Ride Report - '07 Jeep Commander
Feb 20, 2007, 9:58 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: San Diego US and Brisbane AU
Programs: AA EXP/2MM - DL PM - OZ Diamond - Bonvoy LTT - Hyatt Glob - IHG Plat - National EE - Sixt Platinum
Posts: 1,315
Ride Report - '07 Jeep Commander
Was originally assigned a Highlander for my C reservation at LAX, but a strong odor of cigarette smoke got me switched into this instead...
http://www.jeep.com/en/commander/
This particular Commander was a base Sport model with the optional Premium Sound Group (Sirius and upgraded speakers), for a grand total of $29,430.
Powertrain: With three available engines, my particular rental was equipped with the base 3.7L V6 making 210 hp. While not particularly refined, this gives the Commander below-average performance, even for a large SUV. The five-speed automatic does well at managing the power-weight disadvantage though, providing smooth upshifts and prompt downshifts. Fuel economy is an EPA-estimated 16/20 city/highway mpg, but I have not seen more than 11-12 mpg on average.
Ride/Handling: For a truck-based rig, the Commander drives better than its size and architecture would suggest. Steering is predictably numb and light, but responds well. The chassis responds with only a hint of tipsiness at the limit, and body roll is mostly controlled. Ride quality is comfortable, though slightly floaty. Road and wind noise are kept to a minimum, though brake feels a bit soft and nose dive is noticeable during braking. Overall, it's no crossover SUV, but does the job pretty well for a truck.
Interior: The industrial look is prominent in the Commander's interior, and for the most part, it works. Build quality was generally good, though some controls had a slighly flimsy tactile feel to them. Similarly, there were several areas of hard, cheap-feeling plastic trim pieces throughout the cabin. Inteiror space for the front-row is good, but the second-row is slightly short on space, and the high-seating position and lack of legroom in the third-row makes it unuseable for anyone but kids. Cargo capacity is decent, but the third-row seat does not fully fold flat into the floor, and with the third-row seat up, space is minimal. Seat comfort is good in the first and second rows, however.
Design: A mix of traditional styling cues attempt to make the Commander look like an oversized Cherokee, though IMO it looks bloated and the high-roof profile is not integrated all that well. Overall, it is distinctively Jeep, though. Inside, the industrial theme popularized by HUMMER continues, with exposed screw-bolts and metallic trim. It looks alright, though slightly spartan in base trim. Visibility for the most part is good, except for when the third-row seat is up, which virtually blocks the rear-window. Gauges and most instrumentation are cleanly-designed and easy-to-read.
Features: As a base model, the Commander Sport is equipped with the expected features and not much else, other than the aforementioned factory Sirius (which still doesn't display song/artist info
) and upgraded speakers.
Value: The Commander was classed as a Z, which IIRC puts it in the same class as the Highlander and Explorer. It's certainly not the most the enjoyable drive, but if you need the capabilities of a truck and don't need to carry seven passengers, it gets the job done.
To sum it up:
The Good
Comfortable interior
The Bad
Poor fuel economy
Slightly inadequate performance
Cramped third-row seat
http://www.jeep.com/en/commander/
This particular Commander was a base Sport model with the optional Premium Sound Group (Sirius and upgraded speakers), for a grand total of $29,430.
Powertrain: With three available engines, my particular rental was equipped with the base 3.7L V6 making 210 hp. While not particularly refined, this gives the Commander below-average performance, even for a large SUV. The five-speed automatic does well at managing the power-weight disadvantage though, providing smooth upshifts and prompt downshifts. Fuel economy is an EPA-estimated 16/20 city/highway mpg, but I have not seen more than 11-12 mpg on average.
Ride/Handling: For a truck-based rig, the Commander drives better than its size and architecture would suggest. Steering is predictably numb and light, but responds well. The chassis responds with only a hint of tipsiness at the limit, and body roll is mostly controlled. Ride quality is comfortable, though slightly floaty. Road and wind noise are kept to a minimum, though brake feels a bit soft and nose dive is noticeable during braking. Overall, it's no crossover SUV, but does the job pretty well for a truck.
Interior: The industrial look is prominent in the Commander's interior, and for the most part, it works. Build quality was generally good, though some controls had a slighly flimsy tactile feel to them. Similarly, there were several areas of hard, cheap-feeling plastic trim pieces throughout the cabin. Inteiror space for the front-row is good, but the second-row is slightly short on space, and the high-seating position and lack of legroom in the third-row makes it unuseable for anyone but kids. Cargo capacity is decent, but the third-row seat does not fully fold flat into the floor, and with the third-row seat up, space is minimal. Seat comfort is good in the first and second rows, however.
Design: A mix of traditional styling cues attempt to make the Commander look like an oversized Cherokee, though IMO it looks bloated and the high-roof profile is not integrated all that well. Overall, it is distinctively Jeep, though. Inside, the industrial theme popularized by HUMMER continues, with exposed screw-bolts and metallic trim. It looks alright, though slightly spartan in base trim. Visibility for the most part is good, except for when the third-row seat is up, which virtually blocks the rear-window. Gauges and most instrumentation are cleanly-designed and easy-to-read.
