Jeep Liberty is on a Roll

Or Not... Should Jeep lower the Liberty

In April Jeep announces that it will lower the Liberty a little less than an inch (22mm for the front suspension and 19mm for the rear). DaimlerChrysler nor The National Highway Safety Transportation Administration have reported any rollovers, yet Chrysler spokesperson Jan Zverina told USA TODAY the changes would improve road conditions and address "perceived safety concerns".

Autoweek reported safety concerns after their independent slalom test, designed mainly for sports cars, produced a rollover by a 2 wheel drive Liberty. Autoweek also reported that other SUV's have past this test without a rollover. Consumer Reports gave a 4-wheeldrive Liberty a "thumbs up" and plans to test a 2 wheel drive model.

The Liberty currently has a 2 star rating for rollover by the NHSTA and the lowered suspension could result in a higher rating. The NHSTA test is a static test and the Ford Escape and Toyota RAV 4 have received 3 stars.

Should Jeep or other manufacturers cower, succumb, and bow to pressure from independent tests on courses not designed for SUVs?