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I know several folks who are still chugging along in the Jeep Cherokee models they bought back in the ’90s, when this popular vehicle was also one of the least-expensive four-door SUVs you could buy.

Some of these people lamented the fact that Jeep dropped the Cherokee from its lineup in 2002, replacing it with the similarly sized Liberty.

The Liberty offered the same basic package as the Cherokee – a compact, five-passenger sport utility that was comfortable for highway driving, but which also could handle a variety of off-road situations (if equipped with four-wheel drive).

But the styling was rounded, and even with a sort-of traditional seven-slot Jeep grille, the Liberty just didn’t look like a Cherokee – or any other Jeep product, for that matter.

True, the Liberty has sold well over the past six year, but it hasn’t come close to the sales numbers of the Cherokee, which was the most-popular Jeep product over most of its 20-year run.

To help fix that, the second-generation of the Liberty has arrived for 2008, and the one left in my driveway recently took me back to the days of the grand old Cherokee.

It’s definitely a modern rendition, of course, but the new Liberty looks enough like the old Cherokee that I would be among the fans of the old model who just might be willing to buy one of these new ones.

Too bad Jeep didn’t just go ahead and rename it the Cherokee, though. That’s the name the automaker uses for the Liberty in markets outside North America anyway. And now that the Liberty looks like a Cherokee, that’s by-golly what it ought to be called.

I’ve been told that the main reason the Cherokee name was dropped in 2002 was to help avoid confusion with the larger and more-expensive Grand Cherokee, It was introduced in the early ’90s as a complement to the Cherokee, giving Jeep two family-style SUVs.

The new Liberty I tested was the entry-level Sport model with four-wheel drive (base price $21,940 plus $660 freight). Options totaling $4,530 raised the sticker to $27,130 with freight.

This newest model has a close resemblance to two other current Jeep models – the smaller, entry-level Patriot introduced for 2007, and the larger, three-seat Commander, which arrived two years ago. The design is taken from the classic Jeep Wagoneer from the ’60s and ’70s.

For those who don’t care about four-wheel drive, the base 2008 Liberty with rear-wheel drive begins at $20,990 (including freight).

Neither base model would be considered stripped-down, though, as they come with such standard amenities as power windows, mirrors and door locks – all of which were optional on the original Liberty. No hand-crank windows are even offered on the new model.

The Liberty’s closest competitor is the Nissan Xterra, although it also could be compared to the slightly larger Toyota 4Runner. As with those two, the Liberty is considered a true sport utility vehicle and not a crossover, although the Liberty does come with a unibody – body and chassis combined into one unit. That would seem to make it more like a crossover.

Ride and handling have been improved considerably from the first generation Liberty, as well as the Cherokee it replaced. This Jeep rides like a car, yet when I took my tester on a semi-challenging off-road course, it performed like a real Jeep.

The plus is that the new Liberty is quite comfortable to drive for long distances to get to the nice places to go off road. Some Wrangler and CJ owners prefer to tow their Jeeps behind a smoother highway vehicle for long drives.

My take is that Jeep is straddling the line between the crossovers and true sport utilities with the Liberty, but the balance is just right. This is a vehicle Mom will enjoy for around-town kid-hauling, but Dad can have fun with it on the trails during the weekends.

Four-wheel-drive Liberty models are Jeep trail-rated, and can run with the best of the other Jeep off-road vehicles including the Wrangler. Two four-wheel-drive systems are offered, both with two-speed transfer cases for low-range gearing.

The base four-wheel drive is Jeep’s Command-Trac part-time system.

My tester, though, came with the full-time Selec-Trac II. Underbody skid plates are included with the four-wheel-drive packages.

Chrysler improved the Liberty’s on-road ride and handling, and gave it more standard features to create a great everyday family vehicle. The base model has $1,400 more standard content, yet is priced $1,000 less than the 2007 Liberty, the company said.

There is room for five, with bucket seats up front and a 60/40 split-folding bench seat in the rear. My only complaint – echoed by my spouse – was that the front seats in our tester weren’t as comfortable as they should have been. We both have short legs, and the seat bottom cushion was too long for us.

If you’re considering a Liberty, be sure to take a long-enough test drive to determine whether these seats will be comfortable for you and your regular front-seat passenger.

