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tech
Jeep
Commander
Bigger Inside
That extra height is there to make the middle and rear seats
friendlier. The roof steps up more than 3 inches just behind
the front seats, effectively hidden by the standard roof
rack. It means ample headroom for all three rows, even
though the second- and third-row seats are raised
theater-style. Five 6-footers will fit without fisticuffs in
the front and middle row, but the two passengers exiled to
the rear had best be shortish.
With seven on board, there's room for 6.0 cubic feet of
luggage. Folding the third-row seats expands the cargo space
to 36.3 cubic feet, while folding the second and third rows
gives a total of 68.9 cubic feet. A Grand Cherokee is only a
wee bit smaller, offering 34.5 cubic feet of space with its
second row in the up position and 67.4 cubic feet with its
second-row seat folded.
The front bucket seats are wide and pretty flat, similar to
the seats of the target demographic — age 35 to 50,
85-percent married, 55-percent male, 62-percent college
graduates. There are two models: the Commander and the
Commander Limited. You shall know the Limited by its chrome.
Inside, the Limited gets the expected power, heated front
seats, plus leather upholstery, premium stereo with six
Boston Acoustics speakers, Sirius Satellite Radio,
power-adjustable pedals and the usual other luxury features.
This does not mean that the regular Commander is a stripper,
because it isn't. It is well-appointed, and options such as
a navigation system, rear-seat DVD player, hands-free
communications and rear air conditioning can dress it up to
near Limited standards.
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Distinctive Outside
As with the interior, the base Commander doesn't
look downmarket. In some colors, in fact, some of us
prefer it to the so-shiny Limited, which has a
chrome grille, side molding and rear grab handles.
Big, industrial-sized exterior door handles add to
the son-of-Cherokee look.
Standard are 17-inch Goodyear radials with
cast-aluminum wheels that look pretty nice, and
include a full-size matching spare. Chrome wheels
are a Limited option. With even the least expensive
Commander, you're lookin' pretty good.
Under the Hood
The base-est Commander — responsible for that
sub-$28,000 list price, with shipping — is a
rear-drive model with the 210-horsepower, 3.7-liter
V6. A five-speed automatic transmission is standard
across the board. Next step up is the 235-horse,
4.7-liter V8, and at the top is the 330-hp,
5.7-liter Hemi V8. |
The fact that the 3.7-liter V6 performs so well that it
can't be dismissed out of hand is commendable. Even with
four-wheel drive — and EPA rating of 17 mpg city, 21 mpg
highway — there's enough pep to make it worth considering,
so long as you don't need to tow more than 3,500 pounds. The
4.7-liter V8 has a lot more punch off the line, and can tow
6,500 pounds.
The big gun is, of course, the Hemi and its 375 pound-feet
of torque; it can tow 7,200 pounds and has all kinds of
acceleration. It also has the Multi-Displacement System
(MDS), which shuts down half the cylinders to save gas when
they aren't needed.
On the Road…
The Commander's five-link solid rear axle manages bumps and
potholes about as well as any, and the independent
short-and-long-arm front suspension gives you above-average
road feel and a good ride. For such a tall vehicle, the
Commander doesn't feel at all tipsy, even when you are
cornering more sharply than the tires would prefer. Every
Commander, incidentally, gets electronic stability control,
antilock brakes with BrakeAssist, and side curtain airbags
that cover all three rows.
Like most Jeeps, the Commander has a relatively high
waistline, but you don't get the feeling you're that far off
the ground. The front seats need more side support, but
otherwise, they're fine, even for long stints. There's
nothing alarming or complex about the instruments and
controls. With an overall length of just 188.5 inches — more
than 10 inches shorter than a Chrysler Pacifica — the
Commander doesn't feel ungainly around town.
…And Off the Road
It's unlikely the Commander will be anyone's first choice to
tackle the Rubicon Trail, but Jeep gamely insists that the
Commander, appropriately equipped, is "Trail Rated." There
are three available 4x4 systems: The base is Quadra-Trac I,
with the convenience of full-time all-wheel drive and a
single-speed transfer case. Quadra-Trac II has the new NV245
two-speed active transfer case, and Quadra-Drive II has
front and rear electronic limited-slip differentials and
pretty much every trick Jeep has up its 4x4 sleeve. When
slippage is detected, 100 percent of the power can be sent
to an individual wheel with traction.
We did some fairly serious off-roading with the Commander,
and while it is certainly capable, it isn't all that much
fun. Throttle tip-in seemed abrupt for rock crawling, and a
little more ground clearance would be nice, but for a
seven-passenger SUV, it's certainly capable of getting you
there.
Bottom Line?
The 2006 Jeep Commander's list prices start with the
aforementioned $27,985 base. Get four-wheel drive with the
V6, and you're up to $29,985. The Limited starts at $36,280
with the 4.7-liter V8 (EPA ratings: 15 mpg city, 20
highway), and $38,900 if you want four-wheel drive. The Hemi
starts at $40,395, with Quadra-Drive II as standard. EPA
ratings are 14 mpg city, 19 highway.
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