SUV-lovers looking for some relief at the pump had an option with the 2006 Jeep Liberty Sport. The 2.8-liter, 160-horsepower turbodiesel engine available only on the 4WD Sport and Limited provided an average of 5 miles more to the gallon (about 20%!) over the gasoline-burning V6.
The addition of the Italian-made CRD made the Liberty the only SUV in its class to offer a diesel engine. It provides 295 pound-feet of torque (at 1800 rpm) versus the gas engine's 235, and it is capable of towing up to 5000 pounds. This particular engine, a direct-rail fuel-injected, inline 4-cylinder, received praise for not having the infamous plagues of American diesel: loudness, stinky smoke, and a slowness in warming up.
Diesel engines offer advantages in that the interval between oil changes is three to four times that of a gas engine, and the engines last seemingly forever. Plus, the Liberty's full tank provides a 500-mile cruising range.
As for drawbacks, vehicles with diesel engines cannot be sold in certain states - California and Massachusetts, for example - and not every service station sells diesel fuel. The fuel itself can be messy to deal with, as it does not evaporate when spilled, and you may find yourself with oily hands and soles after a fill-up. The price seems to fluctuate more so than gasoline's, and where it was cheaper than gas a few years ago, it recently has cost more per gallon.
Standard equipment on the diesel-engine Sport includes air conditioning, power windows, power locks, CD player, driver and front passenger air bags, and Jeep's ESP system: ABS integrated with roll mitigation and traction and stability control. The aforementioned safety features make it a great family car, as does its good performance in NHTSA crash tests:  5 stars for Driver Front crash test, 4 stars for Passenger Front, and 3 stars in the Rollover test.
The diesel Sport is available in a five-speed automatic transmission only. Options sunroof, leather, power seats, tow package, and, for the true off-roader, a skid plate package.