In the total redesign for 2008, Liberty has taken on more of what we think of as "Jeep" characteristics, particularly on the outside. Up front the traditional Jeep grille is still there, but the headlamps are larger and the front fascia covers a fully redesigned bumper assembly. Take a look from the side and the Liberty is a bit longer than the previous generation and has a bit more glitter with chrome accenting. Wheel openings have a bit more flare to them and if you move around to the back you see that the wheel wells are pretty much filled up. Raise you head a bit and you will be looking right at the redesigned tailgate and tail light assemblies.

The Liberty is aimed at those who would like a small Jeep.

Both front buckets are quite comfortable with pronounced side and thigh bolsters. On the side, the bolsters went about their job of holding your torso in place unobtrusively. The bolsters in the seat cushion on the other hand were very noticeable, particularly if you have a bucket that doesn't quite fit in this seat. The bolsters were always noticeable and did an excellent job of holding legs in place.

Move to the back and you will find that two adults can sit in acceptable comfort. The seat looks plain, but once in place, your tush will be comfy. Leg and knee room can be a bit tight with a tall driver and if you forget to turn of the power seat's exit feature, you may get one or two passengers a bit unhappy when they have to get their feet out of the foot well and their knees up around their ears before that power seat grinds back to the rear of the seat track. A read of the manual says there are three seat belts in the rear, but I would bet that only two would be comfortable. If the third occupant is a bit on the large side, you had all best be real close friends, or you will be after the ride is done!

Jeep has chosen to drop the diesel engine option for 2008 and use the 3.7 litre V6 as the only engine in the Liberty. This workhorse V6 puts out 210 horsepower and 235 lb.ft. of torque with the assistance of a single overhead camshaft (SOHC) and regular unleaded fuel.

As with all the other jeep products, you can get your Liberty "Trail Rated" which just means that it will have all the stuff on it that it should have, like skid plates, four wheel drive, tow hooks and such.

This workhorse V6 puts out 210 horsepower and 235 lb.ft. of torque.

Depending on what you order, you can get either Command Trac, which is standard or the optional Select Trac. Command Trac is a part time system, electronically shifted with both high and low ranges. Select Trac is a full time system with a 42/58 torque split as well as high and low ranges. In both cases the front axles are Dana 30 units in front and Jeep's own design in the rear.

In addition to choosing the 4X4 system, you have to choose between a six-speed manual gearbox and a four speed electronically controlled automatic. This is where you need to pay close attention to the order sheet. Your choice of transmission affects the gear ratios and may limit your tire choices. Over all top gear for the automatic is 2.57 while the six-speed manual comes in at 2.69. With six gears to play with the manual uses a 4.46 ratio for first and hits 1.0 in fifth gear. The automatic uses a 2.84 ratio for first and hits 1.0 in third gear. All this means is that rock crawlers are probably better off with the six speed while the operagoers are better off with the automatic.

The Liberty will do nearly as much as the Wrangler, but is so much more civilized!

My time in this Limited Edition Liberty was quite enjoyable thanks to leather seats and a cushy (for a Jeep) ride in town. The extent of my off-roading consisted of a couple of trails and a few hills. Suspension travel kept things smooth and the short overhangs meant that I could come down some pretty steep hills and not stick at the bottom. This little trick provided me with gales of laughter when I took a pavement only person down one of the steeper hills. Something about the look of panic when hanging in the seat belt and waiting for the crunch that never comes is just too funny to pass up.

On a more normal level, the Liberty is aimed at those who would like a small Jeep, but don't want as Spartan a unit as the Wrangler. Jeep does have an optional, full length, canvas sunroof dubbed the Sky Slider to give you the Wrangler feel, but I'm quite happy with the normal glass paneled one that my test unit came with.

One option that I only got part way into was the MyGig, a multimedia infotainment system that fully integrates audio, navigation, entertainment and hands free communications. There is a 20 gig hard drive to store up to 1,500 MP3s. and Sirius Satellite radio. All functions can be controlled by voice commands or by touch screen controls. The bit that I did use seemed pretty easy to master, so there may be hope for me yet.

Liberty is exactly what Jeep intended, a comfortable option to the Wrangler for those who only need to go over tall curbs on the way to the opera or getting groceries in comfort. The Liberty will do nearly as much as the Wrangler, but is so much more civilized!