2006 Jeep Commander Review

Specifications

The Real SUV

TThere are 3,537,438 square miles in United States. Subtract a significant percentage covered in water, and youre still left with a hell of a lot of dirt. Ive made a hobby out of seeing as much of it as I can, and as a result Ive gained a healthy respect for any vehicle thats capable of taking me as far into the bush as I care to go; but show me a car thats as capable on the road as it is off, and only then am I truly impressed.

After all, a capable off-road machine is easy to come by; theyre as close as your nearest motorcycle dealer. A quick walk through the dirt bike section will render a plethora of two-wheeled machines thatd embarrass even the most hard core of factory off-road 4-wheelers, the Hummer H1 for instance, and theyll do it for a fraction of the price. Of course, any dirt bike worth its wheels is a truly retarded machine, in a two-cycle kind of way (and yes, any good dirt bike simply has to be a two stroke); their 2-stroke motors require pre-mixing the oil and gas, they smoke like chimneys when theyre cold and sound like the Lawnmower From Hell all the time, and you can forget about the need to give your friends a ride. Suffice it to say that while theyre great at tooling around in the backcountry, they really show their limitations when the dirt ends and the pavement begins. So, while Ill always turn to my trusty Yamaha as the weapon of choice for those really nasty trails, theres simply no getting around the fact that when its just a simple trip out to the lake, or camping with the family, nothing beats a four-wheeled, four-stroke (East German Trabants need not apply) vehicle.
Enter the Jeep Commander. As the quintessential 4×4s largest model, the three-row SUV is perfect for going out with more than a few friends. Inspired by the legendary Willys-Overland station wagon, another seven-seater from Jeeps past, the Commander is legendary brands take on the most family-oriented of SUVs. Looking rather similar to the 1990 through 1997 Cherokee, the big box of an SUV sports some very traditional Jeep styling cues, with the classic seven-slot grille being flanked by the traditional Jeep headlight/marker light setup. It positions the marker lights on the same plane as the round headlights (themselves enclosed in semi-rectangular housings), and the result is a very recognizable front end.

Trapezoidal wheel arches benefit from Wrangler-like fender flares; smooth on my base tester, theyre replaced by faux bolt-on pocket flares on the more upscale Limited model. Likewise, spending the almost $10,000 it takes to get the Limited also earns you an array of chrome trim pieces, replacing my more business-like testers black door protector strips and roof rack with the shiny stuff. Additionally, the Limited displaces the base models body colored grille and lower valance with chrome pieces while the back end gets admittedly useful grab handles, albeit chrome trimmed. Rounding out the more upscale look, the Limited also includes the obligatory body-colored door handles.

But, given the Commander already resembles a brick on wheels, I found myself favoring the no-nonsense look imparted to my base model by the black trim pieces, grey-centered wheels and Dark Khaki paint job; it just looked that much more prepared to tackle the great outdoors than the shiny Limited version. That said, I wouldnt mind seeing Jeep add the Limiteds pocket flares and rear grab handles (although they could do without the chrome) as options on the base model, for trying to balance on the back bumper to reach the roof rack is pretty darn hard.

Inside, Jeeps first three-row sport utility distinguishes itself with a very practical interior. Continuing the rugged theme, the dashboard is divided into panels, each appearing to be secured by a set of metal allen bolts. The look works here, and is further enhanced by the base models textured mini-diamond plate center console trim. A useful map pocket on the passengers side is handy for everything from road maps to campground brochures, and definitely a welcome addition in this vehicle. Sliding into the drivers seat is easy enough, with the Commanders ride height being low enough as not to necessitate any jumping, swinging, or clambering to get inside.

The khaki fabric seats in my tester were soft and comfy, and the adjustable lumbar support was a pleasant surprise to find on the base model. A quick jaunt up a forestry service road to a secluded beach confirmed that the soft seats were excellent at absorbing what bumps the suspension did not, and the lightly bolstered sides did an absolutely fantastic job of giving just enough lateral support on the freeway while still letting my body move independently on bumpier backroads without pummeling the ribcage every time the Jeep swayed left or right. The driving position is also very comfortable and appropriately high, giving good visibility over the hood. An adjustable steering wheel makes getting comfortable behind the wheel easy, but the pedal box is somewhat small, and the dead pedal is far too narrow, only supporting half of my left size 11 clodhopper. Otherwise, the relationship of the wheel, pedals, and dashboard meant that even with the drivers seat moved somewhat forward to clear a particularly tall middle-row passengers knees, my 61″ frame wasnt terribly uncomfortable; although my knee did hit the keychain on the freeway, turning the engine off at 60 miles per hour.

