Jeep Commander

The Jeep Commander is a mid-sized SUV introduced in 2006 to compete with other top-of-the-line SUVs such as the Chevrolet Tahoe, Ford Expedition, Toyota Sequoia and Nissan Armada. It was first introduced at the 2005 New York Auto Show. It is a 7-passenger SUV and is just 2 inches longer than the Jeep Grand Cherokee. But the Commander is sometimes considered too small and carlike for full-size SUV buyers. It has much more boxy styling, with an upright windshield and squared-off sides. The roof is stepped for the second and third-row seats (which are mounted higher than the first-row seats), but is disguised, as on the GMC Envoy XL, by a roof rack. It also features three moonroofs.

See Autopedia's comprehensive Jeep Commander Review.

Recent Changes
The Commander was introduced to the Jeep lineup in 2006, and it remains largely unchanged for 2007.

Styles and Major Options
The Commander comes in three trim levels, the Sport, Limited, and Overland. Depending upon trim level, three different engines are offered as well. The Sport is available in either a 3.7L 210hp V6 or a 4.7L 235hp V8; the Limited offers either the 4.7L V8 or a 5.7L 330hp V8; and the Overland only comes with the 5.7L V8. In addition, the 4.7L V8 is also offered in a flex-fuel version. Two wheel drive is the standard, but four wheel drive is available for all models. Some of the standout features include:

Sport Limited
 * 17" silver alloy wheels
 * 8-way power driver (4-way passenger) front bucket seats
 * Cloth seating trim
 * Manual front air conditioning
 * 6-speaker AM/FM/CD audio system
 * Cruise control
 * ParkSense rear park distance control
 * Compass, exterior temperature monitor, trip computer
 * Power locks, windows, mirrors
 * 8-way power driver (4-way passenger) heated front bucket seats w/driver memory
 * Leather seating
 * Carpeted floor mats
 * Simulated wood dashboard insert
 * Express open/close sunroof
 * Roof rack
 * Dual zone front automatic air conditioning
 * Rear air with separate controls
 * 6-speaker Boston Acoustics AM/FM/MP3/SIRIUS/6CD changer audio system with amp
 * Homelink Wireless Control System
 * Rain detecting wipers

Overland
 * Simulated suede/leather seating
 * Genuine wood dashboard insert
 * Cargo net
 * Navigation system
 * Leather/genuine wood steering wheel
 * Rear tow hook, trailering hitch & harness

Pricing
Today's actual prices for the Jeep Commander can be found at CarsDirect.

Gas Mileage
As seen on the FuelEconomy.gov website, the City/Highway MPG averages are as follows:

Reliability
The Commander is a brand new vehicle which only made its debut in 2006, so accurate reliability information for it is not yet available.


 * RECALL ALERT: On Sept 21st 2007, Jeep issued a recall involving 28,755 Jeep Grand Cherokees and Commanders made between May 17 and July 13 2007 due to a manufacturing mistake involving the disc brakes that could cause the clamper to fracture and stop functioning.


 * RECALL ALERT: Jeep recalling more than 47,000 2002-2003 Liberty because of loss of lubrication in their front ball joints due to salt and 2009 Commanders, Grand Cherokees, and Wrangler models due to a possible reversed wiring on the driver's airbag controller which may inhibit the airbag's deployment.

Safety
The Commander performed fairly well in safety tests carried out by the NHTSA. For all front-impact crash tests, it received 5-Star ratings, and tests for rollover yielded a 3-Star rating. No tests were performed for side-impact. Some of the standard safety features on the Commander include:
 * Traction control
 * Electronic stability control
 * Front and rear anti-roll bars
 * Four wheel anti-lock brakes
 * Driver/passenger front-impact airbags
 * 1st/2nd/3rd row overhead airbags
 * Occupancy sensors
 * Side impact bars

Colors
Available colors will vary by trim, and a complete list is viewable at CarsDirect.com. Some of the possible combinations are:

Exterior
 * Black Clearcoat
 * Bright Silver Metallic Clearcoat
 * Light Graystone Pearlcoat
 * Red Rock Crystal Pearlcoat
 * Steel Blue Metallic Clearcoat
 * Stone White Clearcoat

Interior
 * Dark Khaki/Light Graystone
 * Dark Slate Gray/Light Graystone
 * Khaki
 * Medium Slate Gray

Main Competitors

 * Mercury Mountaineer
 * Volkswagen Touareg
 * Nissan Murano
 * Ford Explorer
 * Chevrolet TrailBlazer
 * Toyota Highlander
 * Honda Pilot

Hybrid Models
The mid-level engine of the Jeep Commander comes in a flexible fuel version, which utilizes E85 ethanol in addition to gasoline. This engine is a 4.7L V8 that pumps out 235hp at 4,600 RPM and 295 lbs.-ft. of torque at 3,600 RPM. It is available in 45 states.

Resale Values
According to Kelley Blue Book, "the Commander is expected to hold an average resale value, on par with the Grand Cherokee and Hummer H2, but below that of the Toyota 4Runner."

Criticisms

 * "...no matter which motor you choose, fuel economy is an oxymoron with the Commander." - AutoSite.com
 * "Fold all the seats and the Commander features a disappointing 68.9 cubic feet of maximum cargo space, besting the Grand Cherokee by just 1.5 cubes." - AutoSite.com
 * "Indeed, when all seven seats in the Commander are in use, there's just a narrow stretch of cargo space right up against the rear tailgate. It's enough for a few grocery bags or a couple normal-sized suitcases. The rest of your stuff has to go on the roof." - MSN Autos
 * "If your SUV needs are more about fashion than function, and/or your driving preferences are more attuned to on-road ride and handling than off-road aptitude, this may not be the car for you. There are sleeker, less expensive and more fuel-efficient SUV and crossover wagon choices available to get you around town." - Kelley Blue Book

Current Generation: (2006–Present)
Supposedly, the Jeep Wagoneer was the Commander's initial inspiration, this may be evident as its exterior resembles the styling. Although its design is very square-like, the Commander's basic platform is based off of the third generation Grand Cherokee.

Design quirks and oddities
Jeep is the third company to produce a vehicle called the Commander, after the Studebaker Commander and the Scammell Commander.

Trims
For its introductory year, the Commander was available in base and Limited trim. For 2007, the base was renamed Sport, and the top-line Overland model was added. These three trim levels carried on until 2009, when the Overland was dropped. Only Sport and Limited models were offered for 2010, the Commander's final year.

Engines
The Jeep Commander offered a base V6 engine with an optional 4.7 L Magnum and 5.7 L Hemi V8:


 * 3.7 L PowerTech V6 (2006–2010)
 * 4.7 L PowerTech V8 (2006–2009)
 * 5.7 L Hemi V8 (2006–2010)

In Europe and certain other markets like Chile, South Africa, and South Korea, the Commander offers a V6 Diesel engine developed by DaimlerChrysler:


 * 3.0 L CRD V6 Turbo Diesel, 160 kW (218 hp DIN) and 510 N·m (376 ft·lbf)