The 2005 Jeep Liberty is a capable off-roader and can handle daily driving with ease.

Jeep’s pint-sized SUV, the Liberty, is now three years into its first generation on the market in the United States. Three powertrains are available for the 2005 model year. The first is a 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine that produces 150 horsepower and 165 pound-feet of torque. The first optional engine is a 3.7-liter V6 that makes 210 horsepower and 235 pound-feet of torque. A 2.8-liter turbodiesel inline-four is available that makes 160 horsepower and 295 pound-feet of torque.

The Jeep Liberty Sport's four-cylinder engine comes only with a six-speed manual transmission and no option to add an automatic transmission, which comes standard with the V6. The diesel comes with a five-speed automatic with overdrive. Rear-wheel drive is standard, and four-wheel drive is available.

The Liberty slots into the Jeep lineup as one of its smallest vehicles. It's smaller than a Grand Cherokee and not quite as hardcore as a Wrangler, but carries many of the most popular styling elements from both.

Three trims are available: Sport, Renegade, and Limited. The Liberty competes with the Subaru Forester, Honda CR-V, Nissan Xterra, Ford Escape, Kia Sportage, and Toyota RAV4. It is targeted at new-car buyers that want a compact SUV with legitimate off-road capabilities.