Speaking of seat room, the Commander has what is best described as a “decent” amount behind the front row. Middle row passengers have what could be considered a normal amount of room, with soft front seatbacks preventing any seriously uncomfortable situations even for those in excess of six feet tall. The only gripe would be the center middle row seat (which is almost legroom-less thanks to the center console), and the rear seats. Using what Jeep is calling theater seating, the middle seat is somewhat higher than the first, and the third row is even higher. It sounds like a logical plan, given the roof steps up accordingly, but I suspect the raised seating positions are a reaction to a floorpan that steps upwards towards the back in order to the clear the huge gas tank and protruding rear suspension. As a result, the seats get higher and higher, but the floor gains even more elevation, leaving the rear seats quite literally sitting on the floor. After loading the vehicle up with seven friends ranging from 53″ Australians (who marveled at the sheer size of the SUV, being used to the car-meets-truck “utes” in their homeland) to 62″ football players, my suspicion was confirmed when all you could see of the taller guys stuffed in the back (when friends come to visit from the other side of the world, you dont stuff them in the back) were their knees. The only positive spin on the third row compared to throwing them in the box of a four-door pickup is that the seatbelts kept everything legal. Will they ever forgive me? I doubt it.

Which brings me to my only other gripe: the Commanders cargo room. It doesnt exist. Jeeps press release says theres a storage bin behind the third row seat, and there is in fact a little reversible plastic trim piece (level with the floor and carpeted on one side, plastic and depressed on the other), but it does nothing. Narrower than a football, it wasnt even sufficient for the lawn chairs, football, frisbee, volleyball, snacks, and blanket Id packed for my little 7-passenger expedition to the beach. Stopping for lunch in a Burger King parking lot and experimenting with the folding seats revealed that even with the rearmost seat folded, the flat load floor was still quite short, and the only solution was to fold the middle row forward as well, dramatically reducing the Commanders people carrying capacity.

But, once on the road (with each passenger holding a piece of beach equipment), the Commander performed admirably. The journey from my house to a nearby resport lake consists of an hour and a half of relatively flat highway, and with the cruise control set at the posted 60 mph limit the base Commanders standard 3.8L V6 went into fuel miser mode. After an hour and a half of passing corn fields and cattle, the information display read out the good news: 19 mpg. Thats a very impressive figure for a full-size, full-time all-wheel drive-equipped SUV that has a coefficient of drag thats probably comparable to a cows (or more accurately a Freightliner towing a trailer full of cows); never mind that it was was loaded down with 7 full-size people. Even more impressive was how well behaved it was; even a stiff crosswind couldnt sway the Jeep, and the only road noise was a slight whisper coming from the sideview mirrors. The tires were almost silent, and the engine simply thrummed along; although it did take on a pleasant deep-throated tone more akin to a big V8 when the throttle was prodded.
Leaving the paved roads and taking to a forestry service road that accesses the best beach the lake has to offer left me even more impressed with the Commanders performance. Having taken the road a few times in various other vehicles I knew what the road offered, but was honestly blown away by how well mannered the Commander was, even in the most heavily potholed sections. The suspension soaked up everything, having only minor issue with the most square edged hits. Bumpsteer never reared its ugly head, and the ride was smooth enough to make a steady 30 mph pace perfectly acceptable to both the Commander and its occupants. Even drinking from wide-mouth water bottles (that unfortunately dont fit in the cup holders, although a large drink from any fast food joint is a perfect fit) was an easy and spill-free experience!

Perhaps even more impressive is that even this; the least powerful and only non-Trail Rated Commander in Jeeps repertoire (both 4.7L and 5.7L V8 models are Trail Rated) still had no trouble on the gravel road and forded the roads two shallow creek crossings with ease; all four Goodyear Fortera tires simply grabbing hold of whatever available traction was to be had, and pulling the Commander forward. As almost the most basic Commander you can buy, my tester didnt benefit from either of the optional Quadra-Trac II or Quadra-Drive II transfer cases, but even with the big-hearted 3.8L putting power to the basic single-speed Quadra-Trac I transfer case via the Mercedes-sourced 5-speed automatic (with Chryslers signature slap shift manual feature), the Jeep only elicited minor wheelspin on the slippery creek exits, doing an admirable job of both braking and accelerating predictably and safely on the rest of the dusty road.

With a test price of just over $30K, the Commander left me suitably impressed. Having driven (and ridden) a few different vehicles up that particular forestry road, ranging from 70 Yamaha enduros to Range Rovers to Ford pickup trucks, the Commanders ability on the bumpy road was, to be honest, surprising. Id never expected the relatively low, somewhat small-tired Jeep to fare so stupendously; and Id certainly never expected the most basic, non-Trail Rated model to perform as well as it did. Quite honestly, it made a road that is normally a chore to traverse into a pleasant drive, with the big-sounding 3.8L never leaving me wanting for power nor gas; even with the forestry road gaining roughly 1,300 feet of elevation in the course of only 12.5 miles, the fuel economy figure never went higher than 16 miles per gallon, and the end of the weeks test period left me with a very respectable average of 17 mpg. And while it certainly wont have me hanging up my dirt bike helmet, it did do a great job both on and off the road, leaving me with the impression that it just might be the best vehicle out there for those adventurous families that enjoy the great outdoors as much as they do their Starbucks.

And with the base models pricing being very competitive in the three-row SUV market, the Commander offers a more rugged, off-road-capable alternative to the city-dwelling Explorers and Trailblazers of the world.