Rear-seat legroom is good even for adults; the kids will have more than enough.

New standard or optional features include built-in trailer anti-sway protection, hill-start assist and hill-descent control, front seat-mounted side air bags and side-curtain air bags for both rows, and the Sky Slider canvas roof, which opens over both rows of seats to give the Liberty a convertible feel.

Our tester had the Sky Slider, which gave the Liberty almost the feel of a soft-top Wrangler with the top open.

The electrically operated slider opens and closes automatically, and can be opened over both seats or either the front or rear only. It’s available on both trim levels, Sport and Limited. A traditional tilt-and-slide sunroof also is available.

The Liberty can tow trailers weighing up to 5,000 pounds.

It has the solid rear axle of the original Liberty and the Cherokee, a feature that off-road drivers appreciate because of the extra traction it affords on uneven surfaces.

Power comes from the same 3.7-liter V-6 engine from the previous generation. It’s rated at 210 horsepower and 235 foot-pounds of torque, which I found more than adequate for my needs.

A six-speed manual gearbox is standard, but a four-speed automatic is optional and was included on my tester.

EPA fuel-economy ratings are 16 miles per gallon city/22 highway for all models except the four-wheel-drive with automatic transmission, which is rated at 15 city/21 highway.

Our Sport model came with cloth seats, 16-inch aluminum wheels, a body-color grille, air conditioning, those power windows/mirrors/door locks (with remote), and a tilt steering column.

Among other options on mine were a fold-flat front passenger seat, towing packing, fog lights, cruise control, 115-volt power outlet, cargo cover, side roof rails, outside temperature/compass, and a premium audio system with six-disc CD changer and Sirius satellite radio.

With the Limited model, extras include a six-way power driver’s seat, 18-inch chrome wheels, the fold-flat front passenger seat, and Chrysler’s new YES Essentials stain-resistant seat fabric. The fabric can withstand stains even from permanent markers and red wine. This fabric is optional on the Sport model.

Also included on the Limited are a chrome grille, cruise control and leather-wrapped steering wheel. Leather upholstery is optional.

Automatic climate control, rain-sensing wipers, a navigation system, rear park-assist, and several audio systems are among other options, including Chrysler’s MyGIG entertainment system, which has a 20-gig hard drive that can store up to 1,500 songs.

Safety features include four-wheel antilock disc brakes, electronic stability control, and traction control.

Limited models begin at $25,175 with two-wheel drive, and $26,785 with four-wheel drive, including freight.

The automotive columns of G. Chambers Williams III have appeared regularly in the Star-Telegram since 1995. Contact him at 210-250-3236; chambers@star-telegram.com.

At a Glance:

08 Jeep Liberty

The package: Compact, five-door, five-passenger, V-6 powered, rear- or four-wheel-drive sport utility vehicle.

Highlights: The second generation of the Liberty has a new design similar to that of the old Cherokee, but has much-improved ride and handling.

Negatives: No third seat offered – some in this class do have that option. No four-cylinder engine available for better fuel economy.

Engine: 3.7-liter V-6.

Transmissions: Six-speed manual; four-speed automatic (optional).

Power/torque: 210 HP/235 foot-pounds.

Length: 176.9 inches.

Curb weight: 4,030-4,222 pounds.

Cargo volume: 31.2 cubic feet (behind rear seat); 64.6 cubic feet (rear seat folded).

Trailer towing capacity: Maximum 2,000 pounds with Class II hitch; 5,000 pounds with automatic transmission and Class III towing package.

Brakes, front/rear: Disc/disc, antilock.

Electronic stability control: Standard.

Side air bags: Seat-mounted front side, and side-curtain both rows.

Fuel capacity/type: 19.5 gallons/unleaded regular.

EPA fuel economy: 16 mpg city/22 highway, except 15/21 with 4WD and automatic transmission.

Major competitors: Nissan Xterra, Honda CR-V, Toyota RAV4, Mitsubishi Outlander, Subaru Outback, Kia Sportage, Hyundai Tucson, Ford Escape/Mercury Marine, Chevrolet Equinox/Pontiac Torrent/Saturn Vue.

Base price range: $20,990-$26,785, inlcuding freight.

Price as tested: $27,130 including freight and options (Sport 4WD automatic).

On the Road rating: 8.7 (of a possible 10).