2006 Jeep Commander Review

Specifications

New 7-Occupant Jeep Looks to Classic Styling to Woo Buyers

If you had initially thought that Jeeps upcoming 7-passenger Commander would look anywhere near the same as the stylish concept SUV that first made use of the name, think again. Rather, the Commander melds design cues from Jeeps recent past with a few styling details of the current generation Grand Cherokee, a move that will make many that miss the 1984 through 2001 model very happy.

“The Jeep Cherokee is an authentic, classic shape that is rooted in the public consciousness,” said Donald A. Renkert, Senior Manager, Jeep Studio, Chrysler Group Product Design Office. “By reinterpreting that vehicle, and other classic Jeep vehicles of the past, the Jeep Commander elicited nods of recognition from consumers, even though it is a brand new vehicle. There is a sense of deja vu about the Jeep Commander that brings knowing smiles of satisfaction.”

The new model also pays respects to an entire field of military-derived SUVs that helped popularize the segment. Popular vehicles in their time, such as the Isuzu Trooper, Land Rover Discovery, Toyota Land Cruiser FJ60 and LJ77, Mercedes-Benz G-Wagon, and most other late-70s to mid-80s sport utilities. As the name states the vehicles were utilitarian, living up to the middle initial in SUV, less concerned about styling as they were with accommodating as many people and as much cargo inside the least expensive body shell as possible, and slab-sided troop carriers were the order of the day.

Not everyone will appreciate the styling direction Jeep has taken with its largest offering, but the worlds most recognized 4×4 brand feels that there are plenty who long for something similar to a model that wasnt only extremely popular on the road and in the bush, but by being so literally saved Jeep from possible extinction.

The Commander solves a problem which those who built the old Cherokee, a model that incidentally was a co-development between Jeeps previous parent, American Motors (AMC) and Renault of France, the latter which owned the former struggling domestic automaker prior to selling it to Chrysler Group, could never have imagined. Back in the early 80s, five passenger vehicles were the norm. If you wanted to seat seven or more, you bought a van. Now, seven-occupant SUVs are becoming extremely popular, which may be a contributing factor to why sales of the recently updated Grand Cherokee have been slow.

The Commander now gives Jeep buyers with large families, or who regularly take other kids along with their children to soccer games, and who occasionally need to throw the little ones on the back bench in order to accommodate the grandparents - you get the message, right - something to purchase without sending them across the street to the Chevy dealer to buy a Suburban, Ford retailer to purchase an Expedition, or any number of competitive seven-seaters.

And the first Jeep with three rows of seats should be extremely competitive in this marketplace. As previously mentioned, it doesnt look like the full-size pickup truck derived Suburban, Expedition, Sequoia and Armada, the latter two from Toyota and Nissan respectively, in case you werent up on mammoth SUV designations, and looking different is quite often a good thing when trying to purvey something altogether new. The Sequoia and Armada, for instance, are so similar in overall shape and size to their domestic rivals that theyve had a difficult time giving good enough reason for an already happy camp of Chevy and Ford customers to change horses, so to speak.

But interestingly enough, Jeff Bell, Vice President Jeep, Chrysler Group, didnt mention this obvious difference when stating what made the Commander a significant vehicle in its class.

“The 2006 Jeep Commander is significant for a number of reasons,” said Bell. “First, Commander signals our commitment to remain the leader in the sport-utility market, a market that Jeep invented more than 60 years ago. This is the first seven-passenger 4×4 that is Jeep Trail Rated. Second, Commander is the only SUV in its class to offer two V8 engines. In addition, the Jeep Commander expands and strengthens what is already a stellar lineup, consisting of the Wrangler, Liberty and Grand Cherokee. And finally, the all-new Jeep Commander initiates the expansion of the Jeep vehicle lineup that will take place during the second half of this decade.”

There you have it, Jeeps reasoning behind building the new Commander, and some of its benefits to you, the customer. Theres a whole group of SUV buyers that will step up to the plate merely because HEMI will be inscribed on the back right hand corner of the liftgate, signifying that one of the most potent V8 motors in the business resides under the hood. For the time being, Jeep is only stating that its 5.7-liter HEMI, optimized in Commander trim to produce the least horsepower of any HEMI at 330 and a high torque rating of 375 lb-ft, and also featuring Chrysler Groups cylinder deactivating Multi-Displacement System (MDS), will be made available, possibly keeping its uprated 425-horsepower 6.1-liter version, which joined the Commander on stage during yesterdays New York auto show press event powering the Grand Cherokee SRT8, the brands first foray into SRT glory, to be unveiled at a later date. The 5.7-liter HEMI will be optional, with the Chrysler Groups SOHC 4.7-liter V8 featuring 235-horsepower at 4,500 rpm and a robust 305 lb-ft of torque from as low as 3,600 rpm being the second engine option, after a standard 3.7-liter V6 with 210-horsepower at 5,200 rpm and 235 lb-ft of torque available at 4,000 rpm.

While it might be difficult to imagine hauling a driver and six occupants, plus their gear up a 30 percent grade with any sort of motivating force if the base engine is chosen, it is important to remember that the 3.7-liter V6 would have been considered a top-tier performance model when vehicles that looked similar to the new Commander roamed the highways and byways. Now that V8s have taken over as the primary power sources in larger SUVs, however, the 4.7-liter will likely be the most popular option, with a large portion of Commanders also hitting the road with HEMI-power.

