PHILADELPHIA — I had the most fun you can have under 5 mph recently in a Jeep Commander.
Jeep should do well with this vehicle, although Jeep dealers might worry about losing too many Grand Cherokee customers to Commanders. If six of your friends want to join you in some serious off-roading, you can climb the rocks together. It’d be hard to find rocks you couldn’t climb in this tough new ute.
We did some tough rock tracking in the Poconos and the exercise tested as well as demonstrated this ute’s gumption. In low 4WD, we traversed a rock-strewn forest floor, so both the rocks and the trees were, shall we say, limiting factors to travel. Most of the course required a spotter, because we couldn’t tell if the 2- and 3-foot round rocks were loose or rooted in the ground. Sometimes we discovered which while traversing them.
The spotter was also telling the driver where to put the wheel — not to determine which direction he should drive, but how to get across the next bit when there was often less than a couple of inches between the trees and either side of the Commander.
The only complaint I had about this vehicle, which is otherwise top-notch, is the third row. Although it allows Jeep to claim a spot in the full-sized sports ute category, it isn’t fair to make anybody other than a small child sit back there.
The Commander sure makes an impression, starting with its looks. It’s a head-snapper — it takes the attractive Grand Cherokee design and makes it buff. The straighter glass on the sides and rear, as well as 3 more inches of height, make this the Superman to the Grand Cherokee’s Clark Kent.
The front end is more vertical, and the big Jeep grille seems to push the bumper down toward the road even when it’s not moving. Quad headlights frame the grille.
After spending some time with the ute, I wished they’d have made it even taller and longer. That tells you the designers got it right, when guys like me want more of what’s different in its look.
Designer John Sgalia said, “This creates a look that’s rugged and bold.” (Designers talk that way, honest.) He explained that it was “time to expand the brand, and Jeep hasn’t had a 7-passenger vehicle before.”
On the limited model, there are cladded wheel wells with chrome fake bolts around the wheel well. I’m going to guess this will be popular, but sort of a personal-taste thing. Chrysler promises never to paint the body-colored cladding flat black.
I particularly liked the heavy-duty chromed roof rack that turns downward at the back end on both sides of the rear gate. It acts as a solid handrail for pulling yourself up onto the black diamond-pattern rear step to get things off and onto the roof rack.
The only problem I see is that skateboarders might want to take a free ride; in fact, these handles might actually keep lawyers (especially Philadelphia lawyers) from driving them for fear of litigious hitchhikers. I think they’re cool, though.
Inside, the Jeep family look continues, but with a few nice touches. There’s a strikingly handsome two-toned brown and gray leather look that gives the interior a British men’s clubroom look and feel. The gear shifter is sturdier and has a stronger presence than I recall in the Grand Cherokee.
The seat on the base model is comfortable and adjustable. I like cloth seats, and this one was both attractive and functional. The one thing the anti-leather activists might accomplish is to create premium interiors using premium cloth.
The three rows of seats are in what’s called “stadium” mode, meaning that as you go toward the back, you’re higher than the seat in front of you, allowing you to see better. This is why they raised the roofline three inches. If you want, you can get separate air conditioning and heating controls for all three seating rows.
When you aren’t carrying people, you can fold the seats flat, although they’re higher off the ground than in a normal ute. The second row also folds down, so you can still carry those big impulse purchases at Circuit City home without borrowing a buddy’s truck.
Driving on the highway, you’re struck with how quiet this big vehicle is and how small it feels as you drive. Jeep engineers worked on this, and designed side mirrors and windows carefully and well.
I put a couple of hundred miles on the V6-powered model, as well as the V8 Hemi. There’s also another V8 that I didn’t get a chance to drive.
The V6 has plenty of power for all occasions. It’s a 3.7-liter SOHC V6 producing 210 horsepower and 235 pound-feet of torque. I liked the transmission, as it’s very positive in its choice of shift points, making the six cylinder’s power very usable. Normally I’m a sucker for more power, but I have to say in the Commander, it’s not necessary. Move up a notch from the base model into the Limited and the engine is a 4.7-liter V8 that’s generating 230 horsepower and 290 pound-feet at its best.
Then there’s the Hemi; well, what can I say? You’ve got gobs of power, its 5.7-liters producing 325 horsepower and 370 pound-feet of torque. It’s exactly what you’d expect.
For its size, this is a reasonably nimble ute. I had a couple of passing situations on two-lane roads, and it just got up and went. But the nice thing about this engine is that as you’re running along the interstate, it purrs.
