term tester, where the publication reported spending little on fuel and maintenance, but not liking its limited suspension travel, poor ground clearance, and rough ride. Car and Driver didn’t think Jeep went far enough to keep the engine’s clatter from piercing the cabin.

Still, it seemed unless you wanted to do some hardcore off-roading, the CRD seemed to be a bit of a Goldilocks. It was an SUV with some off-road chops, but didn’t murder you with high operating costs at the pump. The allure of saving money certainly drew people in. Jeep reported that after about a year of sales it sold 10,000 Liberty CRDs, each for $25,125 and up. That was about double the number of sales Jeep expected.

Unfortunately, double the expectation didn’t mean a lot of Liberty CRDs were sold. The Liberty CRD was not built to meet the stricter emission standards that went into effect in 2007. Jeep just canceled the CRD after 2006 instead of upgrading the engine. The Jeep Grand Cherokee CRD would take its place as Jeep’s diesel SUV.

So, Why Am I Afraid?

Alright, so it sounds like the Jeep Liberty CRD is everything I want. It’s a relatively obscure SUV with diesel power, some off-road cred, and a decent tow rating. Why haven’t I bought one?

If you’re thinking “not good enough off-road,” that’s not it. I’ve gone off-roading with a Volkswagen Touareg VR6 wearing street tires and suspended (barely) by worn shocks. For me, a vehicle just has to be better than that heavy pig of a Touareg, and that’s a very low bar. That Touareg leaked gas, wept power steering fluid, and slammed gears like Aaron Judge hits homers.

The big reason a KJ worries me is rust. It’s been a long time since I’ve seen a Liberty without rust. These SUVs have been corroding for years and so many of them in my area have gotten to the point of not having rockers anymore or they have cancerous rust just crawling up what’s left of their doors. Admittedly, I’m not like David and I’m not a fan of rust. Yet, I’m also not really such a huge fan of the CRD that I’d be willing to drive down south to get a rust-free example.

Another major reason is simply due to reliability. Diesels are supposed to excel in this category, but in my research, it seems the Jeep Liberty CRD may not age as well as other diesels. Go to a forum like Lost Jeeps and you’ll find lists of problems so long they’ll make a Ford Power Stroke 6.0 blush. I’ve found instances of people complaining about EGR failures, crankcase ventilation oil leaks, head gasket failures, glow plugs breaking, oil pressure sender failures, turbo failures, intercooler leaks, fuel leaks, and rod bearing failures.

It would appear that the most serious failures of these engines would be EGR failures and the occasional rod bearing failure. Some others complain that the torque converters in the 2005 CRDs had their own failures. Of course, forum anecdotes aren’t data, but the breadth of issues does seem shocking.

These issues sometimes seem to apply to the ones for sale locally. I’ve seen Liberty CRDs claimed to have zero compression on a cylinder, dead fuel pumps, blown turbos, dead injectors, or just rusted out beyond safe operation. Yet, running and driving examples can be had for $3,000 or sometimes cheaper. My garbage car-loving heart just wants to give it a try, not as a dream car or anything, but as a sort of weird Gambler 500 trail vehicle.

Yet, I haven’t. I’ve been burned by enough bad diesel Volkswagens that I’m afraid to roll the dice on one of these bad boys. Maybe owning and getting disappointed by four Volkswagen Passat TDIs has taught me that not every diesel is worth owning. It’s a shame because it seems like the Liberty CRD is almost a grail-worthy rig.

Have you owned one of these? If so, is my brain in the right place? Should I continue running as far as I can for at least the four years or so that I have?

(Images: Manufacturers)