Driving Impressions
The base V6 in our Commander Sport is barely adequate for the job. Packing only 210-HP and 235 lb-ft, the engine had trouble moving the 4,800-lbs SUV. To make matters worse, you have to apply too much throttle to get it moving. Likely this was intentionally done to help improve gas mileage and preserve low-speed traction, but it’s rather annoying.
When it comes to driving dynamics, the Commander drove better on city roads than expected. The steering is well-balanced and does a good job of helping you forget the weight of the vehicle. The big Jeep has a good turn radius and is easy to park despite its size. Rearward visibility is poor when the third row is up and can be hard to tell where the rear of the Jeep ends without having a backup camera. Luckily our test model was equipped with a backup camera that made it easy to fit the Jeep into the tightest parallel parking space with confidence. The backup camera is definitely recommended with the Commander if you do a lot of urban parking.
The suspension is a bit on the soft side, but it’s great when it comes to the freeway. It’s easy to forget this SUV has a solid axle because it has a good ride. Bumps, potholes and speed bumps are not a problem for the Commander. Handling and body roll are affected by the soft suspension. The Commander does not handle as well as SUV’s that have more of a street focus like the CX-9.
While I did not get a chance to test the Commander off road, it’s clear the Commander is not meant for hardcore off-roading. The Commander is no rock crawler, but the 4×4 provided excellent wet-weather grip. Drivers that won’t see much bad weather can probably do without the 4×4 and enjoy the lower sticker price and higher mileage. Off road enthusiasts with a large family should spring for the Limited model that is equipped with the Quadra-Drive II 4WD system that has a two-speed transfer case, Brake Traction Control, Hill Descent Control, and other off-road features.
The biggest problem with the Jeep Commander is that it may be too much of a compromise. It tries to compete with the large SUV market, but it does not do it as well as the Ford Flex and even the Toyota 4Runner. Also the Commander may likely not appeal to some Jeep enthusiasts because it is not the hardcore off-road toy they would like. The bottom line is Jeep needs to decide which way it wants to go with the Commander.
| BUILD | INTERIOR | PERFORMANCE | HANDLING | STYLING | VALUE | OVERALL | |
| RATING | 5.0 | 4.0 | 2.5 | 3.5 | 5.0 | 3.0 | 3.8/C+ |
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 The official Jeep website- www.jeep.com/en/ |
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Ive owned a Jeep Commander since its release in 2006 i now have 80,000 miles on it and only replaced the brakes and tires!:) haven’t had any other problems with it but the cloth interior stains very easily even if water touches it, seems past versions of jeep their cloth was of better quality ill remember to go leather next time. Handles like a dream and its turning radius is superb and on the highway were i do most of my driving i feel like im riding in a Cadillac the suspension is superb also. I dislike the new Liberty’s shrink the wheel base and you have more rollovers and would rather see that out of the line up then the Commander. Furthermore if they do take the Commander out of the line up maybe we will have a classic on are hands might be worth something in the future?
+1
Ive owned a Jeep Commander since its release in 2006 i now have 80,000 miles on it and only replaced the brakes and tires!:) haven’t had any other problems with it but the cloth interior stains very easily even if water touches it, seems past versions of jeep their cloth was of better quality ill remember to go leather next time. Handles like a dream and its turning radius is superb and on the highway were i do most of my driving i feel like im riding in a Cadillac the suspension is superb also. I dislike the new Liberty’s shrink the wheel base and you have more rollovers and would rather see that out of the line up then the Commander. Furthermore if they do take the Commander out of the line up maybe we will have a classic on are hands might be worth something in the future?
You mention this is a $38,000 vehicle but the dealers near me have been trying to unload these since the first intro for $20,000 .I can’t understand why they kept this vehicle it seems like the first thing they should let go.There were overloaded lots all over Detriot storing the excess a year or two back.This car is what Jeep needs to move away from as they merge with FIAT.They need to get rid of those low quality V6′s and introduce the new Multiair engine.Add diesels if they are going to build large SUV’s and make the Liberty sized vehicles the core.Shrink the brand and make a more refined specialty brand and launch it against Range Rover.It really should not a be volume brand more niche . SUV’s recede to where they belong as a ranchers vehicle.