Tow cars and trailers

"flying_monkey" wrote in message
ps.com...
Jeep Liberty CRD
2.8L diesel. At 80 mph, I get 24 mpg running petroleum diesel; 22 mpg
running 100% biodiesel.
Not a bad compromise.

"Bill Daniels" bildan@comcast-dot-net wrote in message

Bill,

I'd agree, that sounds good. I looked into one of those a couple of
years ago, but ended up not doing anything about it. How do you like
the way it drives, and how big of a guy are you? How much diesel
noise do you have when driving it? I've owned several diesels, most
recently a 1982 MB 300SD. Shot it due to old age and too many things
broken, too bad, it was among the best cars I've ever driven. My
attraction to the Jeep is somewhat reduced by the experience I had
once with a rental Cherokee, maybe in about 1987. Biggest pos I ever
drove. Have they gotten it better in the Liberty? I know that the
engine will last forever, but will the car? What's the mpg with the
general mix of everyday city and country driving?

Thanks,
Ed


The Jeep Liberty post wasn't from me but I can add a comment. My '94 Jeep
Grand Cherokee Ltd. turned 250,000 miles a couple of months ago. The engine
and transmission have never been touched. All the body, electronics and
suspension systems still work perfectly. It doesn't even rattle. The
leather seats look new. It consumes 1 Qt of oil in 4000 miles. Although it
has required some maintenance, it's still the most reliable vehicle I've
ever owned.

In fact, there's a lot of electronic systems in the vehicle and none have
ever failed or required any maintenance. Where maintenance has been
required is in the mechanical systems. The bearings in the front and rear
axles just wore out at about 225K miles ($1200). I replaced the water pump
($45) once and the radiator ($100) three times. In-tank fuel pumps are a
real pain but I replaced that with a $100 aftermarket in-line pump that I
can change on the roadside with a screwdriver in 15 minutes.

Even with extremely capable 4WD and a 5.2L V8, I get 24 MPG (10L/100km) on
the highway. Add a heavy trailer and hot mountain roads and it drops to
19MPG.

With the optional diesel engine, the Liberty looks great. A local pilot
bought one to tow a ASK-21 trailer. I'm watching to see how it works out.

Bill Daniels