Two transmissions will be offered, the first being Chrysler Groups W5A580 5-speed automatic with AutoStick manual mode actuation fitted to the V6, and the second also a 5-speed unit, code-named 545RFE, and also featuring “driver interactive control,” or AutoStick manual-mode. In this area, Chrysler Group is leaving its domestic truck rivals behind, all of which still attempt to lure a sophisticated set of well-educated new car buyers (thats you by the way) with 4-speed automatic transmissions with no do-it-yourself sequential shifting capabilities.

It also looks like Jeep will be leaving its domestic rivals in the wake of its muddy path when it comes to off-road capability, something expected of the “Trail Rated” brand - a designation that identifies Jeeps vehicles as having been designed to excel in a variety of challenging off-road conditions, such as overcoming limited traction, featuring enough ground clearance to scale obstacles (theres a fair bit more ground clearance on the Commander than the Grand Cherokee by the way), be easily maneuverable in tight areas, manage steep slopes no matter the approach angle, and ford streams and large “puddles”. Knowing that the Commander is capable off-road in any configuration, the tough part will be making a choice as to which of its three four-wheel drive systems will best suit your needs, Quadra-Trac I, Quadra-Trac II or Quadra-Drive II.

If these look familiar, its because theyre the same as in the new 2005 Grand Cherokee, as is are the Commanders two transfer cases, complete with a Brake Traction Control System (BTCS), and Electronic Limited Slip Differentials (ELSD). The Grand Cherokee has been proven to be very competent under extreme conditions (see new vehicle review archives for 2005 Jeep Grand Cherokee Road and Trail Test), an attribute that should transfer over to the Commander, especially when considering its wheelbase length is identical at 109.5 inches.

The good news for the majority of SUV owners, who dont necessarily use their vehicles for harried 4×4 excursions, is that the Commander also makes use of the Grand Cherokees compliant yet agile independent front, live-axle rear suspension setup, providing the smaller model with the uncanny ability to be among the best in its class on and off the road.

“The on-road refinement and off-road capability of the 2005 Jeep Grand Cherokee are key reasons why it was named 4×4 of the Year by 4-Wheel & Off-Road magazine,” said Craig Love, Vice President, Rear-Wheel Drive Product Team. “Now, the only vehicle on the market with the same pedigree is the all-new Jeep Commander.”

The Commander looks as though it will pamper its occupants to the same degree as the new Grand Cherokee as well, instrumental in pulling in todays tough-as-pins-and-needles soft-roader. Yes, gone are the days when the sight of a mud-strewn SUV coming down the road presaged the arrival of its true-grit driver, a John Wayne cum Arnold Schwarzenegger meets Stalone action hero, with only the gun rack in back appearing more intimidating than his leering gaze. Now, the sport utilities are filled with even more intimidating creatures, smaller in stature but capable of much greater damage, evidenced by the haggard Moms at the wheel.

If a person must suffer through such challenges, theyd better be surrounded in leather seats and trim, the former with heated cushions no less, plus woodgrain surfaces set into a unique two-tone dash, premium audio, and a DVD-system complete with headphones for those moments of all-important silence. Jeep says its seats are “supportive and comfortable,” an absolute necessity, plus the ones in back are stacked in a stadium configuration, with each row positioned slightly higher than the former so that all occupants can see the road ahead. This should keep yells for “shotgun” to a minimum. Power everything is a must too, as the thought of getting out and walking around the vehicle to let the kids in the other side might be overwhelming after a day replete with countless tasks, one of which may or may not include providing an income so that said family can afford such a nice, well-equipped SUV.

For this reason the Commanders upright windshield, backlite and rear end, plus its vertical body sides and side glass, should provide those in the drivers seat with an exceptionally good view to the road ahead and traffic alongside and behind. The sideview mirrors are also large and square, ideal for their intended purpose.

The third row of seats is said to fold flat into the floor, allowing for optimal load carrying capabilities and a sizeable 36.4 cubic feet of stowage room. Drop the second row down and this area grows to 68.7 cubic feet, but if all are on board theres not much space to load luggage at 6.0 cubic feet.

Still, its important to factor in that despite the Commanders commanding presence, its only two inches longer than the new Grand Cherokee, so it will be just as maneuverable in parking lots and through mountain trails.

A nice feature for those in back is Jeeps Command-View skylight, a fixed sunroof mounted over the second row of seats, which incidentally comes complete with a sunshade if youre trying to keep infants out of harms way.

Speaking of keeping occupants safe, the Commander should not only provide top-of-class handling, critical for avoiding potential accidents, but it will also be the first Chrysler Group vehicle to feature “electronic roll mitigation.” This system integrates a variety of sensors throughout the SUV, which detect a potential rollover and immediately deploy a series of multistage airbags. Its a pre-collision system, similar in context to that developed and offered by Chrysler Groups Mercedes-Benz sibling.

Other crash avoidance features include standard Electronic Stability Program (ESP), Anti-Lock Brake System (ABS) and an All-Speed Traction Control System (TCS). A tire pressure monitoring system is also included, plus the ParkSense rear parking assistance system. Other features that are not only safety related but also convenient include Uconnect hands-free communications, a DVD-based navigation system, SmartBeam headlamps and rain sensitive wipers.

The Commander will arrive in showrooms later this year as a 2006 model, and be priced higher than the Grand Cherokee. Jeep will release final prices and specifications closer to its launch date.