Features: As a base model, the Commander Sport is equipped with the expected features and not much else, other than the aforementioned factory Sirius (which still doesn't display song/artist info
) and upgraded speakers.Value: The Commander was classed as a Z, which IIRC puts it in the same class as the Highlander and Explorer. It's certainly not the most the enjoyable drive, but if you need the capabilities of a truck and don't need to carry seven passengers, it gets the job done.
To sum it up:
The Good
Comfortable interior
The Bad
Poor fuel economy
Slightly inadequate performance
Cramped third-row seat
Feb 20, 2007, 8:30 pm
#3
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: RIC
Programs: Delta Gold, National EE, Hertz PC, Hilton Diamond, Marriott Gold
Posts: 889
The Commander with the Hemi will go! That 3.7 engine should not even be an option. The 4.7L should be the base engine. The 3.7 is horrible in the Liberty so I dont even think it could move that big beast.
The stadium style seats are cool. The 3 sunroofs are nice. The thing will go through just about anything. And it goes back on blocky jeep styling which is a plus!
The stadium style seats are cool. The 3 sunroofs are nice. The thing will go through just about anything. And it goes back on blocky jeep styling which is a plus!
Feb 21, 2007, 1:37 pm
#4
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: FNT/MBS
Programs: DL Gold, National Exec, Hertz 5*
Posts: 399
Might explain why Chrysler has 25,000 of these setting in empty parking lots all over Detroit. Maybe they should focus on engineering rather than marketing and finance to sell cars!
Feb 21, 2007, 2:58 pm
#5
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Tampa, FL
Programs: DL PM, AA Plat, Marriott Lifetime Platinum, SPG Platinum, National Emerald Exec
Posts: 564
I own a Commander with the 5.7L Hemi, and what a rocket! We have some of the worst sand on the beaches you have ever seen, which many pickups and SUV's succumb to. Our Commander does at least 10 days / month on the beaches in 4-Lo like it's just another day on the job...
Jul 5, 2007, 9:46 pm
#6
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: Portland, OR & Anchorage AK
Programs: Hertz Gold 5*, Continental, AK Air
Posts: 52
I just rented a Liberty for three days with the 3.7L and it had NO power and was extremely loud while accelerating at any speed. Once that rental ended I needed to rent another car for a week and immediately left the Hertz lot with a Jeep Commander so I drove both rigs back to back.
The Commander while a completely different class of vehicle is about 100 times better than the Liberty. I felt that the Commander had similar power to my 03 Land Rover Discovery and the engine was much smoother and quieter than the Liberty. I assumed it has the 4.7L V8 option and knew it didn't have enough power to have the 5.7L Hemi option; I had been averaging 14.5 in the city. I got about 19 on mostly freeway in the Liberty.
After driving it for four days I looked under the hood tonight. It's got the base 3.7L 6 engine. I couldn't believe it's the same engine. If I was buying a Commander and budgeting I could live with the 3.7L as long as I knew I would never tow anything.
I find it so odd that some cars can have the same engine but feel so different. For example I have probably driven 10 different Audi/Volkswagen products with the 1.8 Turbo 4 cylinders. Out of all of them one Jetta was so quick, others Jettas, A4s and Passats have been peppy, while our other car the Audi A4 is cursed with horrible turbo lag and inconsistent acceleration.
The Commander while a completely different class of vehicle is about 100 times better than the Liberty. I felt that the Commander had similar power to my 03 Land Rover Discovery and the engine was much smoother and quieter than the Liberty. I assumed it has the 4.7L V8 option and knew it didn't have enough power to have the 5.7L Hemi option; I had been averaging 14.5 in the city. I got about 19 on mostly freeway in the Liberty.
After driving it for four days I looked under the hood tonight. It's got the base 3.7L 6 engine. I couldn't believe it's the same engine. If I was buying a Commander and budgeting I could live with the 3.7L as long as I knew I would never tow anything.
I find it so odd that some cars can have the same engine but feel so different. For example I have probably driven 10 different Audi/Volkswagen products with the 1.8 Turbo 4 cylinders. Out of all of them one Jetta was so quick, others Jettas, A4s and Passats have been peppy, while our other car the Audi A4 is cursed with horrible turbo lag and inconsistent acceleration.
The Commander with the Hemi will go! That 3.7 engine should not even be an option. The 4.7L should be the base engine. The 3.7 is horrible in the Liberty so I dont even think it could move that big beast.
The stadium style seats are cool. The 3 sunroofs are nice. The thing will go through just about anything. And it goes back on blocky jeep styling which is a plus!
The stadium style seats are cool. The 3 sunroofs are nice. The thing will go through just about anything. And it goes back on blocky jeep styling which is